BOMBER SHOT DOWN

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23997, 21 June 1941, Page 13

BOMBER SHOT DOWN

NEW ZEALAND CAVALRY ENCOUNTER IN GREECE (N.Z.E.F. Official News Service) CAIRO, May 20 The shooting down of an enemy divebomber, while German infantry had them almost surrounded, was the highlight of the adventurous journey of a .New Zealand Divisional Cavalry patrol during tho withdrawal from Greece in April. The members of the patrol were among the first New Zealanders to contact the enemy, near the Aliakmon River, and they were one of the last patrols to leave Athens a few hours ahead of tho advancing Germans. On the day the patrol shut down the Gorman bomber, the New Zealanders had come out of n town with five armoured cars and two Hren-gun enrriers to await some more carriers which were retiring from the Servia Pass. German dive-bombers, which had been flying across for some time, swooped down upon them. A trooper and a corporal told how every gunner was pouring tracer bullets at the bombers. "German infantry were under cover in a horse-shoe formation about us." the trooper said. "They were throning grenades and sniping. Ihe aeroplane which we brought down, having dropped its load of screaming bombs, appeared to continue its dive straight at us and then swerved slightly to our left and crashed about 30 yards off the road. It burst into flames. Through the poplars the German infantry saw the downfall of their own aeroplane."