AIR FIGHTERS

New Zealand Herald, Volume 78, Issue 24083, 30 September 1941, Page 8

AIR FIGHTERS

DOMINION SQUADIION TENTH NAZI DESTROYED ESCAPE OF LEVIN PILOT (0.C.) LONDON, Sept. 9 The New Zealand Fighter Squadron has now shot down 10 Nazis, nine of which were accounted for while accompanying bombers in daylight sweeps. Recently two Nazis were bagged in one day. The first fell to the English D.F.C. who commands one of the flights, and the second to Sergeant H. N. Sweetman (Auckland). The D.F.C. dived on a German and sent him down into the sea. As he followed the Messerschmitt down Jie was attacked in turn by a German. Sergeant Sweetman, protecting his leader, dived on the second Hun and put him into the Channel as well. Sergeant L. P. Griffith (Levm) spent 40 minutes in the Channel after his Spitfire had been hit by flak when the squadron was returning from low cover escort over Lille. As the formation flew out over the sea on the return flight at about 12,000 feet the oil tank and the engine of Sergeant Griffith's aeroplane were hit.

The New Zealander began to glide toward the English coast, closely followed by Pilot-Officer P. S. Mcßride (Takapuna) and Sergeant J. D. Rae (Auckland), who has also shot down a Nazi. When he was about 16 miles from the coast, Sergeant Griffith baled out at about 4000 feet. He floated in his rubber dinghy while Pilot-Officer Mcßride and Sergeant Rae circled above him. He was picked up by naval craft just as the sea was beginning to become choppy. He was more fortunate than the pilot from another squadron, who baled out near the same spot at about the same time, but was not seen again. Four New Zealanders who were trained in Canada have been posted to the New Zealand Fighter Squadron: Pilot-Officer D. Clouston, Pilot-Officer E. F. Chandler, Sergeant A. F. Kronfeld (all of Auckland), and Sergeant A. W. E\ Cockrane (Hokianga). Sergeant W. M. Krebs and Sergeant A. I. Paget (Hawke's Bay) have also joined the squadron.

TWO NAZI PLANES DESTROYED . HASTINGS BOY'S EXPLOIT (0.C.) LONDON, Sept. 0 A Hastings boy, Pilot-Officer R. S. Masters, who is the only New Zealander in the Madras Presidency Fighter Squadron, shot down two Nazi aircraft in two successive days recently. "On the first day," he said, "we were out on convoy patrol and were circling above a fairly long line of shipping. There was a good deal of low cloud. Suddenly we saw two Hornier 215's diving out of the clouds, and wo selected one each. I went for the first one. He had dropped his bombs into the sea and was climbing for the clouds when I got after him. "I managed to get in three bursts at him and as I broke away from the last attack I finished up in "the clouds. I could see smoke pouring out of him and I got covered in oil. When I came out of the clouds again I saw a patch of debris on the water —all that remained of him. "On the next day I was out searching for one of our chaps who was shot into the sea off Cherbourg. I saw two Heinkel 59's—which the Germans use for rescue work —flying about, and I saw a Spitfire up above having a dog fight with two Me. 109's. One of the Me.'s came aftei 1 me firing cannon shells. I managed to get out of the way, and after a bit of manoeuvring I got on his tail. "He kept at sea level and made for the French coast, but I was able to catch him up and give him two good bursts. He went into the sea. Since then I don't seem to have had much luck."