ALPINE FLYING

New Zealand Herald, Volume 80, Issue 24709, 8 October 1943, Page 2

ALPINE FLYING

IIAZABDS FOE BOMBEBS * ' FAILURE OF ONE ENGINE NEW ZEALAND CREW'S TRIP (Special Correspondent) (Reed. 10.30 p.m.) LONDON, Oct, 7 The 7oth (New Zealand) Stirling Squadron took part in the recent raids on Kassel and Munich. The crews described them as not very exceptional. A difficult flight was experienced recently, however, by a Stirling captained by Pilot-Officer H. C. Williams, of Woodville, whose crew includes Flight-Sergeants T. D. Dill (Kaipara), A. L. L. Carson (Chatham Islands) and 1. Kayo (Marton). They were flying to Modane, in thcAlps, where there are important marshalling yards, when one engine suddenly caught fire for no apparent reason. Pilot-Officer Williams feathered his engine and used the emergency fire extinguisher, but on three engines the Stirling could not maintain the height of 14.000 feet with a full bombload. The pilot found the aircraft dropping to 10.500 feet, "barely scraping over the Alpine peaks." Flight Down Valley Although he would be perfectly entitled to turn back to his base, Pilot-Officer Williams was determined to carry on and bomb the target. For the remainder of that flight to Modane the Stirling flew below mountain peaks down a valley and on more than one occasion mountain sides were only 200 feet away from the wings. Pilot-Officer Williams eventually dropped his bombs from a height of i 1100 feet with a mountain reaching jto j2.000 feet in front of him. He could see the mountain coming closer and closer as he continued his bomb run. Then, when the bombs were gone, lie made a steep turn much to the relief of the crew. But the proximity of the mountain was not the only mental hazard on this trip. Another was that the air- | craft was below other bombers, which 1 circled above and dropped photo flashes | while taking photographs. Those flashes explode with the power of a 5001b. bomb and they seemed to be going off all round Pilot-Officer Williams' Stirling while he was on his bombing run By the time he returned he had been | flying five hours on .three engines of i the total of eight and a-quarter hours' I flying. Change in Enemy Tactics ft was the crew's 24th trip. They were in big raids in the battle of the Ruhr. Flight-Sergeant Kaye shot down a Focke Wulf 190 on one flight. The 75th Squadron recently has observed a change in the Germans' defence tactics. They have a tendency to attack bombers caught in a cone of searchlights with night fighters instead of anti-aircraft fire, the night fighters pouring a stream of bullets into the pool of light flooding the bomber. There will be changes in the 75th Squadron shortly. Squadron-Leaders F. A. Andrews, D.F.C. (Auckland), R. Broadbent, D.F.C. (Auckland), and J Joll, D.F.M. (New Plymouth), have all completed their second tour. Squad-ron-Leader Andrews , was married to Miss Audrey Hunter at Doncaster on October 2 and Squadron-Leader Broadbent will be married shortly. SHORTAGE OF GAS EMPLOYEES BLAMED ATTITUDE OF MANAGER

There was another failure of the gas supply in the Auckland metropolitan area late yesterday afternoon, and no improvement is , expected until the week-end, when the premises of most of the large industrial users will be closed. Officials of the Auckland Gas Company, Limited, contended yesterday that the shortage is a direct result of the stop-work meeting held by its employees on Monday, and the matter has been reported to the National Service Department. Had the normal quantity of coal been put into the retorts during the period in which the men were not working on Monday, the gas which should have been available would have been 3-50.000 cubic feet, said the company's manager, Mr. I?. Worley. Even if only one-third of this amount had been available on Tuesday, there would have been no shortage. As no coke was fed to the furnaces during, the meeting the temperature had dropped, with a consequent adverse effect on the quantity of gas produced on the next day. LOCAL AND GENEBAL

Supplies of Footwear A notification from the naval dockyard that some odd boots and shoes were available if the association could find a use for them was received at the quarterly meeting of the War Amputees' Association in the Mauchester L T nity Hall. It was decided to thank the donors for the gift, which, it was stated, would prove extremely useful. Mobilisation of Women A proposal for the appointment of local committees to investigate the mobilisation of women and girls with a view to making greater numbers available for industry was approved by the council of the Chamber of Commerce yesterday. The council's suggestion was that the calling-up of women should be carried to the maximum age at which registration was required. Matches Plentiful The unusual experience of having matches proffered and having to resist sales talk befel an Auckland business man yesterday. In marked contrast to a few months ago, when matches could be had only with other purchases and wives developed extra cunning in hiding the household supply, matches ar o now being openly exhibited in the shops and there is little difficulty in buying several boxes at a time. Gas Investigation Approval was given by the council ot the Chamber of Commerce yesterday to a proposal that an official investigation should be made to discover t 6 reasons for the shortage of gas i n Auckland. Mr. N. B. Spencer, who brought forward the matter, said recurring shortages were causing good deal of trouble to commercial users. The domestic position was 011 a side-issue. The community, whicfi i lost heavily because of the shortage, was entitled to know the position. Opossum Silences Bell , A mysterious silence m a Chmtchurch school bell was found to i been caused by an opossum whic succeeded in turning the bell over made a nest in it. 'lhe annua have climbed up the turret during night and somehow, either by swingjnon the rope or on the bell itself, t it over. It then hid in the boll until turbed. It could not be caught-and a sappeared in the upper part of t» e ret. The services of a workman will bo required before the bell will ring aga Control and Rationing _ "Control should be kept m its pi P perspective and it would be wi» e those responsible for control m time, and this association to a less ,. extent, to recognise that the pu will not take too kindly to con io > restrictions and rationings beyondw they consider is a reasonable peiio time." said the president. Mr. »>. A. Simpson, in his address to the a^ n ", meeting in Wellington of the knit Kingdom Manufacturers and -New land Representatives' Association must be ever watchful that socia »• tion does not control or regimentation."