“BIT OF BAD LUCK”

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24254, 23 March 1940, Page 6

“BIT OF BAD LUCK”

FLYING OFFICER KAIN HIS GUNS FROZE UP (From Our Own Correspondent) LONDON, Feb. 20. " 1 had a bit of bad luck the other rlav and, believe me, it was bad, Frying Officer E. J, Kain (Wellington) wrote to a friend in London recently. Some days later this “ bad luck was described by the 8.8. C. repoiter with the British Air Forces in France. It was that an excess of oil on parts of the mechanism of the eight guns of Kain's Hurricane caused them to freeze so that they would not work when he was chasing a Heinkel bomber. “ The crew of the bomber undoubtedly had a lucky escape while making a reconnaissance flight over eastern Fr3nc€, M it wss ststcd. Sitting* their tail at the time was one of our eight-gun Hurricane fighters, piloted by a young New Zealander, who has already shot down two German machines, and is recognised as one of the fighter squadrons’ most deadly shots. Yet the Heinkel managed to get away. . ~ “This is how it happened. In spite of the Heinkel’s rear guns, the pilot of the Hurricane manoeuvred on to the German’s tail, and, with the raider well in his sights, pressed the firing switch. Nothing happened. The Germans kept up a heavy fire, but the Hurricane still hung on to their tail, and the pilot continued to press the firing switch, hoping his guns would start up. “He remained in his position so long that the enemy’s bullets were ripping their way into his plane, and several came through the cockpit, just missing his body Eventually he had to give up and fly out of range. When he landed he examined his guns, and found that an excess of oil on parts of the mechanism had caused them to freeze up. This freezing up of guns is a comparatively rare occurrence. But there are at least three German airmen who can be thankful that it happened on that particular day.