ALLIED AIR VICTORY
THE RAID ON ST. NAZAIRE j 38 GERMAN FIGHTERS DESTROYED. NEW NAZI FIGHTER TACTICS. t United Press Assn —By Electric Telegraph—Copyright LONDON, January 4. I In the raid on St. Nazaire yester- | day United States Fortresses scored I a great victory over German fighters 38 of which were shot down. On the other hand the Americans took their severest punishment yet over Europe, losing 70 expert airmen and seven bombers, each costing £70,000 sterling. The general commanding the Fortresses flew in the leading bomber, which the colonel of the station piloted. Tt returned with one engine cut out and a number of scars caused by heavy flak and engagements with enemy fighters. A large number of German fighters waiting overhead swooped down on any bomber crippled by ground fire. The German fighters adopted uew r manoeuvres. Flying in pairs, they attacked the Fortresses head- i on. The Germans often closed to within a hundred yards range, making furious suicide attacks. One pilot said: “J was flying behind the general’s plane when anti-aircraft shells burst near and pieces were scattered over bis Fortress. Two planes in the middle of our formation were hit. One blew up and the other went down i n flames. We kept a tight curtain of fire right oil the target “The Germans followed us right out to sea and we gave heavy punishment. Some broke up in the air md others went down in flames.
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Bibliographic details
Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLXII, Issue 15241, 6 January 1943, Page 3
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242ALLIED AIR VICTORY Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLXII, Issue 15241, 6 January 1943, Page 3
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