GERMAN TACTICS CHANGED

Southland Times, Issue 24212, 23 August 1940, Page 5

GERMAN TACTICS CHANGED

USE OF HIT-AND-RUN METHODS PILOTS SEEK COVER IN CLOUDS (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright) LONDON, August 21. Finding mass raids expensive, the German Air Force today went back to the hit-and-run tactics it used in the early days of the war. Early this morning the first enemy bomber made its appearance over the south-east coast of England. Throughout the day German airmen, using clouds to dodge patrolling Vickers Spitfires and Hawker Hurricanes, attempted to cross the coast at points from the Isle of Wight to the Humber. Some dropped bombs inland, some were engaged on reaching the coast and others escaped to sea immediately they saw approaching British fighters. The scorers of the day were the Spitfire pilots of an auxiliary squadron in the Midlands, who during the morning destroyed two Dorniers and severely damaged two more. In the South of England, three Hurricane pilots flying at 7000 feet sighted a Junkers 88 five miles away. They immediately gave chase. The Junkers pilot hurriedly unloaded his bombs and attempted to escape, but ended by a crash on the land.

Three patrolling Spitfire pilots also sighted a Junkers 88 over Oxfordshire. When he was within 400 yards of the enemy bomber, the squadron leader opened fire and after two bursts the German pilot dodged into a cloud. As he came out, a pilot officer flying the second Spitfire delivered an attack from astern. Then the squadron leader attacked again, but in an attempt to elude his pursuers the German pilot again sought safety in the clouds. When he came into the clear air a second time the third Spitfire pilot was waiting and opened fire at only 50 yards range. The Junkers’s gunner fought back fiercely and kept firing until the squadron leader carried out a third attack. The Junkers then crashed inflames. JUNKERS ON FIRE A third Junkers 88 was engaged off the south coast by three Hurricanes. After delivering an attack from astern, the German rear-gunner was silenced. The Hurricane pilots then delivered beam attacks and the Junkers caught fire. Two German airmen jumped by parachute. Three Spitfires performed a breathless aerobatic feat now known as “a Victory Roll,” after they had destroyed a Dornier over a south-east town. The stricken German narrowly missed _ a clock tower, crashed in a field, killing two ponies, and rocketed into a wood and then caught fire. An Air Ministry and Ministry of Home Security communique states that enemy activity over Britain consisted of a series of attacks by aircraft operating singly or in small numbers. There were many such attacks, including two delivered far inland. It was evident that in some cases the enemy objectives were Royal Air Force aerodromes, but though damage was done to the living quarters at one aerodrome the attacks proved otherwise abortive. Among the enemy raiders destroyed yesterday was a Junkers 88 brought down by a Polish squadron of the Fighter Command, which was in action for the first time. * When attacked by a fighter a Junkers crashed near a south-east town. Five of the crew were killed. Another raider dropped bombs on the south-east coast in the afternoon and a row of houses was damaged. There were no fatalities. Bombers twice raided a south-east coast holiday resort. Three bombers in the first raid dropped three bombs near an hotel. Fighters chased the

raiders, one of which was seen falling at sea. A bomber in the second raid dropped four bombs in the gardens. There were no casualties. The Germans continued their small-scale raids in the evening. Fighters on the southwest chased a raider which dropped five bombs and machine-gunned the outskirts of the town before it crashed. Some were killed. Spitfires in the north-east shot down three Dorniers five miles inland and captured a pilot. A bomb from a raider in a southeastern town converted eight workmen’s houses into a huge debris-filled crater, causing fatalities. A 14-year-old boy assisted his mother to capture a German who had baled out from a Dornier near a southeastern village. Farm workers caught two others. Home Guards took prisoner many Germans who had baled out.