R.A.F. SURVEY

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVIII, Issue 21552, 15 January 1940, Page 5

R.A.F. SURVEY

BIGGEST FLIGHT OF WAR

One Thousand Miles Covered

United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright (Received January 14, 6.30 p.m.) LONDON, January 13. The Air Ministry announced that the Royal Air Force last night carried out an extensive reconnaissance over Austria, Bohemia, north-west and eastern Germany. Security patrols continued over the Heligoland Bight. All our aircraft returned safely to their bases. It was the greatest survey flight of the war. The Air Ministry did not reveal the point from which the flight was made but the minimum estimate is that the machines covered at least 1000 miles and were obliged to fly at tremendous heights and endure extreme cold over snowbound Central Europe. The flight is comparable with a trans-Atlantic flight from Newfoundland with the additional strain of running the gauntlet of the Nazi defences. It is believed that two units participated. The achievement contrasts vividly with the Nazi claims of a reconnaissance over Britain which merely was a shallow penetration of the coastal areas. It is now reported tht the machines began from France and dropped leaflets over Vienna and Prague. Spectacular Battle A message from Paris states that a Second-Lieutenant and three Sergeants piloted four French ’planes which engaged 12 Messerschmitts and brought down three. The Germans, flying at a great height, suddenly swooped on the Frenchmen who were escorting a reconnaisseur home from a photographic mission. The battle, which occurred at 10,000 feet, was a series of spectacular acrobatics. One Messerschmitt was shot down in flames, the cccond went into a spin and the third was forced down to an altitude of 2500 feet. It raced across the German lines before it was shot down from behind. British defence figluar patrols shot down an enemy ’plane off the south coast of Scotland. A later message states that the engagement in which British fighters shot down an enemy ’plane occurred over the sea near the Firth of Forth, which has proved an uncomfortable area for the Nazis, at least six being shot down and others badly hit there during air battles since the outbreak of the war.

A German High Command communique states that eight British bombers attempted to attack German destroyers in Heligoland Bay. Only two managed to drop bombs, without success. We shot down one and damaged a second. The remainder departed prematurely. German fighters shot down the only Bristol Blenheim sighted over Germany on January 2. Apart from isolated nightly flights, which were again partly carried out by violating Dutch neutrality, there were no important events. On the Western Front the air force continued reconnaissance flights over eastern France and the North Sea and brought back important results. A British Air Ministry spokesman says the Bristol Blenheim referred to in the German communique made a safe forced landing in France. The German claim to having shot down a Royal Air Force bomber and damaged another in Heligoland Bay is entirely untrue. The Air Ministry announces that Coastal Command machines attacked three enemy destroyers off Horn Reefs (25 miles off the coast of Jutland) on January 11, when bombs were seen to explode close to the destroyers. The 'planes suffered no damage. Rescue of Nazi Pilot The pilot of the Heinkel bomber which was shot down by a British fighter in the sea off the east coast of Scotland this morning was rescued by a launch and reported that the other three members of the crew had been killed. The bomber, apparently was under control until a few feet above the sea. After the crash one man was seen to climb out of the aeroplane nto a rubber boat and the British fighter pilot wirelessed his position to the base. A coastal command launch went out and for nearly two hours searched the area in 10 mile sweeps following the direction of the tide. The launch captain explained the difficulty of spotting a thing so small as a man in broken water. Although a seaplane was also sent to search, visibility was too bad to keep contact with the launch. Suddenly a black speck was seen threequarters of a mile away. This proved to be the German pilot who, lying on his back, was endeavouring to make the backstroke with his arms. He was in full flying kit and the only way to get him into the launch was for one of the crew to get into the water, tie ropes, round him and for a derrick to haul him in. A sergeant at once volunteered and, throwing off his boots, entered the water He quickly fastened up the German, who was hauled aboard followed by the sergeant. Describing the rescue, the launch captain said: "The German officer was near extreme exhaustion. We soon had him tucked in my bunk below deck. One of the crew gave him a pair of trousers and we fitted him out with a sweater and thick woollen socks. He was most grateful for six cups of hot tea which he swallowed one after the other and said he was trying to swim to England 20 miles away. He told us his observer, who had been wounded in the fight, had also been in the water, so we went on searching for him for another hour without success. Then we started back home with the prisoner fast asleep. We wirelessed for an ambulance which was waiting to take him to hospital.” Never Fired At The evening newspapers enthusiastically record the Royal Air Force flight over Austria and Bohemia and reports from the pilots received later claim great attention. The flight occupied about nine hours and in spite of the low temperatures later reports state that the crews suffered little from the cold, one pilot saying, “if anything, we were a little too warm.” The flight, which so far is the outstanding leaflet raid of the war, started from French aerodromes and the first town sighted by the pilots was one brilliantly lit sei. 'where on the Swiss border. Passing out into Germany the aircraft split into two sections, one bound for Vienna and the other for Prague. The difference in the efficlc-sy of the blackout between Germany on the one hand and Austria and Bohemia on the other was especially noticeable, many members of the aircraft crews remarking on the ease with which Austrian

towns were picked up by the lighting, one pilot saying, "We could even see the headlights of cars moving along the roads.” Vienna was easily identified by the lights and the river, and the aircraft, having dropped leaflets, turned for home. On the way this section passed over a large town, believed to be Linz, and set a course for Frankfurt. The only event on the journey home was when one aircraft passed through a searchlight beam. The course was quickly altered and the machines were far away before the anti-aircraft guns could open fire. Equally uneventful was the journey of the Prague section, one pilot saying, "We were expecting things to happen all the time. They never did. We were not fired at.” This section noticed that Munich was fairly well lit on the outward journey, but was well blacked out when they returned. The engines of the aeroplanes behaved extremely well. “We could have gone on another five days,” was how one pilot put it. FURTHER RAID ON COAST United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph —Copyright LONDON, January 12. German aircraft again visited the English coast to-day, but were driven off by British fighters and antiaircraft fire. No bombs were dropped. The raiders visited the Thames Estuary, and, as was the case yesterday, there were no air raid warnings, and people watched the bursting antiaircraft shells with interest. An aeroplane, believed to be a Heinkel machine, appeared over the Yorkshire coast, but British fighters chased it out to sea. Machine-gun fire was heard and British machines were seen swooping down as if to make a kill as the aeroplanes crossed the cliff tops. The fighters later returned. Soon afterward.s Royal Air Force bombers appeared going seawards and gunfire was heard in the distance. Another Nazi aeroplane, believed to be a Heinkel, flew high over the Suffolk coast. / nti-aircraft guns opened fire and the aeroplane disappeared to the south-east. Heavy anti-aircraft fire was heard in the Thames Estuary ai'd many puffs of smoke appeared in the sky. An aeroplane was sighted flying at a great height. The Air Ministry announces that during Thursday night aircraft of the Royal Air Force successfully carried out reconnaissance flights over west and north-west Germany and patrols over the German seaplane bases in Heligoland. L'he German High Command has announced that British aeroplanes raided an aerodrome on a German island, but caused no damage. The Air Ministry announces that shortly after 11 a.m. an enemy aeroplane crossed the east coast and later was observed over the Thames Estuary. Anti-aircraft guns opened fire and fighter patrols which were sent up drove the enemy seawards. Gunfire Heard In London During the morning, people in central London could hear gunfire. An enemy aeroplane is reported to have reached the outskirts of the London area despi-e a constant barrage of anti-aircraft fire. The aeroplane is believed to have been hit. East coast anti-aircraft guns again opened up early in the evening when an aeroplane was sighted. To-day’s raiders were closer than yesterday’. l and the gun flashes were clearly visible. The Royal Air Force machines which carried out an extensive reconnaissance over Germany even returned to the scene of the recent fierce battle

over the naval bases near the Danish frontier. The German High Command states that the German Air Force continued its reconnaissance of the English and Scottish east coasts and the Shetland Isles. The German aeroplanes sank three British patrol boats and one armed merchantman off the Scottish coast. They also shot down one enemy aeroplane during an air fight. British aeroplanes attacked an air base on one German island without causing any damage. AIR CASUALTIES British Otticial Wireless (Received January 14, 6.30 p.m.) RUGBY, January 12. The Air Ministry announces a list of casualties "on various dates” as follows: In Action Killed 10 Previously reported missing, now reported killed 7 Wounded 1 Missing, believed killed 19 Missing 23 On Active Service Killed 8 Missing, believed killed ] Died 8