NAZI BRUTALITY

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21193, 16 August 1940, Page 5

NAZI BRUTALITY

FIRED ON GERMAN AIRMAN WORK OF RESCUE INTERRUPTED LEFT TO FATE IN WATER (Official Wireless) (Received August 16, 1 p.m.) RUGBY, August 15 The Admiralty states: One of our motor torpedo boats went to the rescue of a German pilot who was seen tc bale out his aircraft and come down in the English channel to-day. It was found that the German pilot, who was wounded, was entangled in his parachute and one of the torpedo boat’s crew dived overboard to assist in getting the German pilot clear. While the naval rating was engaged in this task and the boat was lying alongside the man in the water three German seaplanes appeared and machine-gunned the boat and the man in the water from a low altitude. Three of the crew were wounded. In order to avoid further casualties the boat reembarked the rating from the water and got under way, being forced to leave the wounded German pilot to his fate. An Air Ministry bulletin recounts the story of three Blenheim fighters of the Coastal Command, which were patrolling the German coast this afternoon when they met 24 Heinkel bombers returning in ragged formation from raids on Britain.

A brief encounter took place over the enemy’s very doorstep. Although outnumbered eight to one the Royal Air Force aircraft suffered no casualties, but the Blenheims shot down two Heinkels and heavily damaged at least two others.