NEW ZEALAND AIRMEN

Waikato Times, Volume 132, Issue 22152, 25 September 1943, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND AIRMEN

DREADED BY GERMANS LONDON, Sept. 23 At dawn and twilight German anti-aircraft gunners on the French coastline and in naval auxiliary ships stand by their guns, keeping a sharp look-out over the English Channel for approaching Typhoons. These Typhoons, with their white and black streaked underwings, each carrying four cannons, roar down at over 300 miles an hour, raking the ships with murderous fire. This is one of the operations which New Zealand Typhoon Squadron crews carry out from time to time, often on their own initiative. The Germans have learned to dread and respect these attacks on their shipI ping. They open up fire as soon as they see the Typhoons, often sending ! their shells into the sea and raising waterspouts 100 ft. high in the hope that the Typhoons may fly into them or get water into their air intakes. Last week Squadron-Leader D. J. Scott, D. 5.0., D.F.C. and bar, of Greymouth, leading a wing comprised oi the New Zealand and another Typhoon squadron, sighted two 1000-ton naval auxiliary ships shortly after dawn at Le Havre. Squa-dron-Leader Scott detailed his second squadron to stand by and then took in the New Zealanders at mastheight. The pilots could see the red flashes from the shore anti-aircraft batteries winking at them, but although the shells burst all around them and streams of tracers were coming up from the ships, they went down blasting the decks and sending up myriads of small geysers around the ships. Then, when their ammunition was used up, the second squadron went down, but by this time the ships were silenced. New Zealanders’ Score

This is typical of an attack which the New Zealanders have carried out several times. Their normal operations, however, are escorting medium and light bombers—Typhoon bombers, Bostons and Mitchells—in attacks on enemy aerodromes, marshalling yards and roadsteads. The score at present is 19 ships and 2H fighters.

The squadron also carries out airsea rescue work. It has been on 70 operations during the summer and won a high reputation.