TORPEDO AIRCRAFT
NEW ZEALAND SQUADRON THEIR MISSION IN NORTH SEA LONDON, May 22 Now on a station in the East of England, the New Zealand Beaufighter torpedo-bomber squadron is continuing its successes against enemy shipping off the coast of Holland. The New Zealanders operate with an Australian Beaufighter squadron, and both squadrons on the station are commanded by Group-Captain A. E. Clouston, D. 5.0., D.F.C, A.F.C. and Bar, of Motueka, who was promoted and appointed to the position after commanding a Liberator squadron. Group-Captain Clouston has carried out many anti-submarine patrols in the Atlantic, also patrolling over a warship in which Mr Churchill went to the Teheran conference. The New Zealanders are continuing the same role which they performed so conspicuously while in Scotland, when they sank many ships off the Norwegian coast. Their work falls in three categories. They make reconnaissances in pairs along the shipping lane off the Dutch coast seeking convoys. When one is sighted the squadron takes off with a proportion of Beaufighters loaded with torpedoes and others act as escorts, going in to “beat up” the flakships which escort the merchantmen. Australian Role The Australian squadron, which concentrates entirely on this role, not dropping torpedoes, accompanies the New Zealanders as an “anti-flak” escort. The Beaufighters fly at a very low level as they roar out over the North Sea in formation. They get as low down to the water as possible, often flying only seven or eight yards above the sea, and once a convoy is sighted the anti-flak Beaufighters go ahead and strafe the ships while the torpedoers pick out targets, climb to about 50 feet and then release the torpedoes from about 1000 yards. This coastal traffic has become increasingly important to Germany as the result of the disruption of land communications, and in the words of one New Zealander, the Germans are so “fond” of these merchantmen that they provide at least three flakships as escorts for each merchantman. The result is that the Beaufighters expect to meet a wall of fire as well as a balloon barrage when they go in to attack—unless they manage to surprise the enemy, which frequently occurs.
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Bibliographic details
Waikato Times, Volume 194, Issue 22355, 23 May 1944, Page 3
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361TORPEDO AIRCRAFT Waikato Times, Volume 194, Issue 22355, 23 May 1944, Page 3
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