On this day in Yorkshire 1941
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The Junkers 88 which was shot down at dusk off the North-East Coast Thursday was destroyed by a fighter squadron flying Hurricanes, who have already shot down 80 enemy “planes.
The squadron leader is an Australian, the second from the Dominion to command the squadron, and today he described how four sergeant pilots were responsible for the unit’s latest success. In addition to the machine destroyed it is almost certain that another failed to return to Its base.
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Hide AdFour Hurricanes were patrolling over the coast, operating in pairs and about 20 miles apart, when four Junkers 88s, apparently engaged In shipping reconnaissance during rather hazy weather, were encountered.
The leading pair of Hurricanes spotted a German machine and Immediately engaged It at close range. A short burst apparently blew out the engine, and the Junkers went into a vertical dive.
As they did not see the machine crash into the sea it was intended to claim only probable, but the crash was observed by eyewitnesses and our pilots, on landing, found their success confirmed.
Meanwhile, the other pair of Hurricanes were attacking another Junkers 20.000 feet.
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Hide AdA few bursts of firing and the German aircraft was badly hit. They also attacked a third Junkers 88 and damaged it so severely that when last observed at 1,500 feet it was diving vertically 400 miles an hour into the sea.
“But they did not see it crash.” observed the squadron leader, “and so can claim only a probable“ None of the sergeant pilots concerned had been In action before.
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