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Aviation History
1940
1940 - 0637.PDF
MARCH 7, 1940 205 ONTI N U ED On the right is a clpse-up ofthe production type Lior6 45 bomber. This is one ofFrance's finest machines and is claimed to do over300 m.p.h. A considerable number is already inservice. The crest of a HeinkelHe U1K shot down on October 28, 1939. A paintingby "J.H.S." appeared overjoyed, and shook hands with the trawler's crew over and over again. One of them declared that war was "no good," and that there was only one man in Germany who was allowed to open his mouth. During the journey back to port the skipper discovered that one of the Germans had voluntarily picked up a shovel and was cheerfully assisting the stoker. Shortly after this successful fight another Heinkel was sighted off the Northumberland coast. The fortunate squadron in this case was the one equipped by H.E.H. the Nizam of Hyderabad, which had got its first enemy air- craft down a few days ago. It is also equipped with Spit- fires. This Heinkel did not attempt to climb up into the clouds, probably because it had no chance to do so. So it took the other alternative, and went down low over the water to prevent the fighters from getting underneath. The Blenheim which escaped from five Messerschmitts on February 24 adopted the same tactics until it was able to climb into a cloud. But in this case the fighters were Spitfires, not Messerschmitts, and the bomber was a Hein- kel, not a Blenheim. Certainly the German pilot did not show the skill which the Blenheim pilot had shown, for after several bursts of fire the Spitfire pilots saw the Hein- kel's starboard engine stop. The bomber turned slowly round under the pull of the remaining engine, and settled on to the water. Just before it touched a large piece of the machine, probably of a wing, was shot away. A large patch of oil spread round the foundered Heinkel as the crew hurriedly launched their rubber dinghy, and three men were seen to climb into it. Tn three minutes the The cowling overthe Cyclone-type engine of a RussianI 16 single-seater fighter as usedextensive!y in Finland. Thismachine has two heavy machineguns and two rifle- bore weapons. Heinkel had sunk below the waves. Later an R.A.F. launch put out to look for the men, and vessels in the vicinity were warned to keep a look-out. One wonders whether those Germans would have shown any concern for the lives of sailors if they had sunk a British ship. Home With a Broken Rudder A REMARKABLE flight has been made by a pilot of the -^~* Coastal Command who for three hours brought his air- craft with a broken rudder, back over the North Sea, and made a safe landing at his base with his crew. The pilot's name figured in a recent list of officers to whom the D.F.C. was awarded. The aircraft was on a reconnaissance patrol towards the coast of Norway when its tail was damaged in a fight with a Dornier. A bullet wrecked the hinge of one of the double rudders as the British aircraft was diving to attack the Dornier close to the sea. The flapping rudder made the aircraft practically uncontrollable, and the pilot pulled out of the dive only a few feet above water. Limp- ing away, he would have made a good target, but the Dornier had taken its own share of punishment, and flew off, badly damaged. After the fight, the British pilot was unable to keep his machine flying straight. It vibrated violently from end to end, and developed a corkscrew motion. He pnlled open the emergency hatch above his head, and the naviga- tor and wireless operator opened the cabin door. All three had their parachutes and life jackets ready. But they kept flying. Steering by varying the revolutions of the two engines, and by manipulating the ailerons and remain- ing half-rudder, the pilot coaxed his aircraft back towards his base on the east coast. Very soon it was dark, the aircraft ran into a thunderstorm that made navigation im- possible ; but the crew flew on in inky blackness. The pilot decided that the chances of making a safe landing were so small as to be negligible, and prepared the crew to " bail out " by parachute as soon as they saw they were over land. After nearly two hours the wireless operator, who had been unable to establish contact with the base, succeeded in doing so. He asked for the aircraft's position and in a few moments the answer came back. The crew were astonished to learn they were over the Irish Sea, half way between Cumberland coast and the Isle of Man! They had flown across blacked out northern England with- out seeing it. With the wireless again in operation, they were '' homed '' back to the east coast. At the aerodrome anxious station mates were waiting. They expected the crew to jump and allow the aircraft to crash. At last, the aeroplane appeared above the flare-path that had been
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