Evening star., 1941-07-05
Eagle Flyers Mark
Fourth by luring
.Luftwaffe 10 Fight
But British Bombers
Have Biggest Day by
Downing ; Of Enemy
BY w. T. YAKBROtGH,

IN ENGLAND, July 5.-The Ameri-
can Eagle Squadron of the r. A. F.
celebrated July 4th with a roar
ing sweep over Northern France,
thus inviting Germany's newest
fighters to come up and engage in
battle
They did. When the dog fighting
was over the score was one MeSser-
schmitt damaged and all Eagles
safe
l watched the beginning and the
end of a large part of the days gen.
eral R. A. F. sweep from this sta
ton, but saw no Eagles. They worked
from another place.
But the British boys here had even
bigger day. They destroyed three
Messerschmitts and probably de-
stroyed another and damaged six.
I saw them take off in squadron
after squadron, laundering into the
dazzling blue sky. and saw them
come back-all but two.
They were Just taking off dozen
at a time at intervals of about one
minute, when small group OF re-
porters arrived.
South African Led Flight.
The time was 2 pm. sharp. The
front flyer was the r. A. F.'s leading
hitter, a fast-talking young South
African.
Two hours later he and his pals
were landing again in ones and twos
and the playful circles they made
around the field showed the hunting
had been good.
They had guarded feet of bomb
ers to Bethune and back-a more
hazardous daylight job than any
they did last autumn when the Ger
mans were swarming over Britain.
This time on a more dangerous
daily offensive they we're the same
modest cheerful fellows who won
salutes in the battle of Britain.
While they were out the station
| was a dull place. but when the leader
came back it came to life. The
ground crews lust walked out on
the field when the lesser marksmen
returned, but when the leader got
back they ran. Before he could
Jump out Of the cockpit they were
all over his Spitflre putting it in
shape for another fight.
His tunic was soaked with per-
spiration and he was as excited as
kid with a box Of flrecrackers. An
intelligence officer pumped his arm
and slapped him on the back. for he
had got one and half Nazi planes
one by himself and the other with
Polish flyer.
Somebody said: That's your Bad,
isn't it?" And he said he really didn't
know.
Il think 1t s somewhere around 80"
he said.
The intelligence officer later de-
clared it was his 33d
Contempt for Huns"
With wild gestures to show how
the Germans came at him from be-
low and behind and in frcnt. the
leader talked so fast and excitedly
the words were jumbled, but this
much was clear:
We were repeatedly attacked.
Our bombers were all together
when We got back. The Hun
fighters were bloody ineffective. '''
Got rid of one with just one squirt.
Tell the world what bloody
contempt we have for the Huns
We were at another squadrons
hangar when the time that all we're
due back had passed.
How do you stand?" I asked the
leader
We're one short so far, he said.
That one short" was the station
commander. who always told his
pilots to Come on" instead of Go
on"
An open parachute had been seen
somewhere around Lille" but the
pilots covered up their uneasiness
with mock amusement at the chief"
getting shot down.
One wondered if anybody saluted
him as he floated past
An hour later he turned up with
a laugh about having been AL by
myself in the middle of France"
Five Messerschmitts got on my
tall ne said. But when l faced
them they all went off"
But they had given him a few
"squirts" and he landed safely with
his aileron hanging by a thread
Shortly after the British forma-
ton crossed the French coast the
Messerschmitt l09s went into for
nation behind it to dive on it, the
bomber pilots related.
One Nazi Bagged Easily.
Then the Germans started peel
ing off-two-then two more-then
four. and so on. Pretty soon there
were lot Of dogfights but the Huns
were wary. They won't stand up to
it when it's one to one. When it's
that way we've got money for jam"