Ten fighter attacks did not stop bomber

Ten fighter attacks did not stop bomber

List 10 Royal Australian Air Force airmen who: no heading (3), died on active duty (1), wounded or injured on active service (1), previously reported missing believed killed in action now reported prisoned of war (1), previously reported missing reported prisoner of war (4). At the bottom account of an Australian squadron Halifax chased by a three German fighter for 200 miles and making 10 attacks. Aircraft continued and bombed target Leipzig.

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AUS408771 F/O W. LAWRENCE
AUS409162 F/SGT. L.H. MacDONALD
AUS416799 SGT. N.T. SPARROW

[underlined] DIED ON ACTIVE SERVICE [/underlined]
AUS413978 F/SGT. W.J. GARRETTY

[underlined] WOUNDED OR INJURED ON ACTIVE SERVICE [/underlined]
AUS423995 SGT. E.T. BOWE

[underlined] PREVIOUSLY REPORTED MISSING BELIEVED KILLED IN ACTION NOW REPORTED PRISONER OF WAR [/underlined]
AUS406253 A/S/L W.R. MATHESON

[underlined] PREVIOUSLY REPORTED MISSING NOW REPORTED PRISONER OF WAR [/underlined]
AUS415775 F/SGT. W.F. FITZGERALD
AUS412175 F/SGT. J.C. MUNRO
AUS417554 F/SGT. R.F. ZEWAR
AUS413796 P/O A.T. RICHARDS

[underlined] TEN FIGHTER ATTACKS DID NOT STOP BOMBER [/underlined]

Three German night fighters chased a Halifax bomber of an Australian squadron for 200 miles and made 10 attacks, but they could not stop the Australians from dropping their bombs on Leipzig. Flight Sergeant F.C. Pope, of Longwarry, Victoria, was the captain of the Halifax. The crew had not long crossed the enemy coast when the rear gunner, Flight Sergeant R. Hewett, a Western Australian, reported two JU88’s with their navigation lights on, flying 600 yards out. There was a third JU88 without lights, waiting to attack them, too. The Germans apparently thought that the Halifax’s gunners would give battle with the two lighted fighters, and miss the third that was waiting to attack, but the Australians were not tricked. The Halifax’s gunners did not fire, but the captain went into the first of many violent evasive manoeuvres. The three fighters then came into the attack singly. They made 10 attacks in all, and not once did they succeed in hitting the Halifax, because of the skilful flying of the bomber’s captain. The bombs were dropped on Leipzig.