August 16th 1943: Heralded as the most amazing ack-ack shot of the war,high above Ryde, a Messerschmitt 109G is blown apart by Isle of Wight gunfire. There are narrow escapes as the wreckage plummets to earth.

"The Nettlestone Guns'
incredible seven mile shot"

G: in the series "Echoes of the Home Front by John Howard Worsley

Extract from the Story-Sheet:

................White con-trails against a clear blue sky had been watched by military and civilians as the hostile planes approached Portsmouth, circled several times and finally flew south across the Solent. Throughout the operation, the heavy Ack-Ack guns of Whippingham had put up a token barrage but had failed to get their shells near the target. Meanwhile, the crew of Nettlestone gunsite were carefully logging the enemy's progress with their recently fitted predictor equipment. "Target : Plane : Observe" This new drill was mostly the responsibility of the ladies of the establishment and included the determination of height, course, speed, timing of fuses and most importantly, the position that the target would be when the shell exploded. It all had to be done calmly and with great precision..........

.............. My brother 'Wiss', then seventeen, was on the corner of Argyll Street (in which we lived). He was in one of many groups of people who had gathered to watch the three tiny specks slowly drag their white trails across the sky. The distant dull thumps of Portsmouth and Whippingham Ack-Ack compressed the air with regular beats. Nobody expected any result, the planes were so high and the barrage was like futile playground barracking, ... all shout and no do. The tiny shell-burst puffs were way off target

The aircraft were almost directly overhead when a new, much louder voice gave three brief blasts. Nettlestone had intervened and had slung their first test shots. "They'll never get them at that height" the crowd sourly agreed.

Way off in Godshill, the drama was also watched by many. Ray Saunders, was with his father who was digging potatoes in their garden. "They'll never hit those" said Mr. Saunders senior when he heard the Nettlestone guns speak.

Three Nettlestone shells exploded. The first was to the side, the second was closer and the third closer still. After a brief pause in which the guns caught their breath,
another salvo bellowed.............

Run for cover! Something's falling and where did it finish?... In the story-sheet!

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