AN AIR DUEL.

Clutha Leader, Volume XLII, Issue 91, 23 May 1916, Page 8

AN AIR DUEL.

HKADLOXG PLUNGE TO DEATH. | An Oxfoi.! nil 1c; gradual. serving in tlie Royal Eng luers, <l.i .->;t bing the tlrstnict'on of :i German aeroplane, writes: "Tii's morning uas ideal for living the a r (aim and very clear, with here and there a heavy cloud lloat'iig .slowly across. Inn not threatening initv. and everything set iiied to po:nt tor a •-afo r« :i 1 ill tor life imadcr. He came towards :no down win I at a great pace, ni;!k : rg an a.'mot impossible target for our 'arch e>' (as the anti-airciaft gitn.s are a. I way-, ca! v('i. They seemed to rca'i-e t'n's. a I'd hard'y a. shot followed !iim as li c .sped acro.-s the filcy. H ■ p.iv-.i'd over my herd :ui'l made away for heme, .skirt.ng a'ong the- edge of a largp drrk <v>ud that i-iretehed away town ids the hoii/.ou. I glanced up nga : n .and its I looked ihe 'pkue made a HV.hlcn swiive away from the cloud-bank. e.nd a" laiger and darker form seemed to •spring out of the shadow, just, as you have often seen a hunting .spider dart out of its hiding place and seize t-ome wretched l insect. Tt was the fighting plane I had .seen rising some time before. Almost before one could realise what wa, happening, the machine guns were firing, and the German was planing ni.ad.lji downward for his life. ;Pt firsc I thought it was merely a ruse to he!;, hiju to .shake off his big opponent. 1 tit the volplane was turned' into a. spiral, and I knew that something was wrong. For a few seconds he came down steadily, and then seemed to lose control. The radius of the .spirals got less and less, and the descent -more steep, til] the 'ip'ane wa.s p'tolling headlong downwards, whirling round and' round- as it t'eM, like a dancing Dervish dropping through space!''