AIR FIGHTS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2663, 7 January 1916, Page 6

AIR FIGHTS

DAILY HIDE AND SEEK WITH DEATH PILOT'S FIVE SUCCESSIVE DUELS

British General Headquarters, ' November 11. ! Our aviators are the eyes of'" the Army, and it is mainly due to their audacious vigilance that,we are able to obtain quick information of the enemy's movement of troops from one part of the line to another, of gun positions, of trench geography, and of our artillery results. ''Unfortunately, the enemy has the same service, carried out with not "less valour; so that here, as in most other aspects of . this war, neither side can claim a ■ supremo advantage. Of the courage of these men of the Royal Flying Corps it is impossible to write too much praise. Scores of times I havo seen them in fight about the German lines with shrapnel bursting all round their jplanes, so that thoy seemed to be sailing to certain death. Thoy escape by their own skill or by just the fluke oMuck time after time, but it is not work which looks more dangerous than it is—a spectacular exhibition with little risk. The danger is constant and real, and these men know that every time they get into toieir saddle for a reconnaissance within range of the enemy's guns they, aro playing a game of hide-and-seek with death. The number of hairbreadth escapes even in on month's work would make a long and thrilling record. A Typical Fight in the Air. ■ A typical episode happened on November 4. A flight captain and a second lieutenant were engaged in artillery observation when they were attacked by a large hostile "pusher" machine—that is a macliirie with its engino and propeller behind tho wings— closely followed by three tractors, or machines with forward engines and propellers. Our officers immediately opened firo upon them, using one drum containing the cartridges of the Lewis gun. The "pusher" was hit and flow off at once followed by two others. The remaining one engaged our aeroplane, chased it in full flight, and then, while it was manoeuvring for position, dived underneath its wings and fired as it passed. The flight captain was wounded in the right arm and the ' petrol tank was pierced. Two other flight officers of ours ".on patrol duty saw the machine mentioned above closely pursued by a German monoplane, and they a steep dive towards it, like a stooping hawk. The Germans saw their danger, and making a swift turn flew straight beneath the wings of the British jieroplane, passing at about thirty yards' below. Half a drum was fired at them, but they turned again and-spiralled three times round our men, while both machines were dropping rapidly. Suddenly the Germans decided to make off and flew away at a great pace, but they were followed at about eighty [yards distance by our machine, which f fired the re'maining cartridges in the drum. Some of' these shots were aimed true. The German monoplane turned Tight-handed and banked steeply, then toppled upside down and plunged to earth just i inside our lines. The pilot and observer were both killed.

Against Heavy Odds. . . On the. same clay in a different neighbourhood two of our flight lieutenants had a very close shave, and in spite of the great spaciousness of the aky found themselves in a tight corner. They were making a reconnaissance as a matter of ordinary duty when a German Albatross came out of the clouds and parsed them at a- range of 200 yards. They were on. the qui vive for an attack from this particular bird, when suddenly tlie.v heard firing behind them. Tiioy turned sharply to the right and discovered another Albatross. At the same tim<), as if two were not enough, a hostile aeroplane bore down swiftly with a continual rattle of bullets from its machine-pim. The two (light lieutenants got their Lewis i.o work nnd drove off the monoplane, but the Albatrosses manoeuvred round and round in a most sinister fashion, nnd for nearly twenty minutes fired continually at oiir machine. ' Fortunately their shooting was not so good as the skill of the British officers in manoeuvring out of the ran:*e, and after this long duel the hostile aeroplanes swooped away, leaving '.lie British machine alone and untouched.

Another "Tight Corner." Two sergeants in one of our flying squadrons bad a perilous time when they were dropping hand grenades and "fletchettes" (steel arrows) over a town occupied by the enemy. A German monoplano gave chase, and one of our men was hit in the hand and had his face grazed. When reaching out for his rifle he was wounded in the other hand. The pilot made a steep dive towards our lines, closely followed by the enemy, and at this critical moment he was hit by a bullet in the leg; and another shot put tho engine out of action. For a moment or two the situation' may have seemed hopeless and death certain, but with steady nerves the pilot succeeded in landing within our line's, and a British biplane appeared in sight afld drove off the enemy. Cun Moved Whilst In Full Flight. Out of all the experiences of these air combats continual proofs of the stability and apparent safety of the newtypes of aeroplanes emerge 1 in a most startling way. When, for instance, a corporal in one of our air squadrons was followed by two hostile aeroplanes, he shifted his gun from its position in the front to the rear mounting, from which he could fire at his pursuers. This was done- in full flight, and when the enemy's machines mado a downWard swoop upon our own aeroplene from the prodigious height of 11,000 ft., tiring through our men's propellers. The handy alteration of the gun position secured a quick result. After firing' half a drum of bullets the corporal saw the leading machine tail-glide for a fraction of a second and then plunge to earth in a vertical nose-dive. The pilot watched the machine go down in this way for several thousand feet, and then it fell among some trees, and a cloud of dust was ■ evidence of its fate. The other machine gave up the fight and disappeared. One of the most remarkablo and gallant examples of changing the weight and balance in a machine happened on October 2G. Two of our flight officers, taking photos over the enemy's ground, were attacked by a Fakker at a height of about 7000 ft. While getting his gun ready, tho observing officer was bit in the left hand, so that he could not use the weapon. The pilot kept manoeuvring to avoid the fire from the enemy's aircraft, but was hit in the arm and shoulder and lost consciousness. Greater danger can hardly be imagined. High up and without a guiding hand, the machine rocked and swayed about in a giddy spiral, which was the first sign to tlio observing officer that his companion was out of action. Seeing the pilot limp and senseless, tlio other officer climbed over between the two back struts and onnght hold of tho control lever. He moved this about, but nothing happened. Pie then tried to close the throttle. This did no good, tho wire apparently having been broken. Finally, lie turned off the petrol, and getting tho machine under control managed to land it behind the French reserve trenches, It was a rough landing, awl

J chine was flung over, so that the wounded pilot was thrown out. He lay there m a pool of blood until assistance was brought by the observing oflicer (who climbed out safely) from the French Bed Cross. Tlio aeroplane was still tinder fire, however, and another observing officer who happened to be with his machine in the neighbourhood managed to roach the scene and rescued the Lewis gun and instrument board. Although there is no mercy on either side during these aerial combats, tlio battle of the air is enlivened by some of those little touches of chivalry and gallant_ honour which belonged to oldfashioned warfare. The courage of both German pilots and observers is admirable, and our men would bo the first to pay a tribute of praise to them for both skill and valour. At the same time, it is fair and true to say that in single combat our men are more daring and as a rule more successful. Again and again their pilots break off the fight and retreat to their own lines even when they have only one antagonist. Fight with Five Machines. Our men will often fight with two. More than that is too much even for the most audacious, and certainlv few men have had the luck of a certain young officer .who oil Ootober 28 had a series of combats. Going out in a Morane "parasol" on .escort duty to a , photographic reconnaissance, and flying at 10,000 feet, he saw an Aviatik 500 feet below and dived towards it as he fired his machine-gun. Tlio German turned towards his own lines, but the Morane was then attacked in the rear by two more Aviatiks, which opened fire at 150 yards. Nothing daunted, our aviator fired at them both and made them beat a quick retreat. A fourth Aviatik now opened fire from above and swept past the Morane into its own lines with its propeller stopped. Even this was not the iast of that hostile flight of birds, jind when the officer was going back to the aerodrome he met still another Aviatik, which he chased for about 15 minutes until it escaped over its own lines. All these adventures happened during the last few weeks. They belong to the daily routine of the Royal Flying Corps, which has done 15 months of splendid service.—Phillip Gibbs, special correspondent of the "Manchester Guardian."