BATTLE IN THE SKY

Evening Star, Issue 16662, 19 February 1918, Page 3

BATTLE IN THE SKY

-—_—s .—, HUN RAIDER THAT WAS PUT TO FLIGHT. There were many witnesses of the thrilling aeroplane fight over London. "It lasted quite 20 minutes," said one observer. " Shortly after 7 p.m. a searchlight was observed to pick up a Gotha. Almost immediately other searchlights were focussed on it. Tho comparative darkness of the night made them seem particularly powerful, and the combination of beams kept an unerring grip on the raider. Shells which had been bursting near it ceased, and a- smaller machineevidently a British one—was seen to be climbing towards the Gotha. When first detected it may have been 300 or 400 feet below the enemy; in any case it closed, the gap with astonishing quickness, and it was evident that the airmen came to grips at close quarters—probably not more than 25 yards apart. The sound of machinegun fire was heard clearly coming from both machines; it rattled and reverberated with a curiously muffled effect during the periods that otherwise were still. All the time the Gotha was turning hither and thither, like a goldfish in a bowl, obviously trying to get away, but the searchlight held him securely,"and the smaller machine pursued him relentlessly, still firing rapidly. Probably the raider'wanted to detach himself in order to be left to drop his bombs in peace. But he found it impossible, and after a few minute's four or five bombs came crashing to the ground in quick succession. To those who were watching the British airman attacking right under his rival the wonder was that the bombs missed him. Occasionally tho fighters became separated, or, at any rate, the British pilot was lost to view for a minute or so, but he always came on again and the machine-gun fire restarted. Then the. raider, on whom the searchlights were fixed with deadly precision, apparently decided on a desperate manoeuvre in order to escape. Suddenly he turned over and dived down for all he was worth. For a moment a collision in mid-air looked inevitable, but the enemy swooped close by his attacker and disappeared into the gloom. He must have been very well punished before he go£ away.