UP AFTER ZEPPELINS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16205, 15 April 1916, Page 2 (Supplement)

UP AFTER ZEPPELINS.

- A NIGHT ' FLIGHT.

DIFFICULTIES OF A LANDING. ! The orderly from the telephone room! brought'' Hie news. Zeppelins bad been sighted at — and were proceeding in a; northerly direction. This meant that, they would be overhead at any moment. A' few sharp orders and the station began to throb with life. Mechanics hurried hither and thither, some to the sheds to get out the machine, others to fetch the bombs and a,Very pistol from the armoury; yet others to lay out the light flares across the aerodrome in order that upon our return we might perchance be able to define the right landing ground.

Corapi—HW, electric light torches, and! naps wi • dragged hurriedly from their hiding-place in the lockers. A general bearing token of the enemy's course, and we ran out on to the aerodrome, where a searchlight had already begun to work, sending long, scintillating beams of light across the dark night sky, turning and twisting, first in one quarter, then in another, covering tho heavens in a twinkling of an eye, but never disclosing the true object of its search.

At last there is a shout from one of the men by the light. He has discovered the whereabouts of the Zeppelin. Yes, there'she is! A long, grey, cigar-shaped object far up in tho clouds.

We hurried across to the machine, and while I examined the bombs in the bombrack beneath the fuselage (body) and attended to tho fitting in of the Lewis machine-gun the pilot tested the engine. And before five minutes had elapsed since the first alarm wo were oft' the ground-

Street I»ights From Above. Leaving the ground we miss a rooftop "by inches, and feeling considerably shaken, climb rapidly. At first it is dark, pitch dark. We see nothing, we know not where wo are. One would lose one's reason were it not for tho hum of tho racing engine.

At last there breaks through tho long shadows of darkness beneath us a long, narrow winding ribbon of shimmering grey. Tho young moon has broken through Che clouds, and the reflection of its light upon the water gives lis the position of the river. On either side or moving slowly along tho surface are small pinpricks of coloured lights; I switch on my electric light in front of the observer's seat, glance at the altimeter, and discover that we are already 500 feet up.

The glare of that light, feeble though it be when contrasted with the black darkness of the atmosphere around, has got into-, my eyes, and for a moment or two I can distinguish absolutely nothing. Then lights begin to make themselves visible.

The street. lamps can easily be distinguished; as being darkened at the top the light is concentrated downwards in a circle on to the pavement, beneath, which serves the purpose of reflecting it heavenwards and upwards. The main streets can be picked out by the two parallel lines of coloured lights; the windows of shops, the lights of which have been covered with red and green shades.

, The Zeppelin Altitude. | I havo anothev look at the altimeter. Only a thons&nd, but still climbing steadily. lr Into a dark bare patch of lsad far below -fhero comes rushing a flaring, glaring gleam, of light, followed by a string of smaller lights. Puzzle out what this strange apparition. may bo. It is a railway train-

. As we mount yet higher we begin to lose all .our gearings and all sight of the earth beneath. .A much more beautified earth when compared with the dull, prosaic everyday affair, looking for all the World like, a huge garden decorated with a myriad 'of multi-coloured lights. It is difficult to realise that those few, straggling, irregular rows of lights encompass £ even million living souls; that there far below us sleepily blinking and twinkling is the greatest city of the world.

. No signs of the enemy airship yet. I fill the tray of the Lewis gun with ammunition and fix it atop of the barrel ready for the fray. The altimeter registers 5000 feet. Getting nearer to the Zeppelin altitude, yet 110 sign. The anxiety of waiting and suspense is becoming insufferable. Nothing but the incessant throb of the engine. But I have spoken too soon. Out of the darkness and blackness there tushes past, with the speed of an express train, a black, unholy shape.

As it clears away in the distance, and 1 after I have had time to draw my breath I discover that it was another aeroplane, also presumably scouting for Zeppelins, th**' came so near to sending us hurtling down to a most unpleasant death. One is tempted to imagine that a good idea to avoid collisions in midair during the darkness would be to place a brilliant light in some prominent position in the ; machine, thus avoiding unnecessary accidents.

Searchlights and " Archies." Suddenly there is the most violent can- • nonade. ,; A sure sign that the anti-air-craft gunners have spotted their quarry. SsarcMights from all directions are in a second of time .concentrated upon ourselves, while they are endeavouring to get the range- This latter much to the disgust of the pilot, who, blinded by the glare, banks too steeply; just in time saves her from a nose dive, and consigns all anti-aircraft gunners to a certain wellknown locality possessed of a permanent and extremely warm climate. ' Further, to his yet greater disgust, the "Archie" merchants try their 'prentice hands upon us; but luckily, having aimed dead at us, we remain in comparative safety. The f moment they begin to fire at the Zeppelin, however, our danger begins. , We are in luck's way, however, for presently the guns are all silenced. The searchlights go out one by one. All becomes quiet and dark, dismally dark. We cruise around for another ten minutes or so, then descend cautiously and gradually. With one eyo glued to the altimeter to make certain of the height, I peer over the side with the other to pick up the first sign of lights or landmarks. Eight thousand feet! Seven thousand feet! Getting horribly cold! Six thousand! Five thousand! Shall we never get down? Four thousand! Three thousand! It seems like an age. Two thousand! One thousand! Cautious now or our necks will be broken! No lights or landmarks yet. Though I crane and peer around in all directions I can see absolutely nothing. As usual, the landing flares have nob been relit. I begin to lose heart and to get "cold feet," when I am struck with a brilliant idea. My Very pistol. Hastily I cram a red star-ball cartridge into the barrel and fire. It fizzes and sizzles earthwards in a crimson streak of light. We -wait anxiously for the result. But still no 'ighte. _ Altimeter shows 500 feet. This is beginning to get extremely seri- ' ous. Try a green cartridge. More luck this - time. In .the distance I can make out a long' irregular line of flares—point them out to the pilot but he has already noticed them. , I After a great- deal of trouble and anxiety we land, having had to guess at the direction of the wind for ourselves, and thus risking a serious smash. .-. , - Incidentally this difficulty could easily ~.;•; , .be obviated if a large arrow composed of • '. red electiic lights were placed across the ; landing ground pointing in .the, direction of the wind. At last.we are safe back -- v On 'Mother Earth again, .'and very thank- * * fully .seek the refuge of our bcds.—Air / Pilot in the Duly Mail, .. .::. - :