PURSUIT OF A ZEPPELIN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16357, 11 October 1916, Page 8

PURSUIT OF A ZEPPELIN.

. .1 .1 ♦ VBRITIBH AIRMAN'S BRAVERY. •'FIGHT OVER THE NORTH SEA. 'A. cutANT exploit by. a British airman, who attacked a Zeppelin raider, and with 1 his machine-gun fired ' many . rounds , into the enemy airship, wag carried out under particularly daring circumstances. . This officer, who is a captain in the Royal Flying Corps, set out from an aerodrome on the south-east coast in pursuit of one of the raiding airships, which had ' been reported to the westward. It was in the early morning houm that the flight was started, the captain being accompanied in a military biplane by an observer and it was not until four o'clock that he returned, after a protracted run- i ning fight over the sea with the Zeppelin. The airman was successful in firine ! nearly two drums of ammunition into fan ' > monster opponent during the fight, in the 1 attempt to find a vital'spot, audi? ™ , not until the coast of the Continent was , reached that he gave up the unequal contest. The captain then had to return to his base across many miles of sea, and all ' this, it mnst be remembered, in an ordi- ' - nary land machine. i In the meantime a good deal of anxiety ; concerning.his safety had been caused at -;""'the aerodrome whence he had started on ''?■ the 'flight. Just about two hours after ;';'■ his start the sound of aeroplane motors ■•was.heard, and light signals were seen, ■} f indicating that the machine was British. Intensely brilliant lights were set going m Jr at. once .at the landing place, and down £• through the beams of the searchlights the gallanji.airman made a splendid descent in sweeping • spirals' on to the aerodrome, p where fellow airmen gave him a round of ringing f cheers of welcome. : , ■„ S2O An.: eye-witness of the.- seen* f said .that - s the return under these conditions, ; " and ■ the' enthusiasm ;. of the- welcome, » were ?*x things he I would never forget. ■■•} }•• :', • "' v ' The captain is one of the most popular and .daring flying men on the station,, and the : phtek he displayed in this action has probably not been exceeded even a the