FIGHTING FOKKER.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XLI, Issue 12810, 30 March 1916, Page 8

FIGHTING FOKKER.

A:: inter.-, tin. dv„-j.aiJi vs; tlifc subject r,i li.j r:v ;i o! England and G'.:r.T_ny .-u:t to the "Daily Graphic'' - • Jtiiw.iry 23, Uy Mr Pcreival Phillips iicm ti:-j hc.-idquaitc-rs of the: linti.-h army in Flanders. A Biitish airplane of a new and power:i! type (he writes) has entered the field against the "Fokker," the machine which has been the subject of boastful comment- in recent German official communiques. ' r The result-' has. been highly ."unsatisfactory—forthe Fokker. Whatever '■ hopes the Germaos.entertained of having at last gained-the -ascendancy'-in tße "air are doomed to disappointment. The fears of certain 'faint-hearted, -pessimists ' in' England thai. British aircraft: are hopelessly outclassed'may .-be dismissed.' Our .'latest niodel flier- has -this : week- j been chasing Fokkers aa r industriously as the Fokkers. previously chased British machines; of less ehgine power.- - • " ■ |On January 17' an who was act : .. iflg as escort to a light'scouting'machine drove down * three Fokkers' one : after the others, as well as alt Albatross "which unwisely appeared on the scene: . . Prhe details'of this exploit will give some idea of?the speed' and mobility of our new airplane and the respect'it'lias inspired 'in the German, flying corps. . } The officer- was flying 2000 ft above the Morane scoutwhich : he convoyed when two Fokkers suddenly, appeared.' They Had evidently 'lain in wait—as is' their custom—for British aircraft which" cross" the German: lines, and "theyvswooped towards : -tfie convoy like two great hawks. " : : Captain turned Bis machine gun on the nearest Fokker -and dived. The Fokker followed, and firing'- continued. After several rounds it dived abruptly hose downwards for. 6000 ft. Meanwhile its companion was circling above and - behind the.British machine. The latter climbed as soon as the pilot'realised that his first opponent was out of the fight, and managed to get above the Fokker, manoeuvring until within 100 ft. Thirty rounds from the sufficed to send the Fokker diving at a dizzy angle, and as it dropped the British tirplane followed until only-a mile from earth'.. The Fokker fell in a ploughed field. . Then the British airplane climbed to 10,5G0ft. The.-observer,.saw an.Albatross hoveling above and behind the Moran'c scout, obviously ready to attack. Again the convoy machine got.above the enemy. The Albatross retreated over the Houthulst Forest, north of Ypres, but was overhauled and received the bullets from "half a drum" of machine-gun ammunition, which sent him down beyond the forest. The-British machine returned to our ; lines, and on the way encountered a Fokr ker surrounded by half a dozen B.E. Bri- ' tish airplanes." Steering straight for the ■ Fokker, the officer of our new fighting ■ machine engaged when only 70ft distant. {

The Fokker dived steeply, and followed ! the fate of its predecessors. Recent successes scored by German airmen in Fokker machines have been 'over their own lines.. That fact must be borne in mind in analysing the so-called German "victories." The Fokker airplane is a light, unusually swift type of airplane (its speed is at least 100 miles an hour), armed with a single machine-gun fired through the propeller. It cannot travel long distances nor- make lengthy flights. It would not-, for example, venture far into British or French territory on reconnaissance or a, raiding expedition. Rarely does it go beyond the German position. If German airmen ventured to "observe" within our lines on anything like the scale adopted by British flying men they would speedily be deferred by powerful* machines which, like the Fokker, are designed to repel hostile craft within a limited area.