WATCHING A BATTLE FROM THE AIR

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2606, 30 October 1915, Page 6

WATCHING A BATTLE FROM THE AIR

AEROPLANE OBSERVER AT THE FRONT EXTRACT FROM HIS JOURNAL

We ascended from tho aerodromo half mi hour before the great artillery preparation was scheduled to start. As wo swept around in a broad climbing spiral I cast an anxious eyo towards the sector of tho front 1 where tlio attack was to be made. It was Q There was a. stray "universal shell to keep lip tho tradition of "daybreak liate." Tho first rays of dawn had seen the disappearance of the last' or our motor transport. All was in readiness. • ' „ , r . As we climbed beyond the first fringe of low cloud I could see tho enemy s lines and the area of his field artillery. Shell-bursts and gun-flashes were infrequent. There was no sign of preparation. No hostile aeroplane was in sight. ... , After twenty-five miuutes of climbjntr wo got ready for the artillery, in a fow minutes the area which was now so quiet would he literally like tlie mouth of liell. ' ~ , „ Hardly had- I indicated all dear when a dozen guns discharged below and behind. I counted the secopds lip to twelve —tlie bursts fell with regularity and precision on the area. These wero the "rangers.' They wero duly checked. ;In less than a the errors were corrected, and tlio bombardment commenced. JJrom hedges, wood fringes, and villages, ior miles around, batteries of all _kmds began to speak. It was still just dark enough to see the different coloured ■flashes. The effect as seen from the air was just as though the whole coun-try-sidc .was illuminated in some weird way by great swinging Chinese lan-

Tile concentrated horrors of bombardment are best seen from the air. Houses, trees, trenchcs, and liatuial features seem thrown and shattered into piles of common'ruin. Human life would appear impossible. But Shore was little time for. contemplation. Behind the enemy's lines there was movement. Ho had been caught napping, and was now rushing up heavy artillery to hold the sector. In a moment we had spotted tho region of his "movements," which became 'registered targets" to be harassed by our batteries. Tho bombardment had now become general. Great salvos of enemy high explosive began to heave and tear at our front-line trenches; series of sfrap'nel searched our reserve trenches, Wtiere the enemy knew only too well chat Hie infantry concentration was being completed. But meajiwhilo the tremendous advantage of artillery preparation could jiot be denied. The enemy was suffering terribly, and, although Ho searched our field artillery area repeatedly, the gun positions were so carefully selected and so readily changed that our fire did not slacken. A hostile aeroplane was sent up to find those positions, to direct firo on the flashes, ami to retrieve the situation.

AVo saw his "crosses" distinctly as ho swung sunwards into his spiral. Ho was an "extension-Aviatilc," a lumbering biplane with great powers of endurance but with little speed and less ability to manoeuvre. The Aviatik had scon us and started his registration of targets a safe distance, behind his own lines. Before ho fiafl had time to engage tho targets lie had registered we bore down wind and got round him: a manoeuvre which by some"'strange chaiicc he had failed to observe and to counter. _ He did not, indeed, realise our proximity until wo had actually dived at him and opened fire with our machine gun. Then he had to fight. Both machines drifted

side-wind, over the lines, blazing at ono

another with all weapons available. A vast crackle of rifles and machine guns greeted us irom the area of tho trcncheß. We were not moro than 4000 ft. up, and were losing height rapidly.

By persistently closiug with him on his turns wo gradually forced the Aviatilc over to our side of the lines and then bore down oil him. After resisting for about three minutes the Aviafcik thought better of it and decided to get back at all costs. Although we slid almost on top of him, lie managed to clear beneath us by a dangerous • noso drive. He just orept back over his trenches and landed so close up that our 12-pouuders hammed' him to bits before he had come to a standstill. I The meeting in the ail - had occupied nine minutes. During that time so intense was the interest of the many thousands of "spectator-combatants'' on both sides that there was a distinct lull iii the battle. The moral effect of the result was considerable.

The moment of the infantry attack was now at hand. The gunners had dono their work. Trenches and obstacles were alike in ruins. I gave the signal. Recedfng shrapnel took, tho i place of high explosive and dropped with deadly precision a few yards in front of our first line of attackers. The ground seemed to. vomit men. From tho air they looked animated dots as they scrambled ant-liko across the few yards which separated tho tronches. There was little lire to meot them, and less hostile infantry. Here and there a man fell, but the line of attackers was virtually wliolo when it reached tho German first trenches. Reserves were rushing up in perfect order. The attack was pressed homo into the reserve trenches and beyond. It was here that the grim fighting began. Hidden machine-guns began to enfilade, snipers began to spit. _ In a few minutes our original front line of attack , was badly shattered, but there wore many reserves only too willing to finish the work with cold 1 steel. There was the grim flash of tho sun on hundreds of British bayonets. There was n 0 (lash when the bayonets had found their first mark. Here and tliero as the battlo bean to wane and tho enemy resistance had broken down I could see maphiuo«un crews running for_ dear life in the 3irection of their artillery dug-outs, with the bayonets on' their heels. Then the enemy began to rain high explosive sml shrapnel on the wliolo area, killing both friend and foe; but our " V had the last word to say, and the enemy was again stifled. The new position was soon consolidated. The bombardment died down on both sides. Smoking shell holes, heaps of dead, and increased desolation wero the.oiily changes in the general scene as 1 had surveyed it two hours before. But our line had been straightened out, and an enemy salient removed. Wo circled once over the battle zone. A score of angry "A-rchies" (anti-air-oraft guns) spat at us. We went home to the aerodrome for breakfast.