ATTACKED FROM THE AIR

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2656, 30 December 1915, Page 6

ATTACKED FROM THE AIR

» STEAMER'S EXPERIENCES. The "Journal of Commerce" (Liverpool) in reporting the arrival at Manchester of tho Cork Steamship Company's steamer Avocet (sa -s the "Manchester Guardinn), descricjs how on the passage (from Rotterdam, with general cargo) the vessel was attacked) by three enemy • aeroplanes. The incident took place on the morning' of October 30 at 11.15. One of ,tho aeroplanes was a large battle-plane, which dropped 36 bombs, some of which missed the steamer by not more than seven feet. Having apparently exhausted' all the bombs, the battle-plane took lip a position off the port beam and opened fire on the bridge with a machine-gun, atd the ship's sides and decks fore struck with bullets. The battle-plane was handled with great skill, attacking from a height cf 8(10 to 1000 ft., and, going ahead of the Avtcet, turned and came end on to meet her. When parallel its commander dropped his bombs so as to have her full length and so make sure of scoriug a hit. The ship's helm was put hud astarboard, and as she swu.no; to port three bombs narrowly missed tie starboard bow and three the port quarter. ILid the vessel continued her course bombs would have rained on her, dropping on. the forecastle and poop deck. - The small planes crossed and lecrossed the vessel, dropping bombs as they passed over her. They all made a laost determined effort to sink tho ship, and only failed because they had not iierve enough to fly lower. Seeing that iiie ship was unhurt they opened rifle firing. The action altogether lasted thirty-five minutes, and then the aeroplanes flew away. Tho decks of tho Avocet were littered with shrapnel, but otherwise she escaped any serious hurt, and none of the crew was injured. It is a tribute .to the men of the merchant service (adds the "Journal of Commerce") that tho man on the I.iufc-out actually kept his station and reputed a floating mine right ahead while fccnbs were bursting around him. 1