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UP AFTER ZEPPELINS

NIGHT PATROL DUTY IN CLOUDLAND

(By "Air Pilot" in the "Daily Mail.")

[Liout. A. do B. Brandon's recent attack on. a Zeppelin lends topical interest to tho .following most interesting sketch of a. night flight after Zoppelins.]

The orderly from tho telephone room brought the news: Zeppelins had been sighted at , and were proceeding in a. northerly direction. This meant that they would he overhead at any moment. A tew 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 tp lay out the light flares across the aerodrome in order that upon our return we might perchance he able to define the landing-ground. Compasses electric light torches, and maps were dragged hurriedly from their .hiding place, in he lockers. A! general bearing taken, of the enemy's course, and wo 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 the • heavens in. the twinkling of an eye, but never disclosing the true object of its search. • At last there is a shout from one ot the men bv the light. Ho has discovered the whereabouts ' of the Zeppelin. Yes, there she is! A long, grey, cigarshaped object far up in the clouds. We hurried across to the machine, and while L examined the bombs in tlie bomb-rack, beneath the fuselage-.(body) and attended to the fitting-in of the Lewis machino-gun, the pilot tested the engine. And before five minutes had elapsed since the first alarm we were off tho ground. Street Lights from Above. Who can well and truly describe the flr'st sensations'of night flying? Suddenly one is hurled from the ground into an unbounded space of darkness at the rate of fifty miles an hour. It is like jumping off a cliff on a dark night and plunging on and on, one knows not 'whither. It is impossible to see beyond one's nose, and the only thing that seems real and natural is the incessantly loud hum of the engine. It is a by no means pleasant task, this night flying. 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 we are. One would lose one's reason were it not for the hum of the' racing engine. At last there breaks through the long shadows of darkness beneath us a long, narrow winding ribbon of shimmering grey. The young moon has broken tlirough tho clouds, and the reflection of its light upon the water gives us the position of the river. On either-side or moving slowly along tho surface are small pin-pricks of coloured lights; I switch on my electric light in front of the observer's seat, glance at the altimeter, and discover that ive aro already- 600 ft. up. . The glare of that light, feeble though it be when contrasted with the black darkness of tho atmosphere around, has got into my eyes, and for a moment or two I can distinguish absolutely nothing. Then lights begin to make themselves visiblo. ' _ The-liti'eet lamps can easily ho dis. tinguishod; as being darkened at the top tho light is concentrated downwards in a circlo on to the pavement beneath, which sorves the purpose oi reflecting it heavenwards and upwards. The mam streets can bo picked out by the two parallel lines of coloured lights; thp windows of shops, the lights o» which have been covered with red and green shades. ■ • ■ The Zeppelin Altitude. I have another look at the altimeter. Only a thousand, but still climbing steadily. Into a dark buro patch of land far below comes rushing a flaring, glaring gleam of light, followed by a string of smaller lights. Puzzle out what _ this strange apparition may be. It is a railway tram! As we mount yet higher wo begin to loso all our bearings and all sight of tho earth beneath. A-mucli more beautiful earth when compared with tho dtui, prosaic, ©very day affair, looking for all the world like a huge garden decorated with a myriad of multi-col-oured lights. It is diihcult to realise that those few, straggling, irregular rows of lamps encompass seven 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 ft. Getting nearer to tho Zeppelin altitude, yet 110 sign I The anxiety of waiting and suspense is becoming insufferable. Nothing but tha incessant throb of tho engine. But I have spoken too soon! Out of the darkness and blackness thero rushes past, with tho speed of an express train, a black, unholy shape. As it clears away in tlio distance, and after 1 have had time to draw my breath, I discover that it was another aeroplane, also presumably scouting for Zeppelins, that came so near to sending us hurtling down to a most unpleasant death. Ono is tempted to imagine that a good idea to avoid collisions in mid-air during tho darkness would bo to place a brilliant light in some prominent posii tion in the machine, thus avoiding un- , necessary accidents. Soarchllghts and "Archies." 1 Suddenly there is the most violent cannonade. A sure sign that the antit aircraft gunners have' spotted their ! quarry. Searchlights from all directions * aro in a sccond of timo concentrated > upon ourselves, while they are endoa- ■ vouring to get tho range. This latter, ■ much to the disgust of the pilot, who, 1 blinded by tho glare, banks too steeply; " just in timo saves her from a nose-divo, and consigns all anti-aircraft gunners to a certain well-known locality possessed of-a permanent and extremely warm climate. Further, to his yot greater disgust, the "Archie" merchants try their 'prentice hands upon us; but luckily, having aimed dead at us, we remain in compa-Tativo safety. The moment they begin to fire at tlio Zeppelin, howovor, our danger begins. We aro in luck's, way, however, for presently tho guns aro all silenced. TIIO searchlights go out ono by one. All bocomos quiet" and dark, dismally dark. ATo cruise around for another ten minutes or so, then descend cautiously and gradually. With one eye glued to tho altimeter to make certain of the height, 1 peer over tho side with the othor to pick up the first sign of lights or landmarks. Eight thousand foot! Seven thousand feot! Getting horribly cold! Six thousand! Fivo thousand 1 Shall wo novor got down? Four thousand! Three thousand ! It seems liko an ago. Two thousand! Ono thousand! Cautious now or our necks will bo broken! No lights or landmarks yot. Though t cranc and poor around in all directions I can seo'absolutely nothing I As usuah tho landing flaros have not 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 tho barrel and fire. It fiz/.cs and sizzles earthwards in a crimson stronlc of light. Wo wait anxiously for tho reaidh. But

still do lights! Altimeter shows 500 ft This is beginning to get extremely s'eri. ous. Try a green eartridgo. More luck this time, in tho distance I can make out a long irregular line of flares—point tlieni out to the pilot; but ho has already noticed them.

After a great deal of trouble and anxiety we land, having had to guess at the direction of tho wind for ourselves, and thus risking a sorious smash.

Incidentally this difficulty could easily bo obviated if a large arrow composed of red electric lights were placed across the landing-ground pointing in tho direction of the wind. At last wo aro safe back on Mother Bartli again, and verv thankfully jßeok the refuge of our beds!

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19160415.2.30

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2747, 15 April 1916, Page 6

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,370

UP AFTER ZEPPELINS Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2747, 15 April 1916, Page 6

UP AFTER ZEPPELINS Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2747, 15 April 1916, Page 6

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