SMASHING A RAILWAY LINE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2963, 29 December 1916, Page 7

SMASHING A RAILWAY LINE

FEATS BY OUR AVIATORS.^ Tho bold plan adopted by our airmen to intercept traffic on the Douai-Lille railway line—ono of those which load to the Sommo battle front—is described ill extracts from the reports of the Flying Corps in France issued by tlio British Air Board. On September 25 the railway station at Libercourt, siding, and rolling stock were to be bombed, and an attempt made to attack trains going south, in the hope that they might bo carrying troops or ammunition. Patrols first attacked enemy aerodromes to prevent German machines from going up to interfere'with the operations. Smoke bombs were dropped to keep the aerodromes enveloped in. smoke, and from time to time a high explosive bomb to show that our men were still there. Two of our machines dived and attacked the first train to appear—one leaving Libercourt. On this, as on another coming up on a branch line, several bombs were dropped. The engine of tho first was hit from a- height of about 800 feet. It became derailed, and two or three of the front coaches partly telescoped. German soldiers who alighted were fired J upon, and ran towards Ostricourt village and woods. Stopped by the Wreckage'; Tho second train came to a-standstill near the junction, as that wrecked on" the main line was blocking its way. Six bombs wero dropped on it, three of which took effect. Troops from this also lied towards tho neighbouring village. Altogether, between 600 and 700 rounds were fired by Wo aeroplanes, and many German soldiers were hit. As soon as tho attack on the trains began our main raiding party of seven machines, with, an escort, attacked Libercourt station, on which 14 heavy and 34 smaller bombs wero dropped. Another thrilling story of the battle above .the clouds is that describing the I 1 fights of one of our machines in which were 2nd Lieut. D." and "Corporal E." They had driven down a hostile machine near Sailly Saillisel, and near Morval attacked two others. Ono of the latter succeeded in getting into position in rear of our machine. Lieut. "D" stalled the machines, and tho observer stood up to use the rear gun, but he had barely pulled it-into position when he was hit in the head and killed. Tho gun fell, as the stand had not been clipped into position, and struck the pilot on the head. He remembers nothing distinctly until he recovered consciousness on the way to French Army Headquarters. The surrender to Airmen. On September 26 a contact patrol machine ilew over Gird Trench, at between 300 and 400 feet. The Germans in the trench held up their hands and waved, white handkerchiefs. This information was transmitted to the ground station, and the Germans shortly afterwards surrendered to our troops. An instance of the very important co-operation between the airmen and the guns is given under date September IS. On one army front 70 hostile batteries were engaged and 159 active batteries were located, 29 of which were silenced. Thirteen direct hits were ob- ■ served.