THE AIR BATTLE OVER THE MEDWAY

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3118, 23 June 1917, Page 10

THE AIR BATTLE OVER THE MEDWAY

IN THE RING OF FIRE

MAGNIFICENT BRITISH GUNNERY Melbourne, June 11. The latest accounts show that one-half of the Med way raiders, who numbered 16, have not returned to Germany. Two were shot down in the JUedway, two between Kent and Dunkirk, and" two off Ostend. Four others were driven down off Ostend, and of these two were destroyed. Kye-witnesses state that the formation of the Modway raiders consisted of a lino of bomb-throwers, with other aeroplanes on the flanks ready to engage the British machines, which quickly ascended. The Germans at first were flying very high, but came lower than in previous raids, beiug anxious to make sure of their objectives. Not a British gun was fired until the attackers were above the town. Then the raiders were suddenly caught within a great ring of fire, «nd seemed to ne trapped.

A shell caught a German machine .tnd sliced off its propeller. The aerop.'ane nose-dived, but the pilot, with superb coolness, recovered himself, and several times looped the loop as ho descended, each time breaking; the epeed rf his descent. A patrol boat first reached the scene, and released the wounded Germans. It was imposible to salve the plane. The German officer yesterday succumbed to shrapnel wounds. Shortly before his death he said he was a clergyman before he gained a commission in the army. His companion, who is a schoolmaster, was very seriously wounded by a bursting shell, his arm being blow off from the elbow. Ten minutes later nnother machine burst into flame and pitched downwards at tremendous speed, falling in the town. The rest of the enemy aircraft managed to get out of the- ring of fire, and fled our machines chasing them. TVhen the raiders arrived over the Thames Estuary "hell was loosed from one of the world's finest anti-aircraft shooting teams." The gunners smashed up the enemy formation in one volley. The Germans lost their heads and many bombs dropped into the water, •thousands of people watched the thril■mS 6 P e . ctac 'e from across the Thames J. He defensive operations are generallv considered to bo a brilliant triumph for the gunners, as well as the British airinen.awo caps were picked up in the vicinity of the German aeroplane which fell in the Thames Estuary. One cap bore the name Von Kluck. The British aviators who went in pursuit of the invaders made extraordinary steep and raSed vUn the a,arnl *™