MY FIGHT WITH A GOTHA

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 68, 13 December 1917, Page 5

MY FIGHT WITH A GOTHA

NAVAL PILOT'S STORY,

Tho report of a squadron-commander of the Royal Naval Air Service after a recent hostile air raid shows tho odds which British pilots-cheerfully accept in beating off the raiders. The officer in question had been flying continuously under war conditions in France,_ bombing and fighting, for-upwards of oighteen months. ' . "Wlion at 11,000 feet," runs hiß report, "I saw 10 Gothas coming inland. "I climbed up to them, and engaged ono on the right of the formation about three miles out to sea at something over 12,000 feet. Fired 100 rounds from straight behind his tail at IUU yards' Tango. Bullets were seen to enter tho Gotha's fuselage. Mtichmo started into a slow spin. I followed and fired about 25 more into him to mako sure. My gun then jammed, and in trying to clear I cot into a very fast spin with my engines on. Got out of this just in time to seo the enemy crash into tho sea. I then landed, had my gun jam cleared, and I went up after the remaining eight Gothas—ono had been shot down in flames —and caught up with them at 14 000 feet and engaged them in turnfrom both abovo and below., Then devoted all my attention to ono Gotlia, and 'after firing 200 rounds into him silenced both his guns. I think both German gunners must havo beon hit, as I was able to get within GO foot of him without being fired at. I finally ran out of ammunition." , There the story ends. '