DOSED WITH THEIR OWN MEDICINE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 139, 1 March 1918, Page 9

DOSED WITH THEIR OWN MEDICINE

BRITISH RAID ON A GERMAN OITY. The Germans have been dosed with their own medicine. On November 1 Eaiserslautern was bombed—bombed in the daytime, on a fete day, while the district was on holiday and the town tfas crowded with holiday-makers. Kaiserslautem is a largo town of German Bavaria, nearly 100 miles east or the French frontier. Due north of Strasburg, it is right on the valley of the Upper Rhine. The town ■ has a strong, historical association. Nearly i) 00 years ago the Emperor Frederick Barb'arossa built a palace there. But its importance with regard to the war rests in the. numerous factories which it possesses. These were the objective of the British, airmen. For once the weather seemed in our favour. The daily reports for the preceding week had contained little else but successive mentions of fog, rain, and even snow. The night of October 31 was fine and promising, and by noon our formations were over the line. The conditions held good as far as Pirmasens, but thereafter thick clouds were encountered. Not a landmark could be picked up, ahd the pilots steered entirely by comnass. As the objective was neared the cloud banks became more woolly and opaque. Btit at length a: rift was discovered. And through the rift appeared Kaiserslautem. The glimpse gave us our bearings, and down through the clouds went our bombs —bombs of 2301b. and bombs of ]121b. The results could not be seon, but the explosions could bo heard. It was a complete surprise for Kaiserslautern. The clouds hid our machines froni view, and the anti-aircraft shells which soon qame screaming upwards were woefully wide of their mark. Our formations became separated in the fog. Not far from the lino five of our machines were attacked bv seven enemy scouts, fast, fighting Albatross of the Dl and D 5 types. They came div confidently,' and soon every ono of our pilots was hotly engaged. But one of the Germans got riddled with buljets and wont into ii spinning nose dive. Tho fabric of his machine could not stand,the strain—an increasingly marked sigii'. this' of Germany's defective narpplaiip supplies; 'First r "6ne"' wing ■cn'mo off anil then the othof, and skimmed to tho ground far away from the heavier wreckage of the body. •The enemy, broke off the action and our formation crossed tho line, \n safety.