FLYING IN THE BATTLE.

Hokitika Guardian, 29 June 1918, Page 4

FLYING IN THE BATTLE.

(By “ Night-Hawk.”)

We could not see from one end of the aerodrome to the other. There was no wind, and a dank, heavy mist shrouied the ground. Tll ordinary circumstances we should have regarded this as “dud” flying weather and the whole squadron would have betaken itself in motor-cars and tenders and lorries to the nearest town.

But the Big Battle had begun. It was up to ns to do what we could for our comrades in the trenches.

Most of us were in the infantry before joining thd Flying Corps, and there is no job of work which the average flying officer likes better than troop strafing on the roads behind the German lines. That is because lie knows that this particular work is of the most direct assistance to the infantry. Reconnaissances or the bombing of factories, railways ; ,and aerodromes miles behind the line are useful jobs and of vital importance ; yet there is not the same joy in them because their results are not so immediately apparent to out; friends in the front line On the other band the work done in the battle zone from low altitudes demoralises the enemy infantry and encourages our own.

In the Somme area we have evidence from prisoners of enormous material and moral damage inflicted on the enemy by lowflying bombing machines, particularly by our night fliers, who, under cover of darkness are able to get a bit farther back than the day people do, and can thus-attack and disorganise the German reserves and transport on the roads. One night-flying squadron is known to have held up an enemy advance for twenty-four hoars by persistent bombing and firing from dusk to dawn over the roads and areas where vast concentrations had been reported the afternoon before.

6 » * * » For several nights prior to the opening of the Amiens offensive we flew in mist and clouds. We often stood in the aerodrome late in tiie afternoon and watched the scoutpatrols come in, flying low over (he trees and telegraph p >les which border the long, straight, white road which leads up to X and the line. Sometimes the mist would get so thick that they had to lire up coloured rockets and Yerey lights to. guide their machines back to the aerodrome. Then onr turn would come Flying in clouds and mist is no joke by day ; at night the difficulties are intensified a thousandfold. The pilot watches his “pittot” tube--or speed indicator —grimly. Everything depends on this and his compass.. Me must keep an “ even keel ” ; if he banks too much or uses too much rudder and then tries to make “corrections” he discovers in a very short time that he scarcely knows whether he is flying right side up or upside down. Me will suddenly find his speed-indicator registering 100-110-12 ; ', at which moment he is bound to feel “windy” to a certain extent, for these figures mean that Inis diving rapidly earthwards, and he has, of course, 110 adequate idea how “near” the earth he may be. The best thing to do in these circumstances is to centralise all your controls, take your liiuuls off tlie “ stick,” keep the rudder dead straight, and let the machine get lint self out. In nine cases out of ten any stable machine -and night-flying machines a,re very stable ' —will do this and fly level again of its own accord.

From a night observer’s point "f view finding one’s way in mist or clouds is a most difficult and trying operation. Usually, even 011 the darkest night, one can see lights in towns, fires in camps or billets, puffs of steam from locomotives 011 the railways, the starshine on rivers or patches of water, the headlamps of ears on the road. But in damp weather you peer out of your “office” ; suddenly a cross-roads or stretch of railway or piece of water looms up at you through tho swirling fog-wi eaths. You dive for your mao in the hope of identifying the piece of country immediate!” beneath yon, !mt by the time you have found out where you are your cross-ro ids or railway or water patch have been swallowed up in the mist again. That is what flying in dangerous weather is like. It is lislcy and it taxes your powers and capabilities to the utmost. But it is worth doing. The German flying men don’t do it. They believe in ‘‘safe” flying. And (hat is why onr Chief in France was ught when he wired that the flying boys had their “ tails well up.”