At Night in the Air

Levin Daily Chronicle, 7 February 1918, Page 1

At Night in the Air

AUCKLAND BOY'S STORY., An Auckland boy, writing to his father from Franco, gives the following description"6i what? it is like to see the 'plane at work during night time at the front (states the "Star"): —- "Just after dusk tlie show begins, the balloons coming down one by one, and our night bombing squadroc flying towards the lines from 'dromes. Regularly in the distance, just as 'lightout' sounds, we hear the hum of' Fritz's planes flying towards our lines. At onec our searchlights sweep the sky, until we get on the enemy planes. Perhaps live or six focus and light it up like a iiame as it travels. Soon anticraft guns begin to flash and bark, and you can see the shells burst in the vicinity of fh'e' aeM&l Visitor. " Machine" guns rattle from the ground, the luminous tracer bullets glowing as they travel. It is a most fascinating sight. 1 There is the flame flying across the sky, followed by the great beams of light, which appear to hang on to it like grim death. Guns bark and machine guns rattte for all are" worth, and the bursting shells throw flashes all over the sky. Then Fritz drops three or four bombs in quick succession, and turns for home again. It is then that our excitement grows higher. 'Will the searchlight lose him as he ducks and dives?" 'Will 'our guns got him?' As if the guns, could hear us, wo say. to ourselves,.'A little, higher next shot. Switch' on the' searchlight to the left.' I never saw them get a plane at night, and Fritz is soon out. of ~ range. Up to the linW there was the same performance as our pianos flow about. It is like that prac.tieally. all night. Eight along the line 'we call' sbo the fiashihg lights and hear the roar of bombs, ana notice the bursting shell?. On; Fritz's side it is just the same. We took over some outposts the other night, and just behind the village I counted 18 of Fritz's searchlights switching about. Before long, night flying will be almost as successful and useful as day flying is now."