AN AERIAL DUEL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 1345, 9 January 1915, Page 4

AN AERIAL DUEL.

THOUSANDS WATCH COMBAT. Thousands of people on Christmas aiternoon witnessed the air fight over Southend-on-Sea, As the combatants —the two British aviators and the German of whom they went in pursuit—flew over Southend-on Sea they were at an altitude of nearly a mile,

and were tearing along at a great rale. The speed of the British was about 70 miles an hour, but the German — in a Taube machine —was travelling even more swiftly.. Every now and then the British aeroplanes could be seen spitting fare, to which the enemy was unable to reply owing to his lower altitude. When the dariug invader was first sighted the gnus specially designed for dealing with aircraft were trained on the German, and several shots fired at him. After the British airmen took up the chase, however, it. was impossible to continue the shooting from the earth without endangering the pursuers, while the high speed at which the enemy was tearing through the air. made the guuners’ aim uncertain.

One of the British planes swooped down close to the Taube and started to pump shots into it. This time the fire was returned, but the spectators could not see whether either side had suffered any damage. The fighting airmen then flew away to the eastward.