ENCOUNTER IN MID=AIR.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 205, 1 September 1916, Page 4 (Supplement)

ENCOUNTER IN MID=AIR.

FRENCHMAN'S ASTENTURE, News has reached Paris from the Verdun region of an heroic adventure, in which an aeroplane pilot and observer were involved, writes the Paris correspondent of the Morning Post. The two men met with a Pokker in the air, .ind while they were chasing it a second Fokker came up behind, and it was nob until they lieard the sound of its motor that they knew it was near. The existence of the second enemy machine had hardly been recognised pilot fell over his consols, wounoecl. The machine started dropping like a dead leaf, and fell from 6000' feet to 2-300 fast. Meanwhile the observer was reloading the machine gun wondering all the time what was go : ng to happen unless tho pilot regained his senses. The Fokker, believing the French machine to be entirely out of action, followed it down, but, when still 2500 feet up, the French p : lot came to, and the observer, taking advantage of the Fokker coming into range, fired his machine-gun off point blank. It was the. Fokker's turn to fall, and a puff of smoke from the petrol tank showed that all was up The French machine had a rather dim", cult landing, but help was at onco forthcoming. The special corespondent of the "Matin", in describing the episode, writes that neither man could leave the aeroplane unaided. One had three bullets in his body and the other two, but they made light of their wounds in view of the success they had achieved. What is considered in Paris to be a record flight is the one recently made bv a French aviator from Salonika to Sofia. The distance was 300 miles, and the flight was accomplishel alone by night. Despite the difficulties in finding the way, the airman succeeded in getting through unhurt, "though his journey involved passing over the enemy's air fleet both on his way to Sofia and on h ; s return. The hero of tins exploit is a well-known pilot, who in times of peace gained several prizes.