How Krupp's Was Bombarded: A Thrilling Feat.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 6, Issue 249, 9 February 1917, Page 1 (Supplement)

How Krupp's Was Bombarded: A Thrilling Feat.

How I bombed Essen? Indeed, it was -.ery simple, as you will see by these extracts of my log-book, where I consigned somo oj my impressions during my journey, i would remind you first that two French aeroplanes, one piloted by Captain Beauchamps, the other by me, effected the raid. Our preparations and tho way our panes were fitted cannot be described here, being, I cm afraid, considered as a military secret. But it might interest you to know that the machines were of British design. Although the distance to be covered was pretty nearly 500 miles it was not to frighten .me. I had an extensive? training for seven years, and have always been a. specialist of long-distance flying, as witness my participation in tli3 Circuit de Paris (400 miles), La Coupe l-'omery 1912 (540 miles), Paris-Berlin, in 1913 (600 miles) and my great jouruey Paris-YieniiaJJudapestJJueharest V arn a-Consta nti nop I o-Konia-Adana and finally Syria (over 3000 miles). OYER GERMAN LINES. 11 a.m. —My friend Beauchamps lia9 , just gone and I followed two minutes later. One thousand yards up, 2000 — 3000 wo keep on getting higher and higher. The weather is clear with just a few clouds over 9000 ft. The air is distinctly cold. 12 a.m.— lam full over the Boche \ lines. Wo are seen and tho anti-aircraft \ guns start a curtain fire a little forward J but too high. The white puffs of the . '7 mnko a line of smoke which I have I got to cross. Soon the shots become more and more numerous. 300 shots at [east must have been fired in a few mini tes. Time after time I get right into Tho smoke of the bursting shells, and 1 i can hear pieces of steel wlnst'.o near, very near. Oh ! the Boche gunner recti-! lies its range. But he is too low now, I so Igo higher still, and I pass. . . . I Now there are shots on my left, which buret with black smoke. 105 calibre shells. This Is getting more serious. Shots get nearer, 1 point towards the left slightly, and, all of a sudden, I go 90 degrees to the left and drop straight ".owards the ground for 300 ft. The game is finished and the gunners done. Out of spito they shoot all over the place, an dtlie shells burst now at the back of me. It looks as if 1 was going to get out of trouble, without much difficulty. . Now where is my friend? I cannot see him. Has he been brouglit down? Has lie changed his line? ATTACKED BY ENEMY AIRMAN. A little under me I can see a big, fat yenow plane. Black crosses! It's a Boche. Another one follows very neai. Tho distance between us is about 000 feet, but they arc much slower than L am. Clac—c'ae—clac. It is Mr. Boche opening fire. The short bursts of his machinegun keep crepitating. Tho brute does not shoot Jiadly. Shall I engage him in a fight? "jt is really very tempting.

But no, Essen is my ouly target, and 1 have no right to compromise, by a passing engagement, the success of'out raid. I open my engine right out, and lose soon my aggressors.

As I flv ovpr Treves I just (distinguished on my left the outline of another plane. t .lf is getting nearer and nearer. The sun prevents me from see'tig it clearly, although I seem to recog-:ii-t) li.o silhouette of. my companion's ' iu: nine. No doubt it is he, I can now ui !ns bine, white and red cocarde. And

i ! a euddeu 1 feel very happy. One 3 Vkix V lonely up there, very very

A .itiio later 1 change my direction iid „u straight north, leaving Coblenz ■■■■■ my kit. tar in front of me 1 can -co a small grey ribbon . . . the Ifhino. It looks beautiful from up here. •Somehow my confidence increases every minute. Sure, everything will go well. J. cross over the right bank. On the iiver many long convoys of barges go up towards Coblenz. If only I did not 'tavo a consignment of bombs to deliver, f should go down to gun them. It ; s itinny how strong these temptations :u©.

Hero is Bonn. My friend and coi aider is still on my right. My engine 'ioeps on turning merrily, and I marvel at tho ease with which I have covered these first 300" kilometres. A quick calculation shows mo that we are going ;:t the rate of about 130 miles an hour. It is a goodish speed . The weather is cold up here.. My thermometer shows lOdeg. below zero. To try and get warm I move arms and legs as much as I can in that cramped space. A few drops of peppermint .which I drink warm my inside and cool my mouth. L nderneath the Rhino and still more boats. . . Now we pass a town which rooms enormous. It is Cologne. What a splendid target it would make. But there are women, children, old people, and I am a soldier, not a pirate. 1 must only aim at destroying the military power of tho enemy. Now I point straight towards Dusspldorf. But all the district disappears un-

By the French Aviator, LIEUT. DAUCOURT, in the "Daily Chronicle."

der a pool of smoke. What ail extraordinary agglomeration of works! Here are Solingen, Elberfeldj liar men, black country criss-crossed by innumerable lailway lines and with hundreds of high chimneys, like guns, pointing to the sky. Down there a tremendous amount of arms of all sorts, guns, munitions, etc., all to bo directed against us, are produced .with a tremendous activity. ESSEN AT LAST! Essen at last. I am over what has been considered as the heart of Germany, over tho town which stands as the symbol of brutai force. Where now are the Krupp's works. There, at the west of tho town. How large they are! The shops and buildings between which trains are running seem innumerable. Tho attempts to disguise it are indeed foolish. It is tho most perfect target one can imagine. Now 1 suppose I am going to be "strafed." ] look here and there for bursting shells. Nothing. They aim too low. However, some very violent waves of air of which I do not understand the cause disturb for a moment my bombing preparations. 2 o'clock. The centre of the works pass. I drop my torpedoes in rapid succession. My friend who is over me and a little on tho left drops his also. 1 guess, more than I can exactly see, as 1 am so very high, that underneath in tho works tho people suffer from a sort of madness. There are rushes of people soon hidden by clouds of smoke which riso from many points. Nearly at the centre it seems that there is a iormidf b!e explosion, followed by intense fire. What a joy to have attained one's aim. Krupp has been bombed, in full daylight, in spite of its anti-aircraft guns and of its planes. I suppose that now the Bodies must be mad with fury, and will try to chase us. Never mind, my mission has been fulfilled, I will light enemy planes if they come. CHASE ON RETI'RN JOURNEY.

Here I am again over Dusseldorf, bub not going so fast as in coining. The wind, which has veered, hampers me. A nuick verification of my oil and petrol tanks. All is wo!I, 1 can keep up for another six hours. The clouds get denser and denser. There is at some moments a thick mist which veils •jcompletely tho ground. My only guide is now the compass, S.S.AY. . . As I "am browsing, some explisions thunder louder than the* noise of my engine. I turnr iglit round, so that the L'odio gunner loses the range. But as I turn I so? 1500 or 2000 feet under me three Boche planes who are giving chase.

Their machines are as fast as mine, but as soon as.they try to go up they ioso ground. '1 slacken for a few s>oconds aiulj, going straight towards the mcst lorward of them, I serve him at about 15 yards with three bursts of my machine-gun. Nnnerved, ho prefers not to engage in a light and flies towards the left. But the others are attacking me from the back. It is time to go. Have 1 wounded my opponent? J don't think so, as lie seems to be flying straight again, but very much lower. Soon the two others are only black spots. . . The chase has lasted over 30 minutes, and I have got a real stiff nock, to often did I turn round. . .

Now I have been up six hours. Time drags dreadfully. My eyes hurt, and I suffer from the cold. Evidently I am over Belgium now. But where? T must know. I come down, engine stopped. How 6yect is that silence aftyj six hours of tempest! Four thousand feet: it is low enough. AMONG FRIENDS AGAIN. G. 30.—1 cannot stand it any more, I am coming down, 7000 ft., 5000 ft., 1000 ft. I cannot hear the guns any more. Lut what are those? Bivouacs. Am J in France? 1 keep on for another quarter of an hour, going south, and finally alight in an immense field far from a village. If lam on the territory invaded by the Germans I'll fly away under their nose.

I am at the end of the field, rcar>.y to start again in case oi alarm. I havo kopt my engine turning slowly. After livo minutes of waitJg some people come running towards me, peasants. 1 shout to them at the top of my voice, Where am 1?" "At Cliampaubert" they answer me. What a joy is mine. I am in France, back, after having succeeded in what seemed to men an impossible enterprise.

My notes finish lirre. There is anyhow little to add. 1 .jumped from my machine, but my logs were so numbed that for some time they would not support me. However, alter a few minutes, I le't i|iiite well again, and, cheered to the echo hv the villagers, who had arrived in largo numbers, 1 left again to report to my chiefs, and heard that my friend had arrived <|iiit:> safely, landing ahout s : x mile-' from me. .My '"ijipiness was then complete. And now, Mr. Krupp, to the pleasure of seeing you again soon.