AEROPLANE DUELS.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 348, 30 November 1915, Page 3

AEROPLANE DUELS.

A TONIC FOR THE TRENCHES,

M. Montague, a special writer of Boulogne Telegramme, describes in

his journal an aerial combat that he witnessed at the front recently. “ Towards 4 o ’clock a French aeroplane, piloted by an airman already famous for his marvellous skill and bravery, arrived from the hangas behind the firing line and made towards the German lines. “It was hut a matter of seconds before the ‘Bodies’ opened a fierce fire on the machine. The Frenchman, flying very low, continued calmly on his wav.

“His attitude may be described as ‘heroic provocation.’ Leaving onr underground shelters and trenches, wo raised ourselves just above the parapet to wat'ch the • movements of our aeroplane. We counted the missiles that were being aimed at him by the German batteries. We counted up to 554 missiles and still our gallant aviator was above the enemy’s lines, safe and sound when he left the hangar. At last the German guns ceased firing, evident?}' seeing the uselessness of it. What a rage the German artillerymen must have been in! And the aviator, like a triumphant eagle, continued to fly about over the German lines, while our cheers rang out loud and long. One day this same pilot had the sangfroid to drop a number of pamphlets on to the artillery of the Germans. On these pamphlets was written in ink: ‘You fire too short: you cannot touch me lieforo I am gone!’’ The correspondent concludes his article by saying how the sight of these various flights and feats of all kinds that are being continually performed at the front act as a tonic to the men in the trenches. “As a play at the theatre is to the average person in peace time,' so are- these feats to the men in th trenches to-day. It is a great distraction. ”