WORK OF OUR AIRMEN

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 219, 2 January 1917, Page 3

WORK OF OUR AIRMEN

WONDERS ACHIEVED. (Post's Correspondent). LONDON, Nov. 3. During the past two years there have been developments and improvements in every department of our equipment for the prosecution of the war,, and one hesitates to record more to the credit of one department than another.. But the whole world is interested ill hearing from official sources some of the wonders achieved by our airmen. Apart from duels in the air the R.F.C. has been an invaluable aid to our antillery, enabling direct hits to be made on German batteries, enemy positions, and stations and transport, to say nothing of the destruction of enemy aeroplanes and kite balloons.

Here is one scheme which was planned to intercept traffic on the Douai-Lille main line, and was carried out on September! 25. The railway station at Libercourt, sidings, and rolling stock were to be bombed, and an attempt made to lattack trains going south, in the hope that they might be carrying troops or ammunition towards the Somme battlefield. Patrols, each of three aeroplanes, were first sent to attack neighbouring enemy aerodromes to prevent German aeroplanes from going up to interfere, smoke bombs were dropped at intervals to keep the aerodrome enveloped in smoke, and from time to time a high explosive bomb to show that our machines were still there. During this period two of our machines were to descend and attack the trains. The first train to appear was seen leaving Libercourt at about 1.40 p.m., and our machines dived down to attack it. While descending, a second train was seen coming on a branch line towards Astricourt, where it joins the main line, and one of our machines diverted on to it. The first train was attacked from a height of about 800 feet, near Ostricourt, six bombs being dropped. The engine was hit /became derailed, and two or three of the front carriages telescoped. German soldiers immediato■:an to alight, were fired on, and ran towards Ostricourt village and woods. There were so many men that the pilots said it would have been hard to have missed them, and a large number were either, killed or wounded. Meanwhile the second train came to a standstill near the junction, as the wrecked train on the main line blocked the way. The other machine attacked it with six bombs, two of which hit the train and one the engine. Troops also here began to descend and were fired on. They fled in the direction of a neighbouring village. Altogether between GOO and 700 rounds were fired by the two aeroplanes, and many German soldiers were hit. Neither of our machines were fired on. As soon as the attack on the trains started the main raiding party, composed of seven machines and an escort, attacked Libercourt Station at about 2 p.m., where fourteen heavy and thirty-four smaller bombs were dropped. Station buildings, sidings.and rolling stock were hit, some

carriages wrecked, and one coach was seen to be lying across the line. The patrol over Brovin Aerodrome destroyed a hangar in the course of its work. SURRENDER. A few days ago a contact patrol machine flew over Gird trench at between 300 ft and 400 ft, during the morning. The Germans in the trenches held up their hands and waved white handkerchiefs. This information was transmitted to the ground station, and the enemy shortly afterwards surrendered to our troops. Official information tells us that one evening Lieutenant "G" engaged four two-seater Rolands. Approaching from behind he scattered his opponents by firing one drum into them. He got underneath the nearest machine, into which he fired ninety rounds. The machine caught fir e and was seen plunging to earth.

Two of our pilots, while on an offensive patrol, encountered seventeen hostile aeroplanes at varying heights. They dived into the middle of the enemy formation and attacked. One pilot got to very close quarters with a hostile machine, which burst into flames and was seen to fall. He then attacked a second machine, which was driven down \ and fell into a field; a third went down "vertically, and was seen to crash. Again there is the record of Lieut. "B" who dispersed a formation of six Rolands, got underneath the nearest one, and emptied a drum of ammunition into it. The enemy went down, and landed apparently under: control; our airman then tackled a second machine from underneath, and fired two drums into the pilot's seat; the enemy wns seen to plunge, and Lieutenant "B" destroyed another machine the same evening. AN UNCONSCIOUS PILOT Lieut. "D" and Corporal "E" attacked a hostile machine near SaillySailliscl. The German was driven down .and appeared to be out of control. Later, when near Morval, they attacked two hostile machines, one of which succeeded in getting in position in the rear of our machines. Lieut. " D'' stalled the machines, and the observer stood up to use the rear gun, but he was hit in.the head and killed. The gun fell down, as the stand had not been clipped into position, and struck the pilot on the head. The pilot remembered nothing distinctly until he recovered consciousness on the way to a French Array Headquarters. And so on and so on. Numerous instances of bravery and gallantry will probably never be officially recorded.