CAPTORS OUTWITTED.

Taihape Daily Times, 9 December 1918, Page 3

CAPTORS OUTWITTED.

AMERICAN AIRMAN'S ESCAPE. With his airplane riddled by ma-chine-gun bullets, and hemmed in by German machines, an American aviator named Haight, of New York, pretended to be out of commission and landed within the German lines. After hurriedly repairing his damaged machine he ascended and got back to his own lines, successfully dodging the astonished Germans on the ground and in the air. Haight was in a group of airplanes protecting American observers beyond the American lines. He was attacked by the Germans, and 13 machine-gun bullets penetrated various parts of his airplane, three of them striking the propeller. The Germans circled Tound him to prevent him from reaching his own lines. The German airmen apparently took it for granted that Haught was out of commission, and left his capture to the men on the ground. One bullet had severed a battery wire in Haight's machine. This was quickly repaired, and before the German foot soldiers could reach Haight he had ascended and was making for the American lines. The German airplanes pursued him, but were not quick enough to catch the fleeing American. ' K