THE ARMY'S EYES.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 March 1916, Page 5

THE ARMY'S EYES.

WORK OF FLYING CORPS. BAGGING GERMANS IN THE AJH, (6. Valentine Williams, in London .DtJIJS Mail). •, . General Headquarters, •British Army in the FielO. There is no arm in the British Army, in which death is so constantly defied, whose work is accompanied by so thrill' . imj a series of desperate encounters and hairbreadth escapes, as in the Royal Flying Corps. The aeroplane has entirely taken the place of the cavalry, as the eyes of the Army, but its j»o?k does not alone consist in reconnoitring the enemy's lines and the enemy's country. It is a fighter as well as * scout. Not only does it go forth armed with bombs to destroy the strategic points in the enemy's lines, but it most always be ready to do battle with hostile aeroplanes encountered in the air. One gets an idea of the magnificent work of the Royal Flying Corps from a report of its achievements, which I have been privileged to see, during the last week in October and the first week in November. This shows that on October 21 there was one combat in tho air; on October 22, seven, in one of which a German machine was forced to land; on October 20 nine, in one of which a German machine was shot down, the pilot and observer being made prisoners; on October 31, one; on November 4, six, one of them leading to the destruction of a German machine, the two occupants being killed; on November 6 one. Nearly every one of these engagements was of the most thrilling descrip- 1 tion, as the.following details will shiwj]

A THRILLING AFFAIR. , Two R.F.C. officers were out on a v photographic reconnaissance near a large town in the German lines, when - at about 7000 ft they were attacked by a German machine. In the act of bringing his machine-gun to bear on, the hostile flier, the observer was snob through the hand and put out of action, and a little "/bile afterwards the pilot, struck in the arm and shoulder, lost consciousness and collapsed in his drivi iug seat. His observer, wounded though lie was, kept his head. He clambered through the two back struts and tried to obtain mastery of tho machine, which had begun to sag dangerously. But the control lever refused to answer. The .wire connecting the throttle had apparently been cut and the throttlo would not •close, so the observer turned off the petrol and attempted to glide earthwards. Ho actually managed to land the war chine in the French lines, but as it touched earth it turned ovety the Unconscious pilot being flung out. \ While the French Red Cross, bandaged the wounded airmen, another British airman who happened to be on tho scene ii'ery pluckily went out and, despite tho Are which the Germans maintained on the wrecked machine, rescued the nia-chine-gun and the instruments. The machine was subsequently recovered under fire. , FIRING AT 15 YARDS. On the same day in another part of the line two airmen belonging to another squadron brought down a German machine after an exciting fight. While (pajtrolling they noticed two German aeroplanes approaching from eastward. They let the first come to within only fifteen yards, then opened fire with their machine-gun. The German promptly, dived straight down, while first fha pilot and then the observer of the British machine fired some seventy shots at him. The German aeroplane crashed to earth and turned completely over. It was found in our lines with the pilot dead, shot by our machine-gun fire, and the observer wounded. He was made prisoner. In the meantime the British aeroplane, without landing, went off after the second German. Unfortunately, at 7000 ft engine trouble l#4 the chase had to be abandoned. One of our aeroplanes out patrolling on November 4 saw a British machine hotly pursued by a German, Thei patroller instantly dived earthwards t<k tho attack. The German turned and flew directly beneath its assailants, who, opened fire. For same minutes the tmj aeroplanes wheeled round each otbw inj great circles, drawing ever nearer to|