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WITH THE AIRMEN.

SOME MARVELS OF DARING. London, 21st August. Every correspondent in France writes ,in glowing appreciation of the fine work accomplished by our airmen, who have taken a more than ever active part in the recent heavy fighting. Indeed, according to Mr. 'Beach Thomas, our airmen lately have fought almost along with the infantry, so low have they flown and so often used the machine guns on the enemy infantry and gunners. On one day this month a single brigade fired 7000 rounds. "One young pilot," we are told, flew right among our barrage and emptied his drums when we were attacking the strong fortress of An Bon Cite, between Langemarck and the Yser Canal. Another skimmed up and down close above a line of German guns, scattered the gunners, and then, in the delightful idiom of i the Flying Corps, sat over the place to stop them coming back. One airman was so near the ground that he actually hit a cavalryman with his under-carriage, and another just grazed some telegraph wires. Another, who lost his way, simply dived down as naturally as ever was. to read the name of the railway station from its level. Then he flew along the lines, bombing trains with great effect. Our airmen marched, so to say, with the infantry. They bombed they fought, and, perhaps best of all, helped the artillery to destroy giinpit after gunpit. The li/st of successful hits is altogether amazing. Among the fights, perhaps the most dramatic was engaged by one of the most famous duellists. He ambushed three 'planes from a cloud, dived at them, and then, suspecting a trick, zoomed up to find three fighting 'planes diving at him from higher clouds. Though below them, he accepted the challenge, and at once doubled up the first he met. FIVE TO THIRTY.

"On the eve of the battle five of our 'planes met thirty, flew at them, and drove down seven out of action by the time the fight was over. The handicap of a gusty west wind has not checked them at all, though it has encouraged and still encourages the German, who is making more height and early morning flights at fairly low altitudes. Every night I see a firework display of converging searchlights, dappled by sparks of bursting shrapnel, and generally heat a few bursting bombs. But the harm they do is infinitesimal, An interesting confession of the harm inflicted by our machine guns fired from the air is the new German practice of roofing the sheds of his aerodromes with bulletproof steel. He has also issued to all branches of the army instructions as to concealmenet from the air. Trenches are to be avoided; and shell-holes tun< nellcd together; batteries are to build sham and subsidiary emplacements. Indeed, it may be said that the daring of our air service has forced on the enemy a new organisation in most departments, not least in transport."

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TDN19171113.2.4

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Taranaki Daily News, 13 November 1917, Page 2

Word count
Tapeke kupu
493

WITH THE AIRMEN. Taranaki Daily News, 13 November 1917, Page 2

WITH THE AIRMEN. Taranaki Daily News, 13 November 1917, Page 2

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