IN THE AIR.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 October 1918, Page 5

IN THE AIR.

AIRMEN'S AMAZING FEAT. FLEW THROUGH STREETS OF TONDERN. London, July 26. I An amazing story of how the British [airmen reached Tondern and bombed ' zeppelin sheds on the occasion of the recent raid was told King George when he visited the ''mystery ship" of the Grand Fleet. This ship is a triplane carrier. She took the flying men and their machines to a suitable point off the German coaßt at a very early hour in the morning. A number of aeroplanes were despatched to destroy the zeppelin hangars at Tondern. Captain Dixon, a young officer, arrived at his destination in the grey dawn, and came so low in his search for hangars that at one time he was within Ave feet of the ground. He flew along the whole length of the main street, and was seen by a milkman, who took the machine for a German plane, and stood up in his cart to wave a cheery good morning.

Dixon quickly recognised how helpful this mistake might prove to him, and gleefully waved back a greeting. The crews of the German anti-aircraft guna Beemed also to have mistaken the machine for a German plane, for they did not fire.

Dixon's search for the zeppelin sheds lasted until he found what looked to be an airship shed. Down went a bomb upon it, but the tremendous explosion showed that he had bombed an ammunition dump, which was utterly destroyed. Speeding along still quite low he came upon a zeppelin shed and bombed it. Almost instantly there was a fierce conflagration, the flames rising nearly 1000 feet. This indicated the nature of the target reached, and as his object had been achieved, the pilot made for his supply ship. A heavy barrage was put up by the enemy, but Dixon reached home with his machine undamaged. The barrage gave the direction to the other attacking machines.

Captain Smart, who piloted one of them, sow by the light of the burning hangar that there was a second zeppelin in the shed which had escaped direct injury from the first attack. With better guidance than his comrade had found available, but with enemy shells flying thick around him, which compelled him to keep to a much greater height while launching his missiles, he attacked in turn and blew up the, second shed, He also returned unhurt.