SIR ROSS SMITH.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 January 1920, Page 5

SIR ROSS SMITH.

REPAIRING THE MACHINE. PLIGHT TO BE RESUMED. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. Received Jan. C, 10.4 a p.m. Brisbane, Jan. 6. Sir Ross Smith's party is visiting the city. The members had an enthusiastic reception. It is hoped that the machine will be repaired in a fortnight, and will fly to Brisbane and then to Sydney.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. INCIDENT IN PALESTINE. EIGHT WITH ENEMY MACHINES. Sydney, Dec. 31. Sir Ross Smith, whose flight to Australia has created great enthusiasm, on one occasion in Palestine had a race, not for £IO,OOO or for the even richer gift of fame that his triumph haß now brought him, but for dear life. The story has just leaked out through a friend of his in Palestine.

"Four Albatross scouts were observed," he says, "flying towards the British lines 3000 ft above Ross Smith and his observer. Ross Smith immediately commenced to climb, and circled to get behind the enemy. Two of the enemy machines broke formation, turned, and made for their aerodrome, while the other two pressed forward towards our lines. Smith, having manoeuvred his machine into position, came on to their tails, and attacked. The scouts made an S turn and came under him in a dive. Ross Smith also S turned and dived after the enemy, dropping from 11,000 ft to 2000 ft from land, and ended up once more close to the tails of the scouts.

"Then commenced a relentless pursuit. At times the pursuers and pursued were not 10ft from the ground. At last Smith got Tight on to the tail of the rearmost German and put a machine gun burst into him, which caused him to crash and turn over on his back.

"Then commenced a battle royal with the other enemy machine, the pilot of which led the pursuit three times round a hill. He circled and banked, firing bursts from his gun at every opportunity. At times his wing was not 10ft from tho ground. But Smith outmanoeuvred him. Finally, he cam 3 right up to the tail of the enemy, when a short burst from the forward gun served to crash the scout, and the machine turned on its back, just like a bird that had fought a hard fight. "There was nothing now to do but to take photographs of the wrecked machines and to continue the patrol. So Ross Smith climbed again to the required height. He climbed up to 10,000 ft and again sighted the enemy 2000 ft above them. The enemy, however, on sighting hostile craft, turned and made for home." This is the man who has conquered space as no other man iias done.