The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1914-10-02
GERMAN AVIATOR DESCRIBES BATTLE
IN The AIR over HOSTILE ARMY

1N%'i1 ~ hiAAA 49,
conflict continued until he saw the
German army in the distance. He
thea sent his car rapidly downward
and descended beside his army. The
BRISTOL and the Rleriot retired hastily.
The battle had covered se~venty-five
miles.
On descending Werner found his
plane riddled with bullets, but he
pa'c3!ed up the punctures and later
Witnessed the battle of lie Cateau over
the position that he had discovered.
Here again the English, after plucky
resistance, were driven back. The
Germans attacked with two fianking
movements and a stor,uing advance
aeal1st the middle of the English po-
sltIaA, and through main strength and
nc extraordinary spirit of the attack.
forced the enemy back. The army Of
top,ooV had in a few days been re-
duced to $4,000.
Drops Bombs on Paris.
Later on Werner was instructed to
NY over Paris. Here he dropped sew
eral bombs, ONE with good effect.
though others did not explode. He
carried two kinds of bombs, one a
round shell about the size OF a base
ball and weighing Ii pounds. the 9th
or shaped like a small artillery shell
and weighing Az pounds. These lat
ter, when they exploded. were power
ful enough to tear up paved streets
and wreck houses. Werner also
told of dropping notes into Paris. call
ing the French such hated names as
"coehon."
The flyers are the only men who
really are seeing this war. They have
the enemy,s position under them and
can study it to their hearts content.
Only a lucky shot can d~islodge them,
and their chief danger is from the at
tacking ayiators. The German scouts
usually fly at a height Of 100 yards.
On dark days they fly at the edge of
the clouds and Slip in and out for OBJ
sefNation from this excellent screen.
Accurate Aim at 1900 Yards.
Extraordinary stories about Zeppel.
ms are TO be heard III Germany, some
OF which are almost incredible. One
ccoln is Of the method used by Yep
pelins in throwing bombs. A recent
invention, | am told. permits a Yep
peiin, when there are clouds. TO fly
high and unsean from the ground and
20 let down a basket containing a man.
Who then, by telephone, signals the
airship what position to take.
In ~cloudless times the bombs are
dropped from an apparatus hung di-
rectly below the airship. the bombs
being hung on W fingers. When the
position Of the target is determined,
the fingers open and the bomb falls.
These bombs are said to be twelve
inches in diameter and two feet long.
The damage they can do is terrific,
Houses III the ne~ighborhood of the eX.
plosion collapse as though made OF
cards, and they cal tear up streets for
a distance of scores of yards.
Zeppelins to Attack Fleet.
! I'm told that practically all Yep
pelins have retired from active assis-
lance in taking Notifications and are
centered around the North sea, where
they are to assist in an attack or the
British feet. The outcome of such a
battle viii be highly important, Tor II
will determine whether a dirigible can
measure up against a Warship. IF ii
can, the German fleet will not be badly
~,af - -, Jn.al - ylI na,,Hiat !. ha,.t -
take place. for the British fleet is in.
sufficiently supplied with balloon guns
as only a few of these are in existence
We hear, too, remarkable stories
about the number of Zeppelins. At the
outbreak Of the war there We're TWEEN
ty-tNo on record Today the report
of their number varies from flfty-sia
to ninety. Material for Zeppelins is
said to have been stored at points
throughout the empire, where it coulC
be put together in a few days. and
this scheme has added Zeppelins te
the air fleet at the rate of W. a week
This story is improbable, for the
German army does not possess a su1il
Glen: number Of men trained in oper
ating dirigibles.
Differ on Bomb-Hurling Ethics.
The German aeroplanes have done
excellent service. There are severa
hundred machines in operation, anf
comparatively few have been sho'
down.
know of one young man. a son o
n of Germany's most prominent men
who flew to Paris early in the war. HI
was fired on repeatedly, and each time
descended gradually to a prearranget
depot, whence. after the enemy be
lieved him to have been killed, he con
tinued his trip.
When asked if he had thrown bomb
on Paris. he answered simply: NO.
don't carry bombs This would indi
ate that there may be a difference O
opinion in the army itself as to tn,
ethics of bomb throwing.
The astounding advance OF the Ger
mans has been analyZed by a militar,
expert. who says that it is due t,
four points; heavy artillery. aviators