The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1914-12-10
THRILLING AIR FLIGHT.
Eye-Witness Describes Battle Be-
tween French and German Airmen.

Gabrielle Delagarde, correspond
ent of the New York Globe, cables
from Amiens. France, an interesting
account of the battle between aero
planes over that city, hitherto but
briefly mentioned. The dispatch
follows:
| have witnessed what is probably
the most stirring spectacle in mod
ern warefare-a combat in the air.
1t was about 10 o'clock in the morn
ing>and | was talking with some Of
ficers in a cafe on the principal
street of Amiens, when l saw people
crowding to the sidewalk before our
door. with noses in the air. Aero
planes often fly over Amiens, but as
we heard the people repeating the
word "Taube," we decided to go out
and see.
High above us, like hawk in the
sunny blue sky, sailed the enemy
not one, but two, and presently
three. The crowd became restless,
and most of the women disappeared.
The entire city became hushed.
Clear, loud explosions of bombs
began to succeed one another as we
watched. fascinated. Then a news
boy houted, There's another" A
flash of pale yellow wings appeared
in the sun. 1t was French biplane.
1t rose and rose, while the crowd
gasped. Officers stood staring
through their glasses.
Still the biplane climbed upward.
One Taube, probably unarmored,
flew toward the north. Another
plane moved slowly just above US,
while still another sailed southwark.
We heard the explosions of the
bombs which this last Taube drop
ped on the gas tanks. The biplane
now was quite near the second
Taube, and the faint rafting sound
of mitrailleuses descended from the
sky.
The colonel beside me shook the
shoulder of a captain shouting, Give
me your glass, quick"
The. captain. trembling with excite
ment, contended himself with ex-
claiming: It's marvelous7marve-
lous. brave. He is going to get it
he is hit. No, he is keeping on
The crowd yelled. Some of the
people applauded and others had
tears in their eyes. All traffic stop
ped.
Back came the other Taube from
the attack upon the gas tanks. The
French biplane, caught between two
foes. turned, all gilded with the sun
light, and charged toward the new
enemy. They were very close to one
another, when the swift French ma
chine leaped above the German, still
firing. We heard the mitrailleuses
distinctly. In the meantime the
other Taube had come above and
was rushing to the aid of it's COM
rade.
Then the French machine drop
ped like a wounded bird, and we
experienced a moment heavy with
anguish. But the biplane had not
been hit. A thousand yards above
the earth it caught itself and began
to rise again. But now a French
monoplane was seen coming to the
rescue, and Immediately. the Taubes
turned and disappeared.
The street was wild with emotion,
and everyone talked with everyone
else. The news spread like light
ming that two workmen in the gas
factory had been killed and two
wounded, that fourteen horses were
killed in a stable and two wounded
and that people had found French
bullets lying in the street near the
station. Pursuit of the Germans was
quickly ordered but it was too late.
In the afternoon I counted six
French biplanes sailing over the city
toward the north, perhaps for new
aerial battles somewhere behind the
German lines.