The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1915-04-20
AIRMENBATT|LE|E|FIVE
HOURS OVER YPRES
shrapnel Fails to Stop English
Teuton Crashes Down Within
Lines of Enemy.
GERMANS 1ANI hs "lr1sH SOIL
Pilot Crushed to Death But oc1o, "a
Was Only Slightly Bruised
Taken Prisoner.
BY WILLIAM G. SHEPHERD.

BY WILLIAM G. SHEPHERD.
Copyright, 1915, by United Press. }
Headquarters of the British army,
northern France, Sunday, April IS
(via London, April 19.)-1t was my
privilege today 20 witness a wonder
full demonstration of the superiority
of the British royal flying corps. AS
result of the demonstration, it was
easy to understand why General
French sings the praises of his air.
men In nearly every report he writes
At 4:30 p. m. German aeroplane
was reported flying over Ypres. When
it was sighted it already had passed
we'll within the British lines.
German Sights Enemy.
From distant station almost i'm
mediately after the field telephones
had given the alarm two British
aeroplanes could be seen rising and
mounting into the sky in great wide
circles.
The German aviator discerned his
enemies almost at the moment they
came into view of their own lines
He headed back over the German
trenches, making for the protection
of his own guns.
BALLS of Smoke" are Shrapnel.
AS he led the way white balls of
smoke, each bigger, broke into view
In the center of each was ball of
light. They we're German shapnel.
The smoke puffs did not disappear,
but hung in almost regular order in
space. 1t appeared from the ground
that the Germans were putting new
fleecy clouds in the sky.
The British airmen were trying
hard to get above the German 50
that they could shoot him down. AS
they dashed through the lazy hover
ing smoke clouds, it was as though
their propellers were tearing apart
gigantic featherbed.
German Forced Toward Earth.
The aviators ignored the German
shrapnel. Finally their machines
showed in relief above the German,
who had scared back across the Brit
ish front to lure the British within
range of the shrapnel of his forward
trenches.
1t was possible to count 80 Ger
man smoke balls, each denoting
shrapnel, as the British swung closer
and closer to their foe. The German
finally tried to circle back toward his
own lines, but always an English
aeroplane was interposed, and he was
forced down toward the earth. Final
ly the German swung about to make
one final dash for home, but he was
so low that he was within range of
the thousands of British soldiers in
the trenches.
Teuton Crashes to Ground.
The German machine, now sand
WICKED between fire from the British
aeroplanes and the British trenches,
now turned back and flew we'll into
British territory, which was accepted
as a sign of surrender.
The British aeroplanes followed
until they saw the German land on
the rough ground in the rear of the
British trenches. The German air.
craft was smashed and the pilot
crushed to death under the aeroplane,
but the observer officer was only
slightly bruised and was taken pris-
oner The battle in the air lasted
nearly five hours All business in
Ypres ceased while the battle was on,
as it was in full view of the positions
and the deep blue of the sky was
marred only by the feather smoke
from the shrapnel and the flash of
the wings of the aeroplanes in the
atmosphere.