Norwich bulletin., 1916-12-25

at such high alttudes that the ma chimes become all but invisible. Again, there will be a fight among the clouds, when the more daring aviators make startling plunges through the inter vening mist to catch their opponent unawares. Always there is grsat manoeuvering for position and specta- tors are filled with wonder at what the modern airpIane can do, even to excelling the birds in their own eIe- ment by flying upside down.
 Most of the fighting aviators en- deavor to "get on the other fellows tail" This means a position above and slightly behind the adversary, where one can fire down into him. Others, however, prefer to attack from q position almost directly underneath, thinking they have a steadier firing platform in climbing than in diving.
 The latter-day machines have suc1 wonderful stability that they can only be brought down by direct hits, kill ing the pilot or piercing the petrol tank, in which latter event the air plane generally catches fire and fails often blow airplanes out of the line by making p1nctures in their wings, but the machines thus damaged generally are brought safely home. ?
 When the history of aviation in the present war is written it will contain some of the most thrilling chapters of the strange world conflict. The Brit ish flying corps, which grew from al- most nothing at the Beginning of the war. has already established records of daring and attainment which even in the colorless official reports of the corps read like fiction. Recently there have been fights on the British front in which from 50 to 80 machines were engaged. Such battles begin with irl- dividral fights and gradually develop into what the aviators term "gerf- era1 me1ee,'' as endorsements arrive from both sides.
 There have been as high as 96 sep arate and distinct fights in a single day on this front alone. Near the point where the British and French lines join there have been fights in which the French have come to the assistance of the English and the Eng fish have gone to the assistance of the French to help defeat the Ger mans. There have been numerous en- agreements in which British aviators have closed within 20 yards of their adversary, firing point blank into ninn. There have been both English and French instances of aviators, as a last resort, deliberately crashing into German and sending him down. Af- ter one instance of that sort a British aviator brought his machine down with only one wing. He could only effect landing with his engine going and had deliberately to collide with a tree, seriously injuring himself.
 There was one memorable occasion when three British machines deliber- ate1y dived into a formation of IT German machines, destroying two of the hostile planes and themselves es- caping unhurt. Another time two British aviators attacked Il Germans and once a second lieutenant of the British corps attacked five hostile ma chimes. He in turn was attacked from behind but turned and got in the rear of the hostile craft and, keeping Ion it's tail." drove it down.
 The British aviators take great sat- isfaction at the result of a recent fight when they attacked a German bombing squadron which was trying to cross the British lines. In he heat of the aerial combat the Germans let go bombs which fell into their own lines.