Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1915-current, 1916-02-24
BY Pae. and IntI News Service.

ST. JOHN, N. B., Feb. "a, 1916.-A
member OF the Canadian forces in
France in a letter home gives an ex-
citing description of duel to the
death between one OF the famous Ger
man Fokker monoplanes and British
flying machine. He writes:
Yesterday / was ordered to take
some photographs over with p as my
observer. 1t was a ticklish job, as
the woods are filled with Arches
('Archibald' is the British nickname
for anti-aircraft guns), as l can tes-
tify, having had to sample some OF
their wares on many a reconnaissance.
1T took us about an hour to get up
to 1000 feet, which time was spent
between - and - climbing all the
time. We saw no Huns. though we
later learned that three of them were
hanging about behind their lines and
annoying our fellows doing photo.
graphing.
I'VE were not quite ten thousand
feet up. in chilly air when we saw a
biplane and a monoplane east OF us,
the biplane leading and in a hurry.
The monoplane which appeared to be
one of our Morane type, were over
hauling 1t hand over fist. We were
above twenty-five hundred feet above
them, and when within mile ] caught
sight OF the monoplane's top wing,
Black cross on a white base A Ger
mans.
Down went the F. Els nose verti-
cally; 1000 feet we dropped with the
speed indicator needle damned at 100
miles per hour-its highest registra-
lion. The machines were under us
now, the Hun having caught up with
the biplane, and was emptying his
gun into it at fifty yards range. Later
we found out he had put three bullets
into the observers arm and smashed
the main petrol tank.
Il started pulling the F. l.. out OF
her dive, about two hundred feet
above the German, so as not to
crumble her up by too sudden shock
We thus found ourselves above and
behind the unfortunate Teuton and
within twenty yards of him. | don't
believe he saw us until We opened
fire. We put twenty rounds into him,
though apparently they did not hit
him. He then turned his attention to
us, turning to the left and passing di-
rectly below us. l swung around on a
perpendicular bank, doing complete
circuit to see where he'd 20. The
little beggar was describing circuits
around us while we did sort of inner
circle, conducted, of course, with a
perpendicular bank. Because of our
great speed and because We were do
ing complete turns in twice the length
of our machine the centrifugal force
was SO great that l couldn't hold the
machine gun on its mounting; II
swung down and though the whole
gun weighed only twenty-eight pounds.
he could not pull 1t back.
80 we were not sorry to see the
Hun head for home. After him we
went, both diving Justify with P
gave him the rest of the drum
another twenty-eight rounds. l was
beginning to get anxious as we were
getting very low and expecting Ar
chic to get us any minute, when we
got him. A lucky shot put the pilot
out of business. The evolutions that
machine described falling 1000 feet,
with no one at the wheel, were eX.
traordinary, viewed from above-first
wheels up, then right way again, a
loop, several cart-wheels, a nose dive,
more loops and several turns on to
and off It's back and sideways, until
It was lost to sight almost on the
ground.
by this time another r. t., Bris-
tol scout, and two Qc's had arrived,
but too late. fortunately for me, to
claim share in the finals. The Incl.
dent over, we started climbing again,
az those Internal photographs had to
fbe done. At this point the engine be.
gan to have a say and one cylinder
decided TO strike. So homeward we
wendell our weary way. Quite an ova-
tion on landing--the only person who
was not Joyous being the unfortunate
observer OF the &c in the beginning
Of the fight, who had gotten 1t in the
arm. The fact that the chap who had
winged him had been 'strafed' didn't
seem to satisfy him.
"The major was delighted, as 1t was
the first machine OF this type to show
UP in this quarter A number of FOX.
kers, as the German Moranes are
called, have been giving our machines
a lot Of trouble down south, and 1t is
rather thought that this one may have
been a picked pilot sent UP to put
some more heart into the other ma.
chimes working in this sector. For
his first appearance he had done re.
markedly well, driving off three OF our
machines and wounding an observer.