Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-12-25
DEEDS Of DARING
DONE BY A|RMEN
They Furnish One of World
Wars Most Thrilling
Chapters.
BATTLE FAR ABOVE CLOUDS
Spectators Filled With Wonder
at Marvellous Feats They
Perform.
tFrom Staf Correspondent of the
Associated pressl

WITH THE RR1TTSH ARMY IN
FRANCE Cvia London). December ct
a day OF sunshine-a rarity in Dcccm-
her the British frcnt-reccntly
caused n temporary revival of activity
/. among tho arIators. presented a spec
tncle which tcw years ago could have
lived only In tho Imagination.
Out Of the distance there came early
In the day series OF black rpecks
which gradually grow until they took
the form OF German airplanes. From
point. OF telescopic observation their
approach had been signnIed long be-
fore they were visible TO tho naked eye.
British guns were ready. and British
airplanes were already climbing above
the ruins OF the sheil-torn Flemish
town TO challenge the invaders
AHTIAiRCRAFr CANNON
KNOWN AS "ARCHIES"
While the German machines were
,; ktill over their own lines the British
antiaircrnr cannon. known as
"archies." began to speak. There was
q sharp angry crack. \ moment later
shrapnel she'll burst into white
puffball just In the path of the oncom-
Ing airplanes. Al first the white n,ck
OF powder smok" seemed larger
than a pinhcad. hu, II soon spread un-
Ill II appeared as exaggerated toy
balloon and foatcd lszily against
the sky.
Then thcro another puff, ard
then another. until II seemed that half
hundred arches" must be going
and the sky became fretwork nf
white smoke balls. each one marking
spot whore "A breaking sheil had
showcred It's leadcn bullets upon the
fast-travclinR Germans. PiunSing in
and out among the exploded shrapnel.
the approaching alrplancs left trail
OF iccks and powder purs in their
wakes. Up and up through the danger
zone OF their own guns the British
aviators climbed eagerly to the fight
= Tie distant hum OF the hostile motor.
now could be heard mingled with the
louder. hcc-likc drone OF tho English
machines and between tho scarcely
perceptiblc intervals OF the "archics'"
fire came the staccato notes OF the ma
chine guns. The British airlnen had
opened fire before reaching the level
= Of their adversarics.
~ Now the British machines began to
close in from various directions. and
the invaders turned suddenly aud
started for their own linca. The some
what prcc!pitatc retreat marked
ny the same trail Of shellare as had
the approach.
DART. DASH, CIRCLE
AND TURN LIKE BIRDS
Airplanes arc never much like
. birds when they meet in an aerial
combat. They dart, dash. circle. turn
and swoop like many fcathcrcG war
rors. and often the battles rage a:
such high attitudes that the machines
become all but invisible.
Again will fight among
the clouds when the more daring avia-
tors max. startling piunEes through
tho intervening mist 10 catch their op-
ponents unawares. Always there is
great mancuvering for position. and
tho spectators ar. nllcd with wonder
at what the modern airplanc can do
even to excelling the birds in their
own element by flying upside down.
Most of the fighting aviators en-
deavor to get ION the other fellows
tail" This means n position above and
slightly behind the adversary. where
one can fire down into him. Others.
however, prefer to attack from a posi-
tion ain'os. directly underneath. think
ing they have stead!cr firing plat
form in climbing than in diving.
The lattcr-dar machines have such
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 falls
In blazing spiral. Archie" shells
frequently blow airplanes out Of line
by making many puncturcs in their
wings. but the machines thus damaS-
cd generally are brought safely home.
THRILLING CHAPTERS
IN WORLD CONFLICT
when the history of aviation in the
present wa. Is written. II will con-
tain some of the most thrilling chap
ters OF the strange world conflict. The
British flying corps. which grew from
almost nothing at the beginning OF the
war already has established records
of daring and attainment which even
i'm the colorless official reports OF the
corps read like fiction. Recently there
hav. heen fights or the British fronts
I'm which from sixty to eighty machines
were engaged. Such battles begin with
individual fights and gradually develop
into what tho aviators term gen
/. eral melee as reinforcemcnts arrive
from both sides.
There have peen -, high ninety
six separate and distinct fights in
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 tho English and the Eng
lish have gone to the assistance OF the
French to help defeat the Germans
There have been numerous engage
ments in which British nviatnrs have
closed within twenty yards OF their
adversary. firing ponthlank into him.
There have becn both French and Brit
ish instances OF aviators deliberately
"A. crashing into German. sending him
'itlrlown After one instance OF that sort
,hit, British aviator brought his. ma
sNesshine down with only one wins. He
NJ, (CoHtinued on Fifth Pago)