Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1916-09-22
DARING DEEDS
PERFORMED BY
KNIGHTS or AIR
Feats OF British kyiators in
Somme Campaign Related
by Correspondent.
GREAT HELP TO ARTILLERY
Flying Men, Hinged by White Puff
Clouds Of Exploding Shells, Direct
Deadly Fire Upon Foe--many
Musicians Among Pilots.

London. MIR. Philip Gibbs. a CORE
spondent with the British armies IN
the field sends to the Daily Chronicle
an interesting article dealing with the
British supremacy 10 the air and its
vital relation TO the operations OF the
Somme. lie writes:
"Ali through the battle OF Picardy
most Of u have kept CHANGING up into
the sky across tho enemy's lines from
day to day aud looking for Prussian
Rcroplane. Il is a rare bird.
snow aud again when our dying men
are not GU, because the clouds are ly-
Ing low and II Is 'dud day. as they
call lt. hostile machine sneaks
through the mist and drops few
bombs and goes full speed back again !;
aud more often. but not very often,
iilght OF rrusslnns will como 10 gang
through u clcnr sky and attack one or
more OF our scouts II they can be sure
OF having all the odds In their favor.
Behind their own lines they ARE more
bold (and there Is nothing wrong with
their courage rs individual nghters).
aud lie IN walt In the crossroads OF
the air like modern Black Knights
with the Iron Cross as their badge)
10 defend their territory from all in
truders--not. however. with any great
success and 10 provide exciting COM
bats Tor our own knights errant. But
across our lines they venture rarely.
During the first week Of the battle.
which began on July 1. the hostile ma
chimes were Invisible. aud yet during
all this time OF lighting we cannot go
up TO the lines without seeing our own
acroplanes flying above the shell are
In Prussian territory.
Hinged by White Pun Clouds.
''rhe Arches are firing az them.
ringing them round with white pun
clouds which burst very close. so close
that one holds ones breath or speaks
a whisper They've got him i'--until a
second later one can see tho Reroplane
skimmiug Onward steadily and quite
careless OF these explosions which fol-
low on the trail OF his wings Below
these flying men OF ours shells ara
crashing aud smoke Is vomiting az,
and villages are burning, and there is
all the tumult of battle. but they circle
round as aioog as the winged gods
themselves. q seems. FROM sll this
earthly strige-~yct not aloof. because
they help TO direct the thundcrbOlts.
as some of the old gods ala.
$50 far from proving ga our side OF
the lines, these pilots and observers
make daily habit OF going for far
Journeys into the euemy's zone. often
as far IA Bapaume. which Is dozen
miles beyond cur own trenches. and TO
places like Martlnpuich aud Courcc-
lettc and Ficrs. A few days ago they !
set Mnrtlnaulch on Dire. aud IL was stIll |
onrning when they aew over Il again !
next day.
"On Juiy % four % our aeroplanes |
paid a surprise call on Mons. the scene /
u oar earliest lighting two years ago.
aud reminded the enemy OF our CON
little army % those days by /
lying tow aud dropping bombs on the /
rolling stock la the railway station aud |
upon sheds full Of munitions. They /
we're lslsurely Ia their clrclingS. and /
stayed until fres had exploded at four
different points and much ammunition ]
had been blown up. Then they came
home TO dinner.
Every day aud all day long they are
out aud about. across the Prussian |
ilnes observing for our artillery and |
directing the Gre of our guns upon the
seemy's batteries End other targets
which they have seen below with their