The sun., 1916-12-25
ARCHES END RAID
OF GERMAN FLIERS
Guns Hurl Shrapnel Among
Advancing Airplanes as
AviatOrs Ascend.
FIGHT LIKE GREAT BIRDS
Dart, Dash, Circle, Turn in
Battles at High Attitudes
Above the Clouds.

WITH THE BRITISH ARMIES IN FRANCE
(via I<ondon), Dec. IA day OF sun
shine--a rarity in December on the Brit
ish front-caised a temporary revival
OF activity among the aviators to-day.
presenting a spectacle which few
years ago could have lived only In the
In agination.
Out OF the distance there came early
I'm the day a series Of black specks which
gradually grew until they took the form
Of German airplanes. From points OF
telescopic observation their approach
had been signallcd long before even the
first tiny dots were visible to the raked
eye. British guns were ready and Brit
ish airphnes were already climbing
above the ruins OF the shell torn Flcrn-
ish town to challenge the invaders.
While the German machines were SIN
over their own bnes the British anti
aircraft cannon. known as "Archies" be-
ban TO speak. There was sharp. angry
crack A moment later n sfrrapnel shell
burst into a white pun ball Just in the
path OF the oncoming airplanes. At
first. the white feck of powder smoke
seemed no larger than pin head. but 1t
Spon spread until II appeared as an ex-
aggerated toy balloon and foated as
lazily against the sky. Then there was
another pun, and then another. until v
seemed that half a hundred "Archies"
must he going and the sky became a
fretwork of white smoke balls. each one
marking a spot where a breaking shell
had showered its leaden bullets upon the
fast travelling Germans.
British Open Fire.
Plugging in and out among the ex-
ploding shrapncl. the approa ching air
planes left a trail OF these fecks and
powder puffs in their wake. Up and up.
through the danger zone OF their own
guns. the British aviators climbed
eagerly to the fight. The distant hum
OF the hostile motors could now be heard,
mingled with the louder. bee like drone
OF the English machines. and between
the scarcely pcrceptible intervals OF tho
"Archies' fire came the staccato notes
OF the machine guns. Tho British air.
men had opened fire before reaching the
level Of their advcrsarics
Now the British machines began to
close In from various directions and the
invaders turned suddenly and started for
their own lines. Their precipitate re-
treat Was marked by the same trail Of
shell fire as had been their approach.
The British aviatTs pursued. but having
now the advantage OF height and - div
ing start for home. the Germans tenn
rorarily got away.
This was the first phase Of the days
battles In the air---a prelude to the later
lighting. when two German machines
came crashing " Garth in spinning nose
dives Airplancs are never 80 much like
birds as when they meet In combat.
They dart. dash. circle, turn and sweep
like 40 many feathercd warriors, and
often the battles rage Mt such high alti-
tudes that the machines become all but
invisible
NanruNrinE for Position.
Again there will bc a fight among the
clouds, when the more daring aviators
make startling plunges through the in
tcrvening mist to catch their opponents
naware. Always there is great ma
npuvrinS for positions. and spect ators
are filled with wonder at what the mod
ern airplane can do: even to excelling
the birds in their own element by flying
upside down.
Most OF the fighting aviators endeavor
TO get on the other fellows tail" This
means a position above and slightly be-
hind the adversary. where one can fire
down into him. Others however, prefer
to attack from position almost directly
underneath. thinking they have a
steadier firing platform In climbing than
in diving.
The latter day machines have such
wonderful stability that they can be
brought down only by direct hits. killing
the pilot or piercing the petrol tank, in
which latter event the airplane generally
catches fire and falls In blazing spiral
Archie" shells often blow airplanes out
of the line by making many punctures
In their wings. but the machines thus
damaged generally are brought safely
home.
When the history OF aviation In the
present war is written II will contain
some of the most thrilling chapters OF
the strange world conflict. The British
Flying Corps has established records Of
daring and attainment which even I'm
the colorless official reports OF tho corps
read lilse fiction. Recently there have
been fights on the British front In which
from sixty TO eighty machines were en-
gagged. Such battles begin with indi-
vldual fights and gradually develop into
what the aviators term a general
melee" rs reenforcements arrive from
both sides.
Fighting At Close Rangs.
There have been as high as ninety-six
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 English have gone TO the assist
ancc OF the French to help defeat the
Germans, There have been numerous
engagements In which a British aviator
has closed within twenty yards OF his
adversary. firing point blank into him.
British and French aviators, a. q last
resort. have deliberately crashed into a
German. After one instance Of that sort
British aviator brought his machine
down with only one wing.
On one occasion three British ma
chimes deliberately dived into a forma-
tion OF seventeen German machines de-
stroying two. Another time two British
aviators attacked eleven Germans, and
once a Second Lieutenant OF the British
corps attacked fve hostile machines
lie was attacked from behind. but
turned and got in the rear OF the hostile
craft and keeping ''on Its tail' drove II
down.
The British aviators take great salts
faction at the result OF q recent hght
when they attacked a German bombing
British lines. In the heat Of the aerial
combat tha.Germans let 20 bombs which
fell into their own lines.
Gen. otis Makes sIBO,O00 Gift.
Los ANGELES, Cal, Dec 2t.-A Christ
mas gift OF the Blvouac, formerly the
home OF Gen. Harrison Gray Otis pres
ident and general manager OF the Los
Angeles Times, was presented to the
county to-day by Gen. Otis for use as