Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-04-28
English Birdmen Give TeutonSI
Surprise in Spectacular
Engagement After Night
faIh
DEEDS OF WONDERFUL
DARING PERFORMED
Many of Kaiser's Machines
Destroyed or Driven to the
Ground in Disabled Condi-
ton, Is Report.
10y MORNING. JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED wrssl


With the British Armies in France,
April 81 (via London. 1896 p. III.
From a Staff Correspondent of the
Associated Press) The German air
men had one of the greatest surprises
of their lives late yesterday. The day
had been heavily overcast until nearly
6 o'clock in the evening, when the
clouds suddenly thinned and the sun
broke through. A few German ma
chimes had been sighted well back OF
their lines during the obscured period,
but when the sun shone out several
enemy squadrons which had been
housed all day came out to stretch
their wings in the slanting afternoons
rays.
They had scarcely taken the air
when the British machines pounced
upon them and in the after tea-time
fighting that ensued several German
machines were seen to crash and
eight others to be driven down COM
pletely out of control, which are be-
lieved to have been destroyed.
Wonderful Feats in Air.
Between 6 and o'clock the air was
filled with wonderful incidents of
deeds of daring. There were running
fights and general melees, One dis
tinguished young Britisher, who only
recently returned to the air after sev"
eral months of rest, deliberately sat
over an enemy airdrome" and watch
ed six enemy machines leave the
ground and begin to climb toward
him. He was sitting at $4,000 feet
and remained there until the leader OF
tn" challenging planes had attained
yaGoGt b,v0O feet.
In the meantime he had noticed
that one of the hostile birds was some
thing of a stranger. 1t had a very
long tail and a very short nose. The
Britisher, however, did not stop to
worry about it. He dived at the high
est of the climbers and gave him two
bursts from his machine gun. Down
went the German in a crash Just out
side a bit Of wood.
Outmaneuvers Enemy.
While this little action was going on
five other Germans had formed be-
tween the British plane and his home
line. Firing as he came the Britisher
tried to break through the formation
but failed. Then he turned away as If
about to attempt an escape toward
the south. All the Germans started
in pursuit One of them soon outdis-
tanced the others and was approach
ing the Britisher when the latter
whirled about and fired into the Ger
man at point blank range and saw
him burst into flames.
Next in line was the long tailed,
short nosed stranger.
II drove him down, too" said the
pilots report, but after falling a
great distance he flattened out and
| was apparently all right"
A young khaki-clad pilot was car
ried far from his own airdrome but
managed to cross the British line safe
ly just before nightfall. His machine
was absolutely riddled with bullets,
but he was unhurt.
Believes Himself Immune.
Asked to tell about his adventures,
the airman merely shrugged his
shoulders and said: "Oh, ! Just had
bit of luck, that's all" This young
fljer. according to his companions,
holds the absolute belief that he will
never be killed while flying. and with
that fatalistc assistance, takes the
most desperate chances. the result
being that he is rolling up one of the
brightest records of the war.
Not content with Telling fifteen hos
tile machines during their brief fly
| ing interval yesterday, the British
airmen also downed one observation
balloon and sailed forth under the
stars last night on a great bombing
expedition, during which they upset
three German trains bringing troops
toward the front Two OF the trains
were completely derailed and the
engine of the third appeared to ox-
plode.
Bombs Supply Depot.
One of the British pilots during
! the raid lost his bearings. He was
fired at from the ground, some OF the
projectiles being in the nature OF
tgreenish colored rockets In the glare
of these he happily saw a supply de-
pot just beneath him, whereupon he
let go one of his bombs and obtained
a direct hit, the depot disappearing
| in a great flame. All the British
machines returned safely, snotwith-
standing the darkness of the night.
The German machines recently
have taken on variegated hues. Pi-
lots report encountering them IN
white, brown and red and sometimes
striped almost like zebras.
The Germans have evidently
brought more of their best pilots to
the British front to meet the deter
mined aerial offensive that has been
| in progress since early in April. Moss
| of the machines met nowadays are
handled in a manner far above the
German average. 1t is seldom, now
ever, that the Germans attack the
British unless they outnumber them
at least three to one.
Takes Fatal Chance.
| A lone German pilot, however, took
a fatal chance yesterday against 2
British scout formation which was es-
corting reconnaissance machines. by
clever maneuvering at which the hos
| Continued on Psge Two.l