The daily commonwealth. (Greenwood, Leflore Co., Miss.) 1916-1919, 1917-01-29
BATTLES IN AIR
ARE DESCRIBED
Vivid Picture of the Great Contest in
the Sky on the Western Europe
Battlefields.

With the British Armies in France
Jan. 2O-(Cor. of Associated Press)
TIL announcement that Improved
weather conditions permitted increas-
ed aerial activity along the entire
front" is the laconic and prosaic way
in which the official communique dis
misses some of the most spectacular
episodes of the war.
To those who have once witnessed
this Increased aerial activity" such
an announcement conjures up at once
picture of countless aeroplanes in
the air--scouting, fighting, diving,
lowering over enemy targets and
calmly sending wireless signals
through the fountains of enemy fire,
photographing the enemy lines, bomb
ing his ammunition dumps and sheds
,and supply columns, and otherwise
carrying on" in the sky in a manner
wholly bewildering to the onlooker
but typifying in supreme degree the
indispensable part aviation is play
ing in this war.
With candor often uncommon in
times of strife, the British commun-
ique may end from day to day with
the simple statement that one of two
or three or four "of our machines
have not returned" This means they
either been hit and foced to land in
the enemy lines, or have been shot
down to fate more certain. It is
no child's play to circle above Ger
man battery observing for half an
hour or more, tortured by exploding
shells and black shrapnel puffballs
coming nearer and nearer like the
extending finger tips of some hand to
death. But they are little more than
children-these were boys who are
bringing the lustre of everlasting
fame to the British aviation service.
Some are scarce eighteen. It is rare
to find a man flying over twenty
five.
In the aggregate, however, the loss
es in the flying corps are as nothing
compared with the useful vital work
the wings" accomplish. Without
them the big guns would have no far
seeing eyes to correct their shells.
Without them and the hundreds of
photographs they daily take the map
makers could not trace each detail
ol the trench positions. Without
'nem the general staff could not ac-
eurately know just what is going on
Gay and night behind the enemy lines.
without them modern war would lose
Its most fascinating phase.
ihe good flying" of single day
On the British front alone may repre-
sen! day of hundred fights, day
Oi four score aeroplanes in wing-to-
wing combat-a day Of thousand
personal Incidents and, deeds of dar-
~ ing in the once strange strata Of high |
thin air.
II might tell, for instance, Of how
lieutenant A in a. fast-Aying scout
machine, encountered a squadron of
We've German Rolands. The odds
y we're u. one-sided enough, but the young
Sf'tlsher decided to take a chance.
ne climbed swiftly and surely until
ns got far above and to the rear Of |
sne hostile craft. Evidently the Ger.
Aans We're intent upon some errand
y. salle they proposed to carry out in
,0fee, :, for they paid no heed to the
:, ,.Aakl'clad airman until he deliberate
y ~ alVed into them, firing as he came. |
.a'' threw the twelve Germans into
panic and their formation was en-
M.'y broken up. Meantime Lieu. A. !
sO' beneath the nearest machine and |
!. a'sa an entire drum Of cartridges into
= y hfteen yards. The hostile ma
sa'ne !. collapsed and Crashed" That |
!. supreme word in the lexicon Of |
s %v nying corps. A machine may
' or dive but until it 10 actually 4
''sn " 10 crash" It is not counted Is I
:" enemy casualty"
az, Alser seeing his particular enemy |
,s. ssh' Lieut.. A drew Of to think
y %'ass over. He was somewhat amax.
-. y % see still more hostile machines |
s%ne sse up in formation. But hs
s'ned at the leader Of the sewcom-
:. - ana sent him in l spiral nose dive
crash" This lsd 70 still mors
&pAcstions and thA intrnid ltAle !