The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1917-04-25
BRITISH DROP4O
GERMAN PLANES
Only Two English Machines
Lost in Great Fight
$4,000 Feet Up.
TEUTON TRAINS RAIDED
Bombing Expeditions Are
Made 45 Miles Within
Enemy's Lines.
TEUTON TRAINS RAIDED

From Stag Correspondent Of the Associated
Press.
WITH THE BRITISH ARMIES IN FRANCE
April 24.--The intensely bitter ground
fighting OF the last two days has been
reflected in the air, and the British
Royal Flying Corps yesterday estab-
lshed new record by bringing down
forty German machines. Fifteen OF
these were actually seen to crash, while
twenty-five collapsed or fell in spinning
nose dives. completely out OF control.
The fights took place $4,000 feet in the
air. from which distance It Is barely
possible to see the ground. and wholly
impossible to see an adversary crash un-
less the pilot deliberately follows down
Such a course is not feasible where the
fighting has taken on the character of a
general melee. as Is nowadays often the
case. A remarkable part Of yesterday s
performance Is that only two British
machines are missing
II was the finest day for war flying
that the young khaki pilots ever had and
to-day they have been at II again since
sunrise. but the full reports of their ex-
ploits are not yet in. II is known. how
ever, that one intrepid young fiier. fail
ing to find a single German observation
balloon aloft sought out one in its
hangar on the ground, dived at 1t and
set the big gas bag ablaze from stem 10
stern.
Bombing Raids Carried Out.
Since Sunday the British airmen have
been revelling in weather they have lons
desired. Not cloud was in the sky to-
day behind which a German could find
shelter. Deprived Of that means OF
digging themselves in the German
fliers were far scarcer than usual and
very difficult to find. British machines
were everywhere along the battle front
and far behind the German lines. Bomb.
ing raids were carried out forty-hvs
miles back. the machines deliberately
flying over ground where battles were
raging with the greatest fury.
German trains rushing reenforcements
I" the front were attacked and transport
columns on the roads were bombed ant
completely disorganized. In several in.
stances the British came low over ths
fighting lines and poured machine gur
fire into the German ranks. In doins
this the machines have delibera tel ,
crossed the fire of their own as well IA.
the enCmys guns.
Yesterday one British pilot. after
bringing down two Germans and after
all his ammunition was gone. descended
reloaded, filed up his petrol tanks and
took TO the air again Within half an
hour he had shot down his third ma
chine for that day, Another pilot felled
Two machines, while the other thirty
were divided among a similar number OF
British pilots
The greatest fight yesterday, oddly
enough, was a drawn battle. One Of tho
British pilots met brilliant German
fiier and for full hour they manpuvred
in most marvellous manner without
either being able TO bring his gun to bear
OH the other. They rolled, looped
twisted, deliberately stalled their en-.
gines and. standing the machines or
their tail, slid backward through the air
but all to no avail. II was probably the
most wonderful air duel the war has ye,
seen.
Both Pilots Exhausted.
The British pilot reported to-day tha,
several tines no felt sure he would &c,
, his adversary between his sights, but
the latter invariably wriggled out of the
line Of fire. The British fiier himself wa
kept busy avoiding the German. ant
once he had to dive almost perpendicu
larry. The combat did not break off un.
Ill both pilots had fairly exhausted
themselves and their petrol
Strangely enough, later In the day an.
other British pilot encountered the same
German machine The Britisher was
wlnging his way home after hare
days work, but he jockeyed with the
, German for nearly a quarter OF an hour
before flying on.
In strange contrast to this was the ex.
perience of one British pilot. who some.
what peevishly complained last night
that "I only got A rabbit" He explained
this by saying that while his opponent
, had good machine he was a clums,
fellow and couldn't fight at all, and wa.
sent spinning with the first burst OF gun.
fire
Still another pilot mounted q fast new
machine and deliberately allowed a Ger.
! man to get on his trail. Then he sud
denly looped behind his adversary ant
caught him just within the sights, tn,
! burst OF fire killing the German IN
stantly. The machine swerved and tn.
dead man pitched out 10000 feet from
the ground