Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-06-11
BRITISH FLYING CORPS
ENTIRELY CONTROLS AIR
Completely SmotEers German Ayia-
tlon Service. for Time Being,
at Messines Ridge.
THRILLING INCIDENT OF wAI
Planes, Far Back OF Enemy Lines,
Search Out md Demoralize Troops
in Every Hamlet, Town and VII
lage-Supply Columns Attacked.

BRITISH HEADQUARTERS IN
FRANCE. June .. evening (v!a London.
Juno 10).--Thc manner in which the
British flying corps dominated the air
during the battle OF Mcssincs Ridge
on Thursday. and completely smother
ed tho German aviation service for the
time being is one OF the most thrill
ing and remarkable stories OF the en-
tire war
Far back OF tho German lines. the
British planes searched out troops in
every hamlet. town and village. In
several places they saw them gather
ing or marching in the main streets,
whereupon they few down low At
times and opened IRE which scattered
the Eray-clad soldiers IN all directions.
All pilots report that their accurate
fire had n most demoralizing effect
upon the hostile troops. Conveys and
ammunition and supply columns were
attacked while on the march. and the
disorganizcd men left their teams and
automobiles on the roads. while they
sought shelter in nearby bitches.
One British pilot patrolled road
for n half hour before he saw any
thing TO shoot at. Then a German
military automobile with three officers
sitting in tho back seat came along.
The Britisher dived At them from Il
height of 500 feet. firing at them as
they came. He flew 40 low eventually
that the wheels Of his undcrcarriaGc
barely missed the automobile. which
swcrvcd into a ditch while going at
about forty miles AN hour. and crashed
into tree.
With their overwhelming weight OF
massed guns and In hand.to-hand
lighting at some points. the British
have beaten orr all German counter
attacks upon their newly-won positions
beyond the MeSSines ridge.
Prussian and Bavarian troops driven
far under a storm of fire poured upon
them from advanced British battery
positions, suffered frightfully AS this
In recapturing and holding only one
British post. at Klein Zlllebeke. which
had been pushed we'll forward OF the
consolidated British main line
Beaten back in the center. the Ger
mans apparently have massed towards
the Hanks Of the front on which the
British advanced. They attempted sew
attacks in the direction OF Warneton,
but the British guns upset their plans.
STIFF FIGHT SOUTHEAST
OF MESSINES VILLAGE
Some OF the stiffest fights since the
initial attacks began at dawn on Thurs
day have occurred southeast of Mes
sines village. with Germans advancing
from Warneton. Australians have been
in the thick Of this fighting. which at
times has swayed to and fro about
advanced posts.
The booty from the Messines battle
has not yet been catalogued. but IL
Is known that more than thirty guns
were captured. while many more were
buried in battery positions which were
all but obliterated in the hurricane FIRE
which accomplished the assault.
The German army defeated ar Mea-
sines was commanded by General Count
SiNt Won 'Arnim. who made such an in
teresting report during the battle of
the Somme last year. in which he COM
planned of the breaking down OF the
German army system.