Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1917-06-21
A|RMEN OF WEST
FRONT FIGURE IN
FIERCE F|SHT|NG

WITH THE BRITISH ARMIES
June 21.-Fighting with machine
guns and even with reyolvers pilots
of tattleplanes are today making the
clouds as hotly a contested battle
ground as is to be found on the earth
below. Summer skies and fine wealth
er have forced fighting in the air on a
large scale.
One British pilot attacked by Ger
man Nieuport, found his machine gun
jammed Immediately he ut down
his nose and dived fixing his gun al
the same time. Relieving the jam he
climbed back to fight and tore Of
every round of ammunition he had for
tie machine gun. The German, still
praIently unframed continued to
fight, so the English boy-less than q
drawing his Colts automatic pistol
charged straight at the German firing
seven shots at him at close range, Th+
German toppled and fell, his machine
breaking in two in the air.
Here is the official report of anothe,
air IS 6lt which happened the same day
Names and numbers are omitted
Capt. Blank, with three others Of
the same Squadron, diyed at German
aeroplane which they riddled with bul
let's and drove down. Then they saw
four red Albatross Scouts and Capt
Blank engaged one at close range
Eventually the German machine got
into a favorable position and Capt
Blank Immediately put his machine
into a spin. On shaking of the Ger
man he at once regained height and
dived at another Scout with whom be
fought for a considerable time. He
finally outmanoeuvered his opponent
and the hostile machine crashed.
Shortly he engaged another machine
Of the same type, but he was shot
through the wrist and the top of his
control-lever was carried away. AL
though in great pain and flying at .
disadvantage he succeeded in landing
his machine unchanged on our side
Of the lines and then tainted.
While this was happening at one
part of the front another battle was
taking place at another only short
distance away. A Photographic recon
naissance. with a small escort was at
tackled by seven German planes. A
Captain drove down one of the hostile
machines out fmontrol and then
dived at three others which were fol-
lowing one of our machines down. He
was unable to catch up in time, how
ever, and our machine was forced to
land in field, but he eventually sue
cedded in engaging one of the German
machines which crashed quite near
ours.
End Lieut.. B. opened fire at large
white two-seater which went down
and was seen to crash by other pilots
Lieut.. C. drove down blcak-and-
white German scout which was also
seen to crash. A third hostile machine
was DESTROYED by Lieut. d.
The Germans are painting their
machines all colors of the rainbow
and some of the shades not to be found
there. And not satisfied with solid
reds. greens, blues and so forth, var
ious combinations are seen. There are
yellow-topped wings with green un
derneath: white wings with violet
bodies; blue and gold wings and rel
noses; silver wings and striped bod
les. canary-colored bodies with blue
tipped wings and more curious com 4
binations still. German pilots, it ap
pears when supplied with machines
can then do pretty much as they
please with them. painting them any
desired coIors and even changing the
shape.
On the other hand the British flyers
are more modest Their machines are
khaki, white or cream.