Carroll County democrat. (Huntingdon, Tenn.) 188?-1971, 1917-08-24
lone AVIATOR
SCATTERS HOST
Thrilling Air Battles in Recent
Big Offensive in
Flanders.
FIGHTS CLOSE TO THE EARTH
British Alrman swoops Down Low,
Bombs Alrdrome, Puts Machine
GUN out Of Action and Dis
perses 200 Men.

British Headquarters in France and
Belgium.-Th work done by the Brit
ish air service In the recent offensive
In Flanders has not been surpassed In
efficiency and spectacular features
since the war began.
Many fights occurred between the
rival pilots, but the Teutons were com
pletely outclassed, both In numbers
and skin, and were forced to retire at
most points after losing six machines.
The majority of these air battles
were at height Of 200 feet or less
and in at least one instance the two
opposing pilots battled to within nifty
feet Of the ground, at which height the
German sidestepped and crashed TO
the earth.
The British planes were under con-
slant and heavy fire, particularly from
rifles and machine guns, owing to the
low altitude at which they were flying,
but through all this hurricane Of lead
and steel all but three came safely.
These are reported missing, and there
is no indication of what befell them.
Wonderful heroism was displayed
by the British airmen, who performed
remarkable deeds. One typical In
stance will indicate the nature Of the
important work they carried out. A
British aviator crossed the Ypres sa-
llent just as the infantry attack be-
gan at dawn.
One Man Attacks Force.
For a time he patrolled the roads
and canals, now and then running the
gantlet Of enemy fire at height OF
thirty feet in order to obtain infor-
nation for the guidance Of the infan-
try In their advance. During this pa
troll work he came to German air
drome. Owing to the early hour only
one enemy was stirring outside the
shed, and he paused in his additions
only long enough to satisfy himself
that the plane above him evidently
was one or MS own.
The British airman circled low and
dropped a bomb sQuarely on one Of the
sheds. This brought numbers Of Ger
mans tumbllng In a panic from the
buildings. He turned his machine gun
on them, and, circling about the field,
bombed two other sheds with disas-
trous effect. All the time he kept up
steady stream of machine-gun FIRE
at the Germans, number of whom
were killed or wounded.
Alone, Disperses 200 Men.
The Germans finally got a machine
gun into action against him, but he
dived and at twenty feet silenced 1t
with his own gun. Having put their
gun out Of action, he circled the field,
aring with his machine gun through
the doors Of buildings at the huddled
enemy within. At one time his ma
chine actually touched the ground.
Leaving the airdrome, the British
aviator attacked two German mounted
officers and put them to flight. A
little later he encountered column
Of 200 troops and swept along the line,
with his gun working steadily. The
entire column was dispersed and fed
by devious ways to cover, leaving
numbers of their comrades lying in
the road.
Two German battle planes appeared
on the scene and the Briton engaged
them both, sending one to earth and
putting the other to flight. He pur-
sued the fleeing plane, but it was soon
lost in the clouds.
Pumps Lead Into Troop Train.
In the meantime a large body Of Ger
man soldiers had gathered around the
machine which had been brought
down. The British flying man came
sweeping back from the mists in
which he had hidden and accounted
for several of their number with his
machine gun.
His next objective was troop train.
He travelled along Its entire length,
pumping bullets into the crowded
cars, Later he did valuable scouting
work over the enemy lines.
Numerous instances are related OF
pilots charging the anti-aircraft gun
ners and maehine-gun operators at a
height of thirty or forty feet and ST.
lencing the guns. Pistol duels between
the British aviators and the German
infantry were not uncommon occur.
rences. In one instance a young avia.
tor, in burst Of chivalry, deliberately
stopped his machine gun when Ger.
man officer drew his pistol and began
shooting at him and engaged the en-,
envy with his own pistol, apparently
feeling that he had no right to take
an unfair advantage Of his opponent
The aviator's pistol was sufficient