The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1917-06-01

BRITISH FRONT IN FRANCE.
tvia London. June 1.-The recent
lull In the fighting has had no effect
whatever upon the British aerial Of
fensivc, which continues day and night
with unrelenting intensity. In the last
few days there have been Witnessed
some OF the most desperate air battles
of the entire war. One or two OF these
have been fought at the unprecedented
height Of $4,000 feet. or more than
three and one-half miles from the
earth.
Recently there was a duel in which
a British pilot. having run out of am
munition for his machine gun, got
close enough to his antagonist to
shoot him down with his revolver. The
incident served to recall the fact that
when the war began the only weapon
(which aerial pilots had we're pistols
),nd carbines.
I Attitudes Are Increased.
Commenting today on the dazzling
,Ialtitudes at which many combat occur
nowadays. a pilot said that when he
first went to war in 1914, he flew a
machine which took an hour and a
quarter to reach 5000 feet.
That's nothing" said one OF his
comrades. The old bus had in those
days couldn't reach 5000 feet at all"
The airplane which could not ne
sotiate 10000 feet we'll under ten min
utes would be strapped quickly now.
A notable feature of the air fighting
in the last ten days has been the
tendency Of the German machine to
break in pieces soon after being shot
out Of control.
Take Big Toll Of Foes.
The toll of German planes destroyed
in May will mount far into the hun
dreds. In last Sundays fighting alone
thirty we're accounted for Fifteen
were seen to crash to the ground. four
teen were driven down completely out
of control and one was shot down by
artillery
One of the melees on Sunday, be-
tween six British and eight German
machines. was as thrilling as any
aerial battle ever fought 1t was at
close quarters throughout; so close, in
fact, that wings scraped against
wings and fighting pilots could look
each other squarely in the eyes. No
sooner would British pilot swoop up
to the tail of one Of the German ma
chimes than another German was on
his tail. This German in turn would
almost Immediately have another
Pritish pilot pouring bursts Of machine
gun bullets at him. At one time sew
en- machines were following each 9th.
er in headlong fashion toward the
earth.
Battle Opens at Night.
IL was nearly o'clock in the even
ing when the British offensive patrol
sighted the eight Germans, we'll over
their own lines. The enemy machines
fled but were eventually overhauled
and brought to combat. The comman-
der OF the British formation dived at
the nearest German. but the latter
turned sharply beneath him and es.
capped the first burst of fire. The com.
mander then attacked another machine
Just in front Of him, pouring in many
rounds at ranges shortening from fifty
to twenty yards. The German went
down 1000 yards in a spin, then turn.
ed over and continued to fall, com.
pletely out of control
Spins Down to Safety.
BY this time another hostile aircraft
Vas on the commanders tail. He tried
TO shake off the German, but could not
do so, and deliberately went down in
spin. When he flattened out he
found the German still with him, and
so he again went down in a spin. The
German was then attacked by q British
pilot who had followed him down and
sat on his tail, flooding his machine
with bullets until he went tumbling to