The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1917-05-18
Like Hornets, They Attack En-
eny Formations, and Drive
Survivors Home.
FOE UNWILLING TO FIGHT
Frc~s .-e Frcn, Come Wcncrogs S-cf.
les ~ Dalrifess Deeds and Feats
81 Gt-4si TiItinS-ErItsin hsn
Commands the Air.

o1f 0i the lJGi. fI3L al. where fJ-
lighting bifatueia fs in 4 Bort q dream
world VI adventure. have come within
tLe laSi few days still nor wUtasrops
stories ~ launtleBs deeds and f-ats o.
aerial 'Ilfjn. 10 spread the welcome
glamour ri romance Orer the more s0--
did side pt the War. Above the British
lines and far within the enemy terri
tory the blue spring skies have been
filled with daring planes that seem TO
flash in aud ont among the bits u
fipafius cloud with the speed 81 tie
very su1beams that sparkle and play
upon their silver sides and ali but
transparent wings.
Virtually all The visible machines
bear the red, white and blue markings
" the allies. II liz seldom that hostile
battle birds with the Maltese cross up
on their spreading wings venture
across the fighting lines.
The British aviators report that it
Is difficult just now TO get the Ger
man avintors into close fighting. They
say that the Germans appear unwillin.
To cngnge In that sort Of warfare and
continually attempt 10 break OF the
combats.
Two fast British machines far in
the cnemy's domain saw what APP
peared to be Il great flock If German
planes headed toward the British lines.
The two British airiMen climbed q cou-
PIE Of thousand feet 10 have n better
look az the strangers. They then saw
that 1t was a formation of ii machines
composed If fighting scouts and heav-
Ter t~wo->eaters. probably intent upon d
bombing raid. TIE odds We're rather
heavy against them. hut the British
i!iers decided to have q 20 AT the hos
tile ai.tnen.
Two Eri.ons RoLt - Germans.
Having faster and better m~aneuvsr.
ing machines than anything in the Ger
man formation. the young Eritons
played about their II enemies like a
pair Of giant hornets. They dived at
them time and time again. firing bursts
IF m~aclline-@nn bullets rs they passed.
With superior sreed and climb. the
British machines were able 10 adopt
such tactics as suited their purpose.
AMI from the monlcnt of the first at
tack the formation Of the German ma.
chimes began 10 break up.
After two of their machines bad
been set Oh fire and destroyed and a
third sert spinning down to an un-
doubtetly fatal crash, the hostile
s%qaaaron VA completely disorganized,
the surviving machines turning about
aud making for home.
Another story has to Go with the
narrow escape Of a young British naval
airnan who sailed on 4 recent bright
afternoon TO "strafe" n German balloon
that he saw in the air sorne distance
back of the enem.'s fighting lines.
Nowadays whenever a British plane
crosses the lines within q mile or two
of n German balloon station IS. o. S."
signs ascend and the balloon is hauled
down rs fast us motor driven winches
can drag it. The pilot was not to be
thus foiled. however. When he arrived
near the balloon 1t was only 20 feet
from the ground. but he dived for it,
Notwithstanding the protecting ma
chine guns that were sending up literal
fountains of steel-iacketed bullets.
The balloon began to smoke in sew
eral places. and the British airman was
diving ut 1t again when his engine was
hit. The navy chap managed to get
himself home. like Il wounded pigeon.
nevertheless. crossing the fighting lines
mt less than 80 feet. Bein. a naval
man. he officially described his home
coming as 'limping into port"
Several other aviators recently ut.
tackled German balloons on the
ground. The correspondent spent most
of Sunday on the battle front, but saw
no German balloons up after British
morning.
Attacks Howitzer Crew.
On Saturday afternoon a British
fighting scout was just taking the mir
when he saw I'M archie" battery FIR
ing Mt a German machine high IN the
clouds. The Briton deliberately began
to climb through his fire to engage the
enemy, but the latter saw him coming
and strcnked for home. The Britishcr
followed him for several miles, firing
all the while. but finally ran out Of
One pilot described the sensation OF
passing through n firing zone as similar
to that received In a small boat rock.
ing upon the swell Of q fas.-pass,n9
steamer.
Often the pilots Of artillery observ.
ing machines have been able to catch
glimpses OF the slow-moving, h.nvy
howitzer shells. It Is related Of one
pilot that some time ago he
saw a big German howitzer shell com.
ing apparently direct for him. It
whizzed by hnrmlessly. however. but
the pilot was SO angry TINT he spotted
particular gun. dived at 1t and