Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-06-10
British FIiers Hover Over Their
Quarters During Battle Of
Messines and Rain Bullets
on Them.
SCATTER SOLDIERS ON
MARCH BEHIND LINES
Hundreds of Aviators Over
German Terrain When Bat
tie Breaks, Having Flown
Over at Night,

British Headquarters in France,
June 8 Evening; via London, June
10, 1925 a. m., From q Correspond
ent of the Associated Press. 1.-The
manner in which the British flying
corps dominated the air during the
battle of Messines ridge on Thursday
and completely smothered the Ger
man aviation service for the time be-
ing is one of the most thrilling and
stories of the entire war.
Hundreds of British places were
we'll behind the German lines when
the battle broke into its fury at dawn
They had stolen over during the dark
er intervals of the brief night when
the moon was hidden by storm clouds.
Other hundreds went aioft with the
first faint streaks OF coming day and,
gr,As:l .ly the f,nshGsN.f ~ ggsre,
flew into the thick of the fighting.
During the night British machines
bombed enemy railway stations, trains,
ammunition dumps and troops com.
ing up on the msrch. Others hov-
cred above German airdromes and
circled low among airplane sheds and
fired hundreds of rounds from ma
chine guns into them and prevented
the enemy machines from coming out.
Later in the day, while the fighting
was most intense, British airmen
dropped about three tons of bombs on
the German flying grounds as q fur
ther deterrent. which proved highly
effective.
Checked COunter-attacks.
In addition to shutting the German
airmen out of any early participation
in the battle the British airplanes
were In large degree responsible for
the fact that the Germans could not
launch counter-attack of appreci-
able strength until forty hours after
the battle for the ridge began and ev-
cry bit of ground desired by the Brit
ish in this particular operation had
been taken and secured.
Far back of the German lines the
British planes searched out troops in
every hamlet, town aod village. In
several places they saw them gather
Ing or marching in the main streets.
whereupon they flew down low at
times ana opened fire which scat
tered the Germans in all directions.
All pilots report that their accurate
fire had most demoralizing effect
upon the hostile troops. Conveys and
ammunition and supply columns were
attacked while 90 the march and the
disorganized men left their teams and
automobiles on the roads while they
sought shelter in nearby ditches.
Airplanes attacked troops in the
support trenches and sent them sour
One pilot made so many of these at
tacks that he finally ran out of am
munition. but he delivered his last
stroke by letting go his signal rockets
at platoon of soldiers who. evidently
mistaking this for a particularly hor-
rble new style of war frghtfulness,
fled in all directions.
Attacks Military Automobile.
German troops were fired upon in
the more distant back areas as they
we're entraining for the front. Many
Of the enemy retreating from the Brit
ish attack and hiding in shell holes
we're seen by the low-flying airmen
and pelted with bullets.
One British pilot patrolled a road
for half an hour before he saw any
thing to shoot at. Then German
military automobile with three Off
GERS sitting in the back seat came
along. The Britisher dived at them
from a height Of 800 feet, firing as
they came. He flew so low eventually
that the wheels Of his undercarriage
barely missed the automobile which
swerved into a ditch while going at
forty miles an hour and crashed into
q tree.
This same pilot later came across
an active field battery and charged 1t,
scattering the gun crew and hitting
humber Of them. Still farther along
he attacked column of Germans
marching in fours. The column broke
when he opened fire, scattering to
both sides Of the road. At no time
during his stay inside the German
lines was this pilot more than 500
feet from the ground.
Large numbers Of Britisn machines