Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-06-10
German Aviators Helpless.

German Aviators Helpless.
The manner in which the British Fly
ing Corps dominated the air during the
bSttle Of Messines ridge on Thursday and
completely smothered the German ava.
ton service for the time being Is one OF
the most thrilling and remarkable stories
Of the entire war.
Hundreds of British planes were well
behind the German lines when the battle
broke into it's fury at dawn They had
stolen over during the darker intervals
Of the brief night when the moon was hid
den by storm clouds. Other hundreds
went aloft with the first faint streaks OF
coming day. and. guided by the flashes
Of the guns, few into the thick of the
fighting.
During the night British machines
bombed enemy railway stations. trains,
ammunition dumps and troops coming
up on the march. Others lowered above
German airdomes and circled low among
airplane sheds and fired hundreds of
rounds from machine guns into them and
prevented the enemy machines from COM
ing out. Later in the day, while the
fighting most intense. British air
men dropped about three tons of bombs
on the German flying grounds as further
deterrent. which proved highly effective.
In addition to shutting the German air.
men 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 appreciate strength until forty
hours after the battle for the ridge began
and every bit Of ground desired by the
British 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 and village. In
several places they saw them gather
ing or marching in the main streets.
whereupon they few down low at times
and opened fire which scattered the
sray-clad soldiers in all directions. All
pilots report that their accurate fire
had a most demoralizing effect upon
munition and supply columns were at
tackled while on the march and the dis
organized men left their teams and au-
tomobiles on the road. while they
sought shelter in nearby bitches.
Scared Germans With Rockets.
Airplanes attacked troops in the sup
port trenches and sent them scurrying
TO the cover of their dugouts. One
pilot made so many Of these attacks
that he finally ran out Of ammunition.
but he delivered his last stroke by let
ting go his signal rockets at a platoon
Of soldiers who, evidently installing
this for some particularly horrible new
style OF war frightfulness. fled in all
directions. German troops were fired
upon in the more distant back areas as
they were entraining for the front.
British attack and hiding In shellholes
were seen by the low-fying airmen and
pelted with bullets.
One British pilot patrolled road for
to shoot at. Then a German military
automobile with three officers sitting
In the back seat came along. The Brit
tsher dived at them from height of
goo feet. firing at them as they came.
He flew SO low eventually that the
wheels Of his under carriage barely
missed the automobile. which swerved
into ditch while going at about forty
miles an hour and crashed into a tree.
This same pilot later came across an
active field gun battery and charged
1t. scattering the gun crew and hitting
o number of them. Still farther along
he attacked a column Of Germans
marching in tours. The column broke
when he opened fire. scattering to both
his stay inside the German lines was
this pilot more than 500 feet from the
ground.
Signals From Planes.
Large numbers of British machines
were on contact patrol work. flying low
over the advancing lines Of infantry, con-
stantly watching their movements. their
progress. any temporary reverse. any at
tempt to form counter attacks and all the
while sending detailed reports back to
corps and army headquarters The in
fantry commanders said it gave their men
great comfort and a great sense Of pro-
lection to have their planes flying SO con-
ndently just above them and exchanging
signals with them.
OF the fourteen planes lost during the
day Of the battle. a majority were these
contact machines. They had to fly
through a frightful storm of their own
~ well as the enemy's artillery fire.
and they succumbed to chance blows
from these exploding missiles.
Late on the day OF the battle when
the enemy machines had finally arrived
from more distant airdromes, there
was some good hard lighting in the
air. some of it at close quarters, with
collisions barely avoided. Twenty
enemy machines were accounted for in
the fighting. some Topping about until
they broke up in the air and others
being driven down on their noses in
yellow buttercup fields so far back OF
the fighting line that no shell had ever
marred the symmetry OF the landscape.
Most Dangerous Days Flying.
Ono British pilot who returned to his
homo station for new supplies Of petrol
and ammunition declared IL was the