The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-04-25
BRITISH SWEEP AIR
in BATTLES $4,000
fleet over ARMIES

With the British Armies in France,
April 25-The intensely bitter ground
| lighting Of the past two days has had
| It's counterpart in the air, and the
British Royal Flying corps yesterday
established a new record by bringing
down 40 German machines. Fifteen
of these were actually seen to crash.
while rs collapsed or fell in spinning
nose dives, completely out Of control
(The official British report gives
the number Of machines which col
| lapsed as 24.)
| The fights took place $1,000 feet in
| the air; from which distance it is
barely possible to see the ground and
wholly impossible to see an adversary
crash unless the pilot deliberately
| follows down.
| Such a course is not feasible where
the fighting has taken on the charac-
ter of a general melee, as is nova
days often the case. Ae remarkable
part of yesterdays performance is
that only two British machines are
| missing.
Burned Balloons i'm Hangar
| It was the finest day for war fly
/ ing that the young khaki pilots ever
had, and today they have been at it
again since sunrise, but the full re-
ports of their exploits are not yet in.
It is known, however, that one intre-
pid young flyer, failing to find a sim
gle German observation balloon aloft,
sought out one in its hangar on the
ground, Owed at it and set the big
gas bag ablaze from stem to stern.
| Since Sunday thee British airmen
have been revellingt in weather they
have long desired. Not a cloud was
in the sky today behind which Ger
man could find shelter. Deprived of
that means Of digging themselves
in the German flyers were far
scarcep than usual and very difficult
to find.
British machines were everywhere
along the battle front and far be-
hind the German lines. Bombing
raids were carried out forty-five
miles back, the machines deliberately
flying over ground where battles
were raging with the greatest fury.
German Trains Attacked.
German trains rushing reinforce
ments to the front were attacked and
transport columns on the roads were
bombed and completely disorganized.
In several instances the British ma
chimes came low over the fighting
lines and poured machine gun fire
into the German ranks. In doing this
machines have deliberately crossed
the fire of their own as well as the
enemy's guns.
f " p,sk yn1y
bringing down two Germans, found
all his ammunition was gone. He de-
scended, reloaded, filled up his petrol
tanks and took to the air again.
Within half an hour he had brought
down his third machine for that day.
Another pilot felled two machines,
while the other thirty-five were di-
vided among a similar number Of
British pilots.
Fought Hour to a Draw
s The greatest fight yesterday, oddly
enough, was a drawn battle. One Of
the British pilots met a brilliant Ger
man flyer, and for full hour they
unanswered in; a most marvellous
manner without either being able to
bring his gun to bear on the other.
They rolled, Topped, twisted, DELHI
u otOAy {0tdllC0 tACAF CUSlu6S d1ue
standing the machines ON their tail,
slid backward through the air, but
all to no avail. It was probably the
most wonderful air duel the war has
yet seen.
The British pilot reported today
that several times he felt sure he
would get his adversary between his
sights but the latter invariably wrig-
gled out of the line Of fire. He him.
self was kept busy avoiding the Ger
man, and once he had to dive almost
perpendicularly. The combat did not
break off until both pilots had fairly
exhausted themselves and their
petrol.
Strangely enough, later in the day
another British pilot encountered the
same German machine. The Britisher
was winging his way home after a
hard days work, but he jockeyed
with the German for nearly a quarter
Of an hour before flying on.
This Seemed Too Easy.
In contrast to this was the expert
ence OF one British pilot who some
what peevishly complained last night
that II only got a rabbit" He ex-
planned this by saying that while his
opponent had good machine, he was
clumsy fellow and couldn't fight at |
all, and was sent spinning with the
first burst of gunfire.
Still another pilot mounted a fast |
new machine apd deliberately allowed
a German to get on his trail. Then he |
suddenly Topped behind his adversary
and caught him just within the sights. |
the burst Of fire killing the German
instantly. The machine swerved and |
the dead an pitched out 10000 feet
from the ground.
The fighting yesterday was all with |
in the enemy territory. Several Brit |
ish machines had bullet holes through |
their wings, but sailed home unaided
and took the air a ora II, l., 49, ..a-.