New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-04-25
British Fliers Bag
40Cermans in Day,
Record for the War
Skies Cleared of Teutons,
Britons Bombard Army; Fight
$1,000 Feet in Air


fighting Of the last two days has been
reflected in the air, and the British
Royal Flying Corps yesterday cstab-
lishcd new record by bringing down
forty German machines. Fifteen Of
these were actually seen TO crash, while
twenty-five collapsed or fell in spinning
nose dives, completely out Of control.
The fights took place 10000 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
character OF general melee. as is now
adaVs often the case. a remarkable
part Of Yesterdays performance is that
only two British machines are missing.
II was the finest day for war flying
tina; the young khaki pilots ever had
and to-day they have been at it again
since sunrise, bat the full reports OF
their exploits are not yet in. II is
known, however. that one intrepid
Young fier, failing to find a single Ger
man observation balloon aloft, sought
out one in its hangar on the ground,
dved at it and set the big gas bag
ablaze from stem to stern.
No Clouds for Digging In"
Since Sunday the British sirmen have
been revelling in weather they have
long desired Not a cloud was in the
Ky to-day behind which a German
could find shelter Deprived of that
means of digging themselves in,' the
German aiers were far scarcer than
usual and very difficult to find. British
machines were everywhere along the
battlefront and far behind the German
lines. Bombing raids were carried out
fcrty-fve miles back. the machines de-
liberately flying over ground where bat
ties were raging with the greatest fury.
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 went
low over the fighting lines and poured
machine gun fire intO the German
ranks. Ia doing TINS machines have
deliberately crossed the fire of their
own as we'll as the enemy's, guns.
Yesterday one British pilot, after
bringing down two Germans and ex-
/ hausting his ammunition, descended.
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
thrty-hve were divided among a SINH
lar number Of British pilots.
4 Drawn Battle
The greatest fight yesterday, oddly
enough. was drawn battle. One Of
the British pilots met brilliant Ger
man fer. and for a full hour they ma
n9uvred in a most marvellous manner,
without either being able 20 bring his
Cun to bear on the other. They rolled,
looped. twisted. deliberately stalled
their engines, and. standing the ma
chimes on their tails. 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 to-day that
several times he felt sure he would get
mis- adversary between his sights, but
the latter invariably wriggled out Of
the line of fire. The British fier 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 Brltisher
was winging his way home after hard
dav's work. but he jockeyed with the
German for nearly quarter OF an hour
Lcfore flying on.
He Only Got a Rabbit
f., strange contrast 10 this was the
experience Of one British pilot, who
somewhat peevishly complained last
right that 81 only got rabbit. lie
explained this by saying that, while his
I Cr moment had good machine, he was
clumsy fellow and couldn't fight at
all and was sent spinning with the
first burst Of GunilTe.
Still another pilot mounted a last,
now machine and deliberately allowed
German TO get on his trail. Then he
suddenly looped behind his adversary
and caught him Just within the slghts'
/ tbe burst Of fire killing the German IN
stantly. The machine sweryed and the
dead man pitched out ten thousand ieet
[ from the ground. .,...
The ighting yesterday was all within
/ the enemy territory. Several British
machines had bullet holes through their
wings, but sailed home unaided ana