The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1917-05-18
FIVE BRITONS BEAT
Il GERMAN AIR men
Battle Above German Lines,
WhhAircraft Guns Firing.
ENEMY LOSES EIGHT PLANES
Amateurs Lead While Machines
Soar to $4,000 Feet.

BRITISH HEADQUARTERS IN
FRANCE, May 1s.-This is a story OF
how fve British airplanes brought up
with twenty-seven Germans and beat
them, sending eight to earth crush
ed, crippled or in flames. The official
communique has said that We had
six airplanes engaged. As a matter
Of fact six started the trip, but one
had engine trouble and had to come
back.
I speak with authority, because 1
have spent the day in the aerodrome;
talking to the men who did 1t and
putting my hand on the battle scars
on the machines. The fight was on
Saturday, May 8, when there was
haze so thick you could hardly see
the ground from 200 feet.
Our men started late in the after
noon, and at o'clock were well over
the enemy's country when they saw
two German machines ahead. They
tried to close with the enemy, who
made a show OF fight and then ran
Their tactics suggested that they
were intended as a decoy. The sus-
picion was soon confirmed, for out
of the haze on all sides came new
arrivals. They few in three forma-
machines and the third nine, making
twenty-five German airplanes. The
first two then ceased to retreat and
Joined the others, making twenty
seven enemy machines.
Attack Front and Rear.
One Of the fleets. taking advantage
Of the thick air. passed behind our
little squadron, and the others spread
out so that our men were hinged
about with enemies. The fight began
at II, 900 feet, but ranged anywhere
from 5000 to 1900. An extraor-
binary fact is that all the while the
German anti-aircraft guns kept at
work, though usually when there is
an air fight the Arches are silent
for fear of hitting their own men.
The tumuit in the skies was increased
by the pumping Of shells from the
ground.
Primarily any such general melee
spreads into individual fights and the
formation breaks, but nothing could
have surpassed the way in which our
men fought Not one of them allowed
himself ever to be cut of OF isolated
from the rest, not one failed to be
ready. That is especially remarks Die
because except for the flight leader
and had had little experience in tight
ing. Some OF them had been in
France only a fortnight. The flight
commander himself is still a youth,
but may be called a veteran, for in
that battle he dropped his eighteenth
victim
The actual fighting lasted a full
hour. We drew FIRST blood after a few
minutes. An enemy machine which
Captain A had attacked went down
in flames, with the wings on one side
shot away. Then II was Lieutenant
BIS turn He caught his adversary at
close range, and the second machine
went down, turning over and over as
IL fell straight down IL 900 feet, leav-
ing a trail of smoke behind. Lieu
tenant c scored next, his enemy's ma
chine spinning down where some
where below in the haze 1t must have
crashed.
Then for 4 moment it seemed as II
our luck was turning. Lieutenant
BIS engine gave out, and he was
compelled to leave the formation, It
"a a simple phrase, but what il means
is that he was helpless. with his en-
gfne still, and his airplane dropped
outright from 1000 to 5000 feet. It
was a dizzying drop.
Helpless Bird Man Pouneed On.
AS he fell the enemy, seeing him de-
fenseless, went after him, but other
eyes were watching Lieutenant c saw
his crippled comrade slipping down
ward and saw a German diving after
him. Quick as a flash, he followed,
and before the German could do his
work, the British airplane was almost
touching the tail OF his machine. In
another second another man turned
clear over and then crashed nose fore
most down the abyss.
Then, almost by a miracle, Lieuten-
ant BIS engine caught its breath
again, and once more his machine was
under control. Lieutenant B. who
was one of those who were new to
the game, climbed and rejoined the
formation at some 5000 feet. He
assembled. with the baffled Arches
blazing at him from below, up into
the inverted hell where his four COM
rades were lighting enemies who out
numbered them six to one. Just as
he rejoined them. he saw another Ger
man machine fall, sheeted in flames
Then once again IL seemed the throw
Of the dice had gone against us, for
still under control. but with flames
one OF our machines began to drop
Again an enemy, seeing an easy
quarry dived for the flaming ruin.
but quicker than he, Captain also
dived while our crippled machine was
still belching flames, and sent the
German dropping down mortally hit
II was just retribution. The I'M
written laws OF this marvellous game
prescribe that no honorable fighter at
tacks an enemy in flames Such an
enemy Is out Of the fight, and has
trouble enough for a brave man. The
German who dived at our burning
machine knew he was doing an UNI
chivalrous thing.
Strangely enough, our burning air
plane got home. have seen the
wre~kaEe OF the reserve petrol tank
on the roof, bearing two bullet holes
on one side and great ragged tears
on the other where the bullets pass
ed out. The whole tank was Ecorch-
ed and crumpled and the flames had
burned away the central span OF the
upper plane.
Meanwhile the wonderful fight was
drawing to a close Lieutenant d.
emptied a belt from his machine gun
into an enemy when he was so close
that his wings almost brushed the
others rudder. The enemy turned
turtle and went over backward.
squirting out a thick column of black
smoke as he went down.
Some of the enemy were already
drawing off, but our men were in no |