South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-06-08
AERIAL FIGHTS
DIVERT TONNES
British Infantry Spend Much
Time Looking at Cloud
Due!S in Planes.

LONDON. June s.-Nothing that
the great war has developed is more
dramatic and thrilling than a battle
between aviators amid the clouds.
It has come TO be a common occur
renee for a detachment OF airmen 70
ambuscade themselves behind
cloud bank. sweeping down sudden
y from cover upon their opponents.
A correspondent with the British
armies east Of Arras sends this de-
scription Of aerial warfare.
There have been hours when
have heard overhead a continual
tattoo Of Lewis guns and when a
great sweep Of sky has been racked
out with white shrapnel clouds fol-
lowing our flying squadrons engaged
holly with hostile machines. One
cannot follow the progress of these
aerial battles. 1t is only rarely that
one can distinguish an enemy ma
chine from ours. except by c!oudlets
Of our anti-aircraft barTage. But
far and high one sees the daring
specks chasing through the blue,
touched sometimes by sunlight. so
that for a moment thev arc all gold
en- or glistening or white as snow
flakes. and down TO one comes the
load dr6ne Of engines and the little
hammer knocks Of Lewis guns.
Soldiers Stare Up.
Our soldiers on the march stare
up at the war above their heads, so
dream-like. and the men on the
supply columns get their glasses out
and laugh when one Of our kite bal
looms is hauled down suddenly with
great haste "Old Rupert has got
the wind up" they say: "a boche
plane must be sneaking round" It
is no joke when a German airman
descends out Of a cloud and hovers
over a battery. signaling back 10 his
guns / was in such a situation the
other day. and had to crouch with
the gunners below a bank while
shrapnel bullets from our own
"Archies" whipped the ground
about
Red wings have come into the
sky, for the new German lighting
machines have crimson planes, so
that they look like butterflies when
the sun is on them. Enemy airmen
have been trying 20 compete with
our own by swoopiug low above
marching troops and gun teams and
using their machine guns in a way
which adds new perils to war. But,
though they fight behind their own
lines with great skill and courage.
they do not come over our country
in any such mum bers as our men in
wade theirs.
These boys-for they are absurdly
young in the average age-take all
these deadly risks and do all this
work OF terror with the same spirit
as the young gentlemen of England
who rode out with Sir John Ctandos
and Sir Walter Nanny 10 seek COM
bat with French knights many hun
dred years ago along the roads
where our modern men-at-arms go
marching today
Challenges AIbatross.
During this recent fighting one of
them challenged a German Albat-
ross. which accepted tight. and for
an hour they did every trick known
TO flying -stallirg. banking. side
slipping. Iooping-in order 10 get in
the first shot IL was the German
who tired first. though he showed
himself master OF his machine.
There are boys in our air service
who have killed six OF seven Ger
mans i'm single combat A few have
accounted for many more. and go
of again for a mornings hunting Of
men as though on a good adventure.
Yet they know the risks and the
fortune Of war They cannot have
all the luck all the time. When the
turn comes il is quick 10 the end
or. If hit and left alive. they do
amazing things up there in the high
skies 90 save the final crash
A few evenings ago two of our
Young officers were attacked by FIVE
hostile aircrett. and both were
wounded. one IN seven places. but
they destroyed one of the German
aeropIanes and landed safely. though
their own machines we're pierced by
many bullets.
on another evening OF the battle
of Arras two hostile aircraft were
engaged by one OF ours and forced
TO land. though one Of our officers
had his collarbone broken by a ma
chine gun bullet