Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-06-04

pilots continue to bring In accounts
OF German airpiancs breaking to
pieces IN the air shortly after being
attacked This tendency has been
notable for more than fortnight.
Ono" shot out of control. the German
planes have lost their wings. tails
ana other gear to such AN extent that
when they finally crash to the ground.
very little wreckage can be seen.
\ day or two ago British pilot
slew a, an enemy machine head-on.
m;ncuNcring at the last moment just
IN time to avoid II collision. One OF
the wings Of the British plane. how
ever. scraped one OF the German wings.
whercup"n the latter began to fall.
The British pilot dived ate" him. and
was startled TO SEQ the Germans dam
aged Wings ny completely of. while
the tail dragged as IL it's back was
broken
Whether faultiness in so many Ger
man machines is due to the speed with
which the Germans have to turn them
out TO meet the British offensive. TO
the lack Of suitable material. is a
matter Of no concern on this side OF
the line.
SPECTACULAR BOMBARDMENTs
Bl AIRCRAFT GUNS
Recent attempts by tho Germans to
use floating clouds as screens for air
plane raids have led TO some rather
British an,iaircraft guns These guns
have occasionally driven the raiders
from cover and forced them to turn
back over their own line. German
ariators seem especially trained in the
de fensive use of clouds for during air
available. they Invariably dive or side
slip into It. This is only another
demonstration of the German passion
for digging in. such AS first brought
the world war to trench fighting. The
Germans dig in on the land, in the
air and under the sea
The artillery activity appears grad
uaily to be growing in intensity along
most of the British front. witt, raids
sector and then in another. These
and counter-raids going on first in one
sector and then in another. These
raids are the means that the armies
have of keeping in touch with the
enemy and harrassing him. FRS; in
troduced in the British armies by the
Canadians. raids were taken up hy
the French and Germans. The last
named were never very successful at
the art, however. although recently
captured Germans asserted their COM
pany commanders promised them iron
crosses and long leaves OF absence If
they brought back even ono British
prisoner in n raid.
WORKING BRITISH PRISONERS
Strange Working parties recently
have been seen just behind the Ger
man front limo. They labor under the
eyes Of German guards with bay
onets fixed. The workers are clad in
4 sort Of gray uniform. but wear straw
hats. derbies or civilian caps. such as
often are given to prisoners of war.
1t has been reported many times late
~ that the Germans arc deliberately
working British prisoners in very
close proximity TO the front line.
Three British soldiers who had been
given UP rs lost returned to their lines
yesterday, after three days behind the
German outposts without food. The
trio became lost on patrol duty and
discovered they We're inside the Ger
man lines They hid in a shell hole
during the day time, and tried for
three successive nights tn return Ia the
British lines before they finally sue
ceedcd
Such experiences are possible now
days with a ragged and irregular front
lin" for outpost positions as they exist
in the battle area east OF Arras. The
lighting there is more difficult in some
ways than when the armies We're in
fixed trench positions. Then each side
became accustomed to the others
Ircnrh habits. and the slightest un-
familiar move by day or night had an
easily defined significance. East Of
Arras at present thc-c are only short
stretches of trenches with posts he
tween them. but each shell hole is "a
potential strong point, and may hold
a nest Of machine guns. A chain OF
connected sheel orators makes Il first
class trench position under the new
order of things.