Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1917-02-05
ITHR|LlING WORK
Of AIR FIGHTERS
Hair Raising Experiences OF the me'
Who Fight Above the Clouds on
European War Front. n
,correspondence OF the Associated Press.l

Correspondence OF tine Associated Press'' /
with the British ARMIES in France
Jan. 2O.--The announcement that I'm
proved weather conditions permitted
increased aerial activity along the en-
tire front" is the laconic and prosaic
way in which the official communicate
dismisses some Of the most spectacu'
lar episodes Of the war.
To those who have once witnessed
this Increased aerial activity such
an announcement conjures up at once
a picture Of countless airplanes In the
air-scouting. fighting, diving. spin
ming, lowering over enemy targets and
calmly sending wireless signals
through fountains Of enemy fire, pho
tograping the enemy lines, bombing
his ammunition dumps and sheds and
supply columns. and otherwise carry.
ing on" in the sky In a manner wholly
bewildering to the onlooker. but typi'
flying in supreme degree the indispen.
sable part aviation is playing in this
war.
with a candor often uncommon In
times of strife, the British commu'
lnique may end from day to day with
the simple statement that one or two
lor three or four "of our machines have
not returned" Thismeans they have
either been hit and forced to land in
the enemy lines, or have been shot
down to fate more certain. 1t is no
lchild's play to circle above a German
battery observing for half an hour or
more, tortured by exploding shells and
black shrapnel puffballs coming near.
Ter and nearer like the extending fin
lger tips Of some hand Of death. But
they are little more than children
these mere boys who are bringing the
; lluster Of everlasting fame to the Brit.
ish aviation service. Some are scarce
IS. II is rare to find flying man
over 25.
In the aggregate. however. the
losses In the flying corrs are re roth.
ling compared with the useful and vital
work the wings" accomplish. With.
out them the big guns would have no
,far.seeing eyes to correct their shells
Without them and the hundreds Of
photographs they daily take the map
makers could not trace each detail Of
the trench positions. Without then
the general staff could not accurately
know Just what is going on by day
and night behind the enemy lines
Without them modern war would lose
. Its most fascinating game.
The good flying" Of single da,
on the British front alone may repre-
sent day OF hundred fights. a da!
lof four score airplanes In wing.to-winl
combat-a day OF thousand persona
Incidents and deeds Of daring in thu
lonce strange strata Of high thin air.
It might tell. for instance. OF how
Lieutenant A. In fast-flying scou
= machine, encountered q squadron O
twelve German Rolands. The odd
y were one-sided enough. but the younI
y Britlsher decided to take chance. II
d climbed swiftly and surely until h
" got far above and to the rear OF tn
., hostile craft. Evidently the German
d we're intent upon some errand whic
"a they proposed to carry out In fore,
u. for they paid no heed to the KHAKI
u clad airman until he 'deliberatel
~ dived into them. firing as he cam,
" This threw the twelve Germans int
y" panic and their formation was Of
o' tIrely broken up. Meantime Lieutel
u ant A got beneath the nearest nj
Oh chine and fired an entire drum ,
IN cartridges into II at fifteen yards. tn
rs hostile machine collapsed and "cras
" lcd." This Is a supreme word In n
lexicon Of the flying corps. A m
chine may fall. or dive. but until II
actually seen to crash" II Is n
m counted as an enemy casualty"
- After seeing his particular enen
crash" Lieutenant A drew off
think things over. He was somewh
" amazed to see still more hostile m
chimes coming M In formation. b
he dashed AZ the leader Of the ma
=" corners and sent him In a spiral no
~ dive to a crash" This led to at
" more complications and the intrcp
little pilot soon found himself engag
with three machines. His fight wi
~" these was indecisive.
For" says the official record. "hs
Ing expended all his ammunition. II,
tenant A set off for home"
A few days later. Il ls related.
am. took running dive Into a iormati
4 A Of twenty hostile machines with
,us the self assurance an eagle miI
Nc have In the midst Of flock Of 81
rows. Before he was through he
sent three adversaries crashing"
,ss This time" say the record. he
ls,.,.s a. -. q - ....s-.-.-