Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1915-current, 1917-04-27
BIRDMEN BATTLE
MILES IN THE AIR

anu tue brltlSn royal nylng corps nave
established new record by bringing
down 40 enemy machines.
The fights took place $4,000 feet
in the air from which distance 1t
is barely possible to see the ground
and wholly impossible to see an ad-
versary crash unless the pilot de-
libcrately follows down.
Such a course is not feasible where
acter of general melee, as is nova.
days often the case. A remarkable
part OF yesterdays performance is
that only two British machine are
missing.
II was the finest day for war fly
ing that the young khaki pilots
ever had and today they have been
at 1t again since sunrise. but the
full reports of their exploits are not
yet in.
/ 1t is known. however. that one
/ intrepid young flier, failing to find
a single German observation balloon
afloat. sought out one in its hangar
on the ground, dived at it and set
the big gas bag ablaze from stem
TO stern.
Since Sunday the British airmen
have been revealing in weather they
have long desired. Not cloud was
in the sky today behind which a
German could find shelter. Deprived
of that means of digging themselves
in," the German fiiers were far
scarcer than usual and very difficult
to find. British machines were every
where on the battle front and far
behind the Germans lines. Bombing
raids were carried out IS miles back,
the machines deliberately flying over
ground where battles 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 ma.
chimes came low over the fighting
lines and poured machine gun fire
into the German ranks. In doing this
the fire OF their own as well as the
encmy's guns.
Yesterday one British pilot, after
bringing down Two Germans and
with all his ammunition gone. de.
seconded. 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 35 were divided
among a similar number of British
pilots.
The greatest fight yesterday. oddly
, enough, was a drawn battle. One
of the British pilots met a brilliant
; German flyer and for full hour
they Unanswered in most morvelous
manner without either being able 10
bring his gun To bear on the other
. They rolled, looped, twisted. delibcr.
atcly stalled their engines and stand.
ing the machines on their tails, slid
backward in tn" air. but all to no
avail. II probably was the most won.
dcrful air duel the war has yet seen
The British pilot reported today
that several times he felt sure he
would get his adversary between
his sights. bur the latter invariably
wriggled out of the line OF Are. The
: British flyer himself was kept busy
avoiding the German and once hC
had TO aive almost perpendicularly
The combat did not break off until
both pilots had fairly exhausted them
selves and their petrol.
2 Strangely enough later in the day
another British pilot encountered the
same German machine. The British
( or was winging his way home after a
I hard days work. bui he jockeyed with
! the German for nearly II quarter OF
an hour before flying on.
In strange contrast to this wa!
2 the experience of one British pilo
3 who somewhat peevishiy compliance
4 last night that Il only got one rabbit.
z lie explained this by saying tina
; while his opponent had good ma
! chine he was very climsy and coult
{ MT fight at all, and was sent spinnin
Z With the first burst of gun fire.
Z Still another pilot mounted fas
g new machine and deliberately allow
Z ed German to get on his tail. The
: he suddenly looped behind his &C
4 versary and caught him just withi
4 the sights. the burst of fire killing tn
! German instantly. The machin
= swcrvcd and the dead man pitcho
i out 10000 feet from the ground. Th
I fighting yesterday was all within tn
! enemy territory. Several British mi
& chimes had bullet holes through thei
wings. but sailed home unaided an
4 took the air again in the morning.