The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1917-01-28


Jan. neutrality-suspicious. of the
Associated Press)-The announce
ment that improved weather condi-
tons permitted increased aerial act
ivity along the entire 'front.'" is the
laconic and prosaic way in which the
official communique dismisses some
of the most spectacular episodes of
the war.
:. To those who have once witnessed
this Increased aerial activity" such
an announcement conjures up at cnce
picture of countless airplanes in
the air-scouting, fightinf, diving,
spinning, lowering over enemy tar
gets and calmly sending wireless sig
mails through the fountains of enemy
fire, photographing the enemy lines,
bombing his ammunition dumps and
sheds and supply columns, and other
wise carrying on" in the sky in q
manner wholly bewildering tot this
onlooker but typifying in supreme
degree the indispensable part avia
/ tio&t ID Praying III IIllo WdIs
"Have Not Returned"
With a candor often uncommon In
times of strife, the British commu-
nique may end from day to day with
the simple statement that one or two
or three or four "of our machines
have not returned" This means they
hs-e either been hit and forced to
land in the enemy lines, or have
been shot down to fate more GER
tain. 1t is no child's play to circle
above German battery observing
for half an hour or more, tortured
by exploding shells and black shrap-
mel puffballs coming nearer and near
er like the extending finder tips of
some hand of death. But they are
little more than children-these mere
boys who are bringing the lustre of
everlasting fame to the British avia-
ton service. Some are scarce 10
1t is rare to find flying man over
/ %.
Big Mems Eyes.
In the aggregate, however, the
losses in the flying corps are as moth
ing compared with the useful an5
vital work the wings accomplish
Without 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 mapmakers could not trace
each detail of the trench positions
Without them the general staff coulC
not accurately know just what is GO
ing on by day and night behind the
enemy lines. Without them modern
war would lose its most fascinating
4 phase.
Il The good flying" of a single day
on the British front alone may rep.
resent a day of hundred fights, q
day of four score airplanes in wing,
; towing combat-a day of athousant
; personal incidents and deeds of dar-
; ing in the once strange strata O.
high thin air.
An Encounter.
1t might tell, for instance, of how
Lieutenant A in a fast flying scout
machine, encountered a squadron o.
twelve German Rolands. The odd.
were one sided enough, but the youns
Britisher decided to take a chance
He climbed swiftly and surely unit
he got far above and to the rear o.
the hostile craft. Evidently the Ger,
mans were intent upon some erranC
, which they proposed to carry out il
force, for they paid no heed to tn,
khaki-clad airman until he deliber
ately dived into them, firing as h,
came. This threw the twelve Ger
mans into panic and their forma
ton was entirely broken up. Lieu.
: tenant A got beneath the nearest
|, rachine and fired an entire drum Of
cartridges into it at fifteen yards
. The hostile machine collapsed anc
! crashed" That is a supreme wore
! in the lexicon of the flying corps. A
} machine may fan, or dive, but unit