Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-08-02
Brains and Rapid
Action Count Most
in Aerial Battles

British Air Force Headquarters in
France, July Shy Mail.l-Brains
and Quickness Of thouht are as neces-
sary to the airman as pluck, endur-
ance and physical skill in aerial ma
neuvers. The English pilot Of a single.
scatter lighter of the latest type, while
cruising we'll over the German lines the
other day saw below him three slow.
old-fashioned enemy machines flyins
steadily westward. as tho to cross the
lines into British territory
Unfortunately, the Germans were too
far off to be attacked successfully. and
the British pilot figured that If they
realized his presence they would fly for
home and safety long before he could
get within range. He therefore flew
up into the clouds and then turned in
the direction in which the enemy ma
chimes were moving.
Judging his time he pushed the nose
OF his machine downward, dived out
of the clouds to the Germans beneath,
and, when close enough to be fairly
sure of his mark pressed the trigger OF
his gun. A stream of lead played about
the German machines. None of them
returned MS tire.
Once before the pilot had heard of
similar occurrence. This flashed thru
his mind, and pulling back the control
lever, he scared up again into the
clouds. He was only just in time for
as he vanished into the vapor three
enemy scouts appeared. The slow ma
crimes were the bait and the British
airplane was the expected prey. for its
pilot was well-known and feared by
the Germans in that part of the line.
Once he knew what the odds were
against him, he no longer hesitated.
Down once more out of the clouds he
came, straight at the nearest scout A
short burst from his machine gun and
the hostile machine wavered, then
slowly fell into spin. hurting down
wards and crashing far below.
The odds were still to I. True,
three of the enemy machines were slow
and old-fashioned and taken alone
might have been accounted for one by
one but the addition Of two fast fly
ing scouts unanswered by skillful
tpifots gave the matter different as
pect. The British pilot did not wait,
but no sooner had one machine fallen
IIldH ne lieW at the next, banking,
looming, sideslepping, ever trying to
reach the vulnerable spot In the enc
my's armorI All the time the second
scout was trying to secure favorable
position to fire at the attacker and the
three old two seaters were firing long
range bursts as opportunity afforded.
For some minutes this competition
for position continued. each party FIR
ing short bursts without definite re-
suits. Then suddenly the deciding
factor arrived.
Out of the sky doomed a two-seater
British fighter of the latest type. 1t was
proceeding on special errand. Before
the Germans had realized his arrival
the new pilot steered his machine into
the midst Of the fight. A long burst
from his rear gun caused one of the
German fighters to stagger in its
flight, then drop its nose and leave the
combat. Evidently the pilot had been
hit. Then together the two-Brtfish
machines charged the Germans. A
| short skirmish ensued before the enc
my decided that discretion was the bet
ter part of valor, and put their ma
chimes into spins to evade their adj