New-York tribune., 1918-09-11
crablc numbers
Rain Fails TO Stop British

Rain Fails TO Stop British
The continued downpcur Of a cold
fall rain has thoroughly drcnched the
battlefield, hut Notwithstanding this
slight hnc strengthening gains have
again been made by the British in the
face OF increased enemy resistance.
especially iii tho region southwest OF
Cambria.
The line northeast and southeast Of
Hcsbccourt. cast OF Roiscl. has been
advanced by Australian troops in a
driving storm. in the same general To-
cality tho British forward movement
continues to-day.
The Germans seem to have thrown
N more machine gunncrs here, aud as
they came from fresh divisions they
arc holding out a little better than the
troops they relieved
The Germans delivered a number of
counter strokes. but all except one
broke down. In one attack the Ger
mans penetrated the forward British
positions, but the line was Immediately
restored
British troops have now drawn their
lines closer about the coal centre of
Lens.
The British line northeast Of Nieppe.
in the Lys salient. was advanced dur
ing the night. and the British positions
IN the Ploogstcert region were i'm
proved, KENNEL is under fire from the
enemy guns.
North Of La Bascc the Germans evi-
IDENTIFY arc trying out the British
strength. They have made three at
lacks on the British posts and each
time were repulsed with heavy losses.
The British front is now liquid in
the literal sense of the word.
Amazing fcats by British airmcn
during the recent fighting may now be
mentioned. After driving down in
flames one of two enemy two-scaters,
which compelled him TO spin down
AS the machine touched the ground
German fired his pistol at the pilot
from fifteen yards. puncturlng the gas
olcne tank. At that moment the en-
gine picked up sufficiently to carry the
pilot TO the rear of the enemy lines,
where he was forced to come down
again. Being under heavy fire, he
removed the gunlocks and sights and
AL his Instruments before abandoning
mis- machine, which could not be saved
Wounded Observer Bags Two
a pilot and observer, returning in
thsr machine from bombing raid
fell behind their formation because Of
engine trouble and were attacked by
fokkers. The elevator controls were
Immediately shot away and the OBJ
server was, badly wounded But he
continued to fight and shot down one
Fokker in flames and saw another
crash out of control.
BY this time all the gasolene tanks
had been shot through and the engine
hit in several places. All the instru
ments on the dashboard were smashed
by enemy bullets. Both rear guns
were jammed. and the observer was
bleeding badly. The pilot succeeded in
getting his machine into a dive and
went through a cloud and reached the !
British lines. The gallant observer was |
found to have been wounded ten times (
during the fight
There arc many stories, TOO, of how /
British airmen swooped back and forth !
over tho German batteries, playing I
their guns on the enemy until these
guns were completely silcnced One !
report winds up by saying that q scout !
machine crossed battery position sey-
cral times later, but WAS not fired upon. +
~ the gnnners apparently having been
hilled
Such tactics as these aided msteri- {
ally in making ;ic recent British victo-
rics possible. 0ac british scout sailed +
over ali enemN sausage. made a dive I
and finished off tNo German sentry /
planes. then fired on the sausage, /
which Wa being hauled down. and
wound un the pcri ormance by dropping !
Two BOMBS auIarely on the winch used
m lowering the balloon.
There arc many instances where the
observer crAVied ouo on the wings and
stoppsd bullc, hole in tho gas tanks
with HIS fingers. Il handkerchief or a
glove Nn" machine had It's starboard
top ;.nl bottom 'p.anc5 broken by anti
aircra-t irc. Th, obs srTcr leaned over
the side. holding machine gun in his
hands and tnES maintaining the bal