The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1918-09-20
How the British Royal Flying
Force Conducts Bombing
Expedition.
b|RMEN TAKE MANY Chances
Britons Prefer Daylight Work While
Germans Favor Night Operations
-Aerodromes Favorite Target
for British Flyers.

London.-Night raids Of the royal
air force usually have concentrations
Of German troops, billets and the like
for their objective, and aim rather ut
moral and personal, than ut material
damage. Daylight raids have the pur-
pose Of damaging specific objects, such
as railroads, lines of communication.
dumps Of stores and ammunition and
a~erodromes.
The daylight raiding machines fly In
formation. accompanied and protected
by other machines. The bombing ma
chimes meet at a ~prearranged II
vous. we'll on the British side of the
lines, where they maneuver into cor
rect formation.
Once over the target, the fighters
scatter and patrol the neighborhood
while the bopbers discharge their mis-
sizes on the objectives. Unless anti
aircraft fire is exceptionally heavy,
| they generally dive a few thousand
feet to make sure of the target and
when their work is completed rise
again to the level Of the escort.
German aerOdromes are a favored
! target and great is the delight OF q
pilot when he can report tl.at q 9
tile machine surrounded by mechanics
was about to ascend, but that he OBJ
tanned a direct hit and the German
| Notwithstanding the personnel
"%appeared to be severely damaged"
On one occasion a British pilot In a
bombing raid descended to 400 feet IN
der intense rifle fire, successfully
bombed a German airplane just emery
ing from its hangar and then tried to
! make off. At that moment his engine.
possibly by reason OF the German fire,
| failed, and he had to descend. BY
skillful gliding he managed to land
three-quarters Of a mile away. though
In full view Of the Germans. Instead
OF firing his machine Mt once, he
jumped out and quite unperturbed pro-
ceeded to overhaul his engine. Luckily
he found the aus OF the trouble at
! once. put 1t right. adjusted the con-
trolls and swung the propeller: The
engine started. he jumped In with the
nearest German only a hundred yards
of and opening his throttle rnced
over the ground and into the air amid
a fusillade OF bullets. The sequel in
cluded a safe return and-a we'll
earned military cross.
When all the bombs have been
dropped and the formation resumed.
the machines head for home. 1t is OF
the homeward Journey that events may
be expected. time enough having
elapsed for the Germans to detail a
squadron to intercept the returning
machines.
Sometimes an enterprising German
pilot will wait alone for the homing
convoy, hiding himself thousands of
feet up In the clouds until he sees his
moment, then, singing out a machine,
will dive 1t It, pouring ont a stream Of
bullets az he dives. He may achieve
his object. and send q British ma
chine crashing to earth. but whatever
the result the Germans method Is the
same. He dives clean through the for
nation down many thousands Of feet.
only s~fattening out" when close to the
ground.
The whole affair Is SO swlft-Just
one lightning dive-that long before q
British fighter can reach the German,
he Is thousands Of feet below, heading
for home and safety. The surprise
dive Is his one chance.
Sometimes a German squadron inter-
cepts a returning British formation.
The British fighting machines spread
out in q screen to allow the bombers a
chance to escape. and then attack the
Germans ms they arrive. Battle IL
Joined In the air, It may be that zone
Of the British machines Is missing"
it is more likely that German ma
chimes were seen to crash" Meanwhile