The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1918-11-16

6eINtES VI III llllo PihhNo AN"1
more like pages from Jules Verne than everyday
exploits on a fighting front. The presence OF a
Hun observation balloon in the air is now a very
uncommon sight, for the instant the sausage" APP
pears the royal air force cooks" climb into the
cockpits of their machines and are in the air,
each striving to be the first to account for the In
terloper.
One British pilot scouting behind the enemy's
lines pounced on two of these balloons In swift
succession and succeeded in setting fire to and
destroying both. His petrol was beginning to
run low at the time, so he returned to his air
drome to refill. But his appetite for German
sausage was apparently %unsaked, for he set
out Immediately upon a second quest, sighted
two more balloons, and, taking advantage OF
friendly clouds carefully stalked them. When
within a short distance of his prey cloud cover
failed him and he was perceived. The Huns
rushed to the winches and endeavored TO haul
Gown both balloons. Putting down the nose OF
his machine, the British pilot sped earthward
after the swaying mass of fabric, and almost be-
fore the German mechanics had their winches
working, the hunter had secured his first quarry,
which fell a blazing mass upon the Huns be-
meath. The other balloon was rather farther
away, and the Germans, stimulated to frantic eff
forts by the fate of the first, hauled desperately
and succeeded in getting it down almost to the
ground before the British pilot arrived above. Not
to be baked of his prey, and in spite of the furi-
Gus fire from below, he dived low enough to.
pump a burst of incendiary bullets, and had the
satisfaction of increasing his bag for the day to
four enemy balloons totally destroyed,
During their present retirement the Germans
have made desperate efforts to remove as much
ammunition as possible. A British pilot spotted
a train of wagons engaged on this work and de-
scended to so feet so as to make quite sure of
his aim. Getting well into position, he opened fire
on the rear wagon, knocking out two men on the
box. Deprived of their drivers and terrified by
the winged assailant, the horses bolted, and, col
liding with a tree, upset the wagon.
An extremely heavy fire was by this time being
directed upon the airman, and had already
wounded him In the knee and severed the pres
sure feed pipe of his machine. He would not
leave his job half done, however, and again
maneuvering into position put in another burst
which resulted in the overturning of two more
and the stampeding of the remaining wagons.
On the same day a British machine working in
conjunction with the infantry was attacked by
four German scouts. This being about the odds
which German airmen now demand, they doubt
less thought they had found an easy prey. 1t is,
of course, true that the British contact machine
is not primarily designed for fighting purposes,
but its pilot on this occasion, as always, was ready
to give a good account of himself, and did so to
such purpose that one of the attackers was speed
fly sent down out of control. During the fight
the petrol tank Of the British machine was
pierced, being an instant menace of its destruction
by fire. Thereupon the English observer prompt
iy climbed out on the lower plane and successfully
plugged the hole with his handkerchief, remain
ing on the plane until his pilot succeeded in
throwing off his pursuers and landing his machine
safely behind the British lines.
Two British officers were at work in a "sau-