The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1918-11-05
SELF JUDGMENT
COUNTS AMONG
AIR FIGHTERS
individuality One Of Big AS
sets Among Royal Air Force.
Initiative Must Be De-
pended On.

LONDON, Nov. b.-An adjutant In
the air service sent the following ac-
count Of one nights work on tho Brit
ish front to the Daily Telegraph;
individuality counts for more In the
royal air force than In any other SER
vice, When an officer Is told to so
out at night and carry out an often
sive patrol he Is quite aware that de-
tailed Instructions can not be gwen
him, and he must depend on his own
Initiative TO obtain good results from
his patrol. This particular pilot was
told to proceed at night and carry out
n patrol over one OF the German air
dromes, Thinking he might be able to
have a good time" he took a fun load
Of bombs and as much ammunition as
he could carry In his machine. Thus
equipped, he set out TO annoy the
boche,
lust to liven things up and advise
the foes OF his presence, he dropped a
couple OF bombs on the hangers. Both
were good shots, and the resulting
flames assured him that he had not
wasted hts time, and as the machine
gun on the ground commenced 10 spit
out bullets he drew off a little to await
the arrival of some Of the machines
which he had good reason to believe
were absent from the airdromc on a
bombing expedition over the British
lines,
He did not wait long before the moon
rose, and in the pale light he was able
to make out the form Of a large two
scatter rapidly approaching, He waited
until tho German pilot throttled down
his engine to land, then dived out OF
the sky and trained hts gun on his
victim. In the darkness he could plain.
ly watch the course OF his bullets, and
saw them strike about the engine Of
the landing airplane, Apparently his
shots were not fatal, for the machine
landed In safety. Again he drew off
TO await events.
In a few minutes lights began to sp-
pear about the newly landed two
scatter, and the pilot was able TO see,
aided by the beams of the moon, that
his shots had taken effect, for the pilot
OF the German machine limped away,
supported by his fellows, while the OBJ
server was carried away on a stretcher.
Thinking that he might as well make
a complete Job OF his work, the pilot
dropped a few hundred feet and fired
steadily Mt the two-seater until at last
the shots took effect, the petrol tank
was pierced by a bullet and the whole
machine became a mass OF flames
rival OF another Of tho raiders, As HI
was not in time to use his machine
gun before tho enemy landed, he sailed
low over the airdrome and dropped q
bomb right In the path OF the tarry'
ing Hun, Though ho missed the actua
airplane. the high explosive tore a hug
hole In tho ground only a few yard
in front Of II. and before the pllo
could change his direction he had rui
into the edge OF the crater, crashinl
tho airplane to pieces.
Smashes Lights of the Enemy
BY this time the Huns thought IN,
, intruder should be dealt with. Sud
denly s~earchliehts shone out from thre
points, their beams convergiug on tn
! British machine. simultaneously heav,
. fire opened from tho ground and thing
became hot for the pilot. who wa
forced TO twist and dodge IN the moon
light to shake off tho steady fire whic
4 played around hls airplane, At last
! finding the German fire was hecomln
! a real nuisance and interfering wit
4 his work, he divod at the neare,
\ s%earchlight and dimmed its light wit
q well aimed burst OF bullets, The sec
ond he dealt with In like manner, ar
d ! tho third wisely shut off it's beams b,
fore he attacked. Then the machir