The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1918-11-15
How the British Royal Flying
Force Conducts Bombing
Expedition.
Brltons 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 at
moral and personal, than at material
damage. Daylight raids have the pur-
pose of damaging specific objects, such
as railroads, lines Of communication,
dumps of stores and ammunition and
aerodrOmes.
The daylight raiding machines fly In
formation, accompanied and protected
by other machines. The bombing ma
chimes meet at a prearranged rendez-
yous, 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 bombers discharge their mis-
sizes on the detectives. Unless anti
aircraft fire Is exceptionally heavy,
they generally dive 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 favored
target and great is the delight OF a
pilot when he can report that hos
tile machine surrounded by mechanics
was about to ascend, but that he OBJ
tanned a direct hit and the German
ma hine-including the personnel
appeared to be severely damaged"
On one occasion British pilot In
bombing raid descended to 400 feet un-
der intense rifle fire, successfully
bombed a German airplane just emery
ing from its hangar and then tried to
make of. 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 mile away, though
In full view of the Germans. Instead
| of firing his machine at once, he
jumped out and quite unperturbed pro-
ceeded to overhaul his engine. Luckily
he found the cause Of the trouble al
once, put it right, adjusted the con
trolls and swung the propeller. The
engine started, he jumped In with the
nearest German only hundred yards
Off and opening his throttle raced
over the ground and into the air apit
a fusillade of bullets. The sequel In
cluded safe return and-a well
earned military cross.
When all the bombs have beer
dropped and the formation resumed
the machines head for home. 1t Is or
the homeward journey that events may
be expected, time enough having
elapsed for the Germans to detail
squadron to intercept the returnin.
machines.
Sometimes an enterprising German
pilot will wait alone for the hominl
convoy, hiding himself thousands O
feet up in the clouds until he sees hi
moment, then, singing out machine
will dive at 1t, pouring out stream o
bullets as he dives. He may achiev,
his object, and send British ma
chine crashing to earth, but whateve
the result the Germans method Is tn
7 same. He dives clean through the for
I nation down many thousands of feet
only "fiattening out" when close to tn
ground.
The whole affair Is so swift-jus
! one lightning dive-that long before
British fighter can reach the German
he is thousands of feet below, heading
for home and safety. The surpris
dive is his one chance.
Sometimes a German squadron inter
cepts a returning British formation
! The British fighting machines sprea
out In a screen to allow the bombers
chance to escape, and then attack tn
Germans as they arrive. Battle
!; Joined In the air, It may be that ION
Of the British machines Is missing.
1t Is more likely that German ma
chimes were seen to crash" Meanwhile