The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-06-12
12F0E AIRMEN
LURED TO FIGHT
oNEANoTHER
German Squadron Of Six
Planes Mistake Friends
for Enemies.
BRITISH PATROL HELPS
English Aviators Shoot Down
Decoy While Teutons Engage
in Family Warfare.
Br the Associated Pysss.

By the Associofed PSsss.
WITH THE BRITISH ARMY IN FRANCE,
June ll.-This 10 the story Of . battle
royal waged in the air between two
flights Of German planes. II was an un-
intentional but disastrous fisht between
brother aviators. during which British
pilots joyfully and impartially rendered
assistance frst to the one side. then TO
tho other until 80 many Of the EN-
perors hicrs had been destroyed or
damaged that the conflict could not con-
tinue.
II was on June S that this extraor-
dinary engagement occurred and II be-
gan thus:
Two British officers in . fighting ma
chine were leading patrol along the
lines. whom they sighted . German
Halberstadt two scatter. which upon their
appearance hred q green signal light.
The British leaders expected trap and
waited to Sc what this unusual per-
formance meant
In . short time six German scouts
came wheeling out Of the blue and Joined
the HalberstAdt. Almost At once six
other enemy scouts dived on to their
comrades, whom they apparently mis-
took for . British patrol about to At
tack.
what-Aappened was this The Halber-
stadt had been acting a. . decoy. and
the green light had bssn meant ~ q
signal for sssistapcA But there had
been no expectation That two flights Of
German planes would respond At the
same time.
Not being able to distinguish the
markings Of their frtends-and this has
happened not infrequently before-the
newcomers Immediately began furious
attack upon them. The British leaders
then guided their patrol Into this mad
melee and took a hand.
Decoy Plane First Victim.
The Halberstadt was the first victim.
and this was shot down by = British
commanding machine. Another British
fighter In the meantime had accounted
for two more enemy planes. which were
sent swiri.ns to destruction below.
All the time the German aircraft were
continuing their bitter battle among
themselves and several Of them were
seen to 20 down out Of control before
the engagement finally ended The
British leaders by their good judgment
had led the Germans into their own
trap.
This undoubtedly was a unique occur
renee. but there are always plenty Of
thrilling Incidents happening in the air
these daya Take. for instance. the case
of a British patrol of about eight battle
planes. which fought and vanquished
some forty enemy craft a few days ago.
This British patrol. under command Of
q Captain, was escorting bombing
squadron. whom two score enemy ma
chimes were encountered. The British
fighters and tho enemy Immediately
raced In for the attack.
Fifty Planes in Battle.
Within a few seconds a fierce hsht
was In progress. and the great fleet Of
nearly half 4 hundred airships were
swirling and diving madly against one
another. while their machine guns Joined
in the vicious chorus that swept down
to the troops on the ground like the
noise from scores Of steam tripha miners.
Tho British ou,man9uvred and out-'
mans were sent soinning away. Whether
they were merely frightened or were out
Of control II was impossible to say. hut
a, the close Of the hGht four German
machines lay In crumpled masses on the
earth. and another had gone down in
flames.
Almost daily one hears Of experiences
in which airmen have fought a magnif-
cent battle against heartbreaking odds.
server who while hyinE In a battieplane
we're cut on from their patrol and were
attacked by four enemy machines.
Pilet's Brilliant Feat.
Tho British pilot fred 200 rounds into
one Of the hostile planes. which was seen
to crash. HIS observer also got In
good burst OF ire at another German
at close. range, with = similar result.
That left two of the enemy. and they
were Joined by third scouting machine.
which began firinG at the British plane
from above. The observer was shot
and killed.
The pilot spun his machine down to a
heieht Of two thousand feet. With the
scout still on his trail. At that height,
the British aviator turned and attacked
the German % herceiy that the latter,
was driven OF. The Brttish pilot then
succssded in getting his machine to his
own lines. with his dead comrade
strapped in the seat.
The other nisht q, British iiier brousht
down an enemy bombing machine by the
aid of searchlights operating from the
ground. Night fighting 10 a suprsmely
dangerous thing, which In seldom prac-
tised. and the correspondent can recall
no other case OF an enemy plane being
shot down along the front under similar
conditions since the war began. although
the defenders Of London have accom-