Evening star., 1918-07-12
WIN FLYING CROSS
IN MONTHS TIME
One British Airman Has
DoWned 27 German Planes;
Another, "a.
By E. PERCY NOEL.
Cablegram to The Evening Star nj
Chicago Daily News. Copyright. 1915

CabIeRram to The Evening Star and
Chicago Daily News. Copyright. 1918.
ON THE BRITISH FRONT IN
FRANCE, July 9.-Two British air
force pilots have just been awarded
the distinguished flying cross after a
month of service in a scout squadron.
The air service regulations as to
anonymity prohibit the mentioning of
their names and therefore they are
called "X" and ''Y." Between June
and July y brought down twenty
seven Germans and Y vanquished
twenty-four won six of his decisive
coubats in one day and three of his
total victories were the destruction of
balloons.
These two pilots a few days ago fell
into a Teuton trap They We're well
over the enemy territory when they
encountered forty enemy fighting air.
planes. They fought their way through
winning three decisive combatS on the
way and sending down three other
machines apparently out of control.
Y and had separated from their own
patrol to chase a lone German two
scatter. This is always hazardous
undertaking because it is almost GER
tain that the lone plane is a bait to
draw the pursuing pilot beneath a
strong enemy patrol waiting at high
altitude to pounce on him. So while
pursued followed on little higher
level for protection. Rapidly gaining
on the slower two-seater, X dived
toward it, came up under it's tail and
shot it down with a-short burst from
his Vickers gun. AS he followed the
falling machine Y saw an enemy patrol
of twenty descending in good forma-
tion.
Plane Bursts Into Flames.
After KS prey had burst into flames
he climbed to rejoin Y and got his
first view of the enemy force. While
the latter dived the British pilots
climbed. but in few moments they
were surrounded above and below
by fighting Germans. There was no
question of choosing an opponent.
The enemy saw to that. While one
Teuton attacked the others took posi-
tions above and below to prevent
British acrobatics, but the first enemy
plane that came under British tail
and opened fire was deluded by an
Immelmann turn which brought the
British pilot on top and sent the
German to destruction. Two indi-
vidual onslaughts against the other
British pilot were repulsed, both
enemy planes rolling over before they
| succeeded in approaching close and
both were followed by whistling bull
| lets.
Finally getting clear of the melee,
/ the British headed homeward, when
they were confronted by another
| patrol of twenty machines in such
open formation at different attitudes
that they seemed effectively to bar
the way. Flying. one a little higher
than the other, the two airmen drove
for the highest enemy flight. but as
| they did so the whole enemy forma-
, ton climbed higher and in the gen
Again In Thick of Fray.
In less than a minute the British
were again in the thick of the fray
First repelling an attack together
they were forced to separate. While
maneuvering they had the satisfac-
down spinning. but each was pursued
| by Germans. raining inaccurate fire
upon them, until they reached British
territory. where the enemy abandoned
| the chase.
When + saw these two conquerors
| of Germans yesterday Y had just
come in from his twenty-fourth vic
| tory, and X was going out after
tea hoping to get his twenty eighth
They wore no bars or medals on their
leather-bou coats, and their COM
| II have not been able to find any
ribbon around here" But whatever
guerdon they might have worn ii
| would not have seemed as big to me
| as the men themselves with their
| unequaled record of victories in SC
short a period of time and their win
ming fight with forty German pilots