The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-10-28
|IlIE HEAVY
TOLL OF hun ARMY
mnuLrNG FEATs ARE TOLD
Brief Period Often Embraces Swift
Successton OF Perilous and exciting
Battles With Epcmy Planes.

With the Royal Air Forces In
France. Oct. 27.--Achievements In the
air over the battleneld EN- brace many
incidents full Of thrills. Two British
flying officers had an exceptionally
. thrilling experience~-even for the
royal air force--while on counter
attack patrol
Flying fairly low, the officers were
nFed uroT7 from a trench and SUNK
en- road near by. The pilot dived and
saw. party of Germans-afterward
ascertsined 20 number no fewer than
tx;y-sve---sh eifering there. He re-
niied TO their fire with his fixed gun.
killing one and wounding three others.
Fanic-stricken, the Germans ceased
firing and hoisted white handker
cfaief in token of surrender. AS there
were no British infantry in the Inn
mediate vicinity. the pilot descended
to fifty feet and ordered the Germans
cut Of the trench. They obeyed. and,
rounding up the party. the British
r.iot headed them toward his own
lines Flying low and circling round
them to ensure that none escaped. the
pilot and observer carefully shepherd
ed the party across "no-man's land"
and handed them over to the nearest
party of British troops. This done,
they returned and resumed their pa
troll
During the recent German with
drawals the retreating troops have
been constantly harassed by low fly
ing machines a British two-seater
machine. while on patrol. observed
party of nifty German infantry. Div
lng swiftly. the pilot released two
bombs before the Germans had time
10 dispense. with the result that about
thirty OF the party were Knocked out,
the SURVIVORS scattering wildly in all
directions
Continuing the patrol and flying
very low. the British airmen next
sighted an ammunition column. into
which they fired zoo rounds from
their machine guns, causing many
casualties and stampeding the re-
mainder. Still having some ammuni-
ton left, they attacked another party
of infantry, and finally turned their
attention to machine-gun post
which they siienced before returning
home
Two other British flying officers
whose exploits have previously figured
in the records Of the r. A. F.--had a
whole series of exciting adventures
during the course of one night. They
first observed some German guns and
linbers on the march Calling up a
British battery by wireless. they d.
rected lis FIRE upon the columns, de-
stroyine a gun and a Timber. Next
they perceived some more Ger~ma n
guns In action and. again getting iato
communication with battery, they
secured the destruction Of another
run Then they Owed. and opening
fire with their machine guns upon the
Germans, inflicted many casualties
and forced the remainder OF the gun
crew 10 scatter.
Yet another German column was
seen on the march. consisting OF five
guns and teams. The first round from
a British battery which they called
up Knocked out one team. The Ger
man gunners whipped UP their horses
and the remaining teams calloped fu'
riously away The British plane fol-
lowed them, and swooping down
opened fire. bringing down the lead
ers The last OF the column, unable
To check the headlong pace, piled it,
self up on the leading gun. A kick
ing. struggling mass. Again the Brit
ish guns were called up, and shell
was landed plumb on the confused
hear. com pleting the destruction.
A British patrol. having unsatisfactory
completed a bombing raid behind the
German lines, on it's way home per
ceived a line of enemy balloons. The
patrol lea der saw a useful opportunity
for adding to his sauadron's toll OF
German sausage" and communicated
his intentions TO the other three pi-
lots The formation rearranged II
self in line. and each pilot. selecting
his sausage" they tore down on the
balloons in a headlong dive So swift
~ was the maneuver carried out thai
Germans had no time 10 haul down
their balloons. Each pilot secured
his quarry, and the four German bal
looms fell TO earth in flames.