, 1918-09-19
How the British Royal Flying
Force Conducts Bombing
Expedition.
AIRMEN TAKE MANY CHANCES
Britons Prefer Daylight Work While
Germans Favor Night Operations
-Aerodromes Favorite Target
for British Flyers.

London.-Night raids of the royal
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
vous, well 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 a few thousand
feet to make sure of the target and
when their work is completed rise
again t. the level of the escort.
German aerodromes are q favored
target and great is the delight of a
pilot when he can report that a hos
tile machine surrounded by mechanics
was about to- ascend, but that he OBJ
tanned a direct hit and the German
Notwithstanding the personnel
appeared to be severely damaged"
On one occasion a British pilot in a
bombing raid descended to 400 feet I'M
der intense rifle fire, successfully
ho~hod n Cannon oirplona inst amarp-
ing from its hangar and then tried to
make off. At that moment his engine,
POSSIBLY by reason of the German fire,
failed, and he had to descend. BY
skiIlful gliding he managed to land
three-quarters of a 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 at
once, put 1t right. adjusted he con-
trolls and swung the propeller. The
engine started, he jumped in with the
nearest German only a hundred yards
off and opening his throttle raced
over the ground I'M into the air amid
a fusillade of bullets. The sequel in
cluueu u sue returu dnu--d wen
earned military cross.
When all the bombs have been
dropped and the formation resumed,
the machines head for home. 1t is on
the homeward journey that events may
be expected. time enough having
| elapsed for the Germans to detail a
| squadron to intercept the returning
machines.
Sometimes an enterprising German
pilot will wait alOne for he homing
convoy, hiding himself thousands of
feet up in the clouds until he sees his
moment, then, singing out a machine,
viii dive at 1t, pouring out a stream of
bullets as he dives. He may achieve
his object, and send a British ina
chine crashing to earth. but whatever
the result the Germans method Is the
same. He dives clean through the for
nation down many thousands of feet.
only "fattening OUT when close to the
ground.
The whole aaffair Is SO swift-just
one lightning dive-that long before a
British fighter can reach the German,
he is thousands Of feet below. hesding
for home and safety. The surprise
| dive is his one chance.
Sometimes a German squadron inter
cepts a returning British formation.
The British fighting machines spread
out in a screen to allow the bombers n
chance to escape, and then attack the
Germans as they arrive. Battle Is
Joined in the air. 1t may be that zone
of the British machines is missing"
II is more likely that German ma
chimes were seen TO crash" Meanwhile