The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1918-08-13
HUN TRICK FAILS
To TRAP BRITISH
A|PLANE P|LO I.
Slow Flying Machines Used
As Bait While Fighters
Watch To Catch Unwary
Flyers.
fBy Associated Press to The Bannerl

IBy Associated Press to The Bannerl
BRITISH AIR FORCE HEAD.
QUARTERS IN FRANCE, August o
Brains and quickness of thought are
as necessary to the airmen as pluck,
endurance and physical skill in aerial
manoeuvers. The English pilot Of a
single-seater fighter of the latest type,
while cruising all over the German
lines the other day saw below him
three slow, old-fashioned enemy ma
chimes flying steadily westward, as
though to cross the lines into British
territory.
Unfortunately, the Germans were
too far off to be attacked successfully,
and the British pilot figured that IL
they realized his presence they would
fly for home and safety long before
he could get within range. He there
fore flew up into the clouds and then
turned in the direction in which the
enemy machines were moving.
Judging his time, he pushed the
nose Of his machine downward, dived
out of the clouds to the Germans be-
meath, and when close enough to be
fairly sure of his mark, pressed the
trigger of his gun. A stream of lead
played about the German machines.
None of them returned his fire.
Once before the pilot had heard of
a similar occurrence. This flashed
through his mind, and pulling back
the control lever he scared ZIP again
into the couds. He was only just in
time, for as he vanished into the va
por three enemy scouts appeared The
slow machines were the bait and the
British airplane was the expected
prey, for its pilot was well-known and
feared by the Germans in that part of
the line.
Once he knew what the odds were
against him, he no longer hesitated.
Down once more out Of the clouds he
came, straight at the nearest scout.
A short burst from his machine-gun
and the hostile machine wavered, then
slowly fell into a spin, hurtling down
wards and crashing far below.
The odds were still five to one. True,
three of the enemy machines were
slow and old-fashioned. and taken
alone might have been accounted for
one by one, but the addition of two
fast.flying scouts manoeuvred by skill
full pilots gave the matter different
aspect. The British pilot did not
wait, but no sooner had one machine
fallen than he flew at the next, bank
ing looming, sideslipping, ever trying
to reach the vulnerable spot in the
enemy's armOr. All the time the Sec
ond scout was trying to secure fav-
orable position to fire at the attacker
and the three old two-seaters were
firing long-range bursts as opportunity
afforded.
For some minutes this competition
for position continued, each party fir
ing short bursts without definite re-
snlts. Then suddenly the deciding fac
tor arrived.
Out of the sky loomed a twoseater
British fighter of the latest type. 1t
was proceeding on a special errand
Before the Germans had realized his
arrival the new pilot steered his ma
chine into the midst of the fight A
long burst from his rear gun caused
one of the German fighters to stagger
in its flight, then drop it's nose and
leave the combat. Evidently the pi-
lot had been hit. Then together the
two British machines charged the Ger.
mans. A short skirmish ensued before
the enemy decided that discretion was
the better part of va,or, and put their
machines into spins to evade their ad-
versaries' fire in the low attitudes
close to earth where the anti-aircraft
batteries would protect them.
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ARTIhcRiIRC 4 n n E