Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1918-09-27
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
mir force usually have concentrations
OF German troops, billets and the ike
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 ana
aerodromes.
The daylight raiding machines fly In
formation, accompanied and protected
by other machines. The bombing ma
chimes meet at n 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 bombefs discharge their mis-
sles 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 to the level of the escort.
German aerodromes are n favored
target and great Is the delight or a
pilot when he can report that a nos
tile machine surrounded by mechanics
was about to ascend, but that he OBJ
tanned direct hit and the German
ma Misunderstanding the personnel
"appeared to be severely damaged
On one occasion British pilot In a
bombing raid descended to 400 feet un-
der intense rifle fire, successfully
bombed German airplane just emerg-
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
skillful gliding he managed to land
three-quarters of n mile away. though
I'm full view of the Germans. Instead
of firing his machine ut once, he
Jumped out and quite unperturbed pro-
ceeded To overhaul his engine. Luckily
he found the cause OF the trouble al
once, put IL right, adjusted the 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 and into the air nmit
n fusilade of bullets. The sequel In
cluded safe return and-a well
earned military cross.
When all the bombs have beer
dropped and the formation resumed
the machines head for home. II Is oil
the homeward journey that events ma!
he expected, time enough havini
elapsed for the Germans to detail {
squadron to intercept the returnin!
machines,
Sometimes an enterprislng German
pilot will wait alone for the hominj
convoy, hiding himself thousands o
feet up In the clouds until he sees hi
moment. then, singing out n machine
will dive nj II, pouring out stream o
bullets as he dives. He may achlev
his object, and send British ma
chine crashing To earth, but whateve
the result the Germans method Is tn
same. He dives clean through the for
nation down many thousands of feet
only "flattenlng out" when close to tn
ground.
The whole affair IL so swlft-jus
one lightning dive-that long before
British fighter can reach the German
he is thousands Of feet below, headin
for home and safety, The surprls
dive is his one chance
Sometimes Il German squadron Inter
cepts returning British formation
! The British fighting machines sprea
out In a screen to allow the bombers
chance TO escape, and then attack IN
Germans as they arrive. Battle
, Joined in the air. II may be that ION
, OF the British macl mes Is missing,
IL Is more likely that German mr
chimes were seen to crash 'nwhii