Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1918-10-13
IMMENSE BOMBS /
now CARRIEDBY
YANK AIRCRAFT
Explosions So Terrific Every
thing is Destroyed in Loca-
tons Where Hits Are
Made.
Correspondence of Associated Press.

Correspondence of Associated Press.
Behind the American Lines In
France, Oct. l.-Bombs Of an In
credible size are now carried BY
American airmen, and some idea OF
their destructive capacity may be
gained from the fact that they cans
not be dropped at lower altitude
than 5000 feet so greatly is the air
disturbed by the explosion.
An amusing incident occurred
when the first of these was dropped
on enemy territory, which Is so
much harried by American bombers
and consequently bristles with search
lights and anti-aircraft batteries. So
terrific was the explosion that every
searchlight went out instantly, and
the airman was deprived of the
landmarks on which he had counted
to find his way home.
Americans in this squadron have
remarkable success. In two weeks
they accounted for 26 enemy ma
chimes II of which were crashed, and
one balloon All are imbued with
the idea of maintaining the offensive
under all circumstances.
Four Machines Brought Down.
Recently two of. them, finding
themselves cut off by 20 of the enemy
while returning to camp, refused to
seek safety in fight. Instead they
swept up at the German machines,
which were all above them, and so
ratified the enemy by their unex-
pected daring that they actually
brought down four of his machines
and, though not unchanged them
selves, were able to land behind our
lines.
A successful attack was made by
members of this squadron not long,
ago upon troublesome enemy aero
drome which long had evaded dis
covery, so cleverly was it concealed
in the grounds of chateau. The
chateau served as the headquarters
of the officers of the German squad
ron, and the hangers were hidden in
the edge of the woods about the
house. The American squadron was
acting as escort to the bombers
charged with the destruction of the
aerodrome.
In a field about a half dozen en-
envy airplanes were discovered, most
of them with their propellers run
ming and preparing for flight. The :.
American machines swooped down
within 100 feet of the ground and
circled about the field, sweeping il
with the fire from their machine
guns until all the German machines
were blazing and the men attending
them either shot or driven into a
nearby wood.
Meantime bombs had been.
dropped on all the hangers and on
the chateau itself, which burnt like a
torch and lighted the attackers on
their return journey.
British Airmen Break up Attack.
How two British airmen broke up
an impending German attack along
the Somme was told recently by
Lieutenant L. WalmsleyJs ofs!sthc
Royal Air Force. t4-r6't
1.-TWO of our young airmen," he
said Sighted a bridge over the
Somme which neither of them had
ever seen before in three months
constant patrolling of the area.
1T was evidently a temporary af-
fair which the enemy had built dur
ing the night, and if it was now BE-
ing used to pass across men and 4
for a counter-attack some
where, it might mean very serious
Developments for the British troops
who were holding this particular
section of front rather lightly.
"All doubt on this score was I.
quickly settled, for a long gray line
could be seen leading from the
north across the bridge to the south
bank of the river, where mass OF
about 400 soldiers was gathered.
Here, indeed, was a target worthy
of notice.
Dives and Releases Bombs.
"The leading pilot dived almost
released his two bombs
and watched them burst in the river,
the bridge. &
"The second pilot now dived and
In FIVE seconds the Germans saw his
second bomb strike the dead center
of the bridge and explode with
great force, completely destroying
and sinking the two middle pom b
toons. Detached from the moorings
the remainder broke away and began
to float slowly down stream.
Realizing their plight, the Ger.
mans who had already. crossed be-
quite demoralized. Many
plunged into the water, while others
tried to hide among the vegetation.
Nothing, however, could conceal y
them from the devilish hail of lead
which now poured down from tho K.
air above them. Round and round J
at height of less than 100 feet cir
rled the two English airplanes, the
piercing Staccato of their Vickers
sounding high over the drone of the
engines.
"For ten minutes the slaughter
went on, with very brief intervals
and then, with their last shot fired,
the armen turned for home, having
accomplished as much for their side
as an important trench raid in
which hundreds of men might be