Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-08-06
FIGHTING IN THE AIR
Calls for Quickness Of Thought, Pluck
and Endurance.

Calls for ouiekness Of Thought, Pluck
and Endurance.
Brains and quickness Of thought are
as NECESSARY to the airman as pluck.
endurance and physical skill in aerial
manoeuvres. The English pilot of a
single-seater fighter of the latest type,
while cruising all over the German
lines the other day. writes corre-
spondent with the American army in
France, saw below him three slow.
old fashioned enemy machines flying
steadily westward, as though to cross
the. lines into British territory.
Unfortunately. the Germans were
too fSr of to be attacked successfully,
and the British pilot figured that If
they REALIZED his presence they would
fiy fSr home and safety long before
he eoaH get within range. He there
.&d$ dskfpp into the clouds and then
tlSNthe direction in which the
rtxel -Hfeiiiff5g wore tuovins. 'fHT
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
n similar occurrence. This flashed
through his mind, and pulling back
the control lever. he scared up. again
into the clouds. 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 hcsltatcd.
Down once more out Of tho clouds he
came, straight ut the nearest scout.
A shot burst from his machine gun
and the hostile machine wavcrcd,
then slowly fell into spin. hurtling
downward and crashing far below.
The odds were still Ave to one.
True, three of the enemy machines
were slow and old fashioned, and TAX
en- alone might have been accounted
for one by one, but the addition Of
two fast-flying scouts manoeuvred by
skilful pilots gave the matter diff
ferent aspect. The British pilot did
not wait, but no sooner had one ma
chine fallen than he flew at the next.
backin. zooing, sideslipping. ever
trying to reach the vulnerable spot in
the enemy armor. All the time the
second scout was trying to- secure
favorable position to fire at the at
tacker and the three old two-seaters
were firing long-range bursts as op-
portunity afforded.
For some minutes this competition
for position continued, each party fir
ing short bursts without definite re-
suit. Then suddenly the. deciding fac
tor arrived.
Out Of the sky loomed two scatter
British fighter OF the latest type. II
was proceeding on a special GRAND.
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 lighters to stag
ger In its flight. then drop its nose
and leave the combat. Evidently the
y.ilot hai heen hit. Then together the
two British machines charged the
Germans. A short skirmish ensued
before the enemy decided that discre-
tion was the better part OF valor and
put their machines into spins to
evade their adversaries' fire In the
low attitudes close to earth where
the nti-aircraft batteries would pro-
tect them.