Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-09-24
AIRPLANES AIDED VICTORY.
Liberty Motors Proved Their Worth at
St, MihieI,

American made airplanes, driven by
Liberty motors, played an important
role in our reduction Of the st. Mihiel
salient. While we owe thanks to the
French. British and Italians for the
major part of the great sirplane con-
centration, a considerable proportion
Of it was Simon-p pure American. writes
u correspondent from the American
front.
The machines in Use were De Havi-
land fours. two-seated biplanes. We
used them primarily for bombing. but
our intrepid aviators also used them
for pursuit machines and for strafing
the German lines.
To the work OF our airmen was due
In great part the large number Of
prisoners captured. The main avenue
Of the Germans retreat was the high
way from Vigneulles to (name Of town
deleted). Because Of mud this road be-
came jammed Thursday and Friday
and offered a good mark for our
aviators flying low, who sent machine
|zupbulfsts by tie tsis tS asand into the
German lines along the highways,
achieving very good results. In this
work our American-made machines
did effective work. dropping small
bombs and making many direct hits.
Our pursuit machines proper. Of
course, were Of French make. But, as
a test Of our Liberty motor planes,
number of our pursuit squadrons on
Thursday and Friday included De Hav-
iland fours, which gave a most excel
lent account Of themselves. being cred
tied with part Of the big bag Of (dele-
ted) Germans we got Thursday. These
machines were not able to dive and
maneuver with the pursuit planes. but,
having guns at both front and rear,
they did not have to do so much diving
out Of the way as the pursuit ma
chimes, which are single-seated with
only one gun pointing forward.
But where the Liberty motor achiev-
ed the biggest success was in the de-
pursuit planes. One instance Illus
trates this. Three Of our De Haviland
fours at an altitude Of 5000 meters,
spied two Fokkers. The Fokkers fled
with the De Haviland machines after
them. The American machines had
better speed than the Germans and
drew on them. The Germans dived'
Our machines got one and the other
escaped.
This Is a most helpful development
for in view of our admitted present
shortage Of pursuit machines. the pos
session Of bombing or observation
machine which can take care Of itself
against German pursuit machines will
go a long way toward remedying the
defect.
This was the first battle performance
Of American machines equipped with
Liberty motors. and our air officers
are enthusiastic over the results.
Our air supremacy during the fight
for the salient led to the Germans
placing large numbers Of pursuit ma
chimes on this front. Whereas fox two
days very few German aviators ap-
peared, Sunday they were out In force
One squadron OF ten Allied planes. out
for bombing. encountered formation
Of sixty German machines, and this Is
an illustration of recent German tactics
in the air. The enemy takes no
chances, but flies only in large num-
bers and gives battle only when In 81
perior force.
Sunday night our machines bombed
Confans and several other German
strategic points north Of our new lines
Three ammunition dumps were set on
fire, and other damage was done. On
Thursday and Friday we dropped six
teen tons Of bombs in the St. Mihiel
salient. The next few days promise
interesting air fights We still have
the supremacy Of the air in this sector
but it is no longer undisputed.