Catoctin clarion., 1918-10-17
RAIDINC PLANES
TERRiFY ENEMY
Germans Thrown Into Panic by
Daring Tactics of Allied
h Flyers.
MACHINES skim The Earth
low-FIying AirpIanes Dsorganize Foe
by Sudden Burst of Fire at Close
Range-Break Up Transport
Columns.

LOndon.-The progressive effective
ness of the allies, both in the ccnstruc-
ton of airplanes and in the air fight
ing, has never before been more clear
ly proved than IN the recent operations
on the western front. In last months
offensive the harrying Of German cav
airy, marching infantry and transport
by low-fying airplanes was the fiji :"
example of really large scale coun-
ter-offensiye from the air,
From Il r. A. r. officer of long ex-
perience it was learned that 1t Is now
a deliberate method Of air fighting not
conducted IN the tip and run principle
of one swooping dive to earth. bringing
the airplane into close rifle range only
at the lowest point Of the dive, but by
machines which fly audaciouSly low
until their ammunition Is exhausted, so
low that pilots have identified the
regimental insignia Of the troops at
tackled, so low that the airplane wheels
have been known to skim the earth.
Transport Columns Broken Up,
The object of these low-nylng pilots
has been to diSorgnnize the Germans
by a sudden burst Of fire at close range,
and very successfully they have done
1t, especially when breaking up trans
port columns and causing stampedes
of frightened horses. But the method
has developed until now British air
plane will fly along-not merely across
I'll trench, notwithstanding 1t. and
such a thing may happen, as at Hamel,
where airplancS Rnd tanks co-operated
to such purpose that the infantry ad-
vanced upon an already quite dlsor-
ganized enemy.
It Is routine work for the lOw-fying
airpIane to interrupt German working
parties far behind the lines with ma
chine gun fire, and when one remem-
bers that the same parties are likely to
be bombed in their blllets from the air
by night, their heart for work may be
Imagined, for both day and night the
bombing Of railways, airdromes. camps
and dumps goes on with liz simultane-
Gus effect upon supply. communication
and morale, and far behind the lines
the sources Of supply on the Rhine are
being perSistently devastated,
And this is almost by the way The
soldier comes before supply. and 1t is
the soldier who Is the objective of the
low-tying airplane, the soldier who
suffers in person and morale, by the
ccaseless bombing Of billets. 1t is the
aggressive air war Of the entente which
steadily and accumulatvely depreci-
ates the morale of the German soldier.
"And an ammunition dump was
blown up" What thrilling stories may
lie behind many of these brief stereO-
typed phrases in the official commune
cation. "An ammunition dump was
blown up,"-and much else besides.
Sprays Them With Bullets.
Here is just one little incident told
by Lieut. l.. Walmsley of the X. A. r..
which may serve by way of illustra-
ton:
The Germans We're reported to be
concentrating at the village of Y. A
little chaser was run out, and the pilot
ordered to confirm the report, to harasS
the enemy as much as possible with
machine gun fire; also to use his
precious light bombs on the best avail
able target.
Ten minutes flying brings him to
the trench lines, and the deafening
of hn
Of the engine.
The Germans are attacking and Il
long, ragged, gray line of piled up
corpSeS, which the airman at first mis-
takes for Sandbags, shows the terrible
price they are paying.
But sheltering behind this CHASTITY
rampant of human flesh are living
Huns, and the pilot dives down until
he Is only so feet above them. Then,
as he skins over the line, he opens fire
with both guns pouring out hail of
death that soon visibly thickens the IN
animate gray masses.
But there is even more important
work ut hand. The village of X is
quickly reached. The market square
is crowded with artillery and ammu-
milton carts. Diving to height of less
than 500 feet, the airman drops a
bomb, and turns, just in time to avoid
the force of the conclusion caused by
the tremendous explosion that fol-
lows. A direct hit has been made on
the ammunition cart, and the havoc
wrought in that market square battles
description.
The roads leading backward from
the village are now carefully recon-
noitered. There is no sign of life
until a large wood is reached Here
squadron of Uhans is found. A Sec
0nd homb is landed right in the midst
Of them, and in n few seconds the ad-
joining fields are brown with stam-
peding horses.