Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-02-15
DARING BRITISH AlRMAN
Single Handed Held Back Enemy At
tack for a Day.


\ stirring story OF how one daring
British aviator. like Il guardian angel.
held up for whole day repeated
enemy attacks upon weak and
crumblng British line at Cambrai
in the height Of the desperate strug-
gle there by using four airplanes.
one after another as they We're torn
and crippled by enemy tire. has just
come 10 light.
| IL shows that some OF the most
daring. dangerous uirplane work of
| the past year has been in the new
field OF attacking enemy infantry
| from the air.
The Germans were trying 10 re-
cover Il portion Of the lost linden
burg line. pushing with Il great
weight of men and guns AT n point
where II WAS very difficult for the
British 10 bring up reserves. The
British battalion opposing the attack
had gone 10 earth IN little isolated
groups among the shell holes. grimly
determined to hang on To the end.
| The German masses had already
moved across No Mans Land into the
battered earthworks that once form
ed the British firing line. other
masses were moving up in support.
and already the nearest shell holes
were heaving and. boiling over with
the restless heads and shoulders OF
men about to renew the advance.
The barrage OF the British guns Was
heavy but at close quarters only in
fantry can stop the progress Of in
fantry and the fire from the British
shell holes had grown weak and
struggling. II looked as II the
scanty British line would be over
whelmcd by sheer weight OF numbers.
| The fire from the Germans increas-
ed until the air was alive with their
bullets. II was the concentrated fire
which always precedes the rush Ia
close quarters. The blue-gray figures
were already beginning to appear
above the shell holes. their loose flap
ping -unifcrrns-i.-- ,..aee1s- sae-f4as&ss-
giving them the appearance OF de-
Il
and murk Of battle there dived a
British airplane.
Fifty feet from the ground IL fiat
tened out and skidded along the line.
dropping its bombs among the be-
wildered Germans. Wheeling swift
| ly at the flank Of the attack. II came
skimming back like IL swallow charg-
ing a swarm OF lilies. its machine
guns embedding the advancing foe and
driving him back to his burrows.
A storm Of German bullets swept
through the planes. and black
fiame-centered burst Of enemy shrap-
mel smOthered the airplane in vapor
The watching infantry saw spinters
fall from its uuivcring frame and the
silvery fabric Of the underwings was
torn in several places by shell splint-
ers. But the daring pilot finished his
course and vanished into the smoke
clouds, leaving the panic-stricken
enemy clinging TO his shell holes too
shaken and thinned to press the at
tack further.
Little by little. however, the Ger
man supporters came up. advancing
by short rushes over the open. rein
forcing their comrades by twos and
threes in spite of British fire. Scores
and scores OF their dead Uttered No
Mans Land. but gradually the
strength Of the attacking line was
made good. and the shell holes
again began to heave and boil, M
men rose from their lower cover and
laid hold OF the rims to assist them
over the top.
, Then suddenly they were over any
way. little spurts OF humanity belchcd
out Of the crater field, coalescing into
n seething bluc-gray. rushing mass.
hopelessly outweighing the handful OF
British defenders. But before the
mass could gain full momentum.
familiar snoring hum sounded above
the din Of battle. and out Of the low
lying haze swept the lowering air
plane. new machine but with
the same pilot as before. His bombs
dropped among the advancing Ger
, mans. dispensing those who escaped
the flying fragments. and his ma
chine guns swept them out Of sight
into the shell holes
half hour passed. and again the
enemy attempted to attack. this time
hesitatingly and with diminishing
spirit Again the airplane appeared,
and the first rattle Of his guns sent
: the Germans into cover again. A
German airplane dashed down to
drive him away but another British
J machine from the protecting patrol
. came down on the Germans tail and
sent him cart-wheeling behind his
J own lines. There were other Ger
man machines in the fighting but the
watchful British fighters made the
enemy airmen shy Of losing their al
titude and the daring British pilot
. kept his guard over the threatened
line without further interference.
Many times he swept down on the
Germans that day, crumpling up ev-'
: cry attempted attack with his fire,
rendering portions Of their positions
untenable with his bombs; often mad
ly in the air gusts from a barrage
salve. just as often performing wild
er manoeuvers to confuse the gun
ners and rifiemen who searched for
him necessarily. Three times his
airplane was so badly damaged that
he had to nurse its failing strength
back to his aerodome Rut eacb
time he returned on a new machine.
encouraging the British infantry by
his example. and scattering death and
confusion among their foes.
i He was flying his fourth machine
when darkness settled down. putting
an end to the conflict. with the Ger
/, 'mans securely checked.