Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-02-15
ONE AVIATOR USES -FOUR
A|RPLANES ON SAME DAY
Does Daring and dangerous Work
Attacking Enemy Infantry
From the Air.
DRIVES FOE INTO TRENCHES
Breaks Up Three Attacks OF Ger
mans on Thinly Held British Po-
sition at Height OF Desperate
Cambrai Struggle.

SOMEWHERE IN FRANCE. Febru-
airy IA stirring story of how one
daring British aviator. like n guardian
angel. held up for a whole day repeated
enemy attacks upon weak and
trembling British line at Cambria in
the height OF the desperate struggle
there. by using four airplanes one
after another as .hey were torn and
crippled by enemy IT, has just come
to light.
1t shows that some Z the most
daring and dangerous airplane work
of the past year has been In the new
field OF attacking enemy infantry from
the air.
The Germans were trying to recover
a portion of the lost Hindcnburg line.
pushing with a great weight OF men
and guns at point where 1t was
very difficult for the British TO bring
up reserves. The British battalion
opposing the attack had gone TO earth
In little Isolated groups among the
shell holes. grimly determined to hang
on to tho end.
Tho German masses had already
moved across mo mans land into the
battered carthworks that once formed
tho British firing line. Other masses
were moving up In support. and al
ready the nearest ehell holes were
heaving and boiling over with the
restless heads and shoulders Of men
about TO renew the advance Tho bar
rage OF the British guns was heavy
but at close quarters only infantry ca n
stop the progress OF infantry. and the
fire from the British she'll holes had
grown weak and struggling. II looked
as II tho scanty British liae would he
overwhelmed BY sheer weight Of num-
bers.
The nre from the Germans increased
until the air was alive with their bull
lets 1t was the concentrated fire which
always precedes the rush to close quar-
ters. The blue-gray figures were al
ready beginning 70 appear above the
shell holes. their loose. Tapping uni
forms and hidcous gas masks giving
them the appearance of demons, when
suddenly into the smoke and murk of
battle there divcd British airpiane.
nniTIsH AIRPLANE suddenly
APpEARS on SCENE
Fifty feet from the ground It nat
tened out and saidded along the lire,
dropping It's bombs among the be-
wilde!ed Germans Wheeling swiftly
at the flank OF the attack, i, came
skim ming back like a swallow charg-
ing swarm Of flies. it's machine guns
cnNladinG the advancing foe and drlv-
ing him back TO his burrows.
a storm of German bullets swept
through the planes, and IA black flame
conferred burst OF enemy shrapn el
:inpthcred the airplane in vapcr. The
watching infantry cav splin,ers iall
from It's qutvering frame. and the
s!lvcry fabric Of the undcrwings MAS
torn in several places by shell spl!nt-
crs. But the daring pilot finished his
course ard vanished into the smoke
clouds. leaving the pan!c-strickcn
enemy clinging to his shell holes too
shaken and thinned TO press the attack
further.
GERMANS PREPARE FOR
SECOND ATTACK
Little By little. however. the Ger
man supports came up. advancing by
short PUSHES over the open. re-enforc-
ing their comrades by two's and ,hrec's
in spite Of British FIRE. Scores and
scores Of their dead Uttered mo mans
land" but gradually the strength OF
the attacking line was made good. and
the shell holes again began to hcave
and boil, as men rose from the lower
cover and aid hold Of tho rims to as
sist them over the top.
Then suddenly they were over and
away, little spurts Of humanity belched
out OF the crater field. coalcsc!ng into
sccthing blue-gray. rushing macs.
hopelcssly outwe!ghing the handful OF
British defenders. But before the mass
could gain full momentum. Il familiar
snoring hum sounded above the din
OF battle. and out of the low-lying haze
swept the covering airplane. a new
machine, but with the same pilot as
before. His bombs dropped among
the advancing Germans. dispensing
those who escaped the flying frag-
ments. and his machine gun swept them
out OF sight into the she'll holes.
DARING ADRIAN KEEPS
GUARD WITHOUT INTERFERENCE
y half-bour passed, and again the
enemy attempted to attack. this time
hcsitattngly and with diminishing
spirit. Again the airplane appeared.
and the first rattle Of his guns sent
the Germans into cover again 4 Ger
man airplane dashed down to drive
him away. but another British machine
from the protecting patrol came down
on the Germans tail and sent him