The weekly tribune. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1918-1919, 1918-10-25
British PLANE
HITS HUN BOAT
Story Of an Attack by Flyers on
German Destroyer
Fleet.
aTIEApT TO ESCAPE: DaHGER
Enemy Ship Becomes a Twisted and
Dirty Wreck After Bomb From
Above Strikes It-Ali in
the Days Work.

L0nf5n.-To the observer in the
rear cockpit of the fast British bomb
| .ng machine the scene hardly appeared
10 change from minute to minute. Tie
| engine roared, the sunlight came slant
| n@ in onto his knees, q biting wind
| beat on his face. and below was the
slightly haZy surfaca Of the sea. while
10 the right lay the dim line Of the
i;cioian coast, which swept AWAY 70
! ,hc wider silver reach. If the Scheldt
estuary Ahead Of iln two British
machircs Few IT ii,e same direction,
with tnc;r proPcUora seeming to re
! voiV" laZily, - litT ways 10 when
seen from another ma.hfuo. The oh
server continually scanned the air
| above and below the machine, end OK
! amiGad every nov. aud then tie sur
T"cc 81 The Sna.
Suddenly tha front machine turned
10 the right ana bean - fly toward
the coast. It's occufantS had evidently
seen something 81 Importance. Look
ing below. ihc oh>arvgr of the h,.r'
machine saw few mites fro;n III.
TeebrU@ge mole SIX little slaras which
seemed stationary On the gray sea.
German pestroyers.
They were German dns'raycrs WlicI.
were in reality sicaTinc at top speed
toward the coast. Gradually t:a air
planes drew nearer and nna.cr aao
soon were but q few miles from e..
hand.
Near. The front machine appeared :
small blacl, bal C smoke. Another
appeared. and another, and me o.
server could hear the sharp crack az
the bursting shells I moment lafcs
the second machine entered. .ha Zrng
81 bursting shells. some lcaNinS white
sluokr, and othegs jenying black or
cyii-Io9hin@ yellow yapor. A!QnG The
coast line ho cou'1 see the lille reG
flashes Of the #Hri-.:ircraft batteries.
Now, however tho were almost over
'haa dcstrOyers. which were beginning
10 Zi@Eag ms The dHa&rF Of the com
1ng attack was realized.
The observer saw six black cylin- |
dcrs drop spinning from the front ms
chine, and thegs., tn bis two reius !
round The IDIOTS arms in front, he |
SieorCd The machine to the rigii. ard |
left as he watched the destroyer |
through the wires ana bars Of his |
bomb sight. Even rs ne was direct |
iH@ the macIiiue he saw the great |
white clouds 81 steam, gH1hc ana Wa- |
,er leap up from the sea near the de !
stroypr.
! The second destroyer, which was
DOW steering N almost direct course. |
appeared below rs range bars. TIE |
.drrch HE pilot Slightly 10 the right
in order that he might allow fer the
speed Of the boat and Slowly pushed
over MS bomb levers. one by one. Be
Iow the wings he had a momcntury
GLIMPSE or the Yellow, fish-like bombs
rushing downward He shouted to the
plot, and they turned quickly away
from the inferno Of shells which were
hF.T&tin" all around them.
Scores Direct Kit.
The observer stood M and watched
tutcntly what was going on below.
Near the dcstgGycfs appeared the
white smoke and spray of bomb.
Another followed, ana another. Then
on one of the d"Stroyers n great req
Cash appeared and the center of the
boat was left cInuded in smoke. Ha
had scored one direct hit. He shouted
cycjicdiy 10 the pilot as one Of tho
'i"Stroyors dropped out Of line AMI
made swiftly Tor its mOrtaiiy wounded i
aoHSort.
The British airrlanps returned and
what had happened. \ pa
,rol returning q few hours later stat
Il ihat They had seen five German de
stroycrs returning toward Ostcnd. By
.ira the sixth. torn AMI shattered, lay
With Inany another twisted and rusty =
companion, under the sea.