Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-08-05
AIR FIGHTERS MUST
THINK AND ACT QUICK
Pluck, Endurance and Physical
Skill Required for These
Thrilling Encounters.

British Air Force Headquarters IN
France, Aug 2-Brains and quickness
of thought are as necessary to the alrrnan
as puuck, endurance and physical skill
in aerial manoeuvres The English pilot
Of sincle-scater fighter of the latest type,
while cruising all over the German lines
the other day. saw below him three slow,
old-fashioned enemy machines tying
steadily westward, as though To cross the
lines into British territory
Unfortunately, the Germans were too
far off to be attacked successfully, and
the British pilot figured that # they reallz-
ed his presence they would fly for home and
safety long before he could get within
range He therefore flew up into the
clouds and then turned IN the direction
in which the enemy II achlnes were NOV
ing
Judging his time he pushed the nose
oi hls machine downward, dlYed out OF the
clouds 20 the Germans beneath and, when
close enough to be- fairly sure OF his mark,
pressed the trigger OF his gun \ stream
Of lead PLAYED about thet ,erman machines
None of them returned his fire.
once before the pilot had heard of a
similar occ, rrence. Tins flashed through
his mind, and pulling back the control
lever. nc StfdTtti up AEAitt lAittt tit
He was only luSt IN time. for as he vanish
cd INTO the vapor, three enemy scouts
appeared The slow machines were the
bait and the British alrplane was the ex-
pected prey foT lis pilot Was well-known
and feared by the Germans III that part Of
| the hne
once he knew what the odds were
against hlm. he no longer hesltated.
/ Down oncc more out Of the clouds he
| came. straight ~ the nearest scout \
short burst from his maehine gun and the
| hostile machne wavered. then slowly fell
! into SPIN. hurtlng dnWnWartls and crash
ing far below
The odds were slIl five to one True
three Of the enemy machines were SLOW
and old fashioned. and taken alone might
have been accounted for one by one, but
/ the addition of two fast-tlvlng scouts
| manocuvred by skiilfnl pilots gave tht
matter different aspect The British
| pilot did not wait but no s,uner had ouC
machine lien than he flew at the ueNt
banking zoomng, sldeslippug. ever try
ing to rSach the vulnerable SPOT IN tn,
enemy armor Ali the time the seeon,
scout was trying 10 secure a favorable 20
sItion to tire at the nttaeker and the tire,
old two-scaters WeTc trmg long range
bursts rs opportunity aHoIdeu
Eor some minutes tins competition fo
position continued. each party firing shor
bursts without definite results Then sud
denly the deciding factor arrived
Ont OF the sky loomed "A two-seate
British fighter Of the latest type. 1t wa
proceeding on i special errand. Before tn
Germans had realized his arrival the ney
pilot stecred his machine into the midst O
the fight 4 long burst from bis rear gul
caused one Of the German fighters {
staggcr in its flight, then drop its nose AM
leave the combat Evidently the pllo
had been hit Then together the two Brit
sh machines charged the Germans.
short skirmlsh ensued before the enem
decided that discretion was the bette
part Of valor and put their machines int
spins to cvadc their advorsarlcs fire in th
low attitudes close to earth where the ant
aircraft batteries would protect them.