South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-02-15
BRITISH filters
SHOW ABILITY
Two Youngsters Win Out in a
Thrilling Aerial Battle
Against Heavy Odds.
international News Service

international News Service
LONDON. Feb. 15.-This is a true
story of two boys in the Roya, flying
corps. Their orders--weIl, never
mind what precisely were their or
ders. It was necessary-nay. vital
that certain information should be
obtained. and the Hawk and Gnat
went out 10 get-it
As years went neither the Hawk
nor the Gnat could sing much of "A
song - their birthdays combined
barely equaned the number Of Ger
man planes set TO their credit on the
list posted at headquarters-bu in
scrapping experience you might run
the whole allied armies through a
sieve and you wouldn't find couple
Of young sparks with more 10 look
back on.
They reached the line. saw enough
OF what was going on Hunwards to
realize the Importance OF getting
back and then met fate i'm grim as
poet. for out of the mist swooped
whole convoy of Gothas Four shot
by them in quick succession TO bar
the trackless path homeward;
ahead. above around five others
maneuvered 20 give the death blow.
Wanted Fight
Maybe the British boys could have
shaken off pursuit by getting among
the clouds. but they had no mind
to miss such a fine prospect OF dam
aging the German aerial service, and
they promptly set about reducing the
odds. The first victim fell TO the
Hawk. who was pilot Coming end
on and simply asking for trouble,
Hun went down in wreath of
flames.
Then the Gnat had to sting for all
ne was worth, as five Huns dived
together. splitting lead like a potato
sprayer in the direction of his tail
tt was a supreme moment. But the
luck and pluck which had helped
the Gnat i'm the landing at Gallipoli,
out in the desert when the Senussi
hordes were bowling round an iso-
lated British post, and i'm a great
foot-slogging stunt through he Ger
man lines up Serre way, stood by
him. and two Of the five went on
diving until they crashed TO earth.
All the while the British fighter
was combining the swift darts of
the swallow with the gyrations Of a
tumbler pigeon. Every movement
known to the craftsman of the air
and others of which the trick fier
had dreamed were employed. A ter
rife turn absolutely vertical show
ed the Gnat how two OF his en-
emies had fared, and the knowledge,
you may be sure. bucked him up no
end When they had dropped TO
| 500 feet the Hawk got his leaden
talons into the vitals of the fourth,
which went down and added to the
litter Of battle below
Begin to Fall
1t was while the Hawk was en-
gaging the fifth Gotha that the Brit
! ish machine exceeded the limits of
possibility and began to fall side
ways. while, as the Gnat says. the
earth seemed hungry to gobble them
| up. The remaining Huns dived on
them as they fell, pouring out lead
with reckless. waste, and only a sec
ond or two remained, as it seemed,
for the Hawk and the Gnat to be
among the mOrtals.
Then a miracle happened. Twenty
| feet off the ground the machine
righted itself and the Huns on foot,
who had scattered for the crash,
were speechless with Amusement.
/ When the Hawk began TO make for
/ home. however. every sort of gun in
the German field museum opened on
them. Again and again the machine
was hit, but not in vital part, and
the boys brought their craft 10 port
and handed in the report which the
Huns were so anxious to intercept.
"A damned fine show said the c. o.
They were rotten shots quoth
| the Gnat