Evening star., 1918-07-28
AIR RAIDS ON -BRUGES
FRAUGHT WITH PERIL
Bomb Droppers Run Gantlet Of
Shells and Searchights in
Dropping Explosives.
BY EDWARD PRICE BELL.
CableEram to The Evening Star and

Cablegfam to The Evening Star and
Chicago Daily News. Copyright. 1918.
LONDON. July 24.-Capt. Paul
Brewster Of the royal air force
says that Bruges, the most important
naval base in Belgium. has been at
tackled by British airmen SO often
that it now appears to be the best
defended place against night bomb
ing on the western front. A pilot and
observer on q night bombing ma
chine proceeding to -Bruges usually
have no difnculty in finding the way.
as the searchlights can be seen at
distance of twenty to thirty miles.
AS they draw nearer they see maze
of fifteenr or more searchiights NOV
ing over the town, looking for the
machine whose engine is heard.
suddenly they see the red flash OF
a bursting bomb and then another
and another. At once chains OF bril-
liant emerald -colored balls OF nre
pour upward in ceaseless flights NIL.
light. The machine, however, IS not
picked up and gradually the lights
and the shell fire die away.
Observer at Work.
Nov drawing nearer, the observer
crawls through a little door into the
nose of the machine, examines the
bomb handle and adjusts the bomb
dfoppinI sight. AZ hs kneeis. neay, "
cockpit 10000 feet over nothing. ne
is 30 absorbed in Watering the ground
I kanA -. <1irr roxndings seem to MIN
ft6 Ind he is entirely at his
ease. .HS}oM he sees the. black line
Of the canal. which he uses as e
with a wave of his hand and again
to the right. He stops him with an
uplifted arm. Ahead he can see the
dark mass of the town. to the left
are along basins and docks. and far to
the left lies the dark line Of the Bel
gian coast.
over Ostend and Zeebrugge move
sentinel searchlfghts. The observer
waves his hand and~the roar of. the
engines dies down as the machine
dives toward the target. He unstraps
the, bomb handle, leans over the front
and looks down on the shining water
and docks. He is absorbed in fol-
lowing the course of a little metal
bar of light which touches the docks
and crosses them. With quick ges-
ture he guides the pilot to the left
across the section of the quay he
wishes to attack. He checks the pi-
lot and holds the bomb lever in read
illness. Hundreds Of Germans wait
beside their guns. machine guns,
searchlights and green light ma
chimes.
Organized "Haters" Below.
An organized hate community lies
below the observer but he thinks OF
nothing save the passage of the metal
bar across, the black mass between
two shining strips of water.
Suddenly his sight registers the
range. He pushes the lever forward
slowly. pulls it back again and again
pushes it forward. From behind
comes the click and clatter of four
teen dropping bombs. He shouts to
the pilot who turns and climbs to-
ward the stars. As the machine
sweeps around from the weiter OF
shells and searchlight that the ex-
plosion of the bombs will bring, gaz-
ing downward the observer sees at the
edge of the quay a red squirt of flame
which slowly. dies away. Two others
follow in the water where lie destroy
ers and submarines. Then more and
more burst on sheds. In the middle
q white sheet of fame springs from
one shed and fading slowly leaves 8
red glare. An ammunition store has
been blown up.
Other. bombs burst across the
wharves and crowded basins, leaving
huge clouds. of white smoke where
they wrought destruction. Simultan-
eeusly, with the bursting of the first
bomb. hundreds Of green balls come
streaming; in swaying curves from
the ground and pour upward past the
wings on both sides Gun fire flashes
around the town and close to. the
machine bursts clamorous barrage.
It. is-awe-inspiring is but through the
dinsthe observer has heard the thud
Of the bursting bombs below. He
scrambies back to the pilot while
searehlights sweep to and from the
machine, which roars homeward
through the maelstrom Of fire and
ffanfeR. 80. .ef's-le-
The attack has been pressed home.
On. the, docks of, Bruges ammunition
hedsehave been shattered and set on
IRE and water is; pouring into the
sides of battered submarine. The
airmen fly home content with the
consciousness Of duty well done.
They leave far behind the search
lights which are vainly securing
every quarter OF the heavens too