The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1918-10-10
HOPELESSLY
OUTCLASSED
In THE AIR
British Airmen by Taking
Chances Beat the Hun
BRITISH PILOT
ESCAPES UNSCATHED
The Dangers and Thrills OF
Fights Above the
Clouds

London, Oct. "a British two
scatter machine engaged in infantry
contract work observed field bat
terry galloping forward to take up an
advanced position. The airmen also
spotted right in the path of the ad-
vancing battery a German machine
nest. Realizing the danger of the
British battery, the airmen dived low,
signalling the battery to turn back,
which 1t was able to do just as the
German machine guns began to open
fire
Later the same two officers were
attacked by seven German machines,
one of which the observer shot down
in flames. At the same moment an
other German machine was seen to
be on the tail of British artillery
machine working below. The pilot
of the contact machine dived to the
rescue ard succeeded in driving off
the attacking German. Then, his
ammunition exhausted, he managed
to shake himself clear of his assail-
ants and returned to his aerodrome.
Returning from a bombing raid, a
British nachine developed engine
trouble and lost touch with the rest
of the fo11: alton. A German patrol
of twenty machines, which had been
following like jackals fearful of at
tacking the British formation, swoop-
ed down or the partially disabled
machine.
Almost Immediately the British
pilots elevator controls were dis
abled, and thus further handicapped,
all he could do was to put the nose
Of his machine down and endeavor to
battle through to his lines, firing
from the fixed gun on any enemy on
whom lie could get it to bear.
The observer, who was badly
wounded, stuck to the rear gun and
succeeded in bringing down one Ger
man machine in flames. This was
swiftly followed to the earth by an
onther entirely out of control The
pursuing machines meanwhile were
pouring hail of bullets upon the
| British Machine, piercing both the
petrol tanks, perforating the planes
so that ttey resembled sieves and
smashing most of the instruments on
/ the dashboard in front of the pilot,
who escaped being hit. The observ-
i er's gun now jammed badly and he
was again wounded in several places.
Just the the pilot saw below him
large cloud into which he dived for
cover. This enabled him to throw
the Germans off the track, and on
emerging he found that he was close
to the British lines, where he was
able to land safely with his badly
SCARED machine.
Another British pilot was attacked
i by several hostile machines, and in
order 20 avoid the enemy's fire and
break up the formation, he put his
machine into a spin. The Germans
followed, diving after the British
pilot, who allowed his machine to fall
several thousand feet. This appar-
emily deceived the Germans, who
with one exception, abandoned the
pursuit, thinking that the British ma
chine was vitally damaged. The pilot
noticing that he had achieved his OBJ
ject suddenly pulled his machine out
of the spin, fattened out and, bank
ing steepiy, turned on his assailant
The German, unable OF pull up with
sufficient speed, crossed right ir
front OF the pilot, who poured in g
burst If n1::chine gun fire which sent
the German machine crashing to the
earth where it burst into flames. Or
his way home the pilot, flying jus1
above the hedges, devoted MS ammu
milton to scattering several bodies Of
enemy troops and transport by hi:
machine gun fire.
The continual destruction of theil
: observation balloons has made th'
Germans adopt extraordinary pre-
cautions. One sausage apparent!
doing pa. ticularly important worl
was guarded by a German patrol o
eight scouts. A British pilot, motto
; ing this, determined to lure tn
: scouts away in pursuit, and so dis
appeared into a cloud followed b,
the Germans Here, however, the
} lost touch with him. The pilot hav
ing taken his bearings steered for th
: balloon He emerged from the clou
right over it and promptly shot j
down in flames before the protect
ing squadron found it's way back t
its post.
Presently the Germans put up ar
other balloon and the pilot watchin
: the proceedings from a distanc
= crossed the lines and again mad
himself CONSPICUOUS. The eigf
. scouts were so enraged that the
again swooped down on him and pre-
: cisely :he same performance was n
:, peated, but this time without the hel
el of cloud. The pilot drew the gur
+ ners away from their charge and gt
near enough to the sausage to pun