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Aviation History
1916
1916 - 0847.PDF
SEPTEMBER a8, 1916. Archies' fired at them in vain, though, as it seemed to me scores of our craft were perpetually rolling across the skv on ball-bearings of shrapnel cloud. From half an hour bt dawn till sunset there was a constant sky patrol enemy w.uds and a continuous chassi over our advancing troops and the enemy's batteries. Every headquarters that day rang with aircraft messages." Mr. Philip Gibbs, writing to the Daily TeUfraph on the same subject, says :— " Machine-gun fire rapped out in fierce spasms, and the German * Archies ' were throwing up shells which burst ail about the planes of our airmen, who came like a Bock of birds over the battlefields, flying low above the mists. I.OUR aftei the sun was at its height there was the white ghost 0 the moon in the other side of the sky, and it was a strung*- ami beautiful thing to see these aeroplanes of ours sliming as though with aluminium wings as they flew through the shell- bursts. They did wonderful things yesterday, those British air-pilots, risking their lives audaciously in single 1 ombats with hostile airmen, in encounters against great odds, m bombing enemy headquarters and railway stations and kite balloons and troops, and registering or observing all day long for our artillery. They were out to destroy the enemy's last means of observation, and they began the success of the battle by gaining the absolute mastery of the air Thirteen German aeroplanes (since reported by Sir Douglas Haig to be 15) were brought down, and their flying men dared not come across our lines to risk more losses. . . "These soldiers of ours were superb in courage and itoii endurance, and pressed forward steadily in broken waves. The first news of success came through from an airman's wireless, which said :— " ' A " Tank " is walking up the High Street of Tiers with the British Army cheering behind.' " It was an actual fact. One of the motor monsters was there, enjoying itself thoroughly, ami keeping down the heads of the enemy. It hung out a big piece of paper, on which were the words :— " ' GREAT HUN DEFEAT. SPECIAL.* " The aeroplane flew low over its carcase machine-gunning the scared Germans, who flew before the monstrous apparition. I^ater in the day it seemed to have been in need of a rest before coming home, and two humans got out of its inside and walked back to our lines." The Times special correspondent in bis despatch Of the same day states :— " As the sun rose we saw a beautiful sight above us, for in the sky there appeared suddenly a cluster of points of fire. Not far from them our aeroplanes were circling, and we IfilGHTl wondered for a while whether these fire spark* were sorae new form of anti-aircraft shell which the enemy had devised or whether they wet* something whn h one of the aeroplane* had thrown out. Then suddenly a little mist obscured the sun. or perhaps they changed their angle alt at once, and to \ we saw that they.' tint, were MmptolVM 11" sun » ia\* striking upwards had illuminated them 80 that each ghttrtrd as a minor glitter*, and, too dajutinx to have any definite shape, had stood only as a point oi fur* against the blur of the sky " The ottu ial commnm^Ht has alread B bueiU how well our aeroplanes dM thai day. That tlu\ destroyed rt cncinv machines and drove down nine Others in • dam condition t<. the gnmml was only a detail of theit raent. They came down low enough to MB then macluin guns agar ,etuv's guns and on lus ltilantry in then trenches, and all the time, tram tn. In ii" • louda, they watched and understood and njportad Bach change in the progress ol the light l>> us down below they were not only a lteautiful sight, but an amawfnent and an exaltation ll only one , onld shout and hall them and tell them how one admires them and glories in tlietu up tlicic. m then supeib dominion of the air above the battle 1 Often the slnapnel buist thick about tliem. sometimes chMtlH DM machine across the blue, sometime* bursting in bosquet* among a tleet, as d the gunnels, were shooting bltndlc ' into the luown ' oi thcin And nothing stop. them in then appointed work . bin always they swing ami 110 le. pans and re-pass, rise and dip and bank and turn, prottdiy careless of themselves, caring only that the mastery oi the atr is theirs —and ours and that we shall hold it." Mr 1. Ward 1'iue, in a desp.lt. It dated Septembei l.lh from the British boat in Maosdonia regarding the British advance, notes Prom the hilltop where 1 was one i otild SOB the eaith ol the smashed cntictn hnienta flyiiiK into the tut, but besides these natural observation posts there was a Preach kite balloon am hoi,-,I high above QUI heads, from which, with the extraordinarily good glasses served out to thi Frem h balloon ing officers, the observers would jtlBl DB able tO see the vet v figures of the Bulgars in then tienches, if, indeed, then were any who were not as deep undergiound as thev COtdd go Knglish aeroplanes, too, sailed to ami fro, keeping station like wild geese above the valley," The Daily Mail correspondent at Bucharest, writing on September 14th, reports:-— "On Tuesday night wBterptanes successfully bombarded \arna (the Bulgarian port on the I'.lack Sea), drotraug 50 bombs. Many large toes were seen m the port. ' ONE OF THE LATEST CHRISTOFFERSON TRACTOR BIPLANES FITTED WITH 125 H.P. HALL-SCOTT MOTOR The Chinese Government has placed an order for 25 similar machines 843
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