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Aviation History
1917
1917 - 0848.PDF
AUGUST 16, 1917. AIR WORK IN THE ADVANCE. " THE leather has been bad for flying men," writes Mr. Philip Gibbs to the Daily Telegraph from the War Cor- respondents Headquarters on August 2nd. " Impossible, one would say, looking up at the loW-lying storm clouds. Yet on the day of battle our airmen went out and, baulked of artillery work, flew1 over the enemy's country and spread terror there. It was a flying terror Which, when told in the barest words of these boys, is stranger than old mythical stories of flying horses and dragons on the Wing. Imagine one of these winged engines swooping low over one as one walks along a road far from the lines, and above the roar of its engine the sharp crack of a revolver with a bullet meant for you. Imagine one of these birds hovering above one's cottage roof and firing machine-gun bullets down the chimneys, and then flying round to the front and squirting a stream of lead through the open door, and, after leaving death inside, soaring up into a rain cloud. That, and much more, Was done on July 31st. These airmen of ours attacked the German troops on the march and scattered them, dropped bombs on their camps and aerodromes, flying so low that their wheels skirted the grass, and Were seldom more than a few yards above the tree-tops. The narrative of one man begins with his flight over the- enemy's country, crossing canals and roads as low as 30 ft., until he came to a German aerodrome. The men there paid no attention, thinking this low flier was one of theirs, until a bomb fell on the first shed. Then they ran in all directions panic stricken. The English pilot skimmed round to the other side of the shed and played his machine-gun through the open doors, then soared a little and gave the second shed a bomb. He flew round and and released a bomb for the third shed, but failed with the fourth, because the handle did not act quickly enough. So he «pilt his bomb between the shed and a railway train standing still there. By this time a German machine-gun had got to work, upon him, but he swooped right down upon it, scattering the gunners with a burst of bullets, and flew across the sheds again, firing into them at 20 ft. His ammunition drum was exhausted, and he Went up to a cloud to change, and then came down actually to the ground, tripping across the grass on dancing wheels, and firing into the sheds Where the mechanics were cowering. " Then he tired of this aerodrome and flew off, overtaking two German officers on horses. He dived at them and the horses bolted. He came upon a column of 200 troops on the march, and swooped above their heads with a stream of bullets until they ran into hedges and ditches. He Was using a lot of ammunition, and went up into a cloud to fix another drum. Two German aeroplanes came up to search for him, and he flew to meet them and drove one down so that it crashed to earth. German soldiers gathered round it, and our fellow came down to them and fired into their crowd. A little lower he flew over a passenger train and pattered bullets through its windows, and then, having no more ammunition, went home. " There was a boy of 18 in one of our aerodromes the night before the battle, and he was very glum because he Was not allowed to go across the German lines next day on account of his age and inexperience. After many pleadings he came to his squadron commander at night in his pyjamas and said, ' Look here, Sir, can't I go ? ' So he was allowed to go, and set out in company with another pilot in another machine. But he soon Was alone, because he missed the other man in a rain-storm. His first adventure was with a German motor- car with two officers. He gave chase, saw it turn into side roads, and followed. Then he came low and used his machine-gun. One of the officers fired an automatic pistol at him, so our boy thought that a good challenge and, leaving go of his machine-gun, pulled out his own revolver, and there was the strangest duel between a boy in the air and a man in a car. The aeroplane was 50 ft. high then, but dropped to 20 just as the car pulled up outside a house. The young pilot shot past, but turned and saw the body of one officer being dragged indoors. He swooped over the house and fired his machine-gun into it, and then sent a Verey light into the car, hoping to set it on fire. Presently he Was attacked by a bombardment from machine-guns, ' Archies,' and light rockets, so he rose high and took cover in the clouds. But it was not the la'st episode of his day. out. He saw some infantry crossing a wooden bridge and dived at them with rapid bursts of machine-gun fire. They ran like rabbits from a shot-gun, and when he came round again he saw four or five dead lying on the bridge. From the ditches men fired at him with rifles, so he stooped low and strafed them, and then went home quite pleased with himself. 1' There were scores of flying men Who did these things the day before yesterday. The pilots of two units alone flew an aggregate of 396 hours 25 minutes, and fired 11,258 rounds of machine-gun bullets at ground targets, to say nothing of Verey lights. Those machines were not out in France for exhibition purposes, as gentlemen now abed in England are pleased to think. All this sounds romantic, and certainly there is the romance of youthful courage and fearless spirit. But apart from human courage, the ugliness and foulness of War grow greater month by month, and if anybody speaks to me of War's romance I will tell him of things I have seen to-day and yesterday and make his blood run cold. For the sum of human agony is high." To some men the faculty of organisation is a gift which is bestowed in such measure as to become almost second nature to them. It is such a desirable gift, too, in these times when many firms in the aircraft industry are expanding at a rate which makes it extremely difficult for factory organisation to be. maintained at anything like efficiency when the one object which seems to swamp everything else is more and still more production. At the present moment we can put any firm finding itself in this position into touch with a trained engineer Who, having accomplished valuable organising work for the Ministry of Munitions, now wishes to devote himself to fresh tasks of this nature helping along the war. He is a member of the Institutions of Mechanical and Auto- mobile Engineers. It is an opportunity which will be interesting only to those firms who are on the lookout for the best men and know the value of them. We shall be pleased to forward any letters addressed to Organiser, care of the Editor of " FLIGHT," 44, St. Martin's Lane, W.C. 2. BEARING the date of August comes the first number of Aeromnia Magazine, the house journal of Messrs. Hewlett and Blondeau, Ltd. As the latest of works magazines, its producers are to be complimented on the measure of success attending their efforts towards making their little paper a readable and instructive monthly. The literary contributions are all from the pen of those employed in the works and are far above that usually obtainable under such restricted conditions. Especially must we compliment " W. F. R." on the set of verses entitled " Germs of Greatness." They are in well-chosen words and have a rhythm that is haunting. As a whole, the Aeromnia Magazine is a very commendable production, and should go far to weld together those whose interests are so closely bound to the interests of the firm for SIDE-WINDS. which they work. wish this latest addition to houseWejournals every success. ONCE again the authorities have caused the Coats Machine Tool Co., Ltd., to seek fresh quarters, and they have now been able to secure temporary accommodation at Thanct House, 231, Strand, London, W.C. 2, to which all communica- tions should now be addressed. The telegraphic address is Oolcomachi, Estrand, London, while the telephone number is City 626 (2 lines). THE warm reception accorded to his book " Trade as a Science," has led Mr. Ernest J. P. Benn to write another, and in " The Trade of To-Morrow " he pleads for real organisa- tion of British trade after the war. He points out that there are 28,678 local authorities to look after such matters as sewers, cemeteries, lighting, &c. ; surely the control of our trade is worth as much attention. In his book Mr. Benn has adopted the unconventional method of setting down his " con- clusions " in the first chapter, and then proceeds to discuss them in detail. Briefly Mr. Benn's scheme includes-(1) the appointment of a Minister of Commerce for the purpose of fostering and facilitating the self-advancement of British Trade ; (2) the creation in connection with every industry of a Trade Council to which the Government would delegate every question connected with that industry ; (3) the exten- sion of the franchise to cover trading interests, so that every working man would have the right to be a voting member of some trade union, while every employer would enjoy a similar right in connection with a trade association. The book, which is well printed and bound in cloth, is published by Messrs. Jarrold, and no business man, whether he sees eye to eye with the author in his arguments or not, could regret the half-a-crown which it costs. 848
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