Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 218, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 September 1918 — NIGHT BOMBING RAID DESCRIBED [ARTICLE]

NIGHT BOMBING RAID DESCRIBED

By CAPT. PAUL BEWSHER.

ndon. —The observer settled himself beside the pilot in the big bombing machine. On either side the engines roared thunderously. The signal was given and the machine moved forward, turned into the wind and rushed across the grass into the dim night. It climbed swiftly In wide circles, and below could be seen the dim countryside where a few scattered lights twinkled. Far to the right lay a winding river, like a thread of silver ribbon. Beside the silver ribbon, nearly 200 miles away, lay the German town which formed this night’s objective. In front of the two airmen glowed the phosphorescent dials of the recording instruments. Soon they registered sufficient height for the machine to turn toward the fighting line, up and down which great white star shells were rising, to hang suspended for a few moments before fading out into the darkness. The wing-lights were switched off, the lines were crossed, and friendly territory left further and further behind. Far ahead the glare of many blast furnaces could be seen, and above them the long, white fingers of German searchlights swept restlessly to and fro. We flew on steadily, vainly sought by the searchlights and unscathed by the fierce barrage of shells which burst thickly far below them. Over Enemy Territory. JSodn the first barrier of defense was passed, and for a long time we flew over mile upon mile of enemy territory, over dimly lit towns and sleeping fields and villages. We passed a big city lying on the bank of the river. We could see the bridges, black across the band of silver, and over the city swept three long searchlights. Still we flew on, leaving the city far behind. On either side the engines roared steadily. Behind us hung in readiness the yellow bombs. When we had been flying over German territory for more than two hours we saw ahead of us on the river the lights of another big city. This was our objective, and at once the machine swept round toward it The observer crawled into the back and, lying face down, opened the sliding door in the floor of the machine. Below him lay a square of moonlit country on which he could see a little scattered village and the edge of a forest. And then the twisting river came into his view. He leaned his head out of the hole and saw the black mass of the town a little ahead of the machine. Already he had noticed the dark line of the railway running into the city. The pilot steered the machine round by the observer’s directions, so that it might follow the railway, and so find surely the great railway junction that was to be the target for his bombs. Two searchlights had now sprung up, and here and there in the say

burst a few random shells. He could see the puffs of smoke, white in the moonlight, drift beneath him. Hit Railway Junction. We Ignored the searchlights and flew steadily on with engines roaring. The big city twinkling with hundreds of carefully shaded lights lay spread now below the observer’s peephole. The fore-and-aft bar of the bomb sight drew near the station and touched it. The observer’s band reached out to the bomb release lever at his side. The luminous range bars crossed the edge of the junction. He pushed the lever hand over, drew it back and pushed it over again and again. Below he could see for a moment the fat cylinders spinning down toward the railway junction. He climbed up beside the pilot and told him to turn. The searchlights erratically swept to and fro with every suggestion of panic, fear or lack of skill. The airmen laughed at them and, sweeping round, started on the long homeward journey The observer was looking down Intently to the black triangular mass of

the railway‘junction, with its crowded sidings. A great spurt of red flame leaped up at its edge as the first bomb exploded. Then another followed it, right in the junction. Then another, and yet unother. The fifth caused a tremendous explosion, followed by blinding white flames—acres of It. Clearly an ammunition train had been hit. ------ Then the others burst, one after another, leaving the railway junction shrouded tn moonlit smoke through which the red light of a growing fire glared dully.