Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 220, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 September 1918 — TALES OF AIR RAIDS THRILL [ARTICLE]

TALES OF AIR RAIDS THRILL

How the British Royal Flying Force Conducts Bombing Expedition. AIRMEN TAKE MANY CHANCES Britogs Prefer Daylight Work While Germans Favor Night Operations —Aerodromes Favorite Target for British Flyers. London.—Night raids of the royal air force usually have concentrations of German troops, billets and the like for their objective, and aim rather at moral and personal, than at material damage. Daylight raids have the purpose of damaging specific objects, such as railroads, lines of communication, dumps of stores and ammunition and aerodromes. The daylight raiding machines fly in formation, accompanied and protected by other machines. The bombing machines meet at a prearranged rendezvous, well on the British side of the lines, where they maneuver into Correct formation. Once over the target, the fighters scatter and patrol the neighborhood while the bombers discharge their missies on the objectives. Unless antiaircraft fire is exceptionally heavy, they generally dive a few thousand feet to make sure of the target and when their work is completed rise again to the level of the escort. German aerodromes are a favored target and great is the delight of a pilot when he can report that a hostile machine surrounded by mechanics was about to ascend, but that he obtained a direct hit and the German machine —including the personnel—“appeared to be severely damaged.” On one occasion a British pilot In a bombing raid descended to 400 feet under Intense rifle fire, successfully bombed a German airplane just emerging from its hangar and then tried to make off. At that moment his engine, possibly by reason of the German fire, failed, and he had to descend. By skillful gliding he managed to land three-quarters of a mile away, though in full view of the Germans. Instead of firing his machine at once, he jumped out and quite unperturbed proceeded to overhaul his engine. Luckily he found the cause of the trouble at once, put it right, adjusted the controls and the propeller. The engine started, he jumped in with the nearest German only a hundred yards off and opening his throttle raced over the ground and into the air amid a fusillade of bullets. The sequel included a safe return and—a wellearned military cross.

When all the bombs have been dropped and the formation the machines head for home. It is on the homeward journey that events may be expected, time enough having elapsed for the Germans to detail a squadron to intercept the returning machines. Sometimes an enterprising German pilot will wait alone for the homing convoy, hiding himself thousands of feet up in the clouds until he sees his moment, then, singling out a machine, will dive at it, pouring put a stream of bullets as he dives. He may achieve his object, and send a British machine crashing to earth, but whatever the result the German’s method is the same. He dives clean through the forth atiom down many thousands of feet, only “flattening out" when close to the ground. The whole affair is so swift—just one lightning dive—that long before a British fighter can reach the German, he is thousands of feet below, heading for home and safety. The surprise dive Is his one chance. Sometimes a German squadron intercepts a returning British formation. The British fighting machines spread out in a screen to allow the bombers a chance to escape, and then attack the Germans as they arrive. Battle is joined in the air, it may be that “one of the British machines is missing,” it is more likely that “German machines were seen to crash;” Meanwhile

the bombing airplanes have crossed the British lines and landed safely in their aerodrome. Bombing by night is the method most favored by German pilots. Compared with daylight raiding bombing by night is rather a rule of thumb, pedestrian affair. The danger from antiaircraft guns is at its minimum by night, for an airplane Is a difficult target to keep under observation with any searchlight, except perhaps those used In the highly specialized. and intensive defense of London, and there is little chance of meeting hostile airplanes or of observing much of what damage is done by the bombs. The Ineradicable sporting instinct of the British causes them to prefer the vastly increased peril of the daylight raid, offering themselves as visible targets to antiaircraft guns, but discriminating in daylight between legitimate military objectives and civilian homes Nevertheless objectives such as German army billets, ammunition dumps, bivouacs and other large targets are regularly bombed at night by R. A. F. pilots.