Salt Lake Herald-Republican | 1918-08-04 | Page 24 | British Aviator Fights Five Enemy Airplanes

7 British A Aviator viator Fights fight 1 Five Enemy Airplanes British Air Force Headquarters In France Aug 3 Brains and quickness ness of or thought are as necessary to the aIrman airman air aIr- man as pluck endurance and physical skill In aerial ers The En English pilot of ot a single-seater single fighter tighter of or the lie latest type while cruising cruising- all over o tho the German lines Jines the thc other da day saw be below below be- be low him three slow old fashioned enemy machines flying steadily westward west vest ward as thou though though- h to cross the lines Into British territory Unfortunately the tIme Germans were ivere too far tar off oft to bo be attacked successfully and the British pilot idiot ur figured d that if Ir they realized his presence tho they would fly tho for home and safet safety long before he could get Iet within range He lie therefore flew Clew up into the clouds and then turned turne In the tho direction In which the enemy machines were moving mo Judging his time ho he pushed the time nose of oC his machine downward dived out of oC the clouds to tho the Germans beneath anti and wh when n close enough to be fairly sure of his mark pressed tho the kl trigger Ser of ot his gun gnu A stream of lead load played about the German machines None one o of thorn returned his hits fire Once before tho the pilot had heard o aS a S similar i m I ha r occurrence U C e. e Tb This I s flashed Clashed through h his mind and pulling back the control lever he ho soared up again Into tho the clouds Ho lie was only Jus just t In time for tor as ho he vanished into tho the vapor three enemy scouts appeared The slow machines w were rl the bait and amid the British was tho expected prey for Its Us pilot was well known a and I III feared by tho the Germans In that part of ot the line Once he knew what the thc odds were against him he no longer hesitated Down once more out oLit of the clouds he came straight at the nearest sout ut A AJ short burst from Imi hig machine sun gun un and the hostile wavered wa then then slowly fell tell in a spin hurtling downwards downwards downwards down down- wards and crashing far below The Tho odds were still five to one True TrueS three of or the en enemy m machines were s sand o ant and old fashioned Id and taken alone alone- ml might aught ht have been een accounted for one byone by one but the addition of two fast scouts maneuvered b by skilful pilots gave ga the matter a different aspect t The British pilot did not wait walt but no no no- sooner had one machine fallen than he lIe he flew at nt tho the next banking zooming zooming sub side sillo slipping ever cel trin trying to re reach rh the the vulnerable pot In iii the All the time tho the second I scout was try try- try try-J l Ing to secure a favorable po position to fire to-fire J fire at t the tho attacker and the three old old-f t two sea two w were v firing range lon bursts as OJ For some sonic minutes this competition for position continued d each party firing firing fir fir- In ing short Bursts without definite re TC- TC c suits Then the deciding factor arrived Out of the sky loomed a II t seater o British fiSh fighter tel of the time latest type tle It was proceeding on a special errand Before Defore the tho Germans had realized his arrival th the ne pilot stared his machine machine machine ma ma- chine into the of ot the fight Alon A Along Ahong lon long hong burst from his roar rear gun gun caused one of or t tie the e German fighters to staV staVIn In its flight then drop its nose a an and leave Ufo the combat Evidently the pilot had beerY bit been bit Then together the two o. o British machines charged the Germans t e A short skirmish ensued before lid the enemy decided cel that discretion was anti and put their machines machines ma ma- better belter part of at valor aCer ac- ac to evade e their chines Into spins SplitS er fire In the tho low altitudes lose close to earth where tb th batteries would protect them thern