Salt Lake Tribune | 1918-09-22 | Page 33 | Hun Destroyer Sunk by British Seaplane

HUH DESTROYER SUNK BfllTMPK Attack Is., Described by Captain of Bombing Plane, A BRITISH NAVAL AIR . FORCE BASE IN ENGLAND, Sept. 21. (By the Associated Press.) Tho destruction of. a Gorman destroyer by a British seaplane is graphically told by Captain Paul Bowsher, who observed the unusual occurrence oc-currence from the cockpit of a fast British Brit-ish bombing plane. He was flying - off the Belgium coast when he saw two . British machines in front of him. "Suddenly," he 'writes, '.'the front machine ma-chine turned to the right and began to fly toward the coast. Its occupants had evidently seen something of importance. Looking below, I saw, a few miles from the Zeebrugge "mole, --six little shapes which seemed stationary on' the gray sea. "They were German destroyers, which were, in reality, steaming at top speed toward the coast. Gradually - the seaplanes sea-planes drew nearer and nearer-and soon were but a few miles from the land. "Near the front machine appeared a Small black ball of smoke. Another appeared, ap-peared, and another, and I could hear the sharp crack of bursting shells. "Now," however, they were 'almost over the destroyers, which were' beginning to zigzag as the danger of the coming attack at-tack was realized. "I saw six black cylinders drop spinning spin-ning from the front machine. Near the destroyers appeared the white smoke and spray of a bomb. Another followed and another. Then on one of the destroyers a great red flash appeared and the center cen-ter of the boat was left clouded in smoke. Its attacker had scored one direct hit! "I shouted excitedly to the pilot as one of the destroyers dropped out of line and made swiftly for its mortally wounded wound-ed consort, "The airplanes returned to report. A patrol returning a few hours later stated that they had seen five German destroyers destroy-ers returning toward Ostend. By then, the sixths torn and shattered, lay with many another twisted and rusted companion, com-panion, under, the sea."' .