Show NIGHT BOMBING RAID dy CAPT PAUL bewsher london the battled him self beside lie pilot in the big ng machine oa ither side alie on gancs roared thunderously the signal vas glen and the machine moved for ward turned into the wind and rushed across the grabs into the dim night it climbed softly in wide circles and below could be seen the dim countryside where a few scattered lights twinkled to lie right a winding river like a thread t ell ver ribbon beside the saher ribbon nearly miles away lay the german town which nights objective in front of the two airmen glowed the phosphorescent dials of the recording instruments soon they reg sufficient height for alie nia chine to turn toward the fighting line up and down which areat white star shells were rising to hang suspended for a few moments before fading aut 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 soon the first barrier bof 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 alie yellow bombs when we had been flying over german territory for more alian 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 slid ing 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 edger of a forest and then the twisting river came into bis view leaned his head out of the hole and saw the black mass of the town 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 observers 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 t two searchlights had now sprung up and here aad there in the sey burst a few random shells he could see the puffs of smoke white in the 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 observers peephole alic fore andalft bar of the bomb bight drew near the station and touched it the observers hand readied out to tl e bomb release leier at his side tho luminous range bars crossed the edge of the junction lie pushed the lever hand over drew it back and pushed it ocr again and again delow he could pee tor a moment the fat cylinders spinning down toward the railway junction lie climbed up beside the pilot and told him to turn the searchlights 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 vas v as looking down in bently to the black triangular muss of fie junction it A gnat spurt of red ni nt its edic as hie alist I 1 ilien another follow it in the junction then tt another the fifth caused a tremendous explosion followed by blinding white limes acrea of it clearly an ammunition train had bean hit then the others burst one after nn other leading the railway junction shrouded in moonlit smoke uli the red light of a growing fire glared dully |