1917-07-14 — Page 7

TREMENDOUS BATTLES IN THE AIR

WINGS GRAZE WINGS DOWN A CHUTE OF SHELLS:

IGY, PERCIVAL PHILLIPS,] Although the land armies are station tary again, there is no slackening of the

fighting in the air.

Soine of the most desperate battles of the war have taken place during the last for days above our new trenches on the plain of Pound and the old hartier north of the French coalfields.

The weather has been, oar ally. They have been days of unbroken sunshine, with light winds and clear utmosphere, and even when cloud banks drifting

eover for the enemy aeroplanes our swift. agile pilots dexterously root them out and force the fugitives to give battle or divo komewards at n dizzy space.

THE HONGKONG DAILY FEESS. SATURDAY, JULY 14TH, 1017.

FLOUR POISONED BY GERMANS.

ENEMY CONVICTED BY HIS OWN „DOCUMENTS,

Writing from French Headquarters on May 1st, Mr. G. I Perrin says

MASIL OF SHELL CRATERS

PULVERIZING GERMAN

DEFENCES:

The all between

Some idea of the disastrous effect of our loovy gun bombardment on the fer wan defences, as well as a knowledge of how the men of Kent play the great game, Papers found on the battlefield and on

can be learned from the following tele the prisoners slow that the destruction of sunt from France on villages and parts of towns in the retreat of the German armies was organized with all the ingenuity and are for detail bat incredible people seem to apply these equally to the best and the most evil tiong relating to the route followed by heavy high explosives to the defences, For a week past, our heavy guns have works. Take, for instance, the instruc bern bombarding it, hurling thousands of the 1st Infantry Division, the 1st Reserve so that a trencia system which was perfect Division of the Guard, and the 4th Guard and strong early in May with good para- Division. The work of destroying places is to be directed by the Commandant ofs and traverses, and dugouts, protected by broad belts of wire, became a mere Pioneers, who will give the orders to

with no time of a line photographed by

FLIGHT AND COMMERCE.

AIRSHIP FARES

Lord Cowdray, President of the Air Board, presided recently over a largely attended meeting in the Central Hal, Westminster, at which Mr. G Halt Thomas delivered a lecture on Commer cial Aeronautics Lord Cowdray remark solved in aviation. It was essential that'

Syed that there were many things to be Philio Cius ended yés men connected with aircraft should, after| terday, by our troops English and the war, be used in connection with con Scots, attacking that portion of the Hin mercial aviation, and in that denburg line which goes between Fon- should be assisted by the Government, respect taine-les-Croisilles and Ballecourt,

Where in the pass the mercantile, marine.

Commercial aviation was bound to come. had connected nations together, aviation in the future would bind them together. it would come quickly and successfully, and would not require Government sup port after the first five or six years of its cxistence.

Mr. Thomas, in the course of his le would revolutionise the world not only from commercial point of view, but from a humanitarinn point, much more than it had revolutionised warfare. He was not one of those who thought that beat out of existence tailways and other commercial

aeronuuties were going to forms of transport, but rather, that flying would act as an adjunct to the present Aviation having

We have firmly held the domination of the sky. German machines struggle stubbornly to regain some of their lost prestige, and many have been their retreat from the old trenches. To cover read them, and trying to deafen their modes of transport. British squadrons which patrol the dants of the sector will furnish two uon car, and souls to that thunder of explo suffered in the past From mere discourago. attempts to out-fly and out-fight the

heavens behind their lines, but they are still kept under, and their losses steadily increase

Every day, has witnessed breathies. encounters with these determined enemy battleplanes, and some days have been literally crowded with them. The full story of last Sunday's fighting, when thirty German machines were put out of action-fifteen crashing to the ground, Fourteen being driven down completely out of control, and one shot down by artillery-would be as thrilling se account of any engagement of this war, as the details of a single encounter will

how,

un

across the sky afford a certain amount andsturmers of the 3rd Army Corps and mash of shell craters and upheaved earth, said that in his opinion Heropanties"

o en chique piece put his young gentlemen in the clusts of telephone messages can be assured at on day up to which the transmission

The Gorman garrison here, mostly from particular points is carefully indicated Division, were caught in this hurricane of Posen and Breslin in the 40th Reserve The hour

at which the last great destrushes, and their only chance of life-and tiona aro to commence at certain places is given as two o'clock," which may not a good one was to slay inlow mean two hours after the moment of their test dug-outs, economizing in

their cations, for no other food cou the firing parties each of the comman commissioned officers and twenty mon of sons above their heads and quaking of with stretchers. Certain villages are not B_battalions and two stretcher-bearers, ble earth about them.

ment, the people of this country mast sea to if that in the future it was very fully to be burned-why is not stated.

1,000 YARIS GAINED

encouraged. From the business point of This they did, as we know from our view speed was everything. A special "The destruction of all wells is importprisoners. All hireiau courage oozed from aeroplane, in the sense of a special train, ant," says this ruthless document. Strict them. instructions are given, however, that well wrecks of inen, according to that physical don, in the morning, do his business in They became living fears and would enable a business man to leave Lon and other places shall not be destroyed change which is wrought on men im-Paris, and be home again to dinner. It till the retreating troops have passed, if prisoned under intense shelling with its would take him to Baghdad in a day and. they are likely to need them. In parti continual concussion. Yet when our half, or to New York in two days. enlar, account must be taken of the troops went forward yesterday morning Ceylon would became 2 days from Lon numerous days or alls needed for the second other Germans came up through com

don; Tokio 4 days; Sydney five days In the case of the rear-munication trenches and unt of machine-Cape Town three and a half days; Van- guard of a certain Captain von Schleinitz, gun emplacements and fought fiercely couver three days.

the destruction of places nnd wells

Many business, meni From the dug-outs in which first-line would smile at the idea of using this mode should be arranged for the third day, troops had taken refuge our men brought of conveyance, but the only thing was to about two o'clock, after agreement without many prisoners-10 in the morning remind them that they also smiled in the the detachment unless the operations of and 170 in the afternoon, while the fight early days of motor cars, and yet half the destruction. The fires will also be lit on the Hindenburg trench system. Further time to do if the motor car was not in the adversary necessitale a more hasty went on. That was in the front lines of business day would take double the March 3rd, at about two o'clock. The back, in the support lines, our men were Commandant of Pioneers aforesaid is, for

existence. As for the question of cost, certain dispositions, to

held up awhile by isolated multine-guns it would be possible to run a profitablo Major von Uechtritz, the officer cons

consult with and wipers.

air service, between London and Paris at A second attack was made in the even fo per passenger, id, per ounce for mails, manding the outposts of the Division Sing and penetrated the enemy's second and 25. each for parcels of alb (Slegfried) of Sector III." In every casoline in this network of trenches,

Con- They stantinople or Moscow, a journey of "the lighting of the fires will be executed have taken something like 3,000 yards of twenty-four hours, might involve a cost. under order of the officers by the different the Hindenburg line on the left of Bulleof £25 per ticket. parties." The destruction and poisoning court, and on the right of that heap of only use of poison, Poisoned flour was tired by of wells is admitted.

This was not the ruins we hold about 600 to 800 yards, caleach side of them and closed up behind f left in the hope that French oz British desperate fighting I

the Australians with the

have describe them. soldiers would find it. We learn that in against some cases German soldiers were taken in tacks. Against our English truous of other regiments fighting alongside. long series of counter at-The Kents were em off, like other men their own trap; Thus, an order of the 2nd this new fighting there have been any officers were picked off by snipers German Army reports:--Two intal cases up to now no counter-attacks, except that or hit by shells and machine-gun fire. of poisoning by arsenic, resulting from some bodies of men were seen massing Second-lieutenants round themselves in the absorption of a white powder found in eastwards and were caught under an abandoned cantonment and taken for gunfire und-smusded.

our command of companies, sergeants and cor flour. The troops," this order concludes,

purals and private become lenders of Amall groups of men. must not consume unknown food left. in abandoned quarters."

SIX AGAINST HIGHT.

This action between six British and eight German aeroplanes was fought at anch close quarters that wings grazed wings, and hooded pilots, gripping their machine-guns, could look squarely into ench other's eyes as they flashed past, woolly trying to kill each other.

The battle began behind the German fines. It wae about eight o'clock-even- ing still and quite light when the eight enemy aeroplanes wore seen cruising up und down on the look-out for hostile eraft.

offensive patrol steered straight for them, and the Gerinaus in mediately made off toward the sero drans like Irightened birds.

Our

It was too late The British machines verhauled them and they had to accept baule. The commander of our aeroplanes dived at the nearest German, but the latter slid beneath hini and avoided the first burst of machine-gun, fire.

Then the commander turned to another hostile aeroplane just in front of him,

pouring bullets into it at a range which rapidly shortened from sixty to twenty yards. The German staggered and went spinning downwards for nearly tws and a half miles, then turned over. and dropped to earth a helpless wreck.

not

Before he had reached the ground; however, a third German aeroplane bad fastened to the tail of the British commander's craft and could shaken off, The British seroplane there upon did a spin on its own a violent and seemingly uncontrollable operation, which is terrifying when observed from the earth-but the German stuck to it; nryck when the British commander "flät ined cut considerably aenrer the in- hospitable soil of the enemy lines there was a determined pursuer still hanging

to his tail.

SANDWICHK),

17

altnost hand the other man match in stead of a ballet."

When machine-gon ammunition runs a pistols remain, and our pilots have not been loth to use them at every oppor tanity.

KENT MEN IN THE PRAY.. Our bombardiment yesterday evening in several sectors of the front inse at times to the intensity of drum re, with that awful labouring and pommelling from the drug of war, to the rattles of the lighter heavy howitzers, which is like the big kettledrums, which are the field batteries. which later, when darkness crept over our There was summer lightning in the sky.. battlefields and over all woods and orchards of villages behind, flashed with The Germain machines are showing a short, sharp stars of light, so like gunfire Seater tendency in these days to go to a sight that it was difficult to dis pieces. Formerly they appeared to haveling them from sach barats, except but in the fighting of the past month as east and worth, and we seemed to be greater stability and maneuvring power. that they were south and went, as well numler have actually collapsed in mid-encircled by battle. air, sometimes the wings breaking off. sometimes the tail fying in one dirretion while the body goes in another,

HEAVY WASTADE.

able to spend the same amount of time

It may be that the Germans are on their machines as formerly, for the British air offensive has taxed them! severely, and reinfore-ments, both in men and aeroplanes, have had to be sent to this front in large numbers to repair battle of Årras.

surrender.

The Kents were cut off, but did not only one left with his company.

One young officer was thei cheered up the men and said it was up าน to the Kents to hold out as long as pos shell holes and making a defensive posi sible, and they buill cover by linking up tion,

FIGHTING THROUGH TO SAVETT

Three times the enemy attacked in heavy numbers, determined to get their men, but each time they were beaten off by machine gun fire and bomby,

night came, and with it grave and dread- Fifteen hours passed like this, and then

mained of the company of men who tooked ful anxiety to the blbeer with what re-

nothing could stop it. more borba. to him for leadership, There were no If another attack canté,

were lengthening across the fields and the But before darkness, when the shadows glow of the evening sun was warm on the white walls of the French cottages, I went the second lieutenant. Between them and "We must fight our way back," mid into an old village to meet some men who their own lines were two German trenches last, months ago now, during the battle They were the men of Kent, whom I met to hack a way through. have just come out of the fires of hatefull of the enemy. It would not be easy of the Summe, where they had hard fight

and tragic losses.

"

scrambled up into the open, and, with But the Kents left their shell holes,

as possible to the German lines between forward through the darkness as stealthily the second-lieutenant leading stumbled

spring into the enemy's trench, bayonet- ing or clubbing the sentries.

by this time sitting on the tail of the the wastage since the beginning of the these men had done just a little while them and our old positions. Then they'

so he took another dizzy oss down wards, and at the same time another British machine above him, which was Germun, also dropped in unison with the ther two. Three neroplanes thus wert whirling drunkenly through the air, the German fring at the British siraan below and the British above firing at the German sandwiched between his twu op. ponents.

Suddenly the encty drifted out of the deadly embrace of the upper British are plane and went to earth, blind and Broken, and the lower British neroplane, Abus freed, rallied and reisended the heivens with its comrade.

The spinning and diving of the aphos ing machines cúptinued in the same way until three German airoaft had been destroyed, and the rest fled. The British patrol reformed and continued its vigil in the sky without suffering a single casualty.

I heard their tales of battle the things The twilight and dusk and darkness

ago before coming down to this village of the midst of death of English valour put peace--tales of frightful hours, of life in to the most bloody and cruel tesis.

sont

A German olleer came out of a dug-out

our second-lieutenant shot him with his in a trench, but before he could use it with a sword, which is an unusual weapon

revolver.

had to fight

There are many highly skilled pilots pitted against ours, but there is also a proportion of less competent youths who have not been able to stand up against was one boy with black eyes sitting with Men of Keat and boys of Kent! There their better-trained opponents, They his tunic off on the window sill above a show, too, it strong disinclination to coine terraced porch who seemed too young to over our lines and, as in the case of be one of the King's officers, and is no again to a great escape. the fugitives who tried to escape on Sun: more than nineteer, but ninety in the exother officers and men who had to light So to the next trench, and so through day night but were brought to battle, they perierice of life and death.

There were to get away if they so they are being rience of life and death desperately for life, i pursued.

did bravery, and Kentish luds bhaved with fine and

splen car remained alone in a shell-hole when Ajrivate belonging to a machine-gun all his comrades were killed, and stayed there for three days keeping his gun in action until relieved by troops.

Three days had passed when he rejoined his unit, and they, after a brief rest, were advancing

moving forward ugain to the front line. but I'll go up along with the rest of the remaining behind, but he emid, Thanks, The escaped man was given the offer of chap, and back he went.

FACE SIGHT FROM ITCHING PIMPLES

Ashamed to Go Out. Could Hard- ly Sleep. Healed by Cuticura.

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with some signallers to keep touch with brs

up.

saying heroplanes, just as he is of econo-atinck in the darkness before daybreak on The enemy is undoutedly desirous of company, who had gone forward in the mising other resources, and he has no in one of these May mornings. He lost his tention of losing machines in combats ways as other men did, because of the which are likely to be unprofitable.

darkness, and found his men being hit by schine-gun bullets. He put them into Our steady bombing of the enemy's back shell-holes, and worked from one holu to areas is equally disconcerting. Tons of the other, dodging the heavy crumps explosives are constantly being dropped which flung the earth up about them, and armies in the trenches. on points which act as feeders for the the more deadly sweep of bullets. passes without sueyssful attacks of this he met a man of his company bringing

Not a night When the first glimmer of dawn can Bort being made by our squadrons. down two prisoners, and heard that the aircraft batteries and night patrols, news and good evidence. The young off-pany commander fall by his side. The

The Germans have increased their anti-objective had been taken. It seemed good. large numbers of seroplanes. are wholly mounted searchlights on church towers, cer pushed on with what men were with stretcher bearers had not yet come up CLARKE famous Pills also care Gravel,

CUT-OFF BY THE FOR

Arother young private saw his com

that spot, though all through the battle they did most noble work; and this pri

soldier

to get help

tem of patrols and signals to deal with ahead of him. and tried by means of an elaborate syshim, and presently saw a body of men these disturbing visitors, but our nero- destruction, and there are comparatively few casualties.

ROUTINE!

who is the aggressor and who the pur- planes continue their regular journeys of Our follows, he thought, and signalled for his officer was desperate to

One of the pilots, who brought down a hostile machine with seven shots from an automatic pistol, had already de stroyed two other German aeroplanes, anaking a record of three for one day.

These complicated battles between unintelligible to watchers below, The machines lift and drop and wheel with such rapidity that it is impossible to tell sued,

to them. He thought, it queer that they The combat of Sunday was a bewilder

He resolved to make the tierny help. ing spectacle of fourteen tangled agre

didn's answer his signals, but waved hin, and went forward to where ho sav planca apparently trying to describe

their caps in reply. He thought it more Germans. By some menace of death in enormous loops and crescents in the air

quoer that they were wearing overcoats, his eyes, he quelled them-six of them while holding each other's tails at one peditions of the night like the whirlwind forward without coats. But if those were a prisoners, made them carry the young The pilots regard these dangerous ex- and he was sure his company had gone into surrender, and, bringing them back time there were seven machines locked battles of the day as part of the ordin- not his men, where were they? That was officer back to the dressing station, so sas- togther, sliding down an imaginary chute ary routine of a Hying men's existence. where they ought to be, or further foring his life.tk amid a shower of anti-aircraft shrapnel They have the most amazing escapes an ardent forward a little way, uneasy brief glimpse of it, and they will forgiv which involved friend and foo alike,

Thero has been more close-range fight-

I hav told the story of the Kents, or a He One machine was hit by a German shoil and doubtful, until all doubts were me when I add that what they have done ing. The pilot who shot down a black-and partially wrecked--the shell tore a solved Those men waving caps to him, has been done also by other English bat crus Aviatik with his automatic pistol hold in the body and exploded on the beckoning him forward, were Germans. talions, not with greater valour but with on Sunday evening was by no means engine. The driver, although suffering The enemy had got behind our men, who as great, in many battles and in these an exception Machines are handled from a compound fracture of the leg, were cut off. I was a narrow escape for being fought art with superb skill, and can be jockeyed by brougth his damaged craft back into the this boy of 13, and he had others before Our English troops, expert riders so expertly that a smgle British lines and within fire feet of the be got back with a few men, sniped all of mine, get but littis praise or fame, troops through no faul sweep suffices to bring one of them, earth before he lost consciousness and the the way by the enemy on the hillside though they are the back-bone of the travelling, perhaps, a hundred miles aeroplane dashed against the ground. It was wore for men who had been Army, and are in all our great attacks. hour, squarely alongside another rocket

Ho could not be extricated from the fighting forward there. They had gone Tng through space at the same tremend wreckage save by being pulled through over the ground quickly to the first nel garden county of Kent have poured out The boys of England, like those of te ous speed, so that in the language of one the hole made by the shell.though many had lost their way in dark thir blood on these fields of imperturbable helmsman

are many other heroic feats

with their comrades of Scotland, Itejund in the records of this s Daily Express.

could (Continued at foot of next column.);

well

as the most amazing adventures.

id corps enemy had dribbled in from positions on

(Continued at just first rulums:)"

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