The "Eyewitness" at Sir John French's headquarters the in the
papers of Tuesday a thrilling encounter in
b
e air between British and German aeroplanes. Two officers of the Royal Flying Corps, while reconnoitring in an aero- plane at a height of four thousand feet, encountered "a large German aeroplane having a double fuselage, two engines, and a pair of propellers." The German observer opened fire with his machine gun. Then the British observer fired about fifty rounds at less than two hundred yards range. The German machine wavered, and after a few more shots its engines stopped, and it nose-dived to a level of two thousand feet. There it flew slowly and erratically. The British pilot turned for home, as the fire from anti-aircraft guns below was too hot. Unfortunately his petrol tank was hit, and as the aero- plane slanted towards the ground flames burst out and ran down to the front of the body. So great was the beat that unexpended rounds of machine-gun ammunition exploded, as well as the ammunition in a loaded revolver in the pilot's pocket. Before reaching the ground a large part of the aeroplane was consumed, and the propeller had been burnt too badly to revolve. Yet both of the officers managed to jump clear of the flames. They had fortunately reached their own lines.
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