THRILLING DEEDS OF BRITISH AIRMEN THRILLING DEEDS OF BRITISH AIRMEN UNIFORM IVITH THIS BOOK V.C. HEROES OF THE WAR By G. A. LEASK, M.A. With Eight Illustrations by F. Matania and others. Price 3s. 6d. net. ^ Fr. The Glorious Achievement of Lieut. Warneford, V.C. THRILLING DEEDS OF BRITISH AIRMEN BY ERIC WOOD author of 'famous voyages of the grbat discoverers' etc. LONDON GEORGF. G HARRAP & COMPANY 2 fir- 3 PORTSMOUTH STREET KINGSWAY W.C. MCMXVII %-^ Printed in Great BriUin Hy TMmbttllir' Spmrs, EJinhureh Preface IN this war of wonders to many people the most wonderful thing is, perhaps, the part which aircraft has played. Very few of us realized less than three years ago what a formidable weapon aircraft was to prove, and most of us can remember the days — they seem not so very distant — when flying was treated as a great mad joke save on occasion when it became a tragedy through some ' mad-brained enthusiast ' being killed during an experimental flight. Novelists, who are free to be prophets, naturally seized upon the subject of flight and predicted all sorts of things which perhaps they themselves did not believe would happen ; a few men, wiser than their generation, and gifted with far-seeing eyes, seriously insisted on the military im- portance of aircraft in the near future, but people generally believed that many years must elapse before aircraft could be of practical vadue. Then came the war, which in due course 5 Thrilling Deeds revealed unsuspected uses to which aircraft could be put. Very soon it was discovered that the flying men were the eyes of the navies and of the armies, and as time went on it was realized that the side which obtained ascendancy in the air was well on the way to victory. It is now safe to predict, in view of all that has happened, that aircraft will play a decisive part in the final stages of the mighty conflict. The increased range of the heaviest guns, both naval and military, demand methods of observation different from any previously known and utihzed ; in fact, it may be said that long-range guns — at least guns of such a range as now in use — have been made effectively possible only by aerial observation. The char- acter of trench warfare, also, similar in some respects to, yet in others very different from, the war of trenches in other conflicts, has demanded the aerial scout, even as that latest ingenious war device, the Tank, calls for assistance from the aeroplane. This little book, however, is not a serious study of aircraft in war, but, as its title indicates, a compilation of thrilling deeds of 6 Preface British airmen chosen from a very large number to illustrate various types and phases of aerial operations. Sometimes the telling has been in the nature of making bricks without straw, because of the absence of details in so many official reports. I trust, however, that in ex- panding such terse accounts of what obviously were heroic incidents I have not done violence to truth. My aim has been to present what were probably the facts, and I have carefully followed the suggestions contained in the brief originals with that object in view. What wonderful stories, indeed, must be hidden behind some of the cold phraseology of official communiquis ! What courage, what sheer audacity ! Some day, perhaps, we may be allowed to know more, and then the world will be thrilled indeed. I am aware that many of our gallant flying men desire to remain anonymous, and because of that the only cases in which names are given in the book are those in which the official reports have lifted the curtain of anonymity. Very often details could have been given which would have made certain things much 7 Thrillmg Deeds clearer, but discretion demanded that those details should be omitted, as being in the nature of secrets. The book is intended to be a tribute to the gallant men of the air — the humble tribute of one who is not a flier, but who has a great admiration for those who are. I hope that it may be privileged to play some small part in keeping alive the widespread interest which has been aroused in the doings of the Flying Services. E. W. 8 Contents CHAPTER PAGE I. 'The Spotters' 13 II. Some Stories of ' Rupert ' . . . 27 III. Some Fine British Raids • • • 39 IV. The Pluck of Major Brabazon Rees . 62 V. The End of the " K5nigsberg " . . 72 VI. " One of our Machines did not Return " 85 VII. First-Aid in Mid-Air .... 106 VIII. Warneford, V.C 115 IX. Flying while Dying .... 125 X. Rescued by Airmen .... 133 XI. Tales of the Coast Patrol . . 147 XII. A Batch of V.C.s .... 170 XIII. The Man who Brought Down Immel- MANN 193 XIV. Some Zeppelin Strafers . . . 208 XV. On Fire! 241 9 Thrilling Deeds CHAPTKR XVI. The Battle of Seventy Aeroplanes XVII. On Patrol . . . • XVIII. Against Great Odds . XIX. Some Anonymous Heroes . XX. The Train Bombers XXI. A Champion Aerial Fighter PAGE 248 278 10 PACE I Ihtstrations The Glorious Achievement of Lieutenant Warneford .... Frontispiece From a painting by Lieut. F. Gordon-Crosby, A.L, A.LD. Copy- right W. R, Deighton, London. The British Air Raid on Cuxhaven, Christ- mas Day 1914 46 From a drawing by Arthur W. J. Burgess. The R.F.C. at Work 64 From a drawing by G. H. Davis. A British Aeroplane Ablaze after a Duel with a Giant Biplane . . . .102 From a drawing by John dk G. Bryan. A Seaplane 'Spotting' a Submarine . . 154 From a drawing by Arthur W. J. Burgess. The R.N.A.S. at Work . . . . 166 From a drawing by G. H. Davis. The Destruction of a Zeppelin at Cuffley . 216 From a painting by Walter Hunt. Copyright \V. R. Deighton, London. Raiding the Raider 238 II CHAPTER I ' The Spotters ' IN the changed conditions of modern warfare airmen have become the eyes of the army. Starting from their bases, aviators wing their way over the enemy's hnes and observe every passing thing that comes within their vision, so that generals, sitting at headquarters, know exactly to where enemy reinforcements have gone, how many trains of munitions have been sent to certain places, where batteries are placed, and a thousand things that the brains of an army must be cognizant of. Trenches dug overnight are noted the next morning and inscribed upon the large-scale maps which are used as bases for the plans of operations. In fact, httle that happens escapes notice — if the flying corps of an army has won command of the air. In yet another sense are airmen the eyes of an army. During a bombardment observers, hovering over the field of battle, note the effect 13 Thrilling Deeds of artillery fire, obtain the range and wireless it back to the batteries ; then, when the guns have hurled forth their bolts of destruction, they observe whether the range is accurate, and, if not, signal back instant correction. So the work goes on — and always under intense fire from anti-aircraft guns, for the enemy knows how vital to the batteries hidden away back behind the front lines is the ' spotting ' of the aerial onlookers. It is work to try the strongest nerves, for the aeroplane is continu- ally dodging like some giant dragon-fly, in the effort to avoid screaming shells, bursting shrapnel, or some enemy machine that has been sent up to put an end to the work of observation. Quick calculations have to be made, and made accurately, otherwise shells, each costing hundreds of pounds, may be flung across No Man's Land only to tear up vacant fields. Failure to explode in some vital place will cost many valuable lives when the infantry advance. The following stories illustrate the peril and the glory involved in the work of ' spotting ' on active service. 14 The Spotters It naturally follows that when aeroplanes are on artillery observation service, enemy 'planes, as we have indicated, endeavour to bring them down or else to drive them away, and such efforts lead to aerial combats. During a battle on July 6, 1915, one of our ' spotting ' machines was strenuously attacked by German aviators, after it had been found hopeless to try to drive it away by gun- fire. In those days the ' spotters ' had to be fighters too, because aerial tactics had not developed into such a fine art as it is to-day, when the observing machines are protected by fighting 'planes which fly much higher to keep a look-out for and to attack any enemy machines which may attempt to engage the ' spotters.' The British artillery was doing good work, thanks to the information from the officers flying in the British machine. These were the pilot, Second-Lieutenant Dwight Filley, R.F.C. (Special Reserve), and Lieutenant Lambert Playfair (ist Royal Scots and R.F.C), who was acting as observer. Their ' spotting ' had resulted in so many direct hits that, the 15 Thrilling Deeds hostile anti-aircraft guns having proved in- effectual, a number of German fighting machines were sent up to attack them. As one by one they rose to the attack the gallant pilot of the British » machine, with a word through the speaking-tube to his observer, made a drive which brought him alongside or above the enemy, and a fair supply of ammunition for the machine-gun being to hand, it was ex- pended to such good purpose that one after another the Germans were compelled to retire. In the breathing spaces between the different combats Filley would drop back into position favourable for observation, and Playfair would resume his interrupted work of taking notes and sending back news to the battery. The work in hand was important enough to call for all the attention of the two officers, but so far as they themselves were concerned, they did not seem to mind the interruptions. Down below, however, the Germans were be- coming greatly exasperated, and finally some officer, having apparently made up his mind that the British aeroplane must be brought down or driven off if the position were to be i6 The Spotters tenable much longer, sent up a couple of aeroplanes simultaneously, with instructions to attack together. One can, in imagination, hear one of the British airmen shouting through the speaking- tube : " Now for it ! " or see the other passing to his companion a slip of paper with a few words scribbled upon it telling him to get ready for the scrap, with the added titbit : " There are only five rounds left ! " A final message was sent back to the battery, and then, while a shell from one of the guns crashed on to the spot indicated, Filley, with- out waiting for the Germans to attack him, swooped toward them in order to get in the first shots. It was a right royal battle while it lasted, but, unfortunately, it did not last very long. The British were badly outmatched, being short of ammunition and having two enemies to fight. Filley, however, manoeuvred his machine so skilfully, and Playfair worked his gun so cleverly, that, but for an unlucky bullet from one of the German machines, they might have come off with flying colours. That bullet, however, put an end to Filley's B 17 Thrilling Deeds hopes, for Lieutenant Playfair was killed in the very act of firing his gun. Practised as he was in the ways of engines, Lieutenant Filley, after recovering from the shock he had suffered at seeing his comrade killed, realized that his engine had been damaged by some of the spraying bullets from the German gun. He was helpless for attack now that his companion was dead, and his one idea hence- forth was to save his machine. To stay where he was would mean being shot down by the Germans, in which case the aeroplane would be captured and he himself made prisoner, even if he were not killed. The true soldier knows when it is time to leave the scene of battle, and Filley realized that his duty was to get back as quickly as possible. The enemy, thinking that they now had him, closed in upon him, but the Lieutenant swung round, and, with his engine making weird noises, as though it resented being driven while so severely mauled, made for the British lines. Presently the Germans came within range of the British anti-aircraft guns, whereupon they promptly turned tail, leaving i8 The Spotters Filley to go on his way unmolested to a grace- ful landing which he soon was able to make. For his courageous part in this brilliant combat Lieutenant Filley was awarded the Military Cross. The same coveted decoration was awarded to Lieutenant W. R. Freeman (Manchester Regiment and R.F.C.) for his " gallantry, ability, and very valuable work," about the same time and in somewhat similar circum- stances. Hidden German batteries had been making things decidedly uncomfortable in a certain part of the British line, and the Lieutenant was detailed to reconnoitre their position. Despite continual attempts to bring him down, the Lieutenant held on his way over the German lines until he succeeded in ' spotting ' the guns. His machine was fitted with wireless transmitting apparatus, and he proceeded to send back the results of his observations, until at last the British artillery got the range to a nicety. Hovering over the German lines Lieutenant Freeman had some exciting moments. All about him shells were bursting and rifle 19 Thrilling Deeds bullets came thick and fast. German aero- planes were not absent either, but for five solid hours the aviator stuck to the task allotted to him, and, although his propeller and his planes were damaged by bullets, he refused to be driven off until he considered that his work was done. Only then did he make for his base, no doubt highly pleased with what he had achieved. Another ' spotter,' Second-Lieutenant A. A. Benjamin Thomson (Royal Warwicks and R.F.C.), earned the Military Cross at Neuve- Chapelle in 1915. He was working in con- junction with a heavy gun which, well behind the front line, was bombarding the German trenches. On August 29th the rain was com- ing down in torrents and the clouds were at 500 feet only, which naturally involved fly- ing, for observation work, at a height which was distinctly uncomfortable from several points of view. In some way, perhaps, the clouds may have proved friendly, for, when the German fire became too hot for safety, the Lieutenant could dart above a cloud-bank and remain sheltered — to come through at a 20 The Spotters different spot and so compel the enemy to readjust sights and go to the trouble of getting the new range ; all of which meant that the observer was given time to make his notes and send messages to the big gun, which, owing to his excellent work, was regis- tering direct hits in quick succession. Once, however, the clouds nearly brought disaster. Even we who grovel on tena firma will understand that it can be no easy matter to keep one's bearings in mid-air when, owing to a driving rain, one can scarcely see the ground below, and when one gets tucked away among thick clouds it is easy to over- shoot the mark. This is what Lieutenant Thomson did. He had got in among clouds which hid everything from his sight, and when he finally came down out of them, he found himself well over the German trenches. He was quickly espied by the enemy, and a very tornado of fire instantly enveloped him. Lieutenant Thomson, however, favoured by the gods who guard the brave, lived through the storm and succeeded in driving his machine back toward our lines, over which he calmly hovered, 21 Thrilling Deeds continuing\his observations, with the result that, in the course of a couple of hours, the British heavy gun tossed no fewer than ten big shells plump on to the required target, to say nothing of others which fell uncomfort- ably near. The discomfited Germans shook angry fists at the airman who seemed, as he hovered lightly in the grey dome of heaven, to be mocking them. It was only when it became too dark to see anything that Lieutenant Thomson volplaned to earth, after a "most satisfactory piece of work. Another aviator who, by all the rules, ought to have given up, but who succeeded by a tremendous effort in keeping his machine in action, was Second-Lieutenant Malcolm Henderson (4th Ross Highland Seaforth Highlanders, R.F.C.). This officer was accom- panied by an observer who was to take photographs of enemy positions. This work naturally involved flying at a low altitude at certain places, in order to avoid clouds and the ' Archibalds,' which latter saw to it that the British aeroplane did not have an un- molested trip. 22 The Spotters Whenever Henderson dived or spiralled into view, German anti-aircraft guns banged away at him, woolly puffs of smoke burst all round, and high explosive shells crashed thunder- ously above the roar of the engine. Coolly Henderson controlled his machine, and just as calmly the observer took his photographs, and it seemed that, despite the terrific bombardment to which they were subjected, the two aviators would succeed in their mission. Then came catastrophe. At one place the Germans below had the range almost to an inch, and explosions of the shells made the aeroplane plunge madly. The pilot kept his head, but expected that a missile would strike home at any moment. He did not have long to wait. Suddenly the machine staggered, and seemed as though it would turn over ; there was a deafening roar, a tearing, ripping sound, followed by another, a hoarse cry from the pilot, a startled exclamation from the observer. For an instant the machine hung, as it were, out of control, then gave a downward lurch. The slip might have ended in a nose- ^3 Thrilling Deeds dive but for the pilot's tremendous reassertion of self-control. After recovering from the first shock of the appalling thing that had happened, Henderson set himself a task which was suffi- cient to daunt, so one would think, the bravest of men. What had happened in that dramatic moment was this : a gun had found the exact range and a shell, hitting the nacelle of the aeroplane, had crashed its way through the floor, cut off one of Henderson's legs just below the knee, and then continued on its way into space. Losing blood as he was at a fearful rate, with his head dizzy, his eyes bleared, every nerve affected by the shock, who could have blamed Lieutenant Henderson if he had given up ? How could any man be expected to withstand so awful a disaster ? In all too many cases, such a tragedy must have resulted in a still greater one, the culmination being a wrecked and burning machine, the funeral pyre of its occupants. But incredible as it may seem, the dramatic truth is that the heroic Henderson on regaining 24 The Spotters consciousness immediately got his machine under control again while at that dizzy height of 7000 feet, and with the one determination to save his aeroplane, his observer, and the precious photographs, set his course toward the British lines. Meantime, the German gunners, whose ob- servers had marked the effect of the shell, had fully expected to see the machine fall crashing to the ground, but when, to their amazement, it recovered equilibrium and then turned round and made off, they feverishly got to work again. But ere they had made up their minds to act, Henderson had driven his 'plane so far that it was necessary for the artillery to get a new range, and by the time that was done he was still farther off. With a deafening roar the engine drove the 'plane along at its giddy height, and with physical strength fast waning, and the strain sapping his nervous energy, the pilot manipulated his machine, dodging the Teuton's ' woolly bears ' when the range was too accurate to be pleasant. Already in the distance he could see the British lines, and if only consciousness would last, 25 Thrilling Deeds safety was assured. Bracing himself for a last effort, Henderson set his teeth, and, hold- ing gamely on through the pursuing shells, he presently volplaned to earth well within our own lines. Only then did his grip relax and his senses leave him. 26 CHAPTER II Some Stories of 'Rttpert ' ALTHOUGH we hear more about the aeroplane than we do about the kite balloon, it must not be forgotten that the former has by no means ousted the latter from its place as a valuable arm in an army's equipment. The aeroplane goes out over the enemy's lines, seeking hidden batteries, photographing positions, locating reserves, and hovering over bombarded sectors and signalling to the far-off gunners the effect of their firing. The balloon— that is, the kite balloon, the queer-looking, unwieldy gas-bag with its ob- servation car dangling below — is used behind the lines continuously to observe the effect of gun-fire; but, although it is behind the lines, it is by no means safe. Why, by the way, the kite balloon should have been christened ' Rupert ' no one knows, any more than it is possible to find out why the anti-aircraft gun should be called ' Archibald,' but there 27 Thrilling Deeds it is. Wherever the flying men go they carry their ' Hngo ' with them, and, no doubt, these Uttle things give a touch of humour to what is, after all, a most serious business. Naturally, the artillery objects to enemy kite balloons, and attempts are made to bring them down— both by gun-fire and aeroplane attacks. As a result, many have gone to earth in flames, and lucky is the observation officer in such circumstances who escapes with his life. Very often, when a strong wind is blow- ing, the cables cannot stand the strain put upon them, the balloon tugs like a dog on the leash, shakes itself, and goes on a wild, free voyage at the bidding of the wind — sometimes toward the enemy's lines. An incident of this latter kind befell Second- Lieutenant A. C. D. Gavin (Royal Highlanders and R.F.C.) and a passenger who was in the swaying car with him. A bombardment was about to take place at a certain point of the line, and Lieutenant Gavin had been deputed to go aloft. The great gas-bag, unwieldy, hideous-looking thing that it was, had been inflated, and the Lieutenant and his passenger 28 Some Stories of ^Rtcpert ' took their places in the basket. The word was given to be off ; strong-armed men on a motor lorry near by began to unwind a steel cable from a big winch, and the ' Rupert ' started to mount, swaying in the wind, but always being brought back to position by the queer-looking ' rudder.' Up and up, until, at 4000 feet, the balloon came to rest — if con- tinually straining at a leash which will not allow the balloon to go higher can be called rest. Far below, and well away from the motor lorry, the guns were firing. Lieutenant Gavin through his binoculars marked where the shells burst in the distant German lines. Presently there was a great spout of earth and debris of all kinds. The Lieutenant spoke a few words into the telephone with which his balloon was provided, and the man in the shelter below received a message which told of the result of that trial round ; he in turn telephoned it to the far-off battery, the re- ceiver there rushed off to the officer in charge, the range was altered, and once again the heavies opened fire. 29 Thrilling Deeds Meanwhile, up in the basket, Lieutenant Gavin was having no pleasant time. The Germans had quickly realized that the good marksmanship being made by the battery they could not see and could not hit was the result of the keen watching of the man in the sway- ing basket, and they were doing their utmost to bring his observation work to a close. They opened fire with their heavies, aided by their own balloonists, who knew that beneath the British balloon there was the attendant lorry, and this being a better target than the gas-bag itself, they directed their gunners' fire toward it. Lieutenant Gavin, looking down, saw a ' crump ' arrive, saw the earth flung up in a shower, and knew that he was likely to be cut adrift. While yet his cables held, however, he was going to carry out the work assigned to him, and, all unconcerned, as became a Briton, he went calmly on with the task of correcting the range of our own firing and noting the effect of the shells. Observation work is not all plain sailing. The Germans have a little dodge which they play, and that is to fire off flashes at various 30 Some Stories of ^Rupert ' points, hoping to mislead the observer into beheving that they are the flashes of guns. A man needs to be well trained and well experienced to avoid being fooled in this way, because to be deceived means that the battery will waste hundreds of shells, perhaps, on trying to smash guns which do not exist ! Lieutenant Gavin was not to be deceived, and he did such good work that the Germans realized that unless they made better practice with their firing their guns would be out- matched. So they concentrated upon the lorry ; there was a terrific roar below, the balloon gave a sudden leap upward ; and, looking down, the Lieutenant saw a great hole in the ground where the lorry had once stood. He knew what had happened, and he knew that his work for that day, at any rate, if not for the duration of the war, was over. The balloon, as though happy to be released, bounded still higher, and, caught in a wind current, began to drift toward the enemy's lines ! Such a moment calls for prompt action, and Lieutenant Gavin was not found wanting. 31 Th'illmg Deeds Dropping many hundreds of feet in a para- chute does not appeal to everybody, and many can remember the feeHng of dread at exhibitions when the parachutist dropped out of the basket of his balloon and a violent death seemed to be assured. Perhaps parachuting is a fine sport, if you know how to use the apparatus ; but if you have not. been initiated, there is little sport about it, especially if shrapnel is screaming around. However, Lieutenant Gavin coolly set to work to instruct his passenger in the use of the parachute, made sure that he under- stood, then, with a cheery au revoir, helped him up on to the edge of the basket, which was swaying perilously all the time, and told him to " Go ! " The passenger obeyed the injunction and dropped like a plummet for innumerable feet. His heart must have been in his mouth no doubt, and he must have wondered whether the wretched envelope would ever open. Gavin now had no time to waste. Before he could follow his passenger on the exciting trip, there was much to be done. Supposing 32 Some Stories of 'Rupert ' the balloon came down in the enemy's terri- tory the Germans must not get hold of the valuable papers in the basket. These papers contained confidential instructions, and his own elaborate observations for the eyes of the Staff only. There were also instruments the secrets of which were not to be surrendered to the enemy. Gavin hastily gathered his papers, and deliberately destroyed them what time the current of wind was carrying the balloon swiftly toward the German lines. At last the final piece of paper was torn to shreds, the instruments were smashed beyond recog- nition ; and then, and then only, did Gavin think about himself. He looked down out of the basket, and saw that he was still over the British lines, but rapidly approaching their limits. He seized his parachute, saw that it was in working order, put himself into the ring, gripped the handholds provided, climbed upon the edge of the basket, noted the white covering of his comrade's parachute still drop- ping toward earth — and fell, like Lucifer, into the emptiness below. Would the envelope never open ? Was that c 33 Thrilling Deeds terrific rush to keep on until he smashed into the ground ? And, if the parachute did open, where would he land ? Gavin could not answer all of those ques- tions at once. The answer to the first came suddenly : there was a jerk at his arms, as though they were being pulled out of their sockets, then the downward mad rush ceased, and in its place there was a gentle floating motion. He would not crash into the ground ! From below, as he drew nearer, came the louder boom of guns ; presently came the rattle of machine-gun fire, and he realized that he was just over the front lines. But in which front lines would he land ? Down and down he continued to drop, his field of vision becoming narrower as he neared the earth ; the white lines of chalk which he knew to be trenches grew clearer and more distinct, and at last he knew that he would land where he wanted to land — within the British lines. However, when he touched earth German machine-guns were rattUng perilously, and he had good reason to thank his lucky stars when 34 Some Stones of'Rtiperf at last he crawled unharmed into a British trench. On a day toward the end of 1916, during a tremendous bombardment by both sides, Second-Lieutenant Norman Brearley (Liver- pool Regiment and R.F.C.) decided that a certain ' Rupert ' well behind the German lines was proving far too useful, and he resolved to bring its career to an end. As he winged his way over the front lines toward his objec- tive the Lieutenant chuckled at the thought of the surprise he was going to give the Huns — always supposing that a certain little ruse he had in mind proved workable. Long before he arrived anywhere near the ' Rupert,' he was spotted, and the ' Archies ' did their best to drive him back or bring him down. But Lieutenant Brearley was a ' sticker,' and held on his way until, with ' woolly bears ' woofing all about him, he was immedi- ately above the kite balloon. The anti-aircraft guns, of course, redoubled their efforts, while the observers in the basket of the balloon fired madly from their rifles. 35 Thrilling Deeds Suddenly the Germans on terra firma shouted excitedly ; the tiny speck in the sky was seen to be in trouble, apparently having been winged. What had happened ? A high explosive shell had burst near the aeroplane, the machine had suddenly tilted, and with its planes almost at right angles to the ground had begun to side-slip at an amazing speed. Not one of the Germans below thought that anything could save the airman. Great was the rejoicing among the gunners, while the occupants of the ' Rupert ' felt that they had been saved from a fate they scarcely dared think about. The ' Archies ' stopped firing, for it was only throwing away good ammunition to pursue a stricken foe whose life was all but spent. Lieutenant Brearley sat tight, but there was no fear in his face, nothing about him that would have suggested that he knew he was hurtling to his death : instead a grim smile lurked about his mouth and a determined look was in his eyes as his hand gripped the trigger of his Lewis gun. 36 Some Stories of 'R^tpert ' For this side-slip down through space was not the result of the machine being hit at all ; it was a deliberate manoeuvre ! The ruse was not one to be lightly attempted, for in order to deceive the spectators below, the machine must drop sheer with wings vertical and at a terrific speed to give the appearance that it was out of control. The trick called for grit — called for a man who was willing to take his life in his hands, because it might easily be that the machine could not be righted in time and then But Lieutenant Brearley was willing to risk all in order to bring ' Rupert ' down, and the machine slipped speedily through the air, drop- ping thousands of feet in an incredibly short time to 1500 feet from the ground, when it was almost level with the balloon, which was now being hauled down. Then the amazing thing happened. The enemy below saw the apparently doomed machine suddenly right itself and, in a flash, dive straight for the unwieldy envelope. Too late it was realized that things were not what they seemed and that the Briton had 37 Thrilling Deeds been playing a trick. The guns opened out immediately, but ' Rupert ' was now acting as a shield to the intrepid airman, whose machine-gun was firing rapidly upon it. Meanwhile the Germans were striving to haul down their balloon before the aviator could inflict deadly injury upon it, but as he was provided with an efficient weapon for such an attack and was no prentice hand at the work, it was not long before Lieutenant Brearley had the satisfaction of seeing the ugly mass go blazing to earth, utterly destroyed. Then, as the official account notifying an award of the Mihtary Cross for the briUiant deed says, " he returned." 38 CHAPTER III Some Fine British Raids IT is an undisputed fact that the British Flying Services have carried out some of the largest raids in the course of the war, and there have been so many of them that it is impossible to describe every one here. It is worth remembering that these raids differed from those undertaken by the Germans when their airships visited Britain : our raids are always against places of military importance, whereas the world knows the object of German fright fulness. Quite early in the conflict our airmen, in twos and threes — and sometimes more — went on long-distance flights, to attack some im- portant point behind the German lines, as, for instance, when Squadron-Commander Spenser Grey, and Lieutenants S. V. Sippe and Marix, of the R.N.A.S., on October 8th, 1914, sailed over the airship shed at Diisseldorf, dropped bombs which hit their mark and set fire to the 39 Thrilling Deeds shed and the Zeppehn inside, as they plainly saw by the tall pillar of smoke and flame which arose immediately after the bombs struck. Then, on November 21st of the same year, there was a daring aerial attack on the Zeppelin works at Friedrichshafen, on the shores of Lake Constance, where Count Zeppelin built the giant gasbags which were to be used on murder raids. The flying men who took part in the attack on the works were Squadron- Commander E. F. Briggs, Flight-Commander J. E. Babbington, and Flight-Lieutenant S. V. Sippe, who set out from an aerodrome in the neighbourhood of Belfort, their Avro machines, driven by 8o-horse-power Gnomes, humming their way up until they were but mere specks in the sky. The course taken lay to the north of the frontier of Switzerland, and Friedrichs- hafen was sighted about midday. The suc- cess with which the airmen steered toward their objective made the Germans realize that British aviators were not to be despised as the " contemptible little army " had been ; and yet, rather than admit this, the enemy avowed that the raid had only been possible by reason 40 So7ne Fine Britisli Raids of the fact that our diplomats in Switzer- land had improperly given information which had assisted the aviators ; which was another German lie that needed no refutation. What had happened was that the Britons had studied the problem and had made themselves mas- ters of the route they were going to take, with the result that they surprised the Germans at Friedrichshafen, who had never expected such an attack from the air. One of the airmen got lost temporarily in a bank of cloud, but Commander Briggs and his other companion dropped to the attack in a giddy volplane. Coming directly over the works they loosed their bombs, and the crash of the explosions mingled with the roar of firing guns, the sharp bark of rifles and the tat-tat-tat of machine-guns — all of which the Germans turned upon the daring aviators, who swept round in wide circles, their planes riddled by the bullets. When the third airman emerged from the cloud-bank he saw that his commander was in trouble : his machine was di-opping. An unlucky bullet had pierced the petrol tank, the engine petered out, and the gallant pilot 41 Thrilling Deeds knew that he would have to descend. He kept his head, however, and maintained control over his mount until he had brought it to a graceful landing near the devastated works. A crowd of Germans immediately surrounded him, and their appearance was so threatening that the Commander drew his revolver, thus keeping at bay the angry foe, who did not know that the revolver was empty ! In due course a German officer came up and Commander Briggs surrendered, not a little mortified that his successful attack should have come to such an inglorious end. Meanwhile, his two comrades were hurrying home, for the necessities of war decreed that they must leave the Commander to the mercy of the enemy. " If they had come unper- ceived," wrote one who described this affair at the time, " they were not to leave the country without risk. The news of their presence was telegraphed from town to town ; motor-cars mounting machine-guns and anti- aircraft cannon were dispatched at full speed to the most likely points ; observers were specially detailed to watch the Swiss border 42 Some Fine British Raids and to note whether these adventurers crossed the frontier. But such was the extraordinary speed with which the airmen returned, that scarcely had the news of their arrival been received than the airmen themselves were over the place to which communication had been made and were out of sight before any effective step could be taken to intercept them." When the airmen reached the flying ground near Belfort they received a hearty and enthusi- astic welcome, and later they were decorated with the Legion of Honour. Cuxhaven, the German war port situate at the mouth of the river Elbe and protected to seaward by the great fortress of Heligo- land, had its first experience of modern war on the morning of Christmas Day 1914, when a number of British seaplanes appeared out of the mist and dropped bombs upon its ship- building yards and fortifications. This raid, the first that the Royal Naval Air Service had undertaken from the sea, was extremely well planned. There were seven 43 Thrilling Deeds seaplanes, which were borne out to sea by two new seaplane carriers, one an erstwhile cross- Channel steamer which had been converted into an auxiliary war- vessel. These two ships were escorted by several submarines, two destroyer flotillas, and the new light cruiser Arethusa, which, before she met with her untimely end in 1916, was to add to the many laurels gained by the long list of ' saucy Arethusas ' in the annals of the British Navy. While on their mother- ships the seaplanes, which were Short tractors, had their wings folded up ; when the appointed rendezvous was reached, the machines were lowered over the side into the water, their planes were opened, their engines began to roar, and having driven through the water the distance required to get up sufficient speed to allow of rising, up through the mist they soared, droning on their way to their objective. The seven pilots engaged in the dashing adven- ture were Flight-Commanders Oliver, Hewlett, Kilner and Ross, Flight-Lieutenants Miley and Edmonds, and FHght-Sub-Lieutenant Gaskell Blackburn, each of whom was an experienced airman. 44 Some Fine British Raids Day was just breaking when the seaplanes whirred upward, leaving their escorts to move seaward to await their return from what was to prove a hazardous adventure. If the British anticipated that they would be un- molested they were quickly disillusioned, for not long after the seaplanes had left their mother-ships a squadron of enemy 'planes, accompanied by a Zeppelin, appeared and bore down toward the British machines, which, however, held on their way, knowing that the destroyers and the Arethusa would deal with the coming foes. The Arethusa, provided as she was with special anti-aircraft artillery, was a formidable adversary, as the Zeppelin soon discovered, for, directly the airship was sighted, the gunners on the cruiser opened fire with such accuracy and at such a rate that the aerial monster was compelled to swing round and beat a hasty retreat. Meanwhile, the German seaplanes, which naturally did not present such good targets to anti-aircraft guns, kept on their course toward the ships, arrived over them, and began dropping bombs, which fell so close to 45 Thrilling Deeds the vessels that on many occasions the water- spouts which were flung up as the result of the explosions broke and tumbled in cascades upon the decks. Fortunately, however, not a single bomb struck a ship, and the rapid gun- fire that was maintained rendered the situation so uncomfortable for the seaplanes that they turned tail and made for their base. While this strange battle between aircraft and seacraft was in progress, the British sea- planes were winging their way through the fog to Cuxhaven. Arrived there, they dropped their bombs and did a certain amount of damage, made their observations — which were the chief motive for the raid — and then swept round and flew seaward. Everything had been put upon a time schedule, which was so accu- rately adhered to that even while the enemy 'planes were still hovering over the British destroyers the raiders reappeared. Some of them swooped down to the sea, and taxied along the surface to where they knew that submarines were awaiting them. Immediately the conning-tower of the underwater craft appeared the nearest seaplane came to a stand- 46 The British Air Raid on Cuxhaven, Christmas Day 191 4 46 So7ne Fine British Raids still, the pilot unstrapped himself, and stood ready with knife in hand to rip up the great floats of his machine. When the conning-tower opened, and a naval officer appeared, the destructive work was carried out and the seaplane, costing over £1000, began to sink rapidly and was almost submerged by the time that the pilot had been taken into the submarine, which immediately dived beneath the surface. It may seem a wasteful method, but in war money must be sacrificed for the sake of that which is more precious ; in this case the information which the pilots had gleaned far outweighed in value the cost of the machines which it had been necessary to destroy. Four of the pilots were rescued by submarines in the manner described, but two who returned in the van of their comrades alighted on the surface near the seaplane carriers, to whose sides they taxied even while the enemy aircraft were still dropping their bombs. It was an occasion for some prompt work on the part of the men aboard. To enable them to pick up the seaplanes it was necessary for the two 47 Thrilling Deeds ships to come to a standstill and so render themselves much better marks for the enemy bombs ; they stopped, nevertheless, hoists were swung out, and the machines were picked up as they taxied alongside. A moment later the keen-eyed commanders, who were in constant communication with their engine- rooms, rang down for " Full steam ahead ! " the ships trembled to the thrust of their engines, then leapt through the water, making for home. There was one thing that marred the success of the enterprise, and that was that only six out of the seven intrepid pilots had been picked up, and the escorting vessels, knowing how risky it was to linger, had to steam away without the missing aviator. This was Flight- Commander Hewlett, who, as it afterward transpired, had an exceedingly adventurous time. The thick fog which enveloped the seaplanes greatly bothered Hewlett, and he lost his way, although after a long time he succeeded in reaching Cuxhaven. Arriving as he did after his comrades had left, he natu- railly received a very warm welcome from the 48 Some Fine British Raids Germans, who were now on the qui vive, not knowing whether more of the darmg airmen would appear. To make matters worse, the Fhght-Commander, owing to the fog, had to fly low, so low, in fact, that as he swept over the war port he almost touched the tall masts of the ships lying at anchor in the harbour. As soon as he had located his position, Hew- lett set his machine to climb out of danger, dropping bombs as he went, and followed by a perfect hail of shells from every anti-aircraft gun within range. He knew that at any moment his upward sweep might be changed into a plunge to death, and the firing was so vigorous that he quite expected this to happen. Fortunately, how^ever, either the German gunners were bad marksmen or else the fog which had baffled the airman was now inter- fering with the aim of the artillery-men; whatever the reason, no shell touched Hewlett's machine and no bullet found a resting-place in his body. Up and still up, and headed sea- ward, the seaplane flew, and the Commander was beginning to think that the Fates were not altogether unkind when something went wrong D 49 Thrilling Deeds with his engine, which began to back-fire and ultimately stopped. This was indeed a tragedy. Commander Hewlett's one hope was that he might not have missed the escort. As he planed down to the grey, tossing sea, he scanned the horizon in search of a friendly ship, but none appeared, and he realized that, not having kept to the scheduled time, he had had to be left by the destroyers. When his floats touched water the airman was in anything but a comfortable frame of mind. Neither of the possible alternatives — one of which was that he might stay there until the floats became so water-logged that they would not support the machine, in which case he would be drowned, and the other that an enemy ship might appear and take him prisoner — was at all cheering. It was all very disappointing, after having escaped from the inferno of Cuxhaven ! The airman, sitting in his machine and rocked to and fro at the bidding of the wind and waves, peered for a long and weary time through the mist, hoping against hope that 50 Sonic Fine British Raids he might be rescued. When he had almost ceased to expect succour, the dark bows of a trawler appeared out of the mist, scattering the spray as she came. The stranded airman on the derelict seaplane — for by this time the machine was in a sorry plight — signalled for help ; happily the look-out on the trawler saw him, and the vessel bore down upon the spot. The trawler proved to be Dutch, which from Hewlett's point of view was not so good as if it had been British, but by no means so bad as if it had been German. It did not take long to make the trawler's captain understand what had happened, and, having scuttled his machine, Hewlett was taken on board the fishing vessel and carried to Holland. The fact of his being taken into Holland raised a question of international law, which has laid it down that any member of the fighting services of a belligerent nation taking refuge in a neutral country shall be interned during the progress of the war. Commander Hewlett, however, set up the plea that this law did not apply to him, because he was a 51 Thrilling Deeds shipwrecked mariner who had been rescued out at sea. There was, of course, much argument, but in the end the airman's plea was accepted, he was released, and in due course returned to England. Thus every one of the daring raiders returned safely, and, considering how successful they had been both in bombing and in gathering information, the raid on Cuxhaven may be said to have been a complete triumph. What was at that date probably the longest official report of one exploit in the air was that which was issued by the Admiralty deal- ing with a very satisfactory raid on February nth, 1915. " During the last twenty-four hours," the report ran, " combined aeroplane and seaplane operations have been carried out by the Naval Wing in the Bruges, Zeebrugge, Blanken- berghe and Ostend districts, with a view to preventing the development of submarine bases and establishments. " Thirty-four naval aeroplanes and seaplanes took part. 52 Some Fine British Raids " Great damage is reported to have been done to Ostend Railway Station, which, ac- cording to present information, has probably been burnt to the ground. The railway station at Blankenberghe was damaged and railway lines were torn up in many places. Bombs were dropped on gun positions at Middelkerke, also on the power-station and German mine- sweeping vessels at Zeebrugge, but the damage is unknown. " During the attack the machines encountered heavy banks of snow. " No submarines were seen. " Flight-Commander Grahame- White fell into the sea off Nieuport and was rescued by a French vessel. " Although exposed to heavy gun-fire from rifles, anti-aircraft guns, mitrailleuses, etc., all pilots are safe. Two machines were damaged. " The seaplanes and aeroplanes were under the command of Wing-Commander Samson, assisted by Wing-Commander Longmore and Squadron-Commanders Porte, Courtney, and Rathbone." 53 Thrilling Deeds The very length of that communique suggests that the operations were on a large scale and regarded as important, while behind the official language there is hidden a thrilling story, which will some day be told in full. Mean- while, we have only glimpses, the best of which is that given in a letter from Flight- Lieutenant Harold Rosher, R.N.A.S., who took part in the raid. The machines left their base on Wednesday morning, the loth of February, at intervals of two minutes, the slowest machines going first. Driving into the mist they hummed across the Channel, with an escort of destroyers below. The farther they went the denser the mist became, the clouds were very heavy, and they ran into a driving snow-storm which utterly baffled them. The aviators had in- structions to land at Dunkirk if the weather conditions were such that they could not reach their objectives, and when they arrived off the French coast it was evident to all of them that it would be Dunkirk for that day, what- ever the morrow might bring forth. They did not give in without a struggle, however, and 54 So7ne Fine British Raids pushed along the coast until it was impos- sible and imprudent to proceed any farther. Grahame-White, as we have seen, had to come down in the sea, where he waited in his machine until he was picked up. It had been a most exciting trip across Channel, even although a disheartening one. Flight-Lieuten- ant Rosher's experience was probably typical of many others. " The clouds got thicker and my compass became useless, swinging round and round," he wrote. " I was about 7000 feet up and absolutely lost. The next thing I realized was that my speed-indicator had rushed up to ninety miles an hour and the wind was fairly whistling through the wires. I pulled her up, but had quite lost control. " A hair-raising experience followed. I nose- dived, side-slipped, stalled [lost speed], etc. etc., time after time, my speed varying from practically nothing up to over 100 miles an hour. I kept my head, but was absolutely scared stiff. I didn't get out of the clouds, which lower down turned into a snow-storm and hail, until I was only 1500 feet up. I came out diving headlong for the earth." 55 Thrilling Deeds By brilliant skill the aviator righted his machine, and he tried his utmost to get out of the snow-storm, skirt it and drive inland. Failing in this he then endeavoured to get beneath the storm, but was again unsuccessful. Realizing at last that he could not hope to accomplish his purpose he turned back for Dunkirk, where he found the rest of the party except one, presumably Grahame-White. It was a crowd of pretty ' sick ' aviators which assembled at Dunkirk that day, but all were determined that the Germans should feel the weight of the bombs which had been brought over for their especial benefit, and early the following morning the airmen were ready to take up the interrupted task. It was dark and misty and cloudy when the machines ascended and set out seaward to get as far off the shore as possible and thus be out of range of the anti-aircraft batteries, which began a wild song of hate as soon as the droning of the engines was heard below. At Ostend the raiders were bombarded from scores of guns, but this did not prevent them loosing their destructive missiles, and they 56 Some Fine British Raids sailed on, leaving a trail of disaster behind. Flight-Licutenant Rosher was among the party bound for Zeebrugge, and when they arrived there, the cloud-banks were so low that they had to let go their bombs when at a height of only 5500 feet. This, of course, gave the Ger- mans a great opportunity, and their shrapnel burst all around, fortunately, however, without result. The shipping in the docks was struck by the British bombs, and the power-station burst into flame as the aviators winged their way across, and so out to sea. Considering that the German gunners, who had had a good deal of experience against our raiding machines, were, as Lieutenant Rosher said, hitting at 8000 feet and reckoned on getting every third shot home, it says much for the skill of the British pilots that they all returned safely, well pleased with themselves at having given the enemy something to remember. But in case they might forget, on February i6th, the Naval Wing returned and distributed a plentiful supply of bombs over very much the same area as before. In this great raid there were forty machines 57 Thrilling Deeds engaged, the Ostend and Middelkerke batteries were bombed, transport wagons on the Ostend- Ghistelles road were shattered, the mole and locks of Zeebrugge were further damaged, and the shipping off Blankenberghe and Zeebrugge suffered heavily. While the British aviators were thus engaged on these points of importance, eight French machines, together with some British naval 'planes, swooped over to the Ghistelles aero- drome, on which they made a vigorous attack, so keeping the German airmen too busily em- ployed to allow them to wing their way coast- ward to cut off the raiders, some of whom, nevertheless, fell victims to the enemy. One of the largest raids undertaken by British machines was that on March i8th, 1916, when fifty British machines attacked the German aerodrome near Ostend and the sub- marine base at Zeebrugge. Had it been day- light when the raiders started there would have been a rare sight for spectators as the fifty machines spluttered their way over the flying ground and bounded up into the air 58 Some Fine British Raids one after the other. It was night, however and nothing was to be seen except the occasional flash as pilots switched on their torches to indicate to comrades the direction being taken. With these intermittent Hghts to guide them the squadron formed into a V-shaped flight, with the bombing machines tucked in the centre and the fighting Moranes on the flanks, ready to tackle any enemy 'planes which might endeavour to head off the raiders. The airmen sped over the dunes, with the sea gleaming below them and the subdued lights of Ostend in the distance ahead, and in due course divided into two parties, one making for Ostend, the other stealing through the night toward Zeebrugge. The attack on Ostend came as a complete surprise to the Germans there, and the aeroplane hangar felt the force of British explosives : re- sounding roars came to the airmen, who saw the flames belching from hangar and store- houses. The German flying men, taken by surprise, dashed for cover, leaving their aero- planes burning merrily. Meanwhile, the Zeebrugge party had also 59 Thrillinor Deeds