The Ypres Times.
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however, in climbing above it and at short range dropped his bombs. The effect was almost
instantaneous, and the resulting explosion caused the aeroplane to overturn, the pilot
losing control for some few seconds. The airship now a flaming mass, fell rapidly to the
ground where it continued to burn for some time. For this deed Lieutenant Warneford
was subsequently awarded the Victoria Cross.
Two pioneers of wireless telegraphyD. S. Lewis and B. T. Jameswere both killed
by direct hits in the air in the Ypres salient. Captain James was killed over Verlorenhoek,
midway between Ypres and Zonnebeke, whilst observing for the artillery on July 13,1915.
His commanding officer reported"He was observing from the aeroplane alone as he
generally did. He was ranging a battery and was being heavily shelled. His machine
was hit by a shell and was seen to dive to the ground from a great height. The Germans
dropped a note from one of their machines saying that he was dead when he fell. He met
the end I am sure he would have wished forif it had to besuddenly, alone, and
doing his duty." On April 10, 1916, Colonel Lewis, flying a Morane Parasol east of
Wytschaete with Captain A. W. Gale, an officer of the Trench Mortars, as passenger,
was brought down by the enemy's anti-aircraft guns. He had been showing Captain Gale
some of the objectives on which the trench mortar fire had been directed during the week,
and was killed in action while he was carrying out the duties of that artillery observation
which he had done so much to perfect.
The Aisne marked the evolution of the artillery spotting machine with the aid of
wirelessat Neuve Chapelle reconnaissance with the aid of aerial photography came
into its ownand the second battle of Ypres was conspicuous for the development of
aerial fighting. In 1916 the great effort, made by the Germans against Verdun during the
first half of the year, and our offensive on the Somme during the second half of the year,
rather deflected aerial activity from the Ypres salient. It was on the Somme that the
Flying Corps reached its high water mark. During that battle the ascendency of the
Royal Flying Corps over the German Flying Corps was supreme and was never surpassed
anywhere right up to the Armistice. It was also during the battle of the Somme that the
airship raids over England received a mortal blow. On the night of the September 2/3,
1916, Lieutenant Leefe Robinson brought down, in flames, a Schutte Lanz airship over
Cuffley by machine gun fire from an aeroplane.
In the spring of 1917 intense fighting commenced at Vimy Ridge on April 9 when the
battle of Arras opened. On May 4, the Arras battle ended and was followed after the
battle of Bullecourt by the attack at Messines on June 7. The day of the Messines attack
was conspicuous for ground strafingdemonstrations by the Royal Flying Corps.
Time after time pilots came down to within a few feet of the ground in order to attack some
hostile target. One officer of No. 56 Squadron crossed the line at 1,500 feet, descended to
200 feet and then went to Bisseghem aerodrome where he flew up and down the sheds,
firing at them. After that he attacked a train, firing into it from one side, and then flew
down the other side firing as he passed. He then went to Wevelghem firing into troops in
the main street. From there he went to the station firing into the trucks, and thence on
to Reckem aerodrome where he fired into the sheds from a height of a few feet. Another
officer of No. 56 Squadron crossed the trenches at 500 feet at dawn and then attacked a
closed motor car flying so low that in the zoom to escape the car the wheels of his
undercarriage only just missed the car, which ran off the road and turned completely
over. At Dadizeele the same officer saw four gun teams being hitched to their guns, so
he attacked and caused great confusion. After that he dispersed a party of infantry.
An impression obtained of British work in the air on this date, by a German professor,
reads The operations were prefaced by innumerable enemy airmen, who, at the begin
ning of the preparations for the attack suddenly appeared like a swarm of locusts and
swamped the front. They also work on cunningly calculated methods. Their habit is
to work in three layersone quite high, one in the middle and the third quite low. In
