d by a stray machine they are
armed and quite capable of guarding themselves against any attack
except one in force.

During these bomb raids photographs of the target are frequently
obtained or should the staff require any district crossed on the
journey and taken they are generally secured by bombing machines.
It is wonderful what minute details may be seen in a photograph
taken at a height of from eight to twelve thousand feet, and our
prints, which are far superior to those taken by the Hun, have
revealed many useful points which would otherwise have remained
unknown.

When it is remembered that a single machine crossing the line is
heavily shelled it may be conceived what an immense concentration
of "Archies" is made on the raiders on their return. It is
remarkable what feeble results are obtained considering the
intensity of the bombardment, but rarely is a machine brought
down, though casualties naturally occur occasionally.

Lieutenant C., in company with other machines, had successfully
bombed his target and had meanwhile been heavily shelled, with
the result that his engine was not giving its full number of
revolutions and he lagged a little behind the rest of the
formation. No hostile aircraft appeared and all went well until
he was about to cross the lines, when a terrific bombardment was
opened on him.

He dodged and turned to the best of his ability, but a well-aimed
shell burst just above him and a piece of the "Archie" hit him on
the head, not seriously wounding him, but knocking him
unconscious. The machine, deprived of the guiding hand,
immediately got into a dive and commenced a rapid descent from
ten thousand feet, carrying the unconscious pilot with it, to be
dashed to pieces on the ground.

Whether the rush of air, the sudden increase of pressure, or the
passing off of the effect of the blow caused the disabled man to
come to his senses is not known, but when the machine was only a
few hundred feet from the ground, Lieutenant C. recovered his
senses sufficiently to realize his position and managed to pull
the machine up and make a landing. He then lapsed into
unconsciousness again. Had he remained in his state of collapse
half a minute longer, he would inevitably have been killed.

Another curious c