ling along
after them. Arrived near the top, the gunners unlimbered and went into
action for the second phase of the fighting.

British aviators, who performed important scout work for the gunners,
were deserving of a liberal share in the honors of the day. Some of
the Royal Flying Corps seemed to have gone battle-mad in the course of
the fighting, for they engaged in such death-defying adventures as no
wholly sane person would have attempted.

There was one British aviator in particular whose reckless daring
shone conspicuously even above that of his fellows, and who on the
occasion showed an utter disregard for life. One of his major
operations was to fly over a body of German troops on the march.
Hovering at a short distance above them, he sprayed the astonished
troops with machine-gun fire until they scattered and fled. Passing
joyously on his way, the aviator encountered a convoy and flying low
poured volleys into the Germans and was gone before they had time to
recover from their astonishment and retaliate. Near Warneton a large
force of German troops was massing to attack when down among them
dashed the aviator, his machine gun crackling, when they dispersed in
all directions, leaving dead and wounded on the field.

Another daring young flyer belonging to the Royal Flying Corps
attacked and silenced four machine-gun teams in strong emplacements.

Other British aviators were active in clearing out trenches of their
German occupants, and when they ran out of ammunition for their Lewis
guns hurled down on the enemy bombs, explosives, and anything that
injures or destroys.

By the British capture of Messines Ridge the Germans lost their last
natural position that commanded the British lines. The victory came as
a fitting climax to the British achievements in France during the
preceding three months' campaign. By the capture during that period of
Bapaume, Vimy Ridge, Monchy Plateau, and now Messines Ridge, the
British had completely changed the military situation on the western
front.

The area gained in this vast operation was a front nine miles long to
an extreme depth of five miles. Owing to strong German pressure
exerted at this point the advance was checked, but the British
continued to engage and harass the enemy in minor operations.

During the night of June 8, 1917, the British resumed activities in
the neighborhood of the great mining center of Lens. An attack was
launched south of the Souchez River