.

I proceeded on my journey at an increased height [he says]. It
was just three o'clock in the morning when all of a sudden I
perceived on the horizon about midway between Ghent and Brussels
a Zeppelin flying fast at an altitude of about six thousand feet.
I immediately flew toward it and when I was almost over the
monster I descended about fifteen metres, and flung six bombs at
it. The sixth struck the envelope of the ship fair and square in
the middle. There was instantly a terrible explosion. The
displacement of the air round about me was so great that a
tornado seemed to have been produced. My machine tossed upward
and then flung absolutely upside down, I was forced to loop the
loop in spite of myself. I thought for a moment that the end of
everything had come. In the whirl I had the pleasure of seeing my
victim falling to the earth in a cloud of flames and smoke. Then
by some miracle my machine righted herself and I came to earth in
the enemy's country. I was not long on the ground you may be
sure. I speedily put myself and my machine into working order
again; then I set my engine going.

This time the fortunate aviator returned safely to his own
territory. He had then served only four months, had attained the age
of twenty-three, and even in so brief a service had received the
Cross of the Legion of Honour from France and the Victoria Cross
from the British. Only one week after this courageous exploit he was
killed while on a pleasure flight and with him a young American
journalist, Henry Beach Needham, to whom he was showing the
battlefield.

During the early years of the war all of the governments were
peculiarly secretive concerning all matters relative to their
aviation services. This was probably due to the fact that the flying
corps was a brand new branch of the service. No nation was
adequately equipped with flyers. Each was afraid to let its enemies
know how insufficient were its air guards, or what measures were
being taken to bring the aerial fleet up to the necessary point of
efficiency. Investigators were frowned upon and the aviators
themselves were discouraged from much conversation about their work.

About the beginning of 1916 the British suddenly awoke to the fact
that even in war publicity has its value. It was necessary to arouse
the enthusiastic support of the people for recruiting or for the
conscr