The German pilot swerved his machine to the left before they met, and
the Englishman as he passed could see the German observer hanging over
the right side of the fuselage, apparently dead or severely wounded.
The gun was cocked at an angle of 45 degrees. Continuing his courageous
maneuvers, Flight-Commander Bone brought his machine within 15 or 20
feet of the enemy, and poured in five or six bursts of six rounds
until the enemy dived deeply, with smoke pouring from his machine. The
propeller stopped, but the pilot kept control and succeeded in landing
safely on the water. Here the English airman had to leave him, as he
could not come down on a land machine, and his engine showed signs of
giving out.
One machine apparently escaped from the fight at Dover and rapidly
made its way to Deal, where it dropped seven bombs, doing considerable
damage to property, but not killing or injuring any persons. A second
pair of sea-planes appeared over Ramsgate at 2.10 p.m. and dropped
bombs on the town. Four children on their way to Sunday school were
killed, and a man driving a motor-car near by was also killed. A
hospital for Canadian troops was damaged, but no one in the building
was hurt, and the nurses went out in the streets to assist in the work
of tending the injured. One of the sea-planes traveled on from Ramsgate
to Margate, where it dropped a bomb, damaging a house. The German
aircraft were now all pursued by British machines and driven out to
sea.