The London _Daily Mail’s_ Petrograd correspondent sends a description of
M. Poiret, a French aviator who is serving with the Russian army, of a
flight over the German position, accompanied by a staff captain:
“I rose to a height of 5,000 feet,” said Poiret. “Fighting was in full
swing. The Captain with me already had made some valuable observations
when the Germans, noticing my French machine, opened fire on it.
“A number of their bullets pierced the wings of the aeroplane and others
struck the stays. We still flew on, however, as it was necessary to
obtain the exact position of the enemy. Then the German artillery began.
Their shells burst near the aeroplane and each explosion caused it to
rock. It was difficult to retain control as pieces of shells had
seriously damaged two of the stays. The fantastic dance in the air
lasted twenty minutes.
“The Captain was wounded in the heel but continued to make observations.
Finally I turned the machine and landed home safely. I found ten bullet
marks and two fragments of shells in the machine.”