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    Official Documents of the Australian Flying Corps
    ____________________


    Combats in the Air


Squadron : 67.
Type : B.E. 12.a
No. 6329.
Armament : Lewis and Vickers Gun.
Observer : Nil.
Locality : Sharia.
Height : 4-5000.
Date : 4/8/17. [4th of August 1917]
Time : 1200.
Duty : Bombing.

--- Narrative ---

First H.A. was a 2 seater, of Albatros Type with 1 gun firing forward and 1 back. He was above me and I got in a short burst with top gun. We then turned, met nose to nose, and I got in about 30 rounds with Vickers gun. We came together again, nose on, and H.A. put his nose down and made a right hand turn enabling me to get in a good dive of about 40 rounds. He then made off with his nose well down, into his own archies at Sharia.

Returning to the formation, second H.A. was encountered, a single seater with 1 or 2 guns firing forward. It had a yellow fuselage, and 1 dark green wing and 1 dark brown, on top sides. We met nose on and I got in about 20 rounds. H.A. made a right hand turn, under my wing, and went straight off towards Sharia. Both H.A. used very distinct tracers.

 


(sgd)R.M. Smith
Lieut.



    L.W. Sutherland in his book "Aces and Kings" describes Smith's appearance after this combat as, "[Smith] made no mention of the parlous condition of his own machine, or of the two holes, one in each cheek, and the missing incisor -- "x" marking the route of one bullet, ex H.A. As a matter of fact, Ross Smith, lieutenant laughed heartily when he saw himself, complete with bandages in the mirror."

    Joe Bull wrote in his diary, that Ross Smith thought he was fighting with their most skilled German opponent, Gerhard Felmy. Felmy has almost worked up a mythical status with the Australian and British pilots in the theatre.