Page:Air Service Boys Flying for France.djvu/195

190 At this point their course took an abrupt change. Up to then the general direction had been due northeast, but now it headed toward the north. They were still passing over Rhenish Prussia, where, as they knew, a regular bee-hive of industries connected with war work was located. Indeed, there were few parts of Germany at that time where the population, such as had been left when the able men went to the front, was not engaged in making munitions, or some industry connected with the successful carrying out of the war.

Soon Jack caught the signal that told him they were now on the border of the busy beehive where no work but that on army contracts was being done. Far below them lay the great buildings given up to such purposes, and which it must be their aim to try to destroy.

Besides the high explosives intended to shatter walls and wreck buildings when they fell, the raiders also carried a supply of lighter missiles. These were meant to scatter liquid fire broadcast, and start innumerable conflagrations that it would be impossible for human skill to extinguish. Thus they took pattern of the German fire-bombs which had so often been rained down on London.

Suddenly began a most remarkable exhibition of bombardment, with those immense bat-like