The Press., 1915-12-01
WINGED
A Yankee Boys Aeroplane
Experience In Belgium
By GEORGE BRENNAN

Of 1t. l had listened from my baby
hood to my grandfather's stories Of
the war between the states and the
hairbreadth escapes the old gentleman
had experienced while serving in 8
New Hampshire regiment. | was ex
actly the age my grandfather had beel
when he enlisted to fight for the
Union and was so Influenced by tn,
romance of war that l couldn't keel
out OF the fight in Europe.
/ had no preference for either side
but the fact that l could easily enlis
on that OF the allies and could not very
well get to Germany decided me fol
the former. Crossing the Canadian
line, 1 sought the nearest recruiting
station and, being in excellent physi
cal condition, WIS accepted as re-
cruit. After a good deal of drilling in
Canada and then in England l found
myself in Belgium.
BY this time IL was winter, and the
two opposing armies had got into the
trench deadlock. Nevertheless there
were occasional drives on both sides,
and l soon saw all the fighting. or,
rather, the slaughter, l wanted. | had
found my grandfather's descriptions
of battles quite exciting. These fights
in Belgium appeared rather the
marching of men to slaughter, with
the idea that the side on which most
men were left was the victor. When
saw the enemy advance for an at
tack ii reminded me of wheat falling
before a moving machine.
Not seeing any romance in this kind
of warfare, / thought l would like to
enter the corps of aviators. Not hav-
ing been educated to run a flying ma
chine, could only volunteer to go UP
with one who had as a fighting man
or a bomb dropper. l succeeded in
getting myself tried for this service,
and 1t was found that l had the head
for It Not every person can rise to a
great height without becoming dizzy.
and this of course would render him
for the purpose. The stock
OF English aeroplanes had been in
creasing during the autumn of 1914,
and experts were wanted to man the
new ones and fill the gaps made by
those who were killed. So /, having
proved my efficiency, was detailed as
a bomb dropper.
My first service was with number
Of aeroplanes ON an expedition to de-
stroy a mandatory of munitions of
war within the German lines. There
were a dozen machines, each bearing a
goodly supply Of bombs. The machine
on which I served also carried a rapid
FIRE gun.
The expedition started at noon. Our
machines had whirred for two hours
when we came in sight of the town in
which the factory we were to destroy
was located. In order to drop bombs
with any precision we must settle
down to within a few hundred feet of
the object to be destroyed, which
would bring US within range of the
guns that would be brought to bear
upon US. The feet commander signal
ed that we would separate and then
serve the location of the factory, keep
Ing at q height that would be out of
range. Then we were to fly away. re
turning when night was coming on.
make straight for a point just above
the works, drop the bombs and get
away under cover Of the darkness.
Lieutenant Meeker, commanding and
guiding the airship on which l served.
steered 1t over the northern part of
the town. He was engaged In driving.
while l noted the position of the fac
tory. AS soon as it was plainly visible
I directed his attention to it, that he
might be the better able to cover it
when the attack was made.
While the plan of attack precluded
the possibility of surprise, it facilitat-
ed escape after the bombs had been
dropped. But the attacking force
could not expect to approach the works
In the day without being observed. and
q night attack on a particular part of
the town would likely fail from in
ability to locate 1t in the darkness.
There was one weak point In the plan.
Twilight lasts longer above than be-
low, and the enemy would have a bet
ter view Of the aeroplanes than we
on the aeroplanes would have of the
enemy. But there is a great differ
ence between aeroplanes and a factory
covering a large area. The latter
would be an extended target, while the
aeroplanes would be small and scat
tered one. The advantages and disad-
yantages on each side were about
equal, leaving a marked advantage
escape after the attack.
One or two shots were delivered at
those aeroplanes dying nearest TO the
factory. but they kept so far distant
that there was but little danger nf
their being hit. Having located the
point OF attack. they flew away, pass
ing out OF sight.
light was short. and we returned for
the attack soon after the sun had sunk
below the horizon. There was a range
Of high hills to the west of the town.
and our commander gagged the time
for our sttsck when we would be ir
several hundred feet. We approached
as rapidly as possible, being scattered,
but conyerging over the factory.
The excitement now became intense.
IL we accomplished our object and re-
turned to our lines we would be in the
limelight as heroes. But we must
swoop down to within range of the
buildings and were sure to get a vol
ley, for 1t was not to be expected that
the place would be devoid of aeroplane
destroying guns. l kept hand on a
bomb, waiting for the moment when
we should be in position to drop it.
saw nothing of the other airships, be-
Ing intent upon my own work, though
was conscious of being part of a
dock Of gigantic birds about to make a
descent upon their prey. cannot con-
ceive of a more exhilarating expert
enee. Nevertheless L knew that on my
self control would depend the value of
my work.
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