South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-08-26
FAMOUS AIRMEN
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Tells of Experiences in Fight
ing GermanS-Had to Act
as Reserve.

-NH IS ~ up @Na F@-
Just returned from the front some
where in France one Of the most dar-
ing airmen in the British service. 1T
has been his first visit home for seven
months. and his W~ell-earned rest has
lasted just four days. As a skilled me-
chanic-constructOr of aerOplanes, ana
mOtor-cars, and a DOmb-drOppeT OF
wonderful accuracy, ne cannOt he
spared very long from active opera
tons. !
lie has taken part in at least a
dozen great air-raids. and was not
far away on the famous occasion
when Commander samson the great
est airman in the British service, near
~ escaped capturing the Kaiser him
self. The rma have offered a
thousand pounds for h capture OF
Samson, alive or dead.
Here are a few pages from an avia-
tors diary which describe how Tor
the first time an admiral fought a
battle with submarines, aerOplanes.
destroyers and cruisers.
On after many rehearsals, we
were enabled to give the Germans
a striking proof Of our naVy'S quail
y. The weather had been anything
but bright. Tremendous seas were run
ming. but il did not prevent the sea-
plane ships. with their escort of tor
pedO ~destroyers, headed by n scout
of cruisers, the "saucy Arethuse' and
the -Undaunted" putting the sea to
give the m what for" We
had been steaming for about half a
day when the weather began to mod
crate.
All the time we were busy in prepar-
ing bombs for the seaplanes, the
planes themselves were being over
hauled, To make sure that all would
be ~. and all the remainder Of the
crews stood b. their guns prepared.
and ready for anything.
] vas wondering how 7 would feel
when / went up. for in ordinary times
especially on "A fine day if one goes
up far enough, il seems so easy and
smooth. and everything looks 50 calm
that you feel how nice it would be to
step out of your machine and take a
walk. L have often felt that. especially
at "a height OF ten thousand feet.
But on his occasion we were To fly
as low as we could. IL was now four
of the morning. Amid the keenest ex-
ocitement. and interest! the machines
were u~nlashed. and got ready.
IL was now that 1 got my first dis
appointment. I was told to stand by
and act as a reserve airman. | could
have cried our orders were orders
At five we got the out and
placed them on the sea. where they
looked like a great flock of seagulls.
undetermined whether TO rise and fly
for HeligOland or the Elbe river. In
the meantime our destroyeIs, long.
vicious. black wasps. were flying round
ready TO bite any submarine craft
which dared TO appear.
n signal was given. then the sea-
planes arose quietly. gracefully, thrill
inglr for just az they reached a height
of anout a thousand feet "a great lumb-
ering Zeppelin appeared on the nor
lion.
We had the two extremes. over
head sailed oUr seaplane fleet like n
flock OF vicious white eagles ready to
sweep on any prey within striking
distance Of their talons. Underneath
were our submarines, right in the
very center of the enemy's mine field
which protects the Kiel canal.
Then u a%erOplanCs disappeared to-
wards somewhere near Germany. and
we stood by our guns waiting for any
thing and everything. How ] cursed
my luck for not being with the boys.
Presently we turned and set sail
for a p-rearranged rendezvous at
which we expected To pick up our
planes after the BOYS had done things.
Then the enemy's submarines suddenly
became busy. They began TO chase us,
but speed was too hood.
/ was patiently waiting the moment
when / could sail up and do a bit OF
hOmh dropping of my own. we all
nAA neAS OH d4 ~ W AAo W0NA@NN 49,
the biggest bag. And right in the
middle OF il all a German %aer0plane
came rising up out of HeligOland and
dropped "A bomb on one of our des-
troyers. just missing it by % feet.
It was followed by a Zeppehn-a
large. sausage-shaped cigar with
q great rage below it-cOvering a sec
ord German aeropIane which dropped
\ bomb on the Arethusa n missed
a.. 4 second Zeppelin now made its
appearance. You should nave seen
tons of lead and steel we poured into
sky. like water squlrted from a urt-
mans hose pipe.
A third aeroplane came sailing along
hut her men did not know how To
throw a bomb any better than thelr
friends. Her bomb went sailing INTO
the depths TO increase the fish mortal
itv Just as we peppered n tan OF Il
Zeppelin with our rifles
Nv lady by now had enough, and'
proba bly, remembered that the next
dance had been promised 10 some
body else. The third Zeppelin was now
about 5000 feet high, preparms 10
attack US. But the guns OF the are
thusa. and Undaunted did good work
and the %shrapnel bullets from them
made very pretty practice.
1t was the first time that a German
was an unwilling recipient OF a glIt.
They got one IN nj us at last, and the
"saucy one" did not exactly get II IN
the neck but very near IT.
Then TO my great relief. after the
submarines and Zepps began 10 sheer
off and as / saw the Arethusa steam
ing away, lame. but quite happy. Sot
the order 10 go up and scout Tor the
nine -aeroplanes.
I cid a fancy flight or two, chased a
Zeppelin for pure sport, dropped 4
couple OF bombs on "a destroyer. n
then To my Wild rage. "A thick curtain
Of rain came down and blinded me
from the enemy.
snow and rain are more deadly en-
cmies of ours n wind or even the
Germans. When the rain stopped /
could see our fleet dotted about on the
waters. and no sign of the Germans.
] was going about so miles an hour
then at an altitude OF about seven
thousand feet. i felt SO blithe 10y now
that II 7 could have found the boys L
would have been in the humor TO take
a run 90 Berlin with them. But when