The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-06-11
LOOKING FOR FIGHT

motors. are the fruits of the evolution of aviation during the war-built to match the best German machines in speed, carrying only the pilot, a ma- chine gun and the minimum require ment in fuel. Instead of rising grad ually like their precessors, they bound upward With an ascensional power heretofore unattained They are so dangerous in a fight that the pilot has to go into the adversary's territory 10 hunt an engagement. That was what the Americans. especially chosen for these machines. were to do. !. ,*
 There was nine of these. together with ~1S of the big bombarding bi- planes, in sight together for an instant; then the head of the line disappeared in the clouds. The "hunters,,' as the speedy machines are called. overhauled the last of the bigger fliers and went out of sight ahead of them, while
 Ihaw's Iris and Captain T-'s
 'Fram." the two pet1dogs of the camp.
 were still barking after them
 Even soldiers habituated to this spec
 tacle TOT nearly two years never tire
 or It. They watch the last machine
 until 1t Is out of sight, then turn back
 without comment to the sheds to await the return. The silence and solemnitv or the camp after the hustle of the de- parture, was depressing. The 70 sol diers Of the camp knew that some of those brave boys might be missing when the roll was called again.
 Time passes with marvellous rapid ity on fighting expeditions,} ayiators say. but the two hours maximum wait in camp to see If they all get ha cl- is always long. Watches are ont after on
 minutes and eyes are turned in the direction taken by the f1iers. At the nlnety-ninth minute, perhaps, a specIx appears high above the horizon.
 FIRST ONE APPEARS
 There they come" is the word that passes around the camp and eyervone Is on the field. Its a chaser" savs one NO. is a bombarder,". says an- other. In a few minutes 27 specks are counted; then there is another wait and voices are hushed. hunter" circles around the camp, dives downward at a dizzy pace, skins along the field
 without slowing up, until brakine against the wind 1t comes to a thrilling stop. ss&4sl t&@ 5|
 The faster machines, last away. are first back. for the fuel supply with theno is sometimes a close fit and not sec
 ond is to be lost Seven ohasers land ab the same breakneck pace. and with | the same precision. fA
 The eighth seems to flutter as it n- breaches, tips and dives fitfully Field glasses are leyelled at him. He's had hois tail piece carried away" cries one Its Thaw." says another. land there's something wrong with his propeller" Alternately rearing, diving and slid ing on its wing, the machine comes down convulsively like a wounded bird. s,es r HAS NARROW ESCAPE
 He's going to break a bit of wood" exclaimed a French soldier, expressing in characteristic aviation language the prospect of a smash. The machine rears again after dive which took 1t dan generously close to the earth, veers around abruptly against the wind, bumps along the ground 100 yards and | stops. ''Thaw's one of the few pilots who could bring home a bursted ma
 chine like that" said soldier.
 But where's Chapman? All the big
 bipIanes are now in and pilots and sol diers are all searching the aky anxi- ously. Then cry comes from the field. A speck has just emerged from the i clouds Chapman. driven out of his course by the shelling in which Thaw's propeller was damaged, had finally found his way. and lands now with the i last drop of gasoline in his reservoir. "The disgusting thing about it," said Thaw. while the mechanics were taking an inventory of the damage, was that the fellows over there across the line
 wouldn't come out to fight"