New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-12-03

the object is some dark clearly outlined MOI
ster like a submarine. And since the boat v,s
submerged no deeper than the altitude Of ths
perscope, we could see it with absolute distinct.
ness.
Either the pilot could not observe very e.
curately through the periscope or he thought
that we could not see his vessel under tls
water.
AT any rate, we crossed over the boat, and
Gentrik tossed out bomb and raised his arm
for me to toss one out. His bomb hit, and The
submarine was obliged to rise. As be was
about 20 pick up his second bomb the vessel
was already on the surface and began to fire a.
US. Some bullets hit our planes. Then the crew
sprang overheard with their life preservers
"The boat sank quickly, leaving them in the
lurch. We must have hit particularly v
nerable spot, since our bombs had so immed
ate an effect.
"At that moment Gentrik stretched his arm
to the right and partly turned his head around
saw in the direction which ne had indicated
cloud Of smoke and then torpedo boat, which
was dashing toward US with amazing speed.
Instead Of turning the machine around to e.
cape, Gentrik flew toward the torpedo boat
which began to fire at us. Evidently the sub
marine, before sinking, had flashed distrem
signals TO the destroyers in the neighborhood
"The destroyer fired madly; but 1t didn't hit
us. because Gentrik maneuvred so as 70 keen
US almost directly over it. AS soon as he had
calculated the range he lifted his arm and each
Of us threw out a second bomb Both Of them
struck. How he could figure it out so as to
make hit at that height is mystery to me.
For since neither the boat nor the aeroplans
was standing STILL one had to make the most
complicated calculations to come even near hit
ting. And Gentrk did it with such GOODNESS,
such cold-bloodedness in the face of danger,
that I had almost more fear Of him than Of
the outcome of the unequal conflict. Here was
no man of blood and nerves. Here was only
an abnormaly developed brain centre.
although had no friendly feeling for him,
and never could have such feeling, the re-
spect which had had formerly for his intelli.
gence and ability was converted into an almost
limitless worship.
"The torpedo boat had had enough. IL gave
I'D the fight and ran at full speed TO the place
where it thought the sunken submarine was
in order to pick up the crew. Gentrik did not
follow, because he had made an observation
with his glasses in the direction from which
the destroyer had come which led him to
change his course.
1--WE we're soon at the point toward which
he was aiming, and found there wrecked Ger
man seaplane, which had come from another
station than ours. 1t had been brought down
by a torpedo boat The two comrades who had
flown in it were squatting, still alive, on their
swimming frames. They had been surrounded
and chased for more than a day by several
boats, without any chance to escape. Now
they had lain there for nearly fourteen hours,
with no refreshment, only the frames under
them, alone on the sea. The torpedo boat had
doubtless assumed that they were drowned or
killed, or-what is more probable-had simply
failed to find them.
THE two men were completely exhausted,
wet through and half frozen. We gave them
hot tea and brandy, out of our thermos bottles,
and a couple of eggs. Then we considered how
we could get them home.
at was FIVE hours trip to the nearest Ger
man station. Before a boat could come from
there to pick them up much time must elapse.
And it was also question whether they could
ever be found again. 1t would have been pos
sible to call an enemy boat; but we didn't want
to deliver our comrades into captivity.
$50 there was nothing left TO do but to try
to take them along in our machine. We could
readily carry one man, after getting rid OF
the remaining bombs and some other superhu-
Gus objects. But the other, strapped fast and
hanging three-quarters in the air, the machine
could not lift. We tried four or five times to
get away, but it was no use. Had we forced
the machine, a motor breakdown would have
been inevitable. Worst of ALL our benzine had
run short because of the fight. There was
hardly enough left TO carry US home safely.
80 it looked as if we should be obliged to
leave one of the comrades to his fate.
an his quick, curt manner without any soft
ening or ambiguous phrases, Gentrik blurted
out:
Zone of you must stay behind. Who volun.
teers to stay"
Neither of them offered himself. For each
knew that if he stayed behind his fate was
sealed One of the two lifesaving supporters
had already begun to leak, and if a storm came,
or only a stiff breeze, the man who had to face
it was lost beyond hope He would be so often
submerged and the waves would dash so rough
ly over him, in spite of his support, that he
would drown within a quarter Of an hour.