The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1916-12-20
AN
AEROPLA
STORY
By ALAN HINSDALE

when the big worlds war came on
/ was studying in a school of technolo-
gy in the United States. l didn't care
which whipped, but l wanted to see
something Of it. Thinking l would be
more at home among those who spoke
the same language as l did, l chose the
British.
MY education, which l had nearly
finished, especially fitted me for serv-
ice in the flying corps, and, going to
England, l began my preparation for
running an aeroplane. 1t was a year
before l was sent out for active serv-
ice, but when l landed in Flanders l
was pretty well prepared.
cat first l was sent up to locate the
German batteries. l soon grew tired
of this and longed for more exciting
service. One day the commander of
the aeroplane corps told me to report
at the headquarters of the general
commanding the right winU of the
British troops, adding that he had been
asked for man to do special work
and l had been recommended. The
general said to me:
"'Our spies report that the enemy
are turning out war implements Of
kind that they are keeping secret at
point about forty miles in their rear.
1 want you to go there and drop
enough bombs on it to put it out of
commission. They have built it in
wood for purposes of concealment from
our aerOplanes, and you'll have to fly
low in order to distinguish it when
you reach it. 1t is murky today and
you may get over a good deal of
ground without being seen. The wea tn
er is not usually the same at two diff
ferent points at a distance from each
other and you may find clearer at
mosphere when you get over the works
you are to destroy. Can you start at
onceY
eyes, general l replied.
"Wcn, take such bombs as you may
select for yourself and success to YOU
within an hour l was ready. 1 rose
to thousand feet, and having located
the direction l was to take, followed
it by compass, for there was too much
mist for me to guide from the ground.
l hadn't gone ten miles, however, be-
fore l entered a region clear of fog,
and beneath me plain, mostly bare OF
trees.
Il was behind the German lines and
directly beneath me was an encamp-
men of u small body of troops. Evil
IDENTIFY they saw me and were some
what disturbed at my presence. They
fired some shots at me from their rifles,
but / kept out of range, and they prob
ably had no aeroplane guns, for none
such were used.
"They had fleet horse among them,
for suddenly l saw rider shoot out
i'll the direction / was going. Doubt
less they surmised the nature of my
mission and were sending a messenger
TO give warming either to the works |
was to destroy or an aeroplane station.
Il did not fear race with a horse,
but the man on him might have
short distance to go and l thought I'd
better stop him if l could. l descend
ed to a hundred feet above his head
and dropped Il hand grenade. 1t eX-
ploded behind him. Realizing that
had not calculated for his motion,
dropped another, aiming some ten or
fifteen yards before him. 1t struck
the ground ahead of him. A third
grenade fell a few feet before his
horse and exploded under it. The
horse was blown to pieces, the man
shot up i'll the air. He came down
and in a moment lay still.
An auto must have come into the
German camp after he started from it.
for had no sooner put the horse out
OF the race than | heard rattle be-
low, and there was the machine com
ing at a rate of fifty miles an hour.
1t shot past the dead horse and the
dead man, and l saw at once that
would have to increase my speed.
The auto was going so fast that it
was a more difficult problem to hit it
with my hand grenades. l started
with half dozen grenades and had
three left. | dropped one, but it fell
little ahead of the machine. / drop
ped another. but the chauffeur must
have seen it descending, for be slowed
up. and 1t fell dozen yards ahead of
him. Thinking he would dodge in the
same fashion again, calculated for
his doing so. and he put on full speed.
The man had successfully lodged me,
and had no more grenades left.
THE only thing could do now was
to drop bomb, but if should use
my bombs l would not have them for
destroying the works. | concluded to
hold on to the missiles and trust to the
speed of my aeroplane. My decision
was an mlucky one. The auto had
only four miles to go to reach an aero
plane station and made the distance
over a straight road in about six min
uteS.
/ suddenly | saw dozen aeroplanes
rise like n flock of birds not far off nv
course and make for point between
me and the works / was TO DESTROY.
| saw at a glance that for all me the
munition plant was perfectly safe. In
deed. it behooved me to make tracks
for home. | turned and the aero
planes seeing ME do so gave chase.