davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune., 1917-11-04
When Silent Death
Sails Down the Sky

It is the tremendous racket that an
aeroplane motor makes, apparently
vastly increased at night, that has
been a potent factor in preventing
the retaliatory raids that have been
so much discussed in London. People
forget that in bombing London the
Boche makes most of his trip across
the sea, where he is not subjected 70
anti-aircraft fire and can make just
as much noise as he pleases. During
the entire course of a raid on the
English coast the bombers may not
be under fire more than ter or NJ
teen minutes, and that only when
above land.
When we make similar raids We
are subjected TO the fire Of antl-alr'
craft guns from the beginning Oh
the flight until the end. We get u
going and coming-all the way eacn
time. The noise Of the motor gives
the alarm to the first battery ana
the others take up the firing Ike
barking dogs along a country roaa
at night.
Despite the difficulties II is done
now and then and generally with sue
cess. But the risk, compared to tns'
the Boche runs, is enormous. We
also use the sea, but it takes us only
to Belgium, already devastated ana
mass of ruined cathedrsls. VI
course we could bomb Belgian towns
or French towns without nearly !"
much danger. But it wouldn't &C
complish the same purpose as throw
ing few bombs right ct Fritz where
he lives, and it isn't done unless the
points attacked are military centres
But think of the time when noise
less death goes sailing through tho
darkness over Germany!
Americas Answer.
New-York tribune., 1917-11-04
Paper Carriers Get
Most Violent Reception

And what a reception the Boche
gunners give US! The great burst
Of paper from the sky is the signal
for an answering burst Of shrapnel
from the anti-aircraft guns all along
the line. They display more ami
mostly toward the paper carriers
than toward any other invaders of
their atmosphere.
/ brought back several copies of
the various issues of both these
papers, and on letting some Ameri-
cans Though of German BIRTH
read them, they unanimously de-
clared them to be eminently fair
and devoid of the malice found in
the propaganda of our enemies.
All told, France has probably not
more than $500 pilots Of all grades.
The losses vary according to the type
Of work in which they are engaged.
My own escadrille, MOP, a crack
unit, whose captain Captain Jean
Derode) is an Ace, with nine Boches
Officially" downed to his credit, has
only lost three pilots in seven
months and has downed twenty
eight official" Boche in combat. By
an Official" Boche, / mean a Hun
plane brought down back Of our
lines and seen falling by three or
more officers of the French army.
The number destroyed which never
got into the official records can only
DE estimated. But Escadrille Ma,
in groupe dc combat, lost forty
pilots In two months and a half,
practically wiping the organization
of the rolls three times. Two Of the
forty were Americans-Oliver NJ.
Chadwick of Lowell, Mass, and
Julian Biddle of Philadelphia.
New-York tribune., 1917-11-04
The Aviators Are
the Corps d'Elite

The aviation section Is the corps
d'elite of the French army, and the
members of it have won their places
by merit. The soldiers and officers
assigned to it have gained that as
signment by some gallantry in fight
ing on the earth. The French f1iers
who have not served an honorable
apprenticeship in the trenches are
those who for physical disability or
for some other reason are exempt
from military service and have vol
unteered their services, regardless
Of their exemption.
The French believe that the fact
that they offer themselves for SER
vice entities them to places in the
corps d'clitc, If they show themselves
fit for it. Captain Guynemer-the
Ace-had been rejected for military
service and was a volunteer. Not
the least compliment that France has
paid to America is that she has con-
sidered those Americans who offered
themselves for the air service also
entitled to the great reward.
In picking the men for the scout
ing and patrol work, however, the
severest tests are applied. They are
the ones who must do the fighting in
combats where the loser whirls two
or three miles to death; they are the
ones who must know enough to re-
frain from fighting when their mis-
sion forbids it.
If man shows any aptitude what
soever, he is given a chance at Bile
riot monoplane training. Here he
remains only on his own merit-he
must make good. I learned to fly as
a baby learns to walk by holding on
to chairs, or boy learns to swim
by being flung into pond. | have
never had any one in the machine
with me. ! have flown alone from
the very first; learning it step by
New-York tribune., 1917-11-04
The Eye That Scans
The Battlefield

The urions de chdsse make up the
oro,,pes de combat, each group hav-
ing four escadrllles of fifteen pilots
and an escadriIle d'ormee for each
army corps.
Although an dvions de chnsse unit,
the army corps group Of fiiers con-
tains one two-seater plane. This is
the eye that scans the prospective
battlefield from the clouds, with It's
protective escort Of fighters. The
two-seater is more unwieldy and
less adapted to the tactics Of air
combat than the swallowlike single
seaters, but It Is the very apple of
the eye Of its fighting convoy. At
fixed in It's fuselage are three down
ward pointing cameras, the last word
in telephoto construction. They arc
70 arranged that the field Of vision
of each ends precisely where that Of
it's neighbor begins, yielding triple
panoramic view of the country far
below the photographers feet. Their
manipulation il simplicity itself. The
pressing Of a button blinks the shut
tcrs and turn Of lever shifts the
plates in all three cameras.
The field OF vision Of course de-
pends upon the altitude at which the
pictures are taken. The higher the
camera the more extensive the view
that will be included. A glass panel
just below the photographers feet is
fig finder and indicates exactly the
iuitg of his field n is astonishing
p~sfe'ghD 81 which photographs
ar coc1V5 <er u2e 81 military
Tea yc taken under exceptional
New-York tribune., 1917-11-04
The Pilot May Garry
A Dear Ones S Initials

Although the machines are uni.
form in appearance and color, it is
easy enough to pick out individuals
once you know them. No two pilots
fly exactly the same. They have
peculiarities, just as men have In
their walking. There is, of course
mo means of communication between
the planes while in flight, except by
the execution of certain man9uvres,
each having a definite meaning.
Each pilot will have some Identify
ing mark painted on his machine
ike the war Amt on an Indians
face, or it may be that he has
rainted his or some dear ones in
itials on it.
AS soon as we reach our own aer-
cdome, the formation is broken, and
we make our landings. The chief
of the laboratories is waiting. He
and his assistants rush to the OBJ
servers machine, and, almost before
it has stopped rolling, dismount the
cameras, and the plates are on their
way to the developing rooms. These
are camions (motor trucks} fitted
up with dark rooms, tanks, drying
racks, etc., with the newest photo
graphic appliances.
The pictures are developed and
the plates are then dried by chem
ical process SC swiftly that prints
can be made and sent to headquar-
ters within an hour after the return
of the mission. Five experts are
at work continuously reducing these
pictures TO scale, determining the
overlapping lines and pasting to-
gether a marvellous Photographic
map. This work continues until the
entire sector has been mapped.
New-York tribune., 1917-11-04

For these corrections sometimes q
smaller squadron is used, consisting
only of three or four planes. To
these the Boche pays little attention,
thinking the group merely a patrol.
The observation plane with these
small groups is a single-seater like
its guards, and as handy to manage.
II is equipped with only one camera,
and underneath and to the left OF
the pilot is rejecting mirror which
brings the cameras field Of vision to
within a few feet Of his eyes. The
button and lever which work the
shutter and change the plates are on
the driving control of his machine,
so that he scarcely has to move his
hand to reach them.
The single-seater Spads carry a
New-York tribune., 1917-11-04

things to fool the new hand at the
game. some of them of natural origin
and some of them of Boche origin.
The art of camouflage is being
adapted to the camera as we'll as to
the human eye. 1t isn't so long
since canvas screens bearing painted
landscapes were pretty effective and
deceived the keen eye Of many a
pilot. Now the best all around de-
vice consists of long nets, similar to
a seine or a tennis net.
These are woven of green cord
with strips of green and black cloth
strung to the meshes. The strips are
about one inch wide by ten or twelve
long. They hutter in the slightest
breeze and give exactly the effect OF
a field of grass, underbrush or trees,
according to the distance the OBJ
server is away from them.
Aeroplanes and cameras, especial
" cameras, have taught both sides
the value of shadows, natural shad-
ows. Nowadays you will scarcely
find an ammunition dump, supply
depot or a barracks that is not sit
uated at the border of wood or
line of trees where but once day 1t
will be unprotected by the shadows.
And this is at noon, when the sun is
directly overhead, castirg only a
downward shadow.
New-York tribune., 1917-11-04

and they aim to cut US off from our
lines. But we must return with our
plates; we must dodge, however much
we might prefer to fight it out with
him. Often over our own lines our
first intimation of the presence OF
an enemy plane is the white pufs of
the Allied shrapnel seeking him
out. The Boches use black bursting
charges, while ours are white. White
puffs. near home, are danger signals.
The Boche seldom attacks us un-
less he has superior numbers on his
side. We know that, so we let him
show off his whole bag of tricks in
an endeavor to entice us into COM
bat. He has some pretty fair
tricks, too. In case the Boche is
waiting for us with superior num-
bers and actually does assail one of
our planes, the squadron is arranged
TO afford the best possible defence.
An attack on the first plane in
the V would bring the second ma
chine and the one in the centre to
the rescue. An attack on the sec
ond plane would bring the centre
man and perhaps one of the trailers.
The formation was adopted for this
very purpose. If, however, the chal-
lenge developed into an air engage
ment which drew off two, three or
even four of our planes land it
would take more Boche fliers than
they can often spare to accomplish
this) the remainder of the convoy
adopts a prearranged formation and
pursues its course homeward. If
cne of the trailers is attacked he
fights it out by himself or, at most,
with the assistance of his companion
trailer. The rest go on without
them.
New-York tribune., 1917-11-04

exhaust his ammunition too soon and
be easy prey. In the machine gun
merry school the targets are gener-
ally an old plane with a German
cross painted on it set on the ground.
AS the Vickers in fighting plane is
immovable, the only way to get a
shot at that target is to dive nose
first to within a few feet of it, grind
out your shots and then swoop up.
II you don't swoop or virdge in time
you crash and there's a perfectly
good Spad gone to waste. If you
swoop too soon, firing at long range,
the instructor will call your atten-
tion to the fact with emphasis, and
you'd rather you'd done the other
thing.
You may smash two or even three
planes in this training with a less
severe reprimand than if you show
trace Of fear by not coming close
enough as you dive to the earth.
Courage counts and confidence in
your notwithstanding just how
far to take it, how close you can
come, and when to turn.
Then there is special course in
map reading for pilots-checking up
the rivers, streams, towns and roads,
etc. They must be able to find a
place they have never seen before by
the aid of map. The observers and
photographers have their elementary
training on the ground. They, too,
learn map reading so as to take pict-
ures over the lines that will fit into
the great plan at headquarters. For
the most part they are officers. There
are a few non-commissioned officers
in the lot, though. They are trained
in photography, map reading, teleg-
raphy, radio work, etc. Frederick
Zinn is the only American in this
corps of the service in the French
army.
New-York tribune., 1917-11-04

step-but always alone. This train
ing develops the reflex so necessary
to the fighting pilots.
Those who survive this training
are graduated into special school,
the division aerobatique ct combat,
after they have passed their breret
militaire. There they have course
in group flying, in fighting tactics,
in work such as looping, tail spins
with wing slips, and machine gun
merry.
That last is tricky subject. No
experienced pilot will turn his ma
chine gun loose unless he is within
five or six hundred feet of his tar
get. An adversary in the air who
begins firing at a longer range than
this is known to be a novice. He will
New-York tribune., 1917-11-04

built-in machine gun of the Vickers
type, which is pointed by aiming the
plane. Its delivery is timed to the
motor so that the gun shoots between
the blades of the propeller while
that mechanism is whirling into in
visibility at the rate of 1,750 revolu-
tions a minute.
The two-seaters have one machine
gun stationary in front and another
on a swivel in the rear, which the
observer operates.
New-York tribune., 1917-11-04
Shadows Most
Effective Camouhage

When an observer has completed
his ground work he gets about a
months training in a two-seater
plane. He then learns how the world
really looks when he's a mile or so
above it. He learns to gauge dis
tance. He studies light effects and
most of all he studies shadows-the
most effective camoufage in the
world to deceive him.
Camoufage has now developed
into a science and there are many
New-York tribune., 1917-11-04
Aeros Step Up
Behind the Artillery

Long ago the aeroplane stepped
right up behind the artillery as a
means Of preparation for the attack
Concentration Of aeros no less than
concentration of fire is a prelude to
an assault. Not only must the ad-
vance work of mapping be done, but
the enemy's planes must be absolute
" overwhelmed by force of numbers.
Not a hostile scout must be able to
penetrate above our lines to spread
the news of what is going on.
OF all the signs by which the Tom
my and the poilu know that an as
sault is in preparation the arrival of
great numbers Of aeroplanes is the
most reliable. The crack groupes de
combat are withdrawn from other
sectors and sent to that in which the
new hostilities are to begin.
Two or three weeks before the date
set for the actual assault the mon
ster flocks come soaring through the
sky. AS many as five complete
groupes de combat may be sent to
one sector in preparation for an as
sault. At daybreak the scouts go
whirring up in pairs and streak off,
each pair to some appointed German
town.
They check up all the trains in mo-
tion behind the lines, the length of
each, the direction in which it is 60
ing, ETC.; all troop movements, all
fires and all other military informa-
ton that comes to their notice.
Within half an hour after daybreak
the staff knows precisely what the
situation is behind the German lines
and is able to guess pretty shrewdly
what the Boche plans for the day
are. The actions of our own troops
are regulated accordingly
1t was just such reconnaissance as
this which made possible the redemp-
tion of the forts at Verdun this sum-
mer.
The beginning Of the last Battle Of
Verdun was really in Flanders. II
was in July and the early part Of
Augustine last attack | went
through. We mapped the entire
country, the artillery kept up an in
cessant fire, day and night. "Hurri-
cane fire" gave birth to its name
here, and on the eighth day came
the attack.
1t was a complete success.
Then it began to rain. Just a lit
tie murkiness that hid the stars at
first, then a drizzle, and then a
downpout. 1t rained for three days.
The planes were useless; the army
was blind and couldn't move. For
three days the attack WIS held up.
We could not move our large guns
through the mud; we knew not
where we were outnurbered-we
could only wait.
On the fourth day the dawn was
clear. We started out on reconnois-
sance, laundering up in pairs at the
first streak Of light like so many
huge partridges. was fortunate
enough to be one of a pair whose
destination was a certain town,
Thourout, that was a strategic rail-
way centre.
While we lowered over that place
for an hour we counted fourteen
.ong trains that pulled into the sta
ton. Each train disgorged Boches.
Troops were being concentrated
there at a tremendous rate. We saw
of convoys on the roads
New-York tribune., 1917-11-04
By Bennett A. Molter
(Sub-Fiight Lieutenant, Escsdrille
MOP, French Army

Copyright. 1917, by The Tribune
association
New-York tribune., 1917-11-04

E" e !: !. q" !: 4: =: !" ::
ES.SENW IPPING, soaring,
CNAN climbing never
II - for a minute taking
-SR straight course
-E9 and never for an
m1EEZj instant breaking its
alignment-a group
of aeroplanes sail
like a flock of tumbler pigeons above
the reek of No Mans Land, and is
now lost, then seen, behind the black
shrapnel puffs of the Boche. Straight
into the heart of it it fiies-away
from France and into the domain of
the enemy, a veritable maelstrom of
flying steel.
II travels in V-shape formation,
point foremost, the largest Of the
eight machines, a two-seater, at the
apex. Three hundred metres to the
right rear and 800 metres above the
leader is a smaller plane; 300
metres further TO the right rear and
on the same level is another. Two
similar fiankers form the other leg
of the V. Directly behind the lead
ing plane, but 300 metres above it,
is another, and at a distance of 500
metres from a line joining the two
outermost fankers and about 500
metres apart come the trailers Of the
flock-the hardest fliers and the
bitterest fighters (Les As-The Aces
of the Escadrille).
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-08-31
Ship AhiUals

Following is the United States Govern
ment list of ships arrived at ports on the
Atlantic coast and Gulf of Mexico for twen-
ty-four hours ended August 20. as posted
today in the custom house. The list shows
arrival of ffty-eight vessels. of which thir-
teen are American, twenty-seven British,
two French, nine Norwegian. four Danish,
and one each Spanish, Swedish and Hon.
duran:
Annie Marcia schooner, Brit; Arcturus, Nor;
Andrew Nebinger,. Amer: Ada D. Bishop,
Brit; Anteros. Brit; Alfred Hage Nor. Bot.
anst Brit; Baron Napier. Brit: Bayleaf Brit,
Hack Prince. Brit: Bella, Brit; Belgian Prin-
cesse, Fr.; Batrice, Amer; City Of Lahore, Brit.
Cascapedla. Brit: Christian Bors, Nor Glenn
entine, FRI. Conisclihe, schooner. Amer: c. W.
Mills. schooner, Amer; Campaina, schooner.
Brit. Delagoa. DAN: Demra. Brit: George
j. Edmonde. schooner. amer. Glance. bark,
Hyaeinthus, Brit; Hermes, ,swed.; Ida NJ.
schooner, Brit; Kerry Range. Brit. L. A. plum,
schooner. Brit, Margaret B. Roper, Amer
North Pacific. Brit; Neyisan. Brit. Olaf, Dan.
Oanfa Brit; Oleryic. Brit: Panaman. Amer
Pythens Nor. Rosalie Belliveau. schooner,
Brit; San Reno. Norwegian; Sif Norwegian;
Skandery, Dan; Sxaola. Amer; Tegucigalpa,
Hond Tydens. Brit. Uganda. Brit: Vestnorge,
Nor. Willie l.. Maxwell. schooner. Amer: Yen
rut, Amer.
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-08-31
COAL PRODUCTION MUST
GO ON, SAYS GARFIELD
New Administrator, Taking Of
flee Today, Arranges Confer
ence With Operators
WASHINGTON. Aug. 81.

DR.. Harry A. Garfield assumed his du-
ties as coal administrator today. The first
act taken was to assent to a request for
o conference from number of coal oper-
ators
DR.. Garfield said today that he had not
yet fixed upon any definite policy. for his
duties as coal administrator were entirely
new to him ami ne had given no thought to
them since he has been Gevoting his entire
time to his duties as chairman Of the wheat
price committee.
Organization of the force OF the coal ad-
ministrator will take several days. 1t will
he well into September before the coal ad-
ninIstraton takes any definite action.
Production Is the problem which the ad-
ministraton must first face. President Will
son has already fixed the prices. The plea
whic: the coal operators are making today
is that the prices fixed do not allow them
a sufficient margin to operate upon, and 1t
is expected that they will tell DR.. Garfield
that unless q higher price IL fixed many
mines must close down. DR.. Garfield stated
today that he was not yet familiar enough
with conditions to give any answer to such
a statement, If It should be made, but he
IL determined that production shall go on
and that there will be no industrial te-up
because Of a lack Of coal
Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-08-31
IRST ARTILLERY
\ AT CAMP HANCOCK
Regiment Is Expected to Be
Under Canvas by
Tonight
GENERALS MAY BE MOVED

CAMP HANCOCK, Augusta, Ca, Aug. 81.
Although headquarters denies having off,
ala, information of its arrival, the first field
.rtillery, with headquarters in Pittsburgh,
!. expected to be under canvas in Camp
hancock before night. The regiment is
commanded by Colonel William S. Mckee,
{. member of the State Senate. Company
a Engineers, which has been encamped at
ADMIRAL Md. is also expected during the
afternoon.
complete regiments of Sennsylvana's $
twenty-egith army division will he in the
6eld. VITA the exception of three batteries
ali the urits of the first artillery are from
pittsburgh. The exceptions are Battery A,
Of Bethlehem Battery c, of Phoenixvile
and Battery y, of Williamsport.
Major General Clement and Brlgadier
Generals Stillwell, Logan and O'Neill have
received their commissions in the National
Army. That means they are not officers of
the Regular Army nor of the National
Guard of the United States, but of the
. new army, and according to the opinion of
officers here can be transferred to the COM
mard of the conscript forces at the discre-
tion of the President.
No one in the field has any knowledge of
what the reorganization plans may bring
about the earnest hope Is expressed that
the commanding officers of the division will
not be shifted. Commanders of the Ma
f.. tional Army were assigned some time ago
but 1t is realized that changes are contem-
plated.
1t was learned yesterday that efforts
have been made by members of the staff of
General Clement to learn why the remaining
units Of the PENNSYLVANIA division were
held up. The War Department has been
notified that the camp is ready for the
Tenth Sixteenth and Eighteenth Infantry
Regiments the field bakery and several
other units No explanations, however, have
been received.