Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-09-22
BUSY NIGHT AND DAY.
Aerodromes in War Zones Scenes o
Incessant Activities.

Ineessant Activities.
Behind the British lines in France,
August 80, Correspondence of the AS
ISOLATED Press)-Night, as well as day,
is full of work and hustle at an army
aerodrome. Night fights are. not fire.
quent, but the night is the time when
mechanics are busiest, putting every
thing right for whatever tomorrow
may bring forth.
Long after, the sun has sunk beneath
the tops of the hangers and the trees
have changed from green to black, the
hard worked airplanes drift homeward,
crossing the evening sky like black
specks on a purple cloth and land
ing with deep droning on the clipped
grass, lame and weary from long
afternoons work over the lines.
The days work is finished; reports
are handed In, and the pilots saunter
down to their mess tent among the
trees. The mechanics appear, wheel
the machines into their respective han
gars and the nights work Is begun.
1t Is seventeen miles to the she'll
holes of No. Mans land, and all the
horrors Of war. The long white roa.
thick with the dust of transport, Is ST.
lent. The fiat aerodrome is in dark
ness but the hangers, looming black
against the evening sky, are bright
within. There Is much to be done.
Mazes OF wires must be overhauled;
many must be replaced or tautened.
The enemy anti-aircraft artillery has
been active and some of the planes
bear witness Of its work. The canvas
wings Of one machine are riddled and
need long and patient attention before
it will be fit for service-sgain. On an
other, the flying struts must be renew
ed. On another the wings are out of
shape, the result Of straining maneu-
vers in aerobatic fighting.
The whole means hard seven hours
Of work for the entire staff Of mechan-
les. They settle down to 1t as mat
ter Of routine. Every time machine
comes back from the lines it has to be
overhsuled. perhaps dsmantled. New
gadgets must be fitted, the engine re-
paired and cleaned. Airp1anes are after
all very delicate pieces Of mechanism
and need continual attention. Without
1t they are useless, even dangerous. The
accuracy of hundreds of measurements,
the trustworthiness Of hundreds Of
parts, are essential to good flying and
reliability, and just as much depends
on these factors as on the skill of the
pilot.
The airplane mechanic doesn't share
the dangers Of the field Sor the hard
ships Of the infantryman or artillery
man, but he has endless work, and q
very heavy responsibility. When there
is heavy air lighting he must frequent
~ work all day and all night, and woe
betide the pilot If he should skimp any
Of his work. Upon his shoulders rests
the strength OF the squadron and its
efficiency.
The officer in charge of the aero
drome during the night hours Is known
as the Orderly Officer" Warmly clad,
to keep out the chills of the night, he
walks around the busy sheds and han
CARS. now and then offering word Of
advice DR. encouragement, but always
with an ear for the telephone bell, for
at any moment orders may come thru
for night bombing or the warding off OF
some hostile aircraft. Such orders are
very rare, but everything is ready for
them when they come.
The work in the hangers is.so ar.
ranged that the steeds appointed for
the next days work shall be ready an
hour before dawn. AS the first rays
Of the sun light up the aerodrome the
machines are wheeled out on the Tar
mac" oiled and attuned for the morn
ing,S fight 81 III Is, -