Evening star., 1918-07-21
Modern Knights Who Ride to Battle in the Air

Major Bags a Plane
To Chase the Enemy
From the A;r-At the
Av;at;on Base.
plainly plainly. did you get anythingr he
They went back to csru.nr -.
minute we got one shot atn at them ene
Lhey won't stand up and fight unless
tney nave two guns to our one"
The major took his place at the
neao OF the table. His four compan-
ions sat down.
The major did knock a boche out.
one Of them said. "Forced him into
a vriile after giving him about
tnirty shots, but the duck straight-
eneu OUT near the ground and the six
OF them beat it"
At lis two Of our men went up to
project an artillery regelage bipiane.
At go an aierte took Capt b. NIX
man biplane.
Al 2:i0 a doubIe-motored biplane.
bS bbsiSongmg to an allied squadron which
aescending on our field and, as Is
usual when visitors arrive via air.
every every one stood up to give them well
The biplana made what seeu.d .
perfect landing. but NO sooner had
me wheels touched the ground than
,ne tati came down heavily and the
!anoing wheels. at the next unfortu-
ha1e ts,S M moment 1s vent into gully. The
seemingly with. Irresistible force.
poked itself upright, and as the ma
chine came to rest the tail made the
complete turn over and the pilot and
observer were pinned under their bus.
!ans rushed forward.
SN men. six men," shouted the
MAJOR. who was at our hangar, a. he
took charge.
running continued. From the edee
OF the field we could make out an arm
or a leg moving under the Overturned
plane. l do not know what the men
about me felt, but I know that
missed several heart beats when the
accident occurred. and that had that
indescribable sensation of Witnessine
violent death. when
There they CO." said an officer at
my, my side. feet over appetite. as u.s.
Ak
And the major and the lieutensnts
and every one except myself laughed.
Don't look like a mournef at q
funeral" the lieutenant then said to
me. This is happening every day.
About the worst they've done is
smashed their propeller and probably
broken a wing"
And sure enough, as our men lifted
the plane. the pilot and observer un-
tied their safety belts and crawled
out, unscratched, into the field,
At 2:12 Capt Peterson landed and
reported to the recorder that the Ger
man biplane which had probably at
tempted to photograph our front had
decided to return to Germany when he
approached.
ANYTHING heard from - yetr.
he asked. -
Every man who went up in the next
hour asked the same question on re-
worried man on the field.
At o'clock the clean blue sky was
cut. with silver roulette In forma-
ton which told of magnificent
strength. that showed not only power.
put majesty and beauty. twelve great
above us. and the golden sun in their
wings
The comn1andant of our souaa,or
stood up and recognized them, and
with q wave of his hand in their di-
rection: he said. with enthusiasm and
solemnity:
go to II, little old ErpJana
to it" e~
That evening British aviator Wis.,
ited US with the news. The forma-
ton had divided into SKIES. One group
had bombed the works and bridre of
Rhine city, the other had done like-
wise to Cologne, and 1t was the
oroadese broad daylight Of the year"
he said. Several German machines of
the scores which attacked them were
destroyed. The British had no losses
In machines, and the only CASUALTY
was the wounding Of one Of the gum
ners.
: Our men could not say enough in
praise Of the British air service.
AT 3:15 the telephone in the hangar
carried the voice of Lieut.. = n
brought relief to us All. My host. hay.
ng separated from Lieut. Rickenback-
Or. had found Geman Rumpler ON
our side Of the line. They attacked
zach other, played for position, ex-
Lieut. j. got two or three bulleta
through the wings Of his adversary
Rumpler fed.
But he did not Cross the line. He
lew over 1t, many miles, ana GUIDE.
n his desire to complete his attack.
,ollowed. Finally Numpler crossed
INTO Germany, and with his gasoline
gone, GUIDE was forced to land. He
,ame down on French farm, close to
he Hne. and had to walk many miles
% a village which possessed tele-
Al 5:as. despite the inminence Of
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