The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-07-13

gets On nome TO MS a1rQrOme. 1t Isl
useless to follow him down inside the
German lines. for you would in ALL
probability be shot down before you!
can attain sufficient altitude to cross
the line again.
It often happens that a pilot win
be chasing another machine when,
suddenly he sees 1t start to spin. Per-
haps they are fifteen or eighteen thou
sand feet in the air, and the hostile
machine spins down for thousands Of
feet. He thinks he has hit the other
machine and goes home happy that
he has brought down another Hun.
He reports the occurrence to the
squadron, telling how he shot down
Of probably two hundred miles an
hour, shooting all the time as fast as
possible. Their only chance lay in;
the possibility that the force Of my
drive might break my wings. I knew
my danger In that direction. but as
soon as I came out of my dive the
Huns would have their chance to get
me. and knew had to get them first
and take a chance on my wings hold
ing out.
Fortunately some OF my first bullets
found their mark. and I was able to
come out Of my dive at about four
thousand feet. They never came out
Of theirsi
But right then came the hottest sit
uation in the air I had ever expert
enced up to that time. The depth Of
my dive had brought me within reach
of the machine guns from the ground,
and they also put barrage around me
of shrapnel from antiaircraft guns
and I had an opportunity to ride the
barrage," as they cali 1t in the r. F..C.
To make the situation more interest
ions'' at me. FLAMING onions are
rockets shot from a rocket gun. They
are used to hit a machine when 1t is
flying low, and they are effective up
to about five thousand feet Some
times they are shot up one after an.
other in strings Of about eight, and.
they are one of the hardest things to
go through. If they hit the machine,
it is bound to catch fire and then the
Jig Is up.
All the time, too, I was being at
tackled by "Archie"-the antiaircraft
gun. escaped the machine guns and
the flaming onions. but Archie" the
antiaircraft fire, got me-1vur ~
times. Every time a bullet plugged
me. or rather my machine, 1t made
loud bang, on account Of the tension
on the material covering the wings.
None of their shots hurt me until
was about a mile from our lines, and
then they hit my motor. Fortunately,
I still had altitude enough to drift on
to our own side Of the lines, for my
motor was completely out of commits
sion. They just raised the dickens
with me all the time was descend
ing, and I began to think / would
strike the ground before crossing the
line, but there was q slight wind In
my favor, and 1t carried me two miles
behind our lines. There the balloons
I had gone out to get had the satisfac-
| ton OF s'pin-pointing" me. Through
the directions which they were able to
give to their artillery they commenced
Smelling my machine where 1t lay.
This particular work is to direct the
| ire of their artillery, and they are
| Used just as the artillery observation
lirplanes are. Usually two men are.
tationed in each balloon. They ascend
a height of several thousand, feet.
| tbout five miles behind their own lines
ind are equipped with wireless and.
| dgnaling apparatus. They watch the
| BURST of their own artillery. check up
| he position, get the range, and direct
The next shot.
When conditions are favorable they
are able to direct the shots so accu-
| rately that it is quick work destroying
| the object of their attack. It was such
/ a balloon as this that got my position.
| marked me out, called for an artillery
shot, and they commenced Smelling my
machine where 1t lay. If / had got
the two balloons instead of the air.
plane, I probably would not have lost
my machine, for he would in all proba-
bility have gone on home and not both
cred about getting my range and caus-
ing the destruction Of my machine.
I landed in a part of the country
that was literally covered with shell
holes. Fortunately my machine was
not badly damaged by the forced land
ing. leisurely got out, walked around
1t to see what the damage was, and
concluded that it could be easily re-
paired. In fact, thought IL 1 could
find a space long enough between shell
holes to get start before leaving the
ground that I would be able to fly on
from there.
Il I was still examining my plane and
considering the matter of few slight
repairs, without any particular thought
for my own safety in that unprotected
spot, when a shell came whizzins
d through the air. knocked me to the
ground and landed a few feet away
| IT had No sooner struck than i made