New-York tribune., 1918-05-21
Pershing's Men More Than
Holding Their Own With
Boche Veterans
Two More Enemy
Aviators Downed
Foe Overcome While Trv-
ing to Escape Pursuing
Americans
[By The Associated press1

With The AMERICAN ARMY IN
FRANCE, Sunday, May 19.-Control o1
the air no longer belongs to the Ger.
mans along the Toul sector. Aerial
activity there seems to be increasing
daily, but the Germans are not per.
mitted to prowl about freely.
Fighting American airmen have
locked wings with the enemy, and to.
day the tally of machines brought
down is overwhelmingly in the favo,
of the United States fighters. In fact
they have had such good fortune tina,
they are wondering whether it car
keep up without change. They are no,
passing by single chance to get al
the enemy.
Two hostile airplanes have been
brought down by American aviators
says an official announcement issued at
.American headquarters this evening
Activity Chiefly in Air
The statement, timed at P. NJ, fol-
lows:
aside from activity of the air
forces on both sides, the day was
quiet at all points occupied by our
troops. Our aviators brought
down two hostile machines"
| Lieutenant Douglas Campbell to-day
gained his second aerial victory. On
the Ioul sector. he shot down in flames
an enemy biplane containing two Of
| fcers.
| Returning from a trip over Ger
many at height of 1850 metres, the
lieutenant met German Photographic
biplant going home. He manevred
until he got under the tail OF the
afs ssbna then fnsnsd SS1ss gs
flames and fell inside the American
lines, southeast of Flirey.
Enemy Fliers in Flocks
The German airmen have started to
fly in focks, at great height. EARLY
this morning, for instance, five of them
came over together at 5000 metres,
1900 above lhe ordinary fire of the
"Archies."
The alarm was given promptly, but
the Germans were keeping a sharp
lookout, and as soon as they saw five
American pursuit planes climbing to
meet them they turned around, and
started home rapidly.
Late yesterday one Hun was sudden
ly disclosed high in the sky when the
clouds parted. Two of the American
fiiers went up after him, while the
others stood on the ground and swore
roundly at the bad luck that he was
not lower. The German airman made
his escape.
The weather has been ideal for fly
ing and there is hardly minute when
hn IS
planes is not heard by the men in the
lines.
Fights Over Enemy Lines
More German squadrons have made
their appearance opposite the American
sector, but to the Americans the in
creased number simply means that
many more chances of adding notches
to their machine guns. But while the
enemy has increased the humber Of
his hiers his airmen in turn have in
creased their caution.
Only seldom. does Boche venture
| far within the American lines. When
he does he usually takes advantage of
the clouds and flies so high that he
our aviators to ascend to his altitude.
On the other hand, our fliers daily
penetrate Germany for. great dis
| tance. .ts-
The German biplane brought down
Friday by Captain David Peterson, OF
Honesdale, Penn, his third since May
Is, was conquered after fight fiv.
kilometres within the German lines
Peterson and another pilot came upon
two enemy machines. one 1000 metres
high, and the other 5000. The Ameri-
cans each picked out an enemy air.
plane and attacked it.
Captain Peterson, driving on to the
tail of the one 1000 metres high, fired
thirty shots at close range. The enemy
went into spinning nose dive and
crashed to earth. The other enemy
machine escaped.