El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-02-21
GERMANS USE CAPTURED PLANES
To GET OVER THE ENEMY LINES
In One Instance Three French Balloons Are Brought
Down in This Manner; Weather So Cold in France
Motor Ambulances Cannot Remove Wounded to the
Rear Without Hours Of Fighting Over the Roads.
Continued from rage -

I0AA IL
railways took advantage OF this mean
/ trick.
In the somme I once saw a Boche
flyer do a most unsporting stunt. On
a sultry. lazy afternoon a French
plane, captured by the Germans while
the thing was in perfect condition,
! and with all its French markings,
was driven over the lines by a Boche
| aeronaut- The tired gunners were
] all doing. and after a glance at the
red. white and blue circle on the
plane, paid no more attention until
I the sharp staccato reports of ma
chine gun drifted down from above.
Trielzsters Treated as Spies II Caught.
There were five observation bal
looms OF the French alone in one
row, and before a shot could be got
at the German he had shot down the
whole five and was away to safety.
The French observers in the balloons
parachutes while the balloons
dropped, each one a flaming ball,
with a long line of black smoke in
its wake. Tricks Of that kind aren't
very well approved OF, and any Boche
( flying a plane with allied marks is
treated as a spy and shot upon cap
ture.
The British flyers are very SPORT
i've and cleancut fighters. They are
mostly boys willing 10 take a chance
at anything just for the sake Of the
sport This summer they had the
Germans completely demoralized on
account Of their severe bombing OF
enemy territory.
Huge Triplane Brought Down.
When the famous Capt Guynemer's
escadrille was attached to our divi-
sion Of infantry there was not one
German flyer crossing the trenches
who ever got back to safety within
HE 1fnnC- Of
three weeks the French worked IN
hampersd by enemy planes.
There were great many fights.
naturally, during this time; and in
one week four Of the German pilots
were knocked down almost into the
courtyard OF our cantonment. Dur
ing these days I saw a member of
the well known lafayette escadrille
get in first shots at a huge triplane
German aeroplane, on which were
mounted three machine guns. This
was one Of the largest hostile planes
I've ever seen knocked to earth and
It actually took seven French planes
to get il down. When it finally
landed on the ground, after a fall
that was broken by a great deal OF
turning and twisting, one Boche was
dead, another very badly wounded.
while the third was unhurt
How Flyers Aid ARTILLERY.
During the last Verdun drive, a
French pilot saw more than 5000 Ger
man soldiers marching on a road be-
hind the Boche lines. He Immediate
y wired correct range Of the road
was acting as observer, and few
well placed shells drove the Germans
into roadside dugouts. Then he sig
nailed the dugout positions to his
battery and they threw over shell
after shell until all the reinforced
q H-az
ground; and not one German got
away from the slaughter.
Winter Weather Terrible.
The winter weather over here is
terrible. One night recently I was
called out on relief duty at midnight.
At midnight call came in for extra
cars and somebody kicked me in the
ribs and I tumbled out from the lit
tie shack into q night Of clear skies
and brightly shining stars.
A bitterly cold north wind whipped
the frozen snow about and the air
was filled with biting bits Of snow,
for all the world like flying sand.
No dressing was necessary, as we
all slept fully clothed.
So, catching up a bucket, ran
down the slippery road to the ice
covered stream. chopped the outer
layer OF ice, and, filling the bucket. /
ran back to my ambulance When I |
absolutely refused to turn over. We Z
pushed the car a bit up and down the |
road, but II was completely dead. /
Next morning found that some wa !
ter had stayed in one cylinder head 1
Of the motor at the time I drained /
the radiator. had frozen solid, and /
clamped tight the cylinders.
Warned OF Heavy SnsvT on Road.
I volunteered to 90 ahead with an 4
other driver, and he willingly accept |
ed my offer.
When we ran into heavy snowdrifts /
the ambulance was totally unable to 4
pillow through.
The only way we could make the 1
car grip on the snow was by putting I
blankets under the wheels, advancing 1
10 or Il feet, move the blankets 1
ahead OF the car and go on a bit.
I handled the Blankets while the 1
other chap drove, 2 I'd we pulled into /
the first line dressing station at $50 /
o'clock in the morning-almost six /
hours Of this sort Of running, and at /
that, ours was the only car to get |
through the snoWdrifts.
ITO BE COnffnued)
MACHINERY To WIN THE