The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1918-09-20

Special Service of the Italian American News
Bureau:
Several things have been established in
oeronautcs by the air raid on Vienna led by
Major Gabrielle D DAnnunziO, the Italian poet. Our
unwillingness to retaliate for the damage done to
works or art and monumental buildings by way
or reprisal Will endure in history as an instance
OF generosity, and proof to all the world that the
Italian feels no rancor toward his hereditary foe.
The enterprise for which every Italian aviator
had been signing was undertaken on August g.,
when squadron Of eight aeroplanes ctrcled over
Vienna for half an hour and the inhabitants OF
the AIStrian capital could hear low down near
their heads the whirr of the powerful engines
They could see distinctly the tri-colored wings
which threw ominous shadows on their homes
They were embellished also with the Venetian
Lion of st. Mark.
Capronl aeroplanes were used of type which
Is represented by single plane in America, 1t
being at Mineola, l.. l.
Ever since the war began Italian avators pre-
pared secretly for raid Vienna. Several
times it seemed near but the supreme command
refused to sanction 1t. Last year a powerful
squadron of Caproni battleplanes was entirely
ready for the fight and aVtators were champing
at the bit so to speak, in their eagerness to CO.
AS in the recent flight, the poet, DAnnunzio, was
to command the expedition. Again, at the last
moment permission once more denied The
heroic pilots nevertheless, refused to abandon
their dream, and at last they have been able to
head toward the proud Austrian capital.
The aeroplanes employed were Of the SVA
Italian front Is about 316 miles from Vienna and
them were single seaters; one was a double
scatter and carried Major DAnnunzio besides the
pilot.
The distance was long and difficult. The
Italian front is about 315 miles from Vienna and
more than half the distance is taken up with the
chain of the Alps whose lofty peaks forced the
aviators to fly at very great height and force
their way through insdtous atmospheric condl-
tons
The planes left their field at o'clock the morn
ing Of August 9. They climbed $4,000 feet and
arrived Vienna in battle formation about
o'clock. CirCTg over the city, they descended to
a height Of about $500 feet. At that level they
scattered several millions of pamphlets over the
"a 0if n
tri-color a symbol of liberty, denouncing the
suhjection of the Vienna government to the
Prussian military gang; announcing the great
Allied victories on the western front, which
hitherto had been jealousy concealed by the Aus
trian government, and last, but not least, the
miraculous daily growth of the gallant American
army in France.
The italians as demonstration of their chiv
airy refrained from throwing deadly bombs on
the defenseless people Soon after noon all the
raiding planes save one had returned safely to
their starting point.
The flight lasted a little more than six hours,
including the time spent in circlins over the city.
Considering the time necessary to climb to the
flying altitude made necessary by the Alps, ana
the practical impossibility Of following per-
fectly straight line of flight, of the adverse at
mospheric conditions encountered in a portion or
the distance covered it will astonish expert fly
ers to be told that the raiders made an average
speed of 1875 to 1870 miles hour new record
for a squadron Of machines.
The Austrian aircraft defense was taken com
pletely by surprise-for the raid although often
discussed openly in Italy, was held to be impos-
sibe, and the Italians were not opposed by any
military obstacle on the part OF the enemy When
they undertook it.
Their success gives the Italian flyers, guided
by the dauntless poet, who has ever chosen the
most daring way to symbolic italian traditions
and aspirations the honor of making the long
est flight ever carried out enemy territory by,
entire squadron.
While the Italians were making their chival-
rous feat and sparing the lives of the inhabi-
tants Of Vienna, the Austrans bomharded the
defenseless city Of Bari in Italy and killed four
women.