Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-10-29

| the Boche red bird went diving
straight for the ground. Whether
he crashed or not is still a question,
as no confirmation ever arrived to
that effect.
We hope so however. and it's a
significant fact that no Boche of
that color has appeared on the front
since.
Such is the type of man 1 do
most of my flying with, and since l
have proved my mettle by getting
two Boche, as we'll as doing other
things, he has taken fancy to me
with him on his flights.
This attention is indeed fiattering,
and 1 am very anxious to make good
in his eyes by knocking down some
more Dutch hogs" as Dad calls
! them.
Yesterday evening we were sent
out again on another protection.
The weather was fierce, the sky be-
ing filled with low hanging clouds.
Also, il had just stopped raining.
But orders were orders and up we
went.
There were only four of us and
owing to the slowness of mechanics
two OF us got up so long after the
first two that they did not wait for
us, going on out to the lines alone.
Takes Lead
Thus when l and the other
Frenchmen got off, l had to take the
lead as the Frenchman did not know
the lines at all-and I did not know
them much better.
But since it was up to me took
the lead and headed Berlin way,
hnnipu I fnf first
two before we had gone far. No
such luck tho, and to make matters
worse, terrific rainstorm was COM
ing our way.
Golly! 1t just looked like a white
wall coming at us. Altho l could
see no use in going forward, neither
could l see my way clear to return
ing to camp and when asked why
came back, say 1t was raining. 1t
sounded foolish. so / kept going.
We were flying very low $500
meters) on account of the clouds,
and what with the bad weather it
was impossible to see far.
Sees Big Plane
But soon l made out a big plane
some distance away and thinking it
was a Boche, signaled my partner
to that effect, headed that way. 1t
proved to be one of the big planes
we were protecting. however, as the
red. white and blue circle showed
up quite plain when l got close.
Almost Immediately afterward I
saw another and dove on that one,
my comrade right behind me, but
it merely proved to be another big
French plane.
Hunting a Target
Since l was then some distance
over the Boche lines and not very
high l began looking around for
something TO try my guns on. With
this idea in mind l flew along a
road for several miles but nothing
seemed to be moving thereon, so l
turned my attention to the country
alongside.
Motor Truck Hides
At a town some distance away,
suddenly noted a big motor truck
run under shed, and he did it so
abruptly as to give the effect that
he was hiding from we two birds
circling overhead. But l was a little
bit -hazy about this part of the lines
they change so quickly lately
and was not quite sure whether that
town was in the hands of the Boche
or French.
Having no way of finding out I
did not shoot, but continued further
towards the Boche lines. Soon they
began shooting at us and then there
was no doubt whatever over whose
land we were trespassing. Not only
archie was barking, but the
crackle of machine guns could be
distinctly heard also.
This just made me sore enough
to want to do some shooting my
self.
Sprays Trenches
Seeing a big round object far be-
low whose lines reminded me of a
tank, 1 got bead on it and let go,
also spraying trenches round abouts
quite thoroughly.
BY this time the rainstorm was
nearly on us so 1 turned homeward,
and luckily ran into the first two
whom we had been hunting. My
responsibility was at an end then.
1t was up to the Lieutenant. The
rainstorm catching us then, he de-
cided to go home, but the rain was
so thick and the drops so big that
he headed for another escadrille
nearby.
You cannot imagine how hard
rain water is until you have it
driven at you at the rate of two miles
minute. Man! I'd just as soon
face a bullet.
Narnish Pounded OF
You can we'll believe little Walter
stuck his head behind that wind
shild and kept it there. Twas we'll
/ did for when / looked at my pro-
peller on landing 1 found all the
varnish had been pounded off by
the pelting raindrops.
Not only were there three coats
of that varnish, but it was doggone
good stuff at that. After seeing that
propeller l hate to think what would
have happened to my face had l
stuck it above the windshield.
Incidentally, while the Lieutenant
was rolling his plane toward the
hangar one of his wheels dropped in
a deep shell hole, breaking both the
wing and propeller. AS several me-
chanics were standing nearby and
had not warned him of the danger,
there was sure one hopping mad
Lieutenant "tout-de-suite."
A Word Battle
Inside of 10 seconds after the
accident French words were plying
back and forward thicker than the
-