davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Scranton Wochenblatt. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1865-1918, 1918-02-14

Serr: rSobann, boIen Sic mir
nal cine Slaide 9urgrnoer mir
lit belite ni6t redt ertral"
SoDann: rgs lit feiner mebr
ba, gn6oiser Serrl"
Seer: so, marlm oenn
nidt?"
Sobann: .@eiI gerooe geItcrn
mir niht re6t ertra ipobl mar!"
Scranton Wochenblatt. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1865-1918, 1918-02-14

Sunges Idb den: D9ld,
ipenn bod Der frenlbe Serr, Der
neuIid fir mid iterben poIlte, nod
einmal elm 2ebens3ei6en bon ii6
gGbe!"
Scranton Wochenblatt. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1865-1918, 1918-02-14

anipieIun9. sd bride
sic bo6 nidt. Sraulein @annp9"
DGurdaus nift, Serr Berger; i'm
iibrieen finbe i6 es iebr nett BON
Sbnen, baB Sic nidt ben 9riidc.
Berger ipielen tpollen."
Scranton Wochenblatt. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1865-1918, 1918-02-14

= Sie Wtodt Der &C.
ID o + nbeit. n9tun ipie por Oenn
ncS 9rofeiiors ShmaIbler gortrag
iiber Die @orenbduier?"
SD ueib MIR nod, oaB ct oil.
ling: nShon Die alien Grieden uno
Sfomer" =, bann bin id 10 iadte
eingenidt."
Scranton Wochenblatt. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1865-1918, 1918-02-14

l = @emiitIi9. Gbef: SIR
@eidyaitseifer, Serr 2Gmnlden bat
Ieiber in letter 3eit iebr nadgelal.
len!
aontoriit: Scrr grinii6al, id one
meine S6uIoigfeit uno ood NAL
ctrpas menigerl
Scranton Wochenblatt. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1865-1918, 1918-02-14

,Saben Sic i6ou bas Bib Der
samiIie 9ufmann i'm S6altfaIten
oes photographer geieben?"
,3Soipobl; iibrigeus iou geItern
elm Spottpogel einen 3etteI altf
Die @lasidcibe geflebt ba6en NIT
Der 9lufidrift'; nlleberpaItigenoe
MtaioritGt" !"
Scranton Wochenblatt. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1865-1918, 1918-02-14

Serr: .Sagm Sic 9Gitern pie ieb bmn Sbres @onns
Sd)rebmit?"
g6uern % mel, 93rief geidrieben bat mnB
ct fd sei6 nadber gridoplmg gct Iegnl"
Scranton Wochenblatt. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1865-1918, 1918-02-14

= Steirfrii6te te. 2ebrer:
@clde Sriidte nennt man Stein'
iriidte9
Sdiiler: Die man nit Steinen
berimtcrnerien muBl
New-York tribune., 1918-05-26

shrapnel fired from below. The Tom
mics called this plane the Cooper
Belly" The armor could stand the
pop of machine-gun bullets from dis
tance and the exploding fragments Of
shells, but could put up no resistance
to the direct impact of a projectile.
A more elaborately armored plane
appeared on the Somme in the spring
of 1917. 1t was Of familiar type, was
almost invulnerable from below, but
was extremely sluggish in it's move
ments. 1t was used chiefly for contact
patrol work-that is, in cooperation
with the infantry for front line scout
ing. The steel plate was concentrated
around the pilot, the gunner being left
virtually unprotected.
The Boche Has
Tried Them Before
Still another machine appeared dur
ing the recent British advance oa Ar
ras. 1t was extensively armored with
steel one-quarter of an inch thick, and
was used for attacking infantry. 1t
was quite vulnerable from above. APP
parently the Boche was working tow
ard a type Of machine which would
protect all its passengers from all di-
rections-which could, in the words Of
the imaginative war correspondent,
"loaf along, not seeming to mind" 1t
was the fact that this type seemed to
have been achieved last week that made
such sensation among airmen.
Now it seems to be true that this
new flying tank is adequately protect
ed from all angles against machine
guns and all sorts of pop bullets. 1t
need not "mind" them. But it is not
at all protected against shells and
heavier projectiles, of a type often
shot from Allied aeroplanes. There
are plenty of planes in use to-day
capable of carrying guns which can
demolish the new monster with a
single shot. 1t is only necessary to
bring up these planes and equip them
in order to put the tank Immediately
, upon the defensive. Moreover, the
new German contrivance seems to be
SO sluggish in movement that it can
be outmannuvred without trouble by
almost any other type of machine
The mystery of how mass of armor
plate can be carried on wings is easily
explained, according to Dean Ivan
Lamb, who was for two years with the
English Royal Flying Corps, has eight
German machines officially to his
credit, and was wounded in fight
with one Of the earlier types of ar
mored planes.
The flying tank is not an aeroplane
built Of steel, he points out. 1t is
merely a plane of familiar type,
protected in certain vital spots. The
total weight of this armor is not great.
1t can easily be Offset by a tighten
ing of other burdens, chiefly gasoline
and bombs, ordinarily carried for long
flights. Besides, the armor itself takes
the place of certain heavy parts used
in the construction of ordinary ma
chimes Hence it is possible to build
machine completely armored Gin
vital spots) and send it out to fight
carrying no greater total weight than
New-York tribune., 1918-05-26


w York negro regiment won the
French war cross and the
highest praise of the commanding gem
erals few days ago, they merely up
held tradition--too little known-of
gallantry and heroism by negro fight
ers in the American forces for the last
half century. From the time when
Shaw enrolled the first black regiment
under tho Stars and Stripes. till to-
day, when the sons of the freedman
are worthily holding share of the
west front line, the black regiments
have carried their full share of all the
burdens and dangers faced by the
American armies. Against the Indians.
IN Cuba, in the Philippines and along
the border the record has been the
same--and it is one to be envied.
Battling with twelve times their
number Of Germans and cut off from
supports, two negro infantrymen Of
the old 18th New York Regiment, now
the 3esth, performed as stirring deed
OF gallantry as ever graced the honor
roll Of an army.
The black warriors are Privates
Henry johnson and Needham Roberts.
The negroes, armed with rifles, hand
grenades and bolo knives, In the early
morning Of May Is were at an impor-
tant post fifty yards nearer the enemy
than the main line of resistance. In
the pitch darkness Johnson heard
slight sounds behind him and caught
sight Of man crawling on tho edge
Of the barbed wire with which the post
was hedged about. His cry Of alarm
was heard back in main post and Z
star shell was sent up. Almost stimuli
saneously voiley Of German grenades
was hurlsd at the two soldisrs.
Instantly Roberta fell with thres
New-York tribune., 1918-05-26

to the ground, until the enemy was
forced to fee. A good and brave
soldier"
But the citation for va1or by the
French government and the war crosses
that go with it and the joy among their
comrades in the regiment is as moth
ing compared to the pride of their
families and friends that these two
negro boys have been awarded one Of
the greatest honors that any American
soldier has received in the World War.
Johnson's home~was in Albany, and
when his wife heard he was painfully
wounded in French hospital she was
happy in the assurance that he was
being we'll cared for, and in the hope
that some day she would walk down
the avenue by his side while he wore
the French War Cross on his breast
"And his name amt Henry, either" !"
said Mrs. johnson, who is a stickler
New-York tribune., 1918-05-26
French Craft in Use Against
U-Boats Mounts Gun Firing
Explosive Shell More Than
Match For Flying

Now, adequate armor for the pilot
and gunner by no means implies in
creasing them on every side in solid
steel. 1t is enough to protect your
pilot front and back and underneath,
and your gunner in back, curving these
projections around on the sides. The
.ank on which the pilot sits is his pro-
lection from beneath Directly above
he needs none. for shot squarely
from above is very difficult to land. Ac-
cordingly, you would need four square
feet of armor plate at each side of
your pilot, and another four square
feet in back, fourteen square feet be-
meath the gasolene tank, six square
feet above your engine and four square
feet in back of your gunner. The tests
show that * of an inch is sufficient
protection against machine gun bullets
(protection against heavier guns being,
of course, out of the question:. At IL
pounds per square foot, then, this al
NOR would itemize as follows:
Pounds
Eight square feet two sides for
pilot 9e
Four square feet back of pilot. 4s
Four square feet back of gunner 48
Six square feet above engine 72
Fourteen square feet beneath
Lauk 16S
1oCdl 4oZ
New-York tribune., 1918-05-26

ehe reports OF three-eighths of an ;,.,
are exaggerated.) The men sit Ia, !.
their caves, only the head RISING -.
the edge. The guns. protected v,ts
steel screen. are placed on a sw;v.,...
are capable of firing rot onlv 4 ~
points OF the compass, but downv..,
as we'll, through gun tunnel A.
cordingly, the machine has few ss,;-,
spots" which the enemy dare .t..ss
with immunity, and these spots are : =
tremely hard to hit effectively. N N
probability the men themselves 80.
armor, practice common in ali :,
heavier machines. The total we;sbt {,
the tank, without passengers or eor;,
ment, may be as high as 1000 pound..
Ihe nocelle itself, Mr. Lamb caleul.t..
carries eighty-eight square feet Of -
NOR plate, totally 1,o5s pounds g..
hundred pounds of this would ann...
in an ordinary car, so but 4ss norss.
additional need be accounted for
Now the only serious aspect :,
connection with this new bird il =.
fact that at tke time it appeared th.-.
were no guns then mounted on 'pIan..
capable Of dealing with it. The t.,.
! took the American fiers by surur;..-
that Is the whole of the story.
French Gun Could
Shoot 1t Down
But, Mr.. Lamb points out, there b,,.
Tor months been French aeroplanes On.
Grating IN the English Channel dealing
destruction to hostile U-boats. Tber
is, for instance, the voisiu tvc.
equipped with a 37-millimetre gun.
capable of piercing seven-eighths Of An
inch OF steel and of sending any U-boat
to kingdom come. The shell Of this
gun is ID inches long and 2A inches
in diameter at the base. The proiee.
tile has about the diameter of an or.
dinary salt cellar AS it pierces the
steel it explodes and throws shrapnel
in every direction. Rumor credits this
she'll with having put many sub.
marine out of business
But just because these vosin ma.
chimes have proved so useful against
. the U-boats, they didn't happen to Be
land-lubbering around Toul, where tie
flying tank appeared. They had no.
previously been considered useful on
land. for they are a bit unwieldy and
OF course no match for the ordinary
aeroplane.
Nevertheless they are quite sgile
enough to take care of flying tank,
which has the grace and verve Of an
elephant. Adequately armored in front
they could face their opponent in
comparative safety, for they could
keep their nose to business most Of the
time and fire their shells with relative
impunity. Instead of the 37-millimetre
gun, Mr.. Lamb points out, they might
carry the new Davis non-recoil gun,
which can discharge projectile IS
| large as three inches in diameter
Shooting two charges at once, busi.
ness shot in front and a blank in the
opposite direction, it neutralizes ii,
"kick,' and serves ideally for heavy
aeroplane use. There are rumors, too
of another and still more Formidable
gun soon to be mounted for aerial use
but we wouldn't for the world let ths
| Boche know about it
New-York tribune., 1918-05-26

for particulars in these matters. "It's
Bill, but everybody aroun' here called
him Henry before I got him."
"Bill's not big" she emphasized,
"but believe me he can go some. And
I knew that if Bill ever got to the
trenches he'd put quite few of the
Kaiser's baby killers where they would
do no more harm, and if Bill gets we'll
and they give him chance he'll do
his share in getting the Kaiser him
self. just leave it to Bill Believe me
he can go some!"
Big Reception
Waiting for Him
Private Johnson answered the call
OF his country last summer, when Col
onel William Hayward, former Pub
lie Service Commissioner, organized
the 18th Colored New York Regiment
which was later mustered into the
New-York tribune., 1918-05-26
you find you have effected the follow
ing savings:

Federal service. Before that time
Johnson had lived the unostentatious
life of working man employed by a
coal and wood dealer in North Albany.
He joined Company c, with his friend,
Charles Jackson. The latter's sister,
Georgia, married Johnson just before
the regiment left for France, and as
she and her mother sat in their humble
home in North Monroe Street in AL
bany they received the congratulations
of the whole neighborhood. Mrs. John
| son declared that when her husband
gets back to Monroe Street he will find
the most hospitable reception that any
soldier could wish for.
While Mrs. Johnson told about her
soldier husband her mother sat across
the table knitting socks for soldiers
She said she had just come from the
Red Cross headquarters, where lot OF
sons, brothers or husbands in the SER
vice, had been doing their share for
the comfort of the men in the nations
service.
Was Going to
Get One, At Least
The family Of the other colored war
rior, Needham Roberts, who is only
twenty years old, live in Trenton, N
j., and are the envy of the town, white
as we'll as black. Roberts's father. the
Rev. Norman J. Roberts, is on week
days porter in the white marble
building of the Trenton Banking Com
pany, and as he goes to work these
mornings he holds his head very high
On Sundays the Rev. Mr.. Roberts is
pastor of the Mount Holly A. M. E.
Church, position he has filled for the
past ten years.
Needham, when he enlisted in the
old 18th, was an elevator boy in a New
York City apartment, and before be-
successful attempts to join the navy
!! His sister tells with great pride how
she helped him to run away several
times to join the navy, when he was q
mere boy, only to return, for he woul6
not be accepted, as he was then toe
young.
The confidence the family had tina,
their boy would make good in the army
was expressed by the mother.
"He used to say to me," she said
MON, I'm goin' to get one of The
Germans before they get me- an hs
did. And he sure did get one of tn.
big prizes"
The news. quickly spread through
che negro neighborhood that the stal
in the window Of the Roberts HON.
stood for the first Trenton boy to wi,
New-York tribune., 1918-05-26

say, fourteen pounds of oil. You omit
your bombs, which for ordinary work
would total at least $50 pounds, and
pounds. Now your armor, being built
into the machine, takes the place of
certain parts of the body and of the
slight amount of armor usually put on
New-York tribune., 1918-05-26
The Fighting Flicr
Explains Things

But the experienced military a;rmer
took 1t calmly. They had met nartlv
armored aeroplanes before, had fouobt
with them and analyzed them. rhev
knew that aerial armor is no new IN.
vention. They knew to what exter+
steel plate could be added to existinc
models of planes and what disadv.rs
tage would go with the Innovation
In all this they had a cruel advar.
tage over the parlor strategist. who !.
forced to take his information from
the newspaper headlines, and who .c.
cordingly had never been informed
that arnaor has been used on aero.
planes for fully three years.
The first partly armored plane wsa
Boche contrivance which made Il.
debut in the second Battle Of Ypres. In
the spring Of 1916. It carried one.six-
tesnth Of an inch Of armor underneath
the cells protecting the pilot and
gunner and the gasolsns tanks against
New-York tribune., 1918-05-26

suggests, and see what you can omit
from its burden for the purposes of
ordinary patrol work. The machine
ordinarily carries gasolene for five
hours, which. at twelve gallons per
hour and eign, pounds per gallon,
amounts to 4S0 pounds. You can re-
duce your supply to suffice for 3h
hours and save 1886 pounds, besides,
New-York tribune., 1918-05-26

an ordinary unprotected battle plane.
The large British Handley-Page. for
instance, is capable of carrying 1000
pounds of bombs. Dispense with these
bombs and you have more than enough
to spare to encase all the occupants
and the vital parts of the machinery
with steel SIG Of an inch thick.
Take an ordinary machine, Mr.. Lamb
New-York tribune., 1918-05-26
Our Negro Dou&hb0ys Make Go0d-As Usual

wounds on his arms. The right arm
was rendered useless, but with the left
he CROPPED around for his basket Of
grenades and although lying on the
ground began throwing them.
Johnson fired his rifle at the nearest
adversary The German fell, but an
other jumped toward johnson and was
almost upon him when the colored boy
swung his dubbed rifle and sent the
butt crashing through the enemy's
skull. Then he turned toward Roberts,
who was battling with three Germans,
one of whose hands was clutching at
his throat At the same time a dozen
others had penetrated the wire, fired
three revolver shots, and Johnson went
down with three bullet wounds in the
left leg, the right hip and the right
forearm. Staggering to his feet he
unsheathed his bolo knife and sent
the blade slicing through the skull of
the man whose hands were at the
throat Of the PROSTATE Roberts. Turn
ing he drove the knife through the
stomach of another.
What happened then seems a bit
hazy, for Roberts had tainted and
johnson was weak from loss of blood.
However. the German raiding party
fed and after them Johnson hurled his
last grenade and saw the explosion
scatter the hindmost German in pieces.
French General
Praises Negroes
When the French general command
ing the division received the report of
the American officer in immediate
charge he declared it was much too
modest to signalze so daring an ex-
plot. His own view finds expression
in the following citations issued in the
divisional order Of the day:
Private Henry johnson, finding
himself on night sentry duty and
neing attacked by a group Of more
than q dozen Germans, put one hors
dc. combat with rife shots and two
others with knife cuts. Although
wounded thrice by revolver bullets
and grenades at the start Of the
fight, he went to the help of, his
wounded comrade as the latter was
about to be carried, of by the enemy
and continued the struggle until the
Germans were forced to fee. He
gave magnificent example of cour-
age and energy.
Private Needham Roberts, find-
ing himself on night sentry duty at
tackled and badly wounded in the leg
throw hand grsnadss. although fallen
New-York tribune., 1918-05-26

WV HEN reports Of the new Ger
w man ''hying tank" which
brought down Major Lufbery
New-York tribune., 1918-05-26

the war cross, and one of the first two
American negro soldiers to be deco
rated. The colored boys stare long at
the star. One of them expressed the
hopes and expectations of all the
others. He said:
"Needham's done somethin' powerful
big over there. We all must be SOL
diers and get one of them medals, too"
In all the negro circles in the city
pride in the achievement of the two
soldiers for the past several days has
taken precedence over every topic. 1t
is the negroes one subject of CONVEX
sation
New-York tribune., 1918-05-26
The Colonel's Praise
Of His Battalions

Recently Colonel William Hayward
wrote to Frederick R. Moore, editor OF
"The New Age" of his experience with
and confidence in his negro soldiers
He said in part:
To-day / have two battalions in
the trenches of the first line The
officers and men have done splendid
~. The men sing song (they are
always singing) that has couple of
lines like this:
We used to use the picks and
spades,
But noaU aUe throV the hand
grenades.
"And they surely do throw them.
One of the men tossed one prema-
turely the other day when we were
laying down barrage. afterward
scolded him for his haste and asked
him what had made him so precipi-
tate. He said, why, Kunnel, dat ole
grenade she started to swell right
up in nah hand an l simply had to
fling 'er.'
Il am very proud of them. They
are clean, brave men, fearing moth
ing, daring everything. General Foch
says of them: They are very strong
and stout-hearted-and very rash.
The friends Of the regiment ought
to rejoice that we are up here with
the splendid French, where bravery,
hardihood, character, and not mans
color count"
New-York tribune., 1918-05-26
Tot,

This is admittedly conservative es-
innate for armor, but it would be ade-
quate to meet the problem and sug-
gests how simple the principle is. The
tables here show a leeway of 303
pounds for additional steel plate if
desired.
The machine on which this estim ate
is based might probably carry motor
of from ITO to 230 horsepower and
might have 5o-foot span. It's normal
weight without passengers or equip
ment might slightly exceed 1000
pounds. If armored even beyond the
735 pounds here allowed, it could still
carry the additional weight by means
of greater cambre or curvature of
the wings. This would, of course, di-
minish the agility OF the machine, but
, that is to be expected.
A Low Flying
Slow Machine
The new German flying tank, to
judge from reports, seems to be Of the
two o-engine tractor, twinfusilage type,
carrying a pilot and two gunners. 1t
is unusually heavy, but apparently no
effort has been made to increase it's
size proportionately with its weight.
Instead sacrifice is made in speed and
mobility. Its span is reported as sixty
feet, far less than that of the huge
British Handley-Page, which has been
known to spread its wings ninety-sis
feet. 1t remains, then, slowmoving
low-fying piece Of machinery, probably
capable Of no more than sixty miles ar
hour on a straightaway run, and quite
incapable of the dive, the spin anc
other sensational stunts. Any ordinary
aeroplane can fly all around it if it car
escape the bullets from its machine
guns. Presumably the nocelle, in which
all the military business is transacted
is wholly built of steel. sixteenth:
of an inch thick. Mr.. Lamb believes
New-York tribune., 1918-05-26
Problem. However,
Is Not Simple

So far, the problem looks absurdy
simple. There is a machine that can
shoot down the flying tank, and We
should worry, you say. But of course
the problem is not so simple. No war
problem ever is. What, for instance
about a machine that will shoot down
machine that will shoot down tank!
And a machine that will sh Dot that
machine down. and so on? II the
boche can provide a sufficient escort
Of rapid manHuvring planes to ward Of
the attacker, the tank can continus
its deadly work.
In this, say the experts, VIC have en-.
tered new phase of aerial warfare
The problem is somewhat analogous 70
tnat Of naval fighting. On the sea you
nave dreadncughts that can pound
anything ont of existence But thsst
are vulnerable to a squadron of fasta
ships. There Dust be battle cruisers
10 protect the dreadnoughts, and lishf
cruisers to protect the battle cruissfh
and destroyers to protect the lsss
cruisers. In other words, wSssh'P
must usually travel in families.
And so, too, it appears, must sese'
planes In the future. The ssmores
tank is regarded here as the expen-
mental precurso or of an aerial aymorea
battleship, which may some day g.
velop into dreadnought- By ITSELF "
will probably be almost useless. bus
protected by fleet of light air cruis'l
ers, capable cf clearing away oppos''|
ton, it may become deadly in the e.
treme. Beyond a doubt the Boone
working on this very problem o. -
proper composition Of the aerial nss'
o. the future. 1t Is common knoWs''s,
that he has tended to do his ss
lighting in squadrons. sometimes =
many as forty planes at time, -, =
mas shown himself adept IN N
movement. Mere mass attack 1ra
no means be the aim CT their 49,.
of grouping. The period OF .1s1 =
tiation appears to have Begun ~ 81,
may soon hear the elsborate - ~
aeroplanes OF all sorts, esce ca 80 ysssf b
ing a specified work, ana sn -
their functions by signals from
trail flagship. .A,. a61
In short, expert opinion ~ W Z
regards the flying tank oi nss.rs ~ d
mere experiment. or no sieh'ssf sieh'sss,tnsf
fact that it brought to earth sae
liant Major Lufbery. - .k,s51 f
But what may develop from "
neriment that gives the expe! =
Tor thourhtf n. 6. Wells uiSe9
: new "Nar in the Air" on ~