Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-09-29
AERIAL BARRAGE
FOR YANK FIGHTERS
American Pursuit and OBJ
servation Planes Do Won
derfuI Work in Drive.
MANY HUNS SHOT DOWN

Tue
WITH THE AMERICAN FORCES
NORTHWEST OF VERDUN, Septem-
Der 2S.-Low flying airplanes have been
used by the Americans in the advance
now in progress to cover the forward
movement of the infantry by laying
what amounted to a barrage. Often the
aviators have flown as low as $50 feet.
There has been some notable air fight
ing with numbers of victories scored by
the Americans. Among these may be
mentioned one by Lieut.. Hoover, who
brought down a monopiane near Sivry,
while Lieut. White attacked two FOX
kers in quick succession. bringing one
down at Montfaucon and the other to
the east of that place.
Lieut.. Buckley ard Lieut. Curtis got
a Rumpler biplane near Bruilles. and
Lieuts. Buckley, Butt and Houston
Woodward of Philadelphia drove down
another Rumpler out of control near
Fleville.
A total of seven tons of bombs was
dropped upon Longuyen. Audun. FrieuX,
Gouraincourt and Stenay by French and
Italian aviators. while the British bomb
ed Audun, Metz-Sablons. Mezleres, AIRS.
Thonville and Frescaty. American
aviators dropped quantity of bombs
on Etain.
Undisputed Masters of Air.
WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY
81 (by the Associated FRESH
American pursuit aviators played their
part fully in the latest offensive. and
notwithSta nding greater enemy activ-
ity than usual. came through the first
two days as undisputed masters of the
I air in this region. They went ont in
! pairs. singly and in small groups. They
fought and vanquished enemy forma-
tons ranging in size from seven or
zine to twenty-tiiree machines and rem
dered incalculabie aid in the advance.
Aerial patrols left their airdrome s
Thursday before dawn and were over
the sector of attack by sunrise. They
began their operations by launching
successful raid against the Gernla II
balloons. six of which were brought
down during the day. Other ariators
directed the continuous barra ge
throughout the day all the way from
Cha on-sousles-Cotes to Lama
raZee. at an altitude never eXceedin 6
1000 yards. Flying at this low height
these patrols were able to protect the
observation airplaUeS, who were do
ing work for the infantry.
One pursuit group engaged in TWEEN
ty-three combatS with enemy airmen.
destroying two enemy machines and
bringing down out of control Il num-
Der of others. Other Americans few
over the German lines to as far as
the Moselle, southwest of Metz. They
found few German machines. but
drove back al! they cr9u""A Z" End
The work of the observation planes
was virtually undisturhcd L.. .ne
enemy machines.
A series of deep raids into enemy
territory was made during the day.
The first of these resulted in thirteen
combatS, in which ten German air.
planes were destroyed. The second
was made at low attitude for the
purpose of bombing concentrations of
enemy troops ard conveys. Three
German planes were engaged and one
probab bly, was destroyed.
A third raid was made in conjunc
ton with a bombing group against
the railroad junction at Etain. east
of Nerdun. and resulted in successful
bomba rdment of the objective. The
Americans met German f1iers during
the bombing operation and are be-
lieved to have destroyed three OF
them. Long distance accommodating
flights also We're carried out ana
valuable information obtained con-
corning German troop movements.
American observation aviatorS play
ed their customary important though
little spectacular part in the advance
Is of Gen. Pershing's forces yesterday on
this front They carried out seventy
nNe missions during lHc dsiS Sldl liiiS,
from their bases before daylight and
working until long after dark. They
came in contact with German infantry
on thirty-five occasions.
Divided Into Groups.
The aviatorS were divided into
groups. The first section was assigned
to infantry units to report ITS prog
ress The second did observation work.
watching the general advance, the To-
cation of the enemy troops and the
movements of his batteries. The third
section was attached to the corps for
general scouting and observation
work.
The American machines not only
carried out this work, but themselves
went over to the offensive repeatedly
and spent much time in attacking en-
envy formations.
The aviators returned to their
hangers at night with the wings OF
their machines often riddled with bull
let's \ ground mist, especially in the
morning, neceSSitated their descend
ing to a level of only Seventy-f1ve feet
above the fighting units. While over
the American infantry the aviators
encouraged the men and flew SO low
that they could hail the advancing
fighters.
One wounded man lying on the ground
even turned over and waved cheerlly TO
a plane as it flew close above him. one
OF the machines which sighted big
group of Germans swooped down upon
it. The machine gun damned Just as
the aviator was about to fire. The ma
chine turned so that the observer might
fire, when it was discovered that the
Germans were prisoners in the hands of
five American soldiers.
Another aviator saw a group of pris-
oners go by under escort of handful
OF Americans The Germans were man
fully doing the goose-step at the bid
ding of their captors.
One pilot had SO narrow an escape
from death that the glass eyepiece
was shot out Of his goggles Putting
up his hands to adjust the goggles
another bullet grazed his thumbs. Still
another plot received an explosive bull
let through the front of his outer coat.
setting it on fire. He was not wounded.
1.Ez 1VY.W