Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-05-08
Noted American Flier Falls
Behind German Lines
During Battle.
FRIENDS HOPEFUL
HE IS NOT DEAD
Hall With Two Other Aviators Attack
German Machines and Thrilling
Battle Follows - Enemy Accom-
plishes Dangerous and Difficult Feat
TO Escape Death and Gains Advant-
age Over Ameriean-ceIfax Boy.
IBy Associated Press. ]

with the American Army in France,
Tuesday. May Jimmy" Hall Is
gone, and the whole American air SER
vice is mourning his loss. All are won
dering whether he was killed or was
able to bring his machine safely to
earth after his battle in the air over
Pagny- Sur Moselle.
After thrilling battle with enemy
aeroplanes ten miles north Of Pont-a-
Mousson. Capt James Norman Hail.
one OF the leading American aviators,
made spiral dive for the earth and
vas last seen close to the ground, ap-
parently trying to land. His subse-
quent fate is unknown.
Captain Hall was popular thruout the
army and had won admiration by his
daring, coolness and skill In handling
his machine.
The aviators all have the greatest
confidence in him and express the com
yiction that II he landed safely arh was
captured he will escape eventually.
Give Battle to Huns.
* Captain Hall, with two others, was
patroIiny this morning between st
Mihiel and Pont-a-M -Mousson. When
they were over Pagny- Sur Moselle
four enemy A1batross airplanes. paint
ed with black and white stripes, were
seen. The Americans attacked, Cap
tain Hall singing out one Of the enemy
machines and firing with one Of his
machine guns. The pair made spiral
dive from 5000 meters to 1000. when
the German suddenly reversed his ma
chine and started to rise.
Dangerous Feat Saves Enemy.
The captains flying companions are
all certain he would have Knocked out
his opponent had 1t not been for this
maneuver, unheard Of so far as Ameri-
can and French pilots in this section
OF France are concerned.
It had been considered dangerous to
the last degree to bring up machine
sharply from a downward plunge, be-
cause the strain Is almost certain to
cause the collapse OF some vital part.
The German aviator whom Captain
Hall was pursuing, being hard pressed
adopted this desperate expedient to
escape death-and won. He was thus
enabled to pour stream OF bullets in
to the bottom of Halls machine.
Captain Hall promptly came out of
the spiral and made dive for the
earth. He was last seen attempting
to complete this maneuver. In the
meantime the enemy machines that the
other Americans had engaged dropped
toward the ground. It Is unknown what
happened to them, but two Of them ap-
parently were in distress. No credit
for victory Is given the Americans
because official yerification of the de-
struction OF the enemy is impossible.
The captains companions waited
several hours after the fight. ropinr
for his return. before giving him up
for lost. They felt certain that unless
some serious accident had occurred he
would return notwithstanding the fact
that he was seen to plunge toward the
earth. o
Home 10 in colfax.
Captain Hall, author OF "Kitchener,s
Mob" was one Of the best known avia.-
tors In the American or allied armies
oaptain Haiis home is Colfax, Iowa.
L51 5'sSUe n0SOTC 10 F1Ck0rY.
captain Halls machine had painted
on ttaside the first American airplane
insignia to appear on the battle Line.
II was in the form OF the hat In the
ring sign. showing a starry striped
high hat, usually pictured on Uncle
Sam. surrounded by golden ring
Despite the bad weather German
machines were out in force. Alarm
after alarm was answered by the
: = es1i.sssi Lieutenant Cunningham,
engaged one machine, when five more
OF the enemy Joined in. The lieuten-
ant kept up the fight until his machine
gun jammed when he returned to the
American line with ten bullet holes In
his plane.
The usual German game was to
have small number of planes ap-
pear near the American line, while a
reserve Of four or five machines re-
NAMED out Of sight until the Ameri-
cans came into action. The reserve
would then sweep down in an attempt
70 wipe out the Americans The
American aviators met this by an
swering alarms with twice the number
OF machines 1t was reported the Ger
mans had.
8. Plan 10 Destroy Americans.
American aviators used Meuport
pursuit machines as their fighting
weapons. The Americans engaged in
photography and artillery regulating
work also had to fight. Two Amerf-
cans protscting = photographins ma
f5s II q ESs IN, z 4, ssi 81 ~
Il fs e. 81 ~