Catoctin clarion., 1918-09-19
YANK AV|ATORS
WINNING fame
Progress So Rapidly in italian
Camps They Amaze
Instructors. !
MANY GUARD ITALY'S COASTS
Their WatchfuI Eagerness 10 Of Great
Help In Spottino Sneaky Sub
marInes-AlI Are Anxious
for Action.

WI SNSSSsN
American Navy Aviation Camp
Somewhere In Italy.-Back there at
home you have all heard by this time
Of the thrilling exploits Of American
aviators on the Piave river-the army
avlators who dropped their bombs on
the frail Austrian pontoon bridges and
helped turn the enemy invasion into a
disastrous retreat. 1t Is now permitted
to announce that American naval avia'
tors are also aiding the Italian de-
fense.
For more than three months now
these bronzed boys Of ours, skimming
the air in their flying boats, have kept
their constant vigil of coast patrol
along the Italian seashore, watching
for the stealthy moving blur beneath
the waves that means one Of the foes
submarines, scanning the horizon fol-
the specks which might be overbold
Austrian destroyers, or rising beyond
the clouds that screen the enemy's
seaplanes.
As a matter of fact, American naval
flyers are cooperating with the navies
of all the great allies in Europe. Num-
berless "eyes" are required down the
long coasts from the North sea to the
Mediterranean, and the United States
is furnishing Its share as fast as pos
sible. This work, of course, is all un'
der Admiral Sims, but there is special
headquarters for American naval avia'
tion, under Capt. H. I. Cone, In Paris.
This system Of American co-opera'
ton has been developing since last Au'
gust, and naturally will extend In the
future as our naval forces grow. In
France naval aviators were the first
to fly beneath our flag. But In Italy
the effort Of the American navy Ia
comparatively new. The number OF
our men now there Is matter of MILL
tary Observation-Disclosures secret,
But there are enough to have done
plenty of useful work.
Our Flyers Relieve Italians.
The work falls into two branches
the taking over Of the actual opera
ton of coastal air patrols from the
Italians and thus relieving italian fly.
ers for other duties, and the training
of our own men for further endeavor
IN the same direction. OF course, the
men who are actually operating above
italian waters are finished aviatOrs,
most of whom learned the game in
the naval flying schools which have
sprung up since the war along our
own Atlantic coast. But the chaps who
are &c. ing their instruction In Italy
are rapidly catching on"
The American training school lies
on the shores Of charming Italian
lake circled by picturesque hills. Right
beside 1t Is another training camp for
Italian naval flyers, and the candi.
dates in both camps have developed a
ready camaraderie. Our camp ends In
q little public square which, in honor
Of the Americans, now boasts new
name-the Piazza degil Stati Until
Here the two flags-the red, white
and blue and the green, white and
red-foat all day together. AT dawn
and sunset they are raised and low
cred side by side before uniformed
squads representing each nation. II
Is a bit of symbolism that counts.
Americans Make Swift Progress.
The lot of splendid American boys
at our camp, most of them fresh from
college, are getting on in a way thai
Is inspiring. Many Of them are al
ready "solo flyers" and will soon bt
"turned out" equipped for active serv'
ice. They are up at dawn, all OF
them, and more anxious about the
weather than they used to be at home
on the morning of the big intercolle
giate football game. You see, every
man Is trying to squeeze In as many
flying hours as the day will hold IN
order to pass quickly to his first
"brevet."
Each is on tiptoes to take hop"
This is naval air slang for trip In
the air. Their talk Is all iargOn OF
motors and planes, Of "spirals," OF
"peakng her over" or STRENGTHENING
her out" and 1t falls more Familiarity
from their lips than even the home.
grown patter Of the baseball fiend.
The instructors are all Americans
and they are certainly on the job.
This shows in the spirit of endeavOr
and swift progress among the men.
Many of these students have seen
service in France In other branches,
No wonder their hearts are now In
this bigger opportunity.
They are well cared for. They sleep
in comfortable new barracks and have
their meals at an officers club, though
you often see man with his coffee
and bread clear down on the beach so
he won't miss the chance Of "hop."
Inside the barracks they have fixed
1t up as much like home as they could,
with bits Of pictures and mementos
tackled up on the walls, and on days
when the skies are tangled with storm
the college flavor comes out more
than ever. For then all the young
heads are bent studiously over books,
"cramming on N. and A."-navigation
and aviation.