Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-06-19
FIGHTS OFF SEVEN
4 GERMAN PLANES
One British Machine Victor
in Thrilling Air
Battle
FIFTEEN ATTACKED FIVE
American Lieutenant Tells of
!. Seven.Hour Struggle Over
North Sea
Special Gable to Evening Public Ledger

special Gable to EUening Public Ledger
CopDri0tt. 1918. by Ne,c York Times Co.
London. June 10.
The story of the air fight which re-
quilted In the internment of Lieutenant
J. A. Eaton in Holland. of which some
details have been given from The
Hague. has been received from Lieuten-
ant H. B. Keyes, the only other Amer
lean engaged in it. He was first gun
layer In the machine in which Lieuten-
ant G., an Enslishman, was one of
the pilots. Five British machines ;ere
nying of the Dutch coast. but near Ter
schelling the one Eaton was in had to
descend to the water. Fifteen minutes
later five German planes were seen ap-
preaching. Then Keyes says:
Lieutenant c. was seated near
the wheel. His duty was to kneel.
with his eyes above the cowl. and direct
the pilot. I was in the front cockpit
, with one gun and 400 rounds of ammu-
milton. In the stern cockpit the en-
Eineer and wireless ratings were to ham
die three guns.
We took battle formation and went
Forward to meet the enemy machines,
ana when almost within range they
turned and ran away from us. We had
chased these planes to keep away from
the disabled machine"
fSttacked by Fifteen Planes
keyes then described how the Brit
.ish squadron drove off the Germans
twice and goes on:
suddenly we discovered that a large
number of hostile planes were starting
toward us. not high in the air, but very
close to the water. Ten machines were
In this group, but they were Joined in a
Few minutes by FIVE more. The scouts
were painted black and the two-seaters
green, and seemed very hard to pick up.
we swung into battle formation and
aimed for the middle of the fleet. When
we were nearly in range four planes on
the port side and five on the starboard
side were close to our level. Two planes
passed directly beneath u.s. shooting up
ward. The firing was incessant from
'ne beginning and the air seemed blue
with tracer smoke. The Germans used
explosive bullets.
Once i looked around and noticed
mat Lieutenant G. was in a stoop.
ing position. with his head and one arm
hanging down as If reaching for some
thins. / had seen him in this posture
earlier in the day. and so thought noth-
ing of 1t. All this noticed in the
traction of second, for I had to con-
Z tinue firing. A few minutes later
turned around once more and found
with shock. that Lieutenant c.
was in the same position. 1t was then
,that the first inkllng of the truth dawned
on me. BY bending lower I found his
head was lying in pool Of blood
Fought Seven Germans
Y "Frc1n this time on 1 have no clear
idea of just what our maneuvering was
Evidently We put up a running fight
steering east and then circling. Sud.
denly l found our machine had been
cut off from the formation and we were
surrounded by seven enemy seaplanes
We fought for ten miles or so until we
drove the seven Germans Off One OF
them was driven down out of control
and made very poor landing An.
other was badly hit. sideslipped and
crashed in flames from a height of 1000
feet. All were severely punished.
During the last few minutes of the
night our engine had been popping toe
frequently. and soon the engineer came
forward to say that the port engine
petrol pipe had broken. BY this time
j had laid out Lieutenant c. in the
wireless cockpit, cleaned up the second
ots-seat and taken It myself
The engagement had lasted about
hFT an hour. We descended to the
" at 4:45 p. m. ten miles north.
v of Vineland. There I Iocsened
LII .tenant G-'s l{hing. made his
position easier and feft for his heart
which was sure was beating feebly
Then We rose and sighted two of our
own planes. We picked them up, swung
into formation and laid our course for
H. AT 1910 we sighted land and twenty
minutes after We were resting lin front
of the slipway. We at once summoned
medical aid. but found that nothing
could be done for Lieutenant c.