Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-07-20

all my motor, and seeing him turn
so he could surely see me, l shook
my wings most vigorously as we'll as
jumping up and down on my tail.
Having done this half a dozen times
1 tieured he surely saw the signal as
we'll as the Boche. But he did moth
ing, and although my motor was not
pulling me along as fast as l wished,
IL was working very smoothly and l
did want to have a shot at the Hun
before he spied we Frenchmen and
beat it home for his sauerkraut and
snits. Well, thinks l, ''if no one else
is going to jump on him, l am,"
and up we went on one wing tip, slid
off on the wing and dove down to-
ward that Boche.
Being some 1000 meters below
me 1 had to make several swoops
in order to get near his level and
also have the sun at my back. Ap-
conceited nibs, the Hun, kept am
bling straight along. Finally, 1 got
in position behind, turned on little
more gas and began to overhaul
him. Closer and closer I came un-
til I could see the white circle with
its cross in the center, and then,
having my sight on him, 1 let go
with both guns. Working both
hands and feet to keep my aim
steady, eyes glued to the sight and
hand on the throttle, every tense
strung nerve strained to stay cool
enough to keep my plane steady on
the mark. The way those bullets
| were shooting into that fusillade
sure was sight for sore eyes, and
even though he didn't tumble, still
think somebody got hit Yes, gun
jammed again-both of them, and 1
only had shot some fifty cartridges.
Since it couldn't be fixed in the air,
there was nothing to do but go
home, which I promptly did.
The Pursuit
Nothing daunted, around came the
Boche in pursuit, but tail up and
motor full on he didn't gain any.
Probably he shot at mel don't
know because just then I looked
aloft and was fabbergasted to see
plane circling over me. swing into
position behind and come diving
down at me. Holy smokes!" thinks
I, there's a Boche on my tall"
That horror of all aviators; because
it's the position in air fighting. Hav-
ing gotten away before in similar
preGicament I had. no doubt 1 could
do it again-by going down in
spiral; but before starting down
took another close look and to my
relief, saw 1t was one of my COM
rades who had followed me down
to the attack. Never was l glader
to the attack. Never was a gladder
as it showed brightly on tail and
wings. and all worries removed ]
was soon back to roost.
Balled Out
f1I
me down, and he did not come in
for half an hour afterwards. Mean
while, the commander of the escad-
rifle. hearing about my attacking a
Boche on my own hook. called me
on the carpet and in excellent
French and many expressive ges-
lures he balled me out most proper
ly. Thanks to the gestures, | got the
drift pretty well, and since he is
renowned fighter, having brought
down some 100 planes, l listened
with all due respect, and was only
sorry did not understand it all.
This being a combat escadrille,
certain amount of discipline is de-
manded in the air. There are GER
tain tactics for air fighting which
must be adhered to, and one is. to
wait for the leader of the patrol to
attack. This l had busted wide open,
but never having been told different
ii was plumb ignorance on my part,
for in the other escadrille, this same
thing was often done without COM
ment However. I'll know better next
| time. and at least. 1t served to bring
| to my knowledge a lot of things
about air fighting / never knew be-
fore.
| A section of American ambulance
| fellows are situated near here, who
| lust came from the fighting area
Iaround Rheims and Chateau Thierry.
| Sc, eral of them walked on the field
! last night and as usual. stared open
Imouthed when we broke out in
| American. They sure had some in
teresting tale to tell about the Hun
planes flying low over the town and
| country near the Hun big push.
| One came tearing over Epernay one
day. Just skimming the housetops,
and shooting up the houses and
streets as he came. Between the
''archies" and rife and machine
gun fire he was brought down, the
pilot being killed. The observer
though, who had been using the two
guns so effectively. was unhurt but
not for long, as an incensed woman
/ who had been picking dandelions
came up and cut off his nose with
the knife she had been using in her
more peaceful occupation.
In the retreat it was nothing
strange for them (the ambulance
bunch) to be at one end of the town
while the Huns came in at the other.
and what they hold against the Huns
| the most is the fact that their first
Ibaseman was taken prisoner-and
they had such a good ball team, too.