The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-10-20
Lieut. Com m ander
Prokofieff Seversky
Tells of Adventures
in Russia

seaplanes, one bombing machine and one
DESTROYER. The Germans then landed upon
Oesel Island.
II got dark there at 5 p. NJ, and by
p. NJ. on October IA it was black, and q
sharp, cold rain fell. A German dread
nought had come up and commenced to
fire upon the squadrOn's hangers. Sever
sky had no defence for this, so they
agreed to fly upon Kuinast; got their ma
chimes out and flew of, each man for him.
self, in the darkness.
The next morning when the Germans
came eomplacently over to observe the re-
suits of their fire and see if any machines
were available for their use they found
nothing but the demolished hangers. To
finish up the fate of the squadron: One
man was killed, one taken prisoner, and
the others, excepting Seversky, reached
their objective.
Landed Amid Many Germans.
In the beginning some piece of shell
struck Seversky's machine, and he was
forced TO land. He saw that he was in
the middle of the island, which was full Of
Germans, and he tried all night to repair
his machine. Some peasants discovered
him very early next morning, and hid the
machine in some hay.
Then the peasants, who had watched
him and his squadron with admiration
since their coming to the island, e6ntriyed
to haul his plane to the water, which was
not far away. He tried TO repair the ma
chine again, but saw it was useless. He
had some important maps and papers, and
he must get away with them. Already q
few Germans had fired upon him He an
swered with his machine gun, and they,
fearing that the peasants were also
armed, kept at a safe distance until he
had embarked in a rowboat and was
starting to cross to the mainland, five
miles away Then they shot at him again
and he couldn't answer, as be had no am
munition.
Before he started he had to fire his air.
plane. "You cannot know" he said,
"what grief this is to me. He was little
Newport and with him I had brought
down two Germans. ! felt toward him as
a dear eomrade"
His boat was hit once or so, but he man.
aged to reach the shore with his impor-
tant papers. Once there he had to walk
twenty kilometers through rain and mud.
Under these circumstances his wounded
leg gave him great trouble, and before he
arrived at his destination he tainted and
was found by peasants and carried TO the
hospital.
His LAss crss4 E1pisit.
This was his last great exploit. For it
the Duma gave him the St. Georges Cross
Of four degrees, and his commander, Rear
Admiral Doudoroff, now naval attache Of
the Russian Embassy at Toxic, this praise:
"He is one Of the most excellent pilots IN
the service, indefatigable, brave and .
man Of inventive powers"
After this he was sent to Moscow with
a new squadron to fight against the Boil
sheviki. Here one could do nothing, and
he was glad enough to get away to
America
He was "a years old on May "a and has
won nine crosses; the French Government
was to give him the Legion of Honor and
the War Cross
At this point in the interview his
mother announced luncheon, banquet
with many strange dishes, which upon in
vestigation turned out to be our own fa-
miliar vegetables dressed in a foreign style.
Russians" Seversky explained, always
translating for his mother, who spoke only
Russian, "care much more about food than
Americans do. Ny mother thought every
thing would be different here. But We
get the green caviar here just the same"
This was only eggplant, cooked, run
through a eolander, and it made very
good relish.
The Prokofef-Severskys had much
anxiety for the future of Russis, but now