The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1918-03-21
FLYERS BREAK ALL
AERIAL RECORDS
Allied Aviators Perform Sensa.
tionaI Speed and Dis
lance Feats.
GO FROM ENGLAND 10 ITALY
Cadorna's Call for AlrpIanes and
Pilots Is Answered by Great
Britain and France-Few Ac.
cidents Are Reported.

Paris.-So many speed and distance
records have been shattered and sci
and then surpassed again by allied
aviators that 1t Is doubtful if the best
performances will ever be Strengthened
out and set down on the official books
But aviators have been flying from
points in England and in France ia
the Italian front every day, as the
British and French war offices have
outdone themselves in their efforts to
re-enfOrce the French aviation serv.
ice. Pilots just breveted-and there
We're certain number Of Americans
among them-soared into the air, and
following the lead Of an instructor
or some veteran aviator, set their
course for Italy.
Youths who had not sat In an air.
plane two months before, duplicated
the feat of Roland Garos which
startled the world a few years ago +;
the traversing Of the Italian Alps.
Flights Of 400, 500 and 600 miles with.
out stop were common occurrences.
And in all cases the average speed
maintained was considerably more
than 100 miles an hour.
Asks for AirpIanes.
One Of General Cadorna's first re-
quests to the French and British was
for re-enforcements in airpianes and
pilots. The Germans had assembled
several score of their best fighting and
bombarding escadrilles on the Italian
front and had struck suddenly in a
body. In one day the German forma'
tons had practically cleared the air
of Italian fighting aircraft, and they
followed up this advantage by ssnd'
ing over into the italian lines squadron
after squadron Of bombing machines,
Incendiary bombs and aerial torpe'
does We're Fained on the Italian av1a'
ton fields and the hangers and Italian
aircraft burned together.
Both the French and British general
STATS realized that without its "eyes"
the Italian army might wander into
traps and pitfalls. And they gave the
order at once to REINFORCE the italian
aviation service with their own es
cadrilles. The order went out to all
the aviation camps and schools In
England and France. Within few
hours the orders were being executed.
Pilots having passed their brevets
were mustered out on the fields. They
were told to wear two leather and rub-
her union suits instead of the single
garment they usually wear. The gaso-
line tanks were filled and they were
instructed to follow the leader. Then
they scared off in long cOveys, all
headed toward the italian Alps.
Cover Vast Territory.
Some of the British machines went
clear across England, traversed the
channel, then scared over France and
scaled the Alps and proceeded straight
on to the Tagliamento line without
ever descending. French machines
flew from remote corners of the re-
public over the great mountain range
and across the plains Of Lombardy to
Udine, arriving there before the 1tal-
ians were forced to retreat from that
strategic railway center.
may not even vaguely indicate the
number of airplanes that were sent
from France and England, but l can
state that the number of accidents was
as low as the average total for day
at any Of the big aviation schools.