Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-06-23

dived on us from all directions. I got
one with the forward gun and my
gunner drove down a second out OF
control But as our two other ma
chimes were hard pressed we went to
their assistance without waiting to
see what became of the second one
We knew he was out of action. and
that was all that concerned us for the
time being.
AS we opened fire on the German
planes grouped around our comrades
two more of the Huns burst into
flames, probably through the fire Of
the crews of Nos. l and machines
But almost Immediately I observed
that No. 3 was missing. He must
have been shot down during this last
phase of the mix-up. There were
no two of us left-No. !. Capt
We had driven down four Of the Huns
besides the three over C. and
Capt. M evidently decided we had
done our bit. He turned and put
down the nose of his machine to gain
speed and headed for home. Nothing
1oath. followed him. Our lines were
about twenty miles away.
For several minutes we had a
breathing space. No more enemy ma
chimes appeared and the Arches let
US alone until we were right over the
trenches. Then they opened on us
with every gun they could bring to
bear The first thing I knew an
hand plane. close to the fuselage,
breaking both spars. I went into
steep right-hand spiral in order to
keep the pressure of the damaged
plane. l expected 1T to- collapse at
. any moment and let us down with a
bump in enemy territory. MY gunner
had the same pleasant thought, and he
very coolIy detached the rear gun
and dropped it out so that it would
not fall on him when we crashed.
1t seemed a very short time before
mo mans land" and the trenches
up my mind to risk everything to
escape capture. and I continued the
spiral until we were only some
twenty feet up, when I fattened out.
AS ] expected. the damaged right
wing collapsed under the strain, and
jumped out of the cockpit without
a scratch, and my gunner crawled
after me.
Are we dead YETI" he asked.
A few British Tommies appeared
just then. and began to tear the re-
mains of our machine to bits for
souvenirs. They told US that Capt.
M had crashed moment before
and had been taken into a German
trench. apparently unhurt. but that
so the latter must have been hurt in
the crash or wounded in the air.
This left my gunner and me the only
survivors to reach home of the
original patrol force. I must admit
that we were so busily occupied most
of the time we were out that my
notes were very few. The chief fact
that occupied my mind was the num-
Der of German machines had seen
brought down. We did more dam
age than the enemy did to us-it was
seven machines to our credit against
three to theirs-and such information
as I brought back, however incom-
plete it was, was valuable to our staff
and doubtless helped to save the lives
of some of our men when the big
push" came.
4
Another time during the Somrne
drome that two Hun Albatross ma
chimes. painted red, were raising the
devil over our lines and had Just shot
down three British machines, includ-
ing one of our own squadron doing
photography duty. They were still
at 1t. attacking everything in sight,
and our commander came down to
the 'drome himself and ordered ali
servieeable machines into the air at
once. preferably to get the two Alba
tFosses or If that was impossible to
retaliate on the enemy in the best
way possible
The major himself was the first to
leave the ground with his gunner, and
followed him. I had extra drums of
ammunition ready, and the best gun
ner in the squadron at my rear ma
machine gun. Our squadron was not
copnpoSed of fghtinp machines opd