The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1918-08-22
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lily ohservlii= thnt nothing could be
done with whai WIS left made INV
way back Ia infantry headquarters,
where ] WIS able 10 Telephone in
report
| A little later one of onr aufomo-
biies egme out after me and took me
back to our airdrone. Most Of my
squadron thought was lost beyond
doubt. and never expected to see me
again but my frieni. PnnI Rnney. had
held ont ihat ! uas all ri-hr. and as
was afterwards told, said. Don't
srnd for another pilot: that Irl-Iman
will lie back. if Il. has 10 walk And
he knew that the only thing that kept
me from walking was the fact that our
own automobile had been sent out to
bring me home.
! had lots 10 ihiok about that div,
and / had learned many things; one
I was not to have too much confidence
in my own ability. One of the men in
the squadron told ;ne that had bet
ter nat take those chances; that IL
was going 10 be long war and 1
would have plenty OF opportunities 10
he killed without deliberately wishing
them on myself. Later l WAS to learn
the truth Of his statement
Thar night my "flight--each squad
ron H. divided Into three flights, con-
sistins of six men each-aot ready to
20 out assla. "A l started 20 put on
my funic noticed that ! WAS not
marked up for duty as usual.
ssic ! the commanding officer. q
ma Jor. what the reason for that wns.
and he replied that he thought I had
done enough for one day. However.
! knew that II ] did not 20. someone
I else from another flight" would have
to take my place, and insisted upon
going up with my patrol as usual. and
the major reluctantly consented. Had
he known what wss In store for me.
am sure he wouldn't have changed his
mind 80 readily.
A. Il was ne had only i've machines
for nils patrol. anyway. because as we
I crossed the lines one OF them had TO
drop out On account of motor trouble.
Our patrol was up at p. m. and up
Ia within ten minutes of that hour II
had been entirely uneventful.
At : 20 p. M, however. while we
wers flying ut heigh, of 1900 feet.
we observed three other English ma
chimes which were about 1000 feet
below ~ pick fight with nine Hun
machines.
! knew right then that we were in
7 Tor N. because I could see over toward
tho ocean whole flock OF Hun ma
chimes which evidently had escaped
the attention OF our scrappy country
men below us.
SO We dove down on those nine
Huns.
! At FIRST the fight was fairly even.
Thcr,s were eight ol us to nine Of them
Blu, soon the other machines which i
had seen in the distance. and which
were flying even higher than we were,
arrived on the scene. and when they,
TN turn. dove down on US. there was
| Just twenty OF them TO onr eight
-Four OF them singled me out. was
diving, and they diyed right down after
nc. shooting as they came. Their
tracer bullets were coming closer to
ne every moment. These tracer hull
tets are balls of fire which enable the
shooter 10 follow the course his hull
lets are taking and to correct his aim
accordingly. They do no more harm
! TO pilot II hc IL hit than an ordinary
bullet. but II they hit the petrol tank.
good night When machine catches
fire In fight there Is no way OF put
ting II out. II takes less than a min
ute for the fabric to burn OF the wings
and then the machine drops like nm
arrow. leaving a trail of smoke like a
comet.
AZ their tracer bullets. came closer
and closer 10 me realized that my
chances OF escape were nil Their very
next shot, felt. must hit me.
Once. some days before, when i was
flying over the line. had watched
fight above me. A German machine
was set on fire, and dived down
through our formation In flames on Its
way TO the ground. The Hun was div
Ing at such sharp angle that both
his wings came of. and as he passed
within few hundred feet OF me saw
the look OF horror on his face.
Now. when expected any moment
to suffer similar fnte. cculd not
help thinking OF that poor Huns last
look OF agony.
In making an Immelmnn turn. This
mnneuver WAS invented by German
one Of the greatest who ever few and
who was killed In action some time he
fore. This turn. which made SUCCESS
fully, brought one of their machines
right In front Of me, and n he sailed
along barely ten yards away, ] ~hRd
the drop" on him, and he knew II