Evening journal., 1918-04-20
PoIiocks SIKH Story of His Fighting in ihe Air
EARLY MORNING AIR FLIGHTS BRING
The NEWS THAT WINS BATTLES

ny LIEUT.. GRANVILLE A. POLLOCK
American Avlntor In the Lafayette Fly
ing Corps Of the French Foreign Le-
gi0n.
Copyright, 1918. by the n. E,A.)
by q sharp rap on my door / was
awakened from my sleep.
Gets l'heure, m'sieur" called the
squadron cook. 10 Is a little courtesy
OF the cook TO get the early niers up
ard not LEI them start of without a
cup OF cofce.l
glsnched at my watch Il was 1
n. m. At a 80 I must report at the
aorodromc. Three pilots OF Squadron
No. i02 had been picked for an early
morning reconnaissance
We were cold and grouchy when we
turned up for nnal instructions from
The "Captalne d'Esquadrille." We had
gone over the maps after dinner the
previous night and knew the exact To-
cation Of The railway junction actlvi-
ties upon which we had orders 10 spy.
The eastern sky was beginning to
brighten as we turned up our Spads
Eyes were turned TO the far end OF the
field, waiting for the rising sun TO make
IL possible to see the fringe Of sur
rounding pOplars, 400 yards Off. Then il
would be light enough to fly.
Get In your machines Captain
Lamy commanded.
we obeyed. We nodded that we were
ready.
"Allons Departr was the next com
mand, and away we went There was
q Thin low-lying mist. so we flew on
close together so as not to lose each
other.
We splraled upwards untll our alti-
meters registered 5000 meters and then
shot out over the lines. The Scared.
torn and desolate battle-ground, with
It's trenches. dugouts. soldiers and
e6rpses was hidden from our gaze by
a rumpled blanket Of fog.
Up where we were the sun was now
shining. Shut out from the earth, we
were safe from the attentions OF the
German antl-aircraft guns. All we had
TO do was TO keep an eye open for Ger
man air patrols Had lt been clear be-
low we would not have dared pass over
the German lines at such low altitude.
Flying by compass, we presently
reached our first ohjectlve-an import
ant railroad terminal. a point Of debark-
alton for munitions, troops and sup
plies. Its location was betrayed bX
plumes Of steam pushed upward
through the fog blanket They looked
like giant mushrooms emerging from
snow.
got out my pencil and pad and made
a note OF the number OF plumes and the
direction Of those that were moving.
II the day had been clearer we would
have made an effort TO count the num-
Der VI cars 20 a train. However, this was
not absolutely necessary because, Ow-
ing 90 the shortage Of locomotive equip
ment in Germany it can always be
safely assumed that each locomotive is
being worked 10 capacity. But as tho
capacity Of a locomotive for artillery
and for troops is very different. we
would have got out our field glasses
to ge. the proportion Of nat to box
cars. Box or passenger cars mean in
fantry, or perhaps cavalry. but Nat cars
nearly always mean that artillary OF
heavy shells are being moved.
The knowledge that artillery is beinl
drought up in quantities is yitally i'm
portant. Il indicates that an offensive
! Is being prepared.
We know from past experience. Oul
I Intelligence officers. and from spies anC
prisoners, what every railway Is used
[ for, and the particular sectors OF the
/ front each junction feeds. Upon these
scraps OF information picked up by the
eyes Of the srmy," General Headquar-
| ters depends for its frst warning Of a
projected offensive.
Early morning is very active, and no
body wants 60 be forced down by a
high German patrol on the last lap and
find his engine go dead on him for lack
of Juice before he can get back on his