The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1918-08-01

slstlng OF six men each-got ready TO
90 out again. AS | started to put on
marked up for duty rs usual.
asked the commanding officer,
major, what the reason for that was,
and he replied that he thought l had
done enough for one day. However,
knew that II | did not go, someone
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 was In store for me,
am sure he wouldn't have changed his
mind so readily.
As II was we had only five machines
for this patrol. anyway, because as we
crossed the lines one OF them had to
drop out on account Of motor trouble.
Our patrol was up ut s p. m, and up
to within ten minutes OF that hour 1t
had been entirely uneventful.
At 1850 p. M, however, while we
were flying at height of $1,000 feet,
we observed three other English ma
chimes which were about 5000 feet
below us pick fight with nine Hun
machines.
l knew right then that we were In
for II. because could see over toward
the 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.
There were eight Of us to nine of them.
But soon the other machines which |
had seen In the distance and which
were flying even higher than we were,
arrived on the scene, and when they,
in turn, dove down on us, there was
just twenty OF them TO our eight!
Four Of them singled me out. ! was
diving, and they dived right down after
me, shooting rs they came. Their
tracer bullets we're coming closer to
me every moment. These tracer bull
lets are balls OF fire which enable the
shooter to follow the course his bull
lets are taking md TO correct his aim
accordingly. They do no more harm
to n pilot IL he is hit than an ordinary
bullet. but If they hit the petrol tank,
good night When machine catches
fire In flight there is no way of put
ting 1t ont. 1t takes less than a min
ute for the fabric TO burn off the wings
and then the machine drops like an
arrow, leaving trail Of smoke like u
comet.
As their tracer bullets came closer
and closer to me | realized that my
chances of escape were nil. Their very
next shot. l felt, must hit me.
Once, some days before, when i was
flying over the line. had watched O
fight above me. A German machine
was set on fire, and dlved 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 Off, and as he passed
within a few hundred feet Of me saw
the look of horror on his face.
Now, when l expected any moment
to suffer similar fate, | could not
help thinking Of that poor Huns last
look Of agony.
l realized that my only chance lay
in making an Immelman turn. 1hi!
maneuver was invented by German
one of the greatest who ever flew ant
who was killed In action some time be
fore. This turn. which made success
fully, brought one of their machine:
right In front Of me, and as he SAILED
along barely ten yards away, l "hat
the drop" on him, and he knew It.
His white face and startled eyes
can still see. He knew beyond ques
ton that his last moment had come
because his position prevented his tax
ing aim at me, while my gun pointed
straight at him. My first tracer bulle
passed within yard Of his head, tn
second looked as If 1t hit his shoulder
the third struck him In the neck, an,
then I let him have the whole works
and he went down In spinning nos
dive.
All this time the three other HUI
machines were shooting away at me
could hear the bullets striking m
machine one after another. l hadn'
the slightest idea that could eve