Evening star., 1918-08-17
Captain of Royal Air Force
Relates How British
Go About 1t.
LITTLE BALLOON GETS
FORECAST OF WEATHER
Maps and Photographs Of the OBJ
jective Are Examined Closely
Before Departure.


Germany BY the British royal air forces hal
been forwarded by the British air ninistrJJ
BY CAPT. PAUL BEwsHER, r. A. F.
CORRESPONDENTS Of The Evening Star
and Chicago Daily News.
LONDON, England. July GAN hour
before dusk weather reports from all
parts of France and from London and
the English coast begin pouring into the
Office Of the night bombing squadron.
When machines are going on long
flight to bomb German towns 1t Is very
desirable to know what weather may
be expected.
By means of a little balloon. whose
speed and direction as it scars upward
are registered by special instrument
the direction and force Of the wind al
dierent levels are discovered This in
formation tells the air1nen what course
they must steer, with proper allowance
for detection and wind drift
The pilots and observers are called
into the mapping office and the order
for the night is read aloud by the
commanding officer. Maps are col
Iected and photographs OF the op1ec-
tive are examined. so that the airmei
may familiarize themselves with tht
surroundings as they appear from ens
air.
Get Ready for Long Flight.
Then they hurry away to theil
rooms and get ready for the long
flight through the cold night skies.
Heavy sweaters are donned and sof'
leather thigh boots lined with white
fleece are pulled on over thici
wooden stockings. Muf1ers are wrap
ned round necks and mouths. The
airmen climb into overau suies ..
waterproof material lined with lons
black fur. These are securely strapped
| at ankles and wrists. 'Fur-lined leath'
er helmets and goggles are put OF
and yellow whale oil is smeared ovel
the face to prevent frot pite. Inen
their torches and maps, their sand
Wiches and alright TASKS, their note
| books and pencils, the airmen straddl'
awkwardly out to the aerodrome
where the great machines stand silent
| " in a dim line, ready TO ourst intt
| life at the order to start
| Around each machine stands Its lit
tle group of mechanics and mufned
hermeted figures Here and there nj
the electric torches like glow worms
| In the west inc last BAo" "a s"AAAoA
| has faded away.
Big Engine Starts Up.
Then the silence is broken by thu
roar of the first engine on the frs
machine. The clamor is doubled a!
the second engine starts up. For {
few minutes they thunder together
on the ground. There is a shril
! whistle. The noise dies away for
moment. and then begins again. Th'
\ first of the big machines slowly taxie'
across the aerodrome, turns 70 Iac'
the wind, halts little and then
\ gathering momentum every second
| II rushes across the grass and climbs
up into the night till it can no Longer
he seen. and its two wing tip lights
like fiery eyes, alone show where l
| moves in the darkness.
! For several minutes its pulsinf
| drone can be heard. and as 1t climbs
in great circles over the aerodrom'
every eve is turned upward watching
1 the little lights. Suddenly ball o
red appears in the sky. drops slowi.
| and dies out It is signal describ
| ing the weather conditions up alof
| and conveying an order to those OF
! the ground.
| Immediately. another engine roar
out on the ground. and then another
| One by one the huge machines glid
| ont into the middle of the held,, thun
der across the grass. and rise, soarfn;
For a time their murmur fills tn
skies. but soon a heavy silence de
scends on the aerodrome, while in tn
east beyond the German lines can b
seen the pale fingers Of the gropinl
searchlights.
On the Way to Germany.
The observer, sitting beside tn
pilot, could see the dim countrysid
where a few scattered lights twinkled
Far to the right lay winding river
like a thread Of silver ribbon. Besid
the silver ribbon. nearly 200 mile
away, lay the German town whicl
formed this nights objective.
| In front Of the two airmen glowe'
the. phosphorescent dials of the re
| cording Instruments. Soon they reg
| istered sufficient height for the ma
chine to turn toward the fighting line
nm and down which great white sta.
| shells were rising, to hang suspende,
| for a few moments before fading on
| into the darkness.
The wing lights were switched Oh
/ the lines were crossed and frfendl,
territory was left farther and farthe
behind.
Far ahead the glare of many bias
| furnaces could be seen and above then
| the long, white fingers of Germal
searchlights swept restlessly to AM
They few on steadily, vaih1y sough
for. by the eeArchlights md l0HcR4hQl