Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-04-08
TAKES EXCITING TRIP IN
FRENCH WAR BALLOON
Correspondent Goes Up 4,200 Feet
With Army Artillery Observer;
Stays Four Hours.

Behind British Lines in France, March
1.-'Would YOU care TO go up ?" asked
the polte British officer in charge of the
big kite balloon, one of the long line of
captive sausages the Eyes Of the Army"
which swing as though pendant from the
clouds all up and down the fighting lines
from the British Channel to the Swiss
border
Certainly replied the correspondent.
So an extra warm overcoat and muffler
we're brought out and donned, and most
important of all, the parachute harness
was fitted on.
Bv this time the balloon had been con-
nected UP TO the winch and everything
was ready. The officer hoisted himself
into the car with an agility born
Of long practice, while the visitor was
assisted TO his place by the ''car men"
who then hooked the parachute harness
10 the parachute which hung Just out
side the little wicker car.
Jutting ont from one side of the car
was board on which was pasted a large
scale trench map of the district. In
pockets inside the car were maps, air
photographs and field glasses. On the
rigging of the car was dial to show the
altitude and an indicator registering the
force of the wind in miles per hour. Just
above, dominating all, was the huge bag
of floating fabric, only kept in place
by the crowd of soldiers holding the
handling guys. The slender cable and
its sister telephone wires stretched laElly
across the grass to the winch on big
motor lorry nearby.
oRsE EVER TESTS TELEPHONE.
The observer fixed the telephone re-
l. l.. T. - ~, lt,%n
by calling up the winch party, the ey-
exchange and the chart room at the
Balloon Section Headquarters. Salts
fed that all was shipshspe, he waved
his arm TO the flight sergeant on the
ground, who ordered crisply: Let up
hand over hand and then walk for
ward the winch. c
The ground began to sink away. Th
first innression was that the bottom OF
the basket was going TO fall out. For
few moments this impression was so
strong that it was physically impossible
10 look over the side. The vicw was ex-
ccllent, but the mood TO appreciate II
was absent The officers enthusiasm, as
he pointed ont different objects of inter
est in the landscape, seemed somehow
oyerdonc
Gradually this first impression of in
security passed The altitude dial, COM
fortably close 1T hand, now indicated
that the balloon had reached $500 feet.
II was not until the pointer signified
4,200 feet that he telephoned down the
order stop the WINCH and the busi-
ness of the day began.
Artillery observation was the officer
appointed task. A British battery was
going to take on" a German battery,
and the observer made his preparations
accordingly. He had the positions of the
two batteries marked on his map, but
he wanted to make sure of the position
OF the balloon. So he leaned out over
the side of the car, verified his landmarks.
and telephoned the results TO the chart
room.
Let me know when they are ready"
said he. There was a pause. Then s
short monosyilabic conversation, and
the balloon officer gave the order Fire, F"
and adjusted his glasses 10 his eyes.
BUSY rSD1So RANGE.
For the next 15 minutes the officer !
his passenger He was engaged in rang |
ing" but from time to time he passed |
down a remark which showed that he |
was not confning his attention to rang
ing guns. but had also an alert eye for |
flashes Of enemy guns anywhere within |
his range OF observation. The range OF |
vision was roughly 20 miles.
After the first order 10 Fire, boom |
in the distance indicated that be order |
had been obeyed The balloon officer |
frowned slightly, and telephoned cor
rection. 4 moment later the battery |
announced again that II was ready, and I,
this time the result was better. The pro- !
cess continued.
Now and again the observer passed |
down message 70 the effect that Blank |
Blank is active" Blank-Blank was an
other hostile battery, not at present |
engaging attention. Sometimes he in |
terpolated little message for the chart |
room such as:
'T1ash observed two FIVE minutes left |
OF Blank-Blank Blank-Blank being q |
landmark easily found on the map. 50 |
that the fash position could be marked |
on the chart-room for attention later
There were four hours Of this work |
before the officer gave the order. haul |
down" A slight jerk showed that the |
descent had begun, and fifteen minutes !
later terra frma was reached and the !
balloon was of upwards again with a l
fresh crew.
Down in the chart-room. the report |
of the days work so far showed that three /
German batteries had been "neutralzed"
and two new battery positions discovered !
In due course, the latter two would be !
cared for IN a manner that would place |
them also on the list Of neutralizations.