The Bridgeport times and evening farmer. (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1918-1924, 1918-02-20
GERMAN AVIATOR
THROWS OFFICER
OUT OF MACHINE
In Fight Over French Lines
Pilot Is Victorious In
Fist Fight
FRENCH AIRMEN ARE
WITNESSES OF ROW
Argument Over Surrender.
ing Results In Death of
German Lieutenant

Two men were locked in death
struggle aboard a German aeroplane
two miles above the ground.
The machine had been hit by the
French planes and was slowly sink
ing behind the French lines. Still the
men fought.
Inc cause and the result of this
strange air mutiny is told in an ar
tlcle in the Outlook by Lawrence
briggs.
The incident" said to be unique in
the annals Of aviation, and adequately
substantiated later by official reports,
amazed the members of the French
Escadrille N-23, who witnessed it near
Charmontois.
Two French single-seater machines
from Escadrille N-23 were patrolIing
over the French lines at a height of
$4,000 feet very early in the morning
OF May 10, 1917. These fighting
planes were piloted by Casale, an ace
of great reputation, and Legendre, a
less conspicous pilot of this famous
escadrilIe.
Suddenly the Frenchmen perceiv-
ed under their very noses, but some
distance below them, a rare type of
German alrplane, containing pilot and
observer, pursuing a leisurely path
across the trenches into the French
lines. The enemy machine was quite
safely above rifle fire and appeared
to be wholly unprotected.
| Not crediting their senses for a
| time, the two French scouts flew along
above the Boche until he had passed
so deep into French territory that he
could not escape their attack; then
they dropped closely behind MIN to
get a look into this HUI mystery, It
was no ordinary occasion to find a
Boche airplane, unattended, flying be-
| hind the French lines.
Casale, who already had a list of
seven enemy airplanes in his book,
darted onto the strangers tail and let
go dozen cartridges from his mi
trailleuse. 1t was enough. At a
height of $4,000 feet the German air
plane wavered drunkenly for an in
slant, then fell over into a tail spin
and dropped like a stone.
The two French pilots dropped
swiftly after the falling Boche. They
suspected the usual ruse which is
practiced by an antagonist to gain a
little time and position when unex-
pectedly attacked. Sliding swiftly
down alongside the whirling enemy,
they witnessed a remarkable proceed
ing.
The German observer had left his
seat and was leaning back, striking
savagely with his fists at the face of
his pilot. The machine was descend
ing, unpiloted and uncontrolled, fas-
ter and faster to certain smash.
Suddenly the pilot stood up in his
cockpit, and, Selling his officer by the
Ithroat, lifted him up bodily ana threw
him headlong overheard into space
The rapid revolving of his machine
aided him in the struggle, and his an
tagonist offered slight resistance.
The pilot gazed after the falling fig
rre of his companion a moment, then
grasped his controls-and just in
time! At less than a thousand feet
above the trees he brought his air
plane out of the SPIN and managed
to pancake it adroftly into the tree
tops. The machine slid backwards
through the branches, hurting the pi-
lot forward as it fell.
Landing as quickly as possible, Ca
sale and his companion fastened to
the wreckage. To their. establishment
they found the German pilot safe and
sound. The officer observer was kill
ed by the fall and was picked up some
distance away. Upon investigation, it
was discovered that he had been Sc
tverely wounded in the first attack,
several bullets having passed through
his body.
Upon being questioned about the
quarrel with his officer, the captured
pilot told Casale that he was Cor
pora1 Haspel and his observer was
Lieutenant Schultz. He stated that
his engine had been struck by Ca
sales shots and the motor stopped.
He discovered that his officer had
been severely wounded, though he
himself was unhurt. He turned and
attempted to volplane back to the
German lines, which could easily have
been reached, he said, from his high
elevation, but Lieut.. Schultz his su-
perior officer, insisted that they sur
render without further risk of attack
s@@@@@9@&%@@@@@%%%%%%%%%%A