Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-06-29

IJSCduElll6 NJ o. Z. Aoo |
.- ...- Sicteur Postal II
May 7, 1918
Dear Mother-To- day 1 met an
American "observateur," those men
who take pictures do "reglage" for
artillery and some times shoot a |
Boche. He was a very rolypoly body |
and his only worry seemed to be
that he would outgrow his uniform
If he kept on growing-stouter, |
which same was caused by the drinks !
pressed upon him by the amiable |
Frenchmen. In fact, 1 found him
in the bar shaking dice to see who
paid for the drinks, and he ex-
claimed proudly that he hadn't paid
for drink since he came, and they
were numerous, and hoped his luck
would hold, etc. He was bored to
extinction as he had been given mo
work to do since arriving, and was
openly envious of the Frenchmen
who had come with him and who
were flying every day. Albert, he
was a most jovial companion and
told a laughable story of the won
derful eats he got, and the way his
wine glass was always kept full by
his attentive companions. Three
glasses were always in front of his
plate, when one became empty his
neighbor on the right asked him
something, and when he turned back
| from answering, the glass was full,
and so 1t went during the whole
meal, so that when he got up re-
plete with good champagne and eats,
two more inches were added to his
girth, and two more buttons strained
at their moorings. Being on the
''observateur's" end of the game he
told me many amusing stories of this
class of men.
Directing the fire of artillery is
quite interesting, and is done with
biplane airplanes, the observator be-
ing in command and the pilot
merely a chauffeur, being guided like
horse with reins, a rope tied to
each arm. Thus when the observer
wants to go to the left he jerks the
left rope, and around he comes. It's
when these American observers get
their baptism of shrapnel that the
fun begins. First they hear a hol-
| low "ker-oomp" to the right, and
then see a small black cloud, then
another bursts to the left, and then
they begin to wonder if the gunner
| far, far below will split the differ
ence next crack, as troubles are
supposed to come singly, about this
time Boche sights them from his
perch high aloft and comes hurtling
down to the attack, splitting lead as
he comes. That's the way one of the
| stories. went anyway, told by this
plump, jovial observer. He was over
| the lines for the first time and had
| just about recovered from his first
scare at shrapnel and was looking
| over his large scale, two by four
map, when happening to look up,
here was Boche coming down on
chnntitau oil o1
| Right then he decided he wanted to
go home "toute de suite" but in
stead of signalling home, James,"
or pulling on both ropes and stand
| ing on his tail, he chose a more ef-
| fcient way of informing his pilot
what was afoot, or rather doing, by
smashing his cap case over the
pilots head. 1t was well the pilot
| had heavy casque on for it did
no harm, but it did draw his at
tention, and they got away.
Here's Another
Here's another! A plane was all
ready to sit out on a mission, when
the French observer took suddenly
sick. An American observer, stand
ing nearby, was asked If he wanted
to take his place. Did he? You
bet your bottom boots he did, But,
did he know how to handle a
machinegun, the French COM
mander wanted to know. Oh sure.
| He was an expert, and made pre-
| tence of adjusting the sight and
looking over the gun, to such good
| cause that the commander was re-
assured. The truth of the matter
was it was his first close view of one.
and about all the knowledge he had
of his functions was a vague idea
that one pressed the trigger and the
gun did the rest. Sometimes that is
the case, but not always. So you
can imagine his feeling as he was
sailing serenely along, enjoying him.
self to the full, when the rapid,
| spiteful crack of a machine gun
was heard above. And there came
Boche, sure, true and swift as
| death, splitting lead as he came.
After the first seconds shock, as to
the realization of what it meant, he
suddenly remembered he had q gun
and grabbed for one. But his
heavy gloves were too thick for the
! trigger guard, SO, he promptly threw
them off, pointed the gun in the gen.
eral direction of the Boche and
pulled the trigger.
Still the Boche kept coming, al
ways shooting, and then he remem-
bered he had another gun, and
quickly found its trigger. Lead sure
flew then, but the Boche seemed
unhurt and kept coming down.
When nearly on top of the French
plane he suddenly swerved, bringing
the belly of his bus into view and
the American promptly filled 1t full
of lead. and down he went in flames.
So cold was 1t at that height 5000
m.) that his hand had frozen to his
gun, which nearly caused its ampu-
tafinn But he sure was a hero. and