The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-05-18
Peterson Calls 1t a ''Cinch"
as He Tells How He De-
stroyed Two Machines
CAPTAIN MARI
SURPRISED ENEMY
Opened Fire Before They Knew He
Was Near-Observer Tried Heroically
But Unsuccessfully to Operate Ma
chine Gun.

But Unsuccessfully to Operate Ma
chine Gun.
WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY IN
FRANCE, May l6.-Captain David Peter
son of Honesdale, Penn, and Captain
Kenneth Mari OF California, heroes in the
aerial battle yesterday in which Captain
Peterson brought down two German mon
oplanes and Captain Mari destroyed an
enemy biplane in the foul sector, told
their stories of the battle today.
Il was flying near Thiacourt at an al
ttude of 5000 meters" said Captain Pet
| elson, when ! saw two German Alba
| tross scouts going away at fight angles in
the distance One was ahead Of the other.
assembled 200 meters, circled, and stopped
my engine and darted after them. n
naly got close 10 the last plane At a
distance of 100 yards | opened fire with
incendiary bullets and the German ma
| chine almost Immediately burst into flames
and fell.
Il continued straight on my course and
within two minutes had the other enemy
machine before me. He started quick
dive but ] am certain that some OF the
bullets went home One Of the wings
OF his machine crumpled up at the same
| moment As | cireled about saw one
machine burning on the ground and the
other, smoking in its downward plunge
crash to the earth. That is all there i
to it. 1t was a cinch.
Captain Mari was flying at an altitude
Of 1900 meters when he saw an enemy
machine over the American lines.
AS | sailed out | saw him far away
circhng out from our lines amid a clouC
of pulfbals from our Arches, - h,
said Il circled out wider and fnall,
passed the German and turned again dowI
our line, between the enemy and the sun
Both of us had the sun at our backs.
AS | opened up my motor and ap
preached nearer | saw that | had a two
scatter to deal with. ] thought that tn
German might see me or hear my motor
SO | went a hundred meters lower unit
right under the tail OF his machine. Thel
pointed the nose OF my airflane upwar,
and went on a level with the enemy an,
opened fire at him at point-blank range
The German never knew was Their
hntil incendary bullets, alternating wit
ordinary missiles began pattering through
his machine After twenty shots his ma
chine toppled. | must have got luck
shot home on pilot. for the machin
Went down, wavering through the air lik
a leaf falling from a tree
II saw the observer standing mp i
the machine trying to get his machin
gun to bear on me. first from ono sid
and then from the other. | certainly Eel
| sorry for the helpless bpggar There Ii
/ was dashing to certain death, but to tn
II last gamely trying 10 give me fight"
II Captain Peterson and Captain Mar
II were standing on their flying field a
J daybreak this morning as they spoke.
. was perfect day for flying and they wei
about to leave for a patrol over the er
envy lines As they stepped INTO the
machines Cantain Marr said:
well. we're off again. AIayhr W
Will get some more Maybe they will %
us. Anyway, it's fine day for it. :
long"
The motors started and the two al
planes, with several other machines. toe
the air and disappeared toward the iron