Republican farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1810-1920, 1918-02-22
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 German aeropIane
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.
The cause and the result of this
strange air mutiny is told in an ar
/ ticle 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 NIB, who witnessed it near
| Charmontois.
! Two French single-seater machines
from Escadrille NIB were patrolling
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
escadrille.
| Suddenly the F'renchmen perceiv-
ed under their very noses, but some
distance below them, a rare type of
German airplane, containing pilot and
observer, pursuing a leisure1y 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
CO INT ~ ,oo1, L.
could not escape their attack; then
they dropped closely behind MIN to
get a look into this Hun mystery. It
was no ordinary occasion to find a
Boche airplane, unattended, flying be-
hind the French lines.
Casale, who already had list of
seven enemy airplanes in his book,
darted onto the strangers tail and let
go a 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 a certain smash.
Suddenly the pilot stood UP in his
cockpit, and, Selling his officer by thu
throat, lifted him up bodily ana threw
him headlong overheard into space
i The rapid revolving of his machin
aided him in the struggle, and his an
tagonist offered slight resistance.
The pilot gazed after the falling fig
$ ure of his companion a moment, thel
4 grasped his controls-and just il
= time! At less than a thousand fee
y above the trees he brought his air
plane out of the SPIN and manage
e to pancake it adroitly into the tire
s tops. The machine slid backward
= through the branches, hurting the pi
= lot forward as it fell.
|. Landing as quickly as possible, Ca
# the wreckage. To their astonishmer
tt they found the German pilot safe an
h sound. The officer observer was kill
ed by the fall and was picked up som
= distance away. Upon investigation,
was discovered that he had been sc
> verely wounded in the first attacl
!, several bullets having passed throug
- his body.
y, Upon being questioned about tn
u quarrel with his officer, the capture
-e pilot told Casale that he was Coz
IL poral Haspel and his observer we
Lieutenant Schultz. He stated thu
his engine had been struck by Co
sales shots and the motor stopped.
~ He discovered that his officer ha
been severely wounded, though /
himself was unhurt. He turned an
= attempted to voIplane back to tt
=, German lines, which could easily hay
u been reached, he said, from his hig
. elevation, but Lieut.. Schultz, his 81
perior officer, insisted that they ST,
u render without further risk of attac