Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-05-10
COMRADES MOURN HALL
by Associated Press STAFF


COMRADES MOURN HALL
lBy Associated Press Staff
Correspondent
With the American Army in France.
May 7.-(Delayed)-Ji Hall il
gone, and the whole American air
service is mourning his loss. All are
wondering whether he was killed or
was able to bring his machine safely
to earth after his battle in the air
lover Pagny-Sur- Moselle. Captain Hall
was popular througout the army and
had won admiration by his daring,
machine.
The captains flying companions are
certain he would have knocked out
his opponent had it not been for a
maneuver unheard of so far as Ameri-
can and French pilots in this section
OF France are concerned.
GERMAN TEMPTED DEATH
! It has been considered dangerous
I to the last degree to bring up a ma
chine sharply from a downward
plunge because the strain is almost
certain to cause the collapse Of some
vital part. The German aviator whom
Captain Hall was pursuing, being
hard pressed, adopted this desperate
expedient to escape death, and won
He was thus enabled to pour stream
of bullets into the bottom of Halls
machine.
The captains companions waited
for several hours after the fight for
!, him to return before giving him up
for lost They felt certain that unless
some serious accident had occurred
he would return notwithstanding the
fact that he was seen to plunge to-
ward the earth. The ayiators all have
the greatest confidence in him and ex-
press the conviction that II he landed
safely and was captured he will es-
cape eventually.
Despite the bad weather German
machines were out in force. Alarm
after alarm was answered BY the
Americans. Lieutenant Cunningham
engaged one boche when five more of
the enemy Joined in. The lieutenant
kept up the fight until his machine
gun damned, when he returned to the
in his plane.
The usual German game is to have
a small number Of planes appear near
the American lines while q reserve OF
four or FIVE machines remain out of
sight until the Americans come into
action The reserve then swoops
down in an attempt to wipe out the
Americans.
YANKEES FIGHT IN FORCE
The American aviators have met
this by answering alarms with twice
the number of machines reported as
in the attacking party.
American aviators use Newport
pursuit machines az their fighting
weapons. The Americans engaged in
photography. and artillery regulating
work also have to fight. Two Ameri-
cans protecting a photographing ma
chine were attacked by two Germans.
The fight lasted for half an hour and
ended when one German went wob-
bling to the ground about three kilo-
meters within the German lines. The
fight took place about two kilometers
behind the German positions.
AS result of todaYs activity 1t is
believed the Germans ssent some Of
their best hiers to this sector to at
tempt annihilation' Of the American
flying corps.
FOUGHT FOR THREE FLAGS
Des Moines, May 8.-F1ight Captain
James Norman = Hall, Iowa's most
widely known hero Of the. present
war, fulfilled an oft-repeated wish.
for after fighting under French and
British colors his final combat was as
an American, fighting for America,
under the stars and stripes.
Captain Hall was 80 years old and
his home was in Colfax, Iowa, where
his parents, Mr.. and Mrs. A. w. Hall,
and a sister and brother reside. Hall
graduated from Grinnell college in
1910.
ESCAPED DEATH BEFORE.
1t was Halls second misadventure
in the flight service. In an engage
ment with several German airmer
June 81, 1917, while in the service Of
France, he was shot through the
lung and was in serious condition
for some time Shortly after his re-
covery he joined the American forces.
Hall was tramping through Wales
1,,b nv, tho vor cfartoH IN 1914 and he |