Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-09-12
Escadrille Spad 38,
Secteur Postal IL,

range; but like the men in the OF
fee. 1 would regard him as foolish
to take a ride in one. One fool in
the family is sufficient, don't you
think? Speaking about attacking
those funny looking sausage bal
looms he thinks 1t might be very
tempting to blow one up; but when
you discover it is protected by in
Vulnerable anti-aircraft machine and
beaming onion guns, to say nothing
cf possibly several Hun planes the
temptation becomes less alluring.
Just now 1 am waiting to have a
new motor mounted in my plane and
then 1 will have some more tries. I
am getting to be quite a busy little
birdie, and If the average keeps up
my shooting should improve or the
undertaken gets a job for in the
last 10 days l was in seven fights. l
did not know it was that many until
drew my pay to-day. 1t was then
discovered that my pay was francs
more than my roommate, Guy, be-
cause 1 had been in several more
combats, and than l received the en-
Tightening information that French
flyer is paid 100 centimes extra for
every fight. Half of this is given to
him with his usual pay, the other
being kept until after the war-prob-
ably for insurance, or nest egg.
Being a good union man Dad, 1 sup
pose you think that pretty good
pay, but even 20 cents is welcome
when 1 expect nothing. In fact, be-
ing duly thankful for a good plane
to fly in.
4 Narrow Escape
While 1 have been sitting around
waiting for my new motor to be in
efa hov haen hanneninE
quite frequently one Frenchman COM
ing in the other night with several
holes in his gasoline tank and his
wings all shot up. He was not IN
jured himself, but some of the bull
lets came very close, and he was
nearly the victim of some more Ger
man efficiency You see. the Allies
planes are superior in speed ana
climbing ability to the Huns there
fore this state of affairs puts the
Huns on the defensive. Naturally
with their characteristic efficiency
they have worked out in tactics,
which are quite surprising at times
| One of these was worked on TINS
Frenchman. He was flying very high
when he saw five Hun planes below
him. Coming down little closer TO
make sure they were Huns and salts
| fed they were. he prepared to at
tack. BY this time the Huns must
have seen him, because four or them
Immediately began chasing each
! others tails in their famous circus
formation, but the fifth seemed 10
have trouble getting in position ana
kept wondering around, outside the
ring like a lost sheep. The trench-
man, seeing this, promptly jumped on
him. The other four. kept circling as
l. Sd the ErenChndn
was busy aiming and shooting at
the lone Hun outside the family cir
Gle. he did not notice those four cir
cling Huns climbing the least bit
on every turn.
Thus when he got down near his
| Hun the four others were above MN
and the trap was closed. BY this
time the Frenchman had realized his
danger and the manner of the trap
sprung on him, and the Hun he at
| tackled going down in flames ne dove
| for home. the four Huns on his tai
shooting him up to fare-u-well.
They would surely have gotten him
had it not been for another Spad
| which dove down to the rescue, his
shooting driving them off, the Huns
probably thinking the French were
springing the same trap on them.
AS it was, our brave Frenchman got
back to camp leaking gasoline the
whole way, as his tank had been
punctured several times. Luckily
none of the bullets were incendiary
and he did not catch afire and landed
| none the worse for wear.
Lucky Roommate
| This morning my roommate, Guy,
| went out on patrol. found Hun at
$500 meters and chased him down
4 hf Gh In.
cidentally getting a bunch of bullets
in his plane, one coming through the
motor and lodging in his neck. Fort
| unately, it's speed and power was
spent before reaching him and drop
ped in his collar harmlessly, although
| at the moment he admitted he though
| it was a mortal wound, and debated
whether he would head directly for
! a hospital or try to make the "piste'
when the fight was over. Not salts
fed with the bullet as a souvenir he
| has gone in an auto to where the
Hun fell to get some more souvenirs.
Am expecting him any minute now.
and hope he don't bring both wings
as our room is not as large as pal
ace.
Hears Front steeIton Boy
Raymond Suydam, of Steelton, is
in France. 1 have received several
letters from him already and have
| answered them, but up to date have
not met him face to face. The other
day a bunch of American soldiers ar
rived near here, but his company was
! not among them although l made
numerous inquiries. Being camped
| so near us, these soldiers naturally
overran the hangers, field and every
thing else in their curiosity to see our
winged studs. But IL our business
! like planes surprised them, hearing
us talk surprised them still more
To have good American issue from
the mouth of an apparent French
man whose uniform generally In
| cludes all the colors of the rainbow
was quite enough to knock them
dumb with amazement. But not Tor
long, for as soon as the dazed look
came out of their eyes and their
| laws had assumed its normal posi-
ton, they proceeded to tell us enough
personal tales of what had happened
| to Fritzy in the sector they had just
left to fill ten volumes. Most of these
soldiers were from DiXieland and
their peculiar southern drawl as they
| humerously related their experiences
would have made a wooden Indian
| laugh. Unfortunately, l cannot write
in dialect, so it would be waste
of paper to try to detail the many
stories they told us of how "Ah plug
ged OF Fritzy before he could get
his gun up" or what you all adoin