The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-07-08
FARGO WONAN'S
BROTHER BRINGS
DOWN HIS SECOND
GERMAN AIRPLANE
Captures Pilot And OBJ
server Of Enemy ''Ship"
Alive and Unwounded
BLACK CROSSES
AS SOUVENIRS
IT Am a Pretty Happy Eel
low Tonight, " He Writes
To His Parents

To bring down a tWo-seated, two
gun German Photographic airplane
In flames after an hours battle; to
capture the pilot and observer alive
and unWounded; to take instruments
worth hundreds Of dollars as booty,
and last to escape without injury to
himself or fighting plane, Is the eX-
perience of Lieutenant Summer
Sewall, Bath, Me-, brother Of Mrs.
F. M. Hector, 100 Eleventh avenue
South, Fargo, now in the American
aviation corps In France.
A copy Of the letter written to his
parents at Bath, just received by
Mrs Hector, gives an interesting &C
count of the battle.
1t was Lieutenant Sewalps second
plane. And, believe me-" he says
in the letter, II am a pretty happy
fellow tonight.
The letter follows:
You and father can cheer me just
as much as you want to now for to-
day I brought down a German plane,
and what is more, he fell inside our
lines. Believe me, 1t was one fine
fight The maneuvers Of the fight
you would not understand, so l
won't bother you with them, but we
started at 5000 meters and it ended
when the plane burst into flames
just before he struck the ground.
And what a run for my money he
gave me; he really outmaneuvered
me, and I am convinced he had the
better plane, but he did not put
single bullet in my plane, and his,
as / afterwards found, had two in
his gas tank one right through his
radiator and propeller and a goodly
fat number through his planes and
fuselage.
1T was a Photographic plane,
'Rumpler,' and Of course, was a BIZ
plane, having a pilot and an OBJ
server, both having splendid ma
chine guns, as l learned by seeing a
few tracer bullets go by. But you
can see the fight lasted nearly a half
hour which is awfully long, and
after little while noticed the OBJ
server had stopped shooting for
could see the poor fellow huddle
down in his cockpit every time I at
tackled, so then / knew he was either
Even after that, however, the pilot
gave me an awful fight, but at last I
got a good burst Of tracers right in
to his engine and he started going
down in a 'vrille' or spinning nose
dive. knew l had him then, for If
he did not come out that would be
the end, and II he did, I knew I
could get a burst into him while he
would be still dizzy He did come
out, however, and 1 did get my burst
in which I got his gas tank. He
then burst into flames, landed and
tipped over. Both pilot and observ-
er were thrown out over the top
wing, and to my surprise both got
up and started walking. And the
funny part, don't know what made
me do it, but when I saw them get
up, I swooped down on them and
waved my hand and one Of them
waved back. I am glad I did not
Kill them, but I guess I tried hard
enough. Anyway two live German
prisoners are worth a darn sight
more than two dead Germans, for
prisoners mean information. And I
wish you could have seen the poor
old woman who was working in her
field, when all Of a sudden she
looked up and saw this plane COW
cred with crosses come piling down.
and burn up right in the middle Of
her potato patch. 1t sure was
funny.
Crosses as Souvenirs.
And, mother dear, / have three
beautiful black crosses, which 1 cut
off the wings, one is going to you
don't dare send it home, however,
but some day you will get it. They
really are pretty rare for you know
Mr.. Boche much prefers to play
over his own lines, so that if he does
fall, he falls home, and besides, he
can always dive if he feels he is get
ting the worse And all the instru-
ments I got out of his plane. am
just like a kid with lot Of new toys.
got a beautiful compass, an alti-
meter, which runs up to 5000
meters, great little do-hinkey forI
registering speed, and then, of
course, his camera and lens. The
lens cracked in the fire, which is the
biggest shame, for it is a "Zeiss"
lens, which is priceless on this side
Of the lines, and worth more than
anything else on the plane except
the pilot. I think I shall give one
cross to Loyal If I can ever see
him again, and the other one will
hang in the mess hall. And the pro-
peller with a big Berlin marked in
big letters right in the middle.
We'll, anyway, If they get me
now they have a losing proposition,
for have accounted for two trained
Germans, which pays for my train
ing and besides, that is a two to-one
game. Then when you figure the
prisoners and his plane and camera,
ETC., which are sure worth a bit
more than that old buss Of mine. oh,
it is not so darned bad And believe
me. I am a pretty happy fellow to-
night.
1.-THE best of love to you and
father and all the family and don't
worry Lots of love, SUMNER.
p. S.-Here is piece of canvas