The Evening Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1917-1920, 1918-10-22
TOUGH LUCK" SAYS
REPORT BY A|RNEN
Three American AviatOrs
Near Victory But 1t
Slipped Away.
PRAISED BY CHIEF
Officers Say They Have Ov-
crCome Obstacles and
Made Good Record.
BY FRANK J. TAYLOR
United Press staff Correspondent

WITH THE AMERICAN ARMIES
IN FRANCE. Sept. Il tBy MaiD.-
There IS pathOs in the brief reports
that airmen sometimes turn in re-
garding battles above the clouds. The
best words of a great writer would
hardly be more vivid than the follow
ing three reports with all their mill
tlry brevity as they were turned in TO
the flight commander.
Captain b reports: Combat S:2O
to $40 region of Sampigny
yille-Etang de Girondel. Combat be-
gan at $500 meters Fired 200 rounds
fr m $50 to 40 yards range. Put the
observers gun out of action. then
both Of my guns failed. Lieutenants
f and ; also attacked. Both Lieuten-
ant Es guns failed and Lieutenant S
had motor trouble After my guns
damned | Unanswered the enemy
plane. a biplane Rumpler, to within
80 meters IF the ground in the region
of Etang Neuf Held him there for
five minutes without being able to fire
a shot and trying to bluff him into
landing. Was several times in perfect
position at twenty yards range. Final
Iy the pilot realized | could not shoot.
the enemy plane few straight for its
of LouemOnt at 400 meters altitude.
When turned to come home the enc
my plane followed me back TO our
own lines. the pilot firing about fifty
rounds from the fgrward gun without
result The RumpIer was camOuflag
ed in green and black diamonds with
white tail. the cross on tail. on upper
and lower wings, number in white
on each side of fuselage. During lat
ter part of combat the observer stood
up facing me and as | Unanswered, he
w-uld turn and point to his pilot the
direction in which to turn"
Lost Sight of Fight.
Lieutenant f reports: Saw two
enemy aircraft east. of Bey at 1000
meters. Saw one enemy aircraft
north Of POnt-a-MOussOn at $500 me-
tiers. over Sampigny saw biplane
Rumpler. Climbed to $500 meters and
headed enemy aircraft off his lines.
He turned east ever Foret d'Apre-
mont. Captain b got under his tail
while pilot was maneuvering and an
came to dive under him
and attack from below. which / did,
firing f-rty shots from thirty meters.
Both guns damned. and while clear
ing jams lost sight of fight in the
cl uds. Captain B and Lieutenant
were still after enemy aircraft when
left at 2000 meters. Rumpler had
white tail. green camoufage and No
was painted on both sides of fuse
lage in white paint"
Lieutenant reports: At $40 en-
gagged an enemy two scatter over Com
mercy at 1890 meters. Fired some
$50 shots at range of from 100 TO 40
meters. The enemy plane went into a
dive and l f.llOwed pulling up at 500
meters to fix machinegun jam. At
this point of the combat my pressure
system went bad. my motor stopping
dead. so / was forced to land near
The enemy artillery open
e1 fire on my machine Il minutes aft
er | had landed and up to the time l
left had not secured a direct hit, al
though the plane undoubtedly is bad
ly damaged from shrapnel and shell
Commended by Officers.
The Boche airmen who figured in
this fight are slangily regarded as
meat" and also lucky Heinies" by
he airmen 6f the escadrille. 1t is
seldom that victory is so close and |
slips away so easily through airmen's |
uck
An official army report which caus- |
I'd far more satisfaction about head |
quarters today than the three just ,
quoted is the following:
The cOmmander-in-chief has learn |
ID with great satisfaction of the ex-
,ellent work of the First pursuit group
# the air service and desires to COM
mend it especially for its praise
vcrthy record. The handicaps under
which this initial pursuit unit of the
American EXpeditiOnary Forces has
Deen organized and begun the dis
barge of its duty are well known and
recognized. With fine spirit and de-
erminat.on it has overcome obstacles
nd already achieved an enviable rec
I'd. The commander and personnel
re congratulated fer their effective
nd daring work"
The commentator from the Gin
}" more than balanced the tough