The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-07-28
Some Stories of Our Avia- tors Which Outrival Any
 Romance Ever Written
HOME ON ONE WING IS THE EXPERIENCE
 OF RICKENBACKER
Brooklyn Man Rammed a Boche and Then Locked Wings With His Blaz-
 ing Enemy
sy GEoRGE H. sELDEs

With the American Army in France, July 1S.-(Special correspondence.)- )-Here, in the American zone, they call them the flying tanks or the first aerial rammins squadron" The christening took place one early morning of the week I spent with the unit, and was a very informal affair.
 A group of our aviators were out in front Of hangar, getting ready for D patrol over the German lines. The flight recorder. with his glasses to his eyes, was staring into the heavens for long while, and his face was full of wonder. The aviators looked, too. They who had seen doves and albatrosses and many other flying things could not help show ing surprise.
 Tt is the funniest bird that ever came our way said one.
 Tt isn't a bird at all,'' said another, it's "a flying fish, It's coming on its side"
 Sure enough, the thing flew over our field, and began descending, always on end. It rushed from a speck to dot, from dot to a line, from line to a1t airplane. and motor roaring, the right wing as vertical as the narrowness be- tween safety and disaster ever per- mtted, it landed
 The aviator got out and we crowded about his machine. The left wing was a wind sieve. The tip was broken. The canvas was Tapping in the breeze, and the control wires were hanging loose Someone fixed the aviator with his eyes and said:
 You, too, Eddie. Ran into him be- cause he wouldn't get out of your way. l suppose. We'll someone will soon be calling us the flying tanks, or the first aerial ramming squadron"
 The name sticks.
 But just at that moment, Lieut. Ed ward Y. Rickenbacker, automobile racer of Indiapapolis and other big American speedways, was in no mood for persi- flage. He had just killed a German avia : tor an1 he had had the narrowest of escape with his life. He was very tired.
 Half an four later, with little break fast and lot of coffee cheering him. lieutenant Rickenbacker told me how he had iammed German airplane, du- plicating within five days the feat of Lieutenant James Meissner of Brooklyn, N. Y, and thereby founding a tradition for the squadron.
 TRIP TO "GERMANY'
 T went cut on the early patrol, just to see what was doing in Germany" he said, "Germany" being the aviator s term for all land bounded by German anti-aitcraf. guns, whether it be French, German or any other nations territory in German hands. T was sailing at 63 when I saw three Albatross at 55,'' In Air.nanese, figues like these are al ways for hundreds of metres, or about that many hundred yards.
 "I peaked on them, came down steep, and opened fire as soon as had my sights on them. I picked out one for my victim, and must have put three or four shots into him before he could turn out of the way.
 "Of course the three began naneuver- ing so as to get me, for I had been separated from D. and C., who went patrolling al the same time. I kept go- ing after the bird I had picked out, and when ke turned or zoomed or made a reverseinent I did it too, but kept on top of him and bumped the lead ma chine all the time. We were going at a little over 100 miles an hour when we weren't windmilling or spinning, and l had to keep watching for the two otha.' Albatross at the same time
 'sOne of them got behind me and just as I was about to finish off my pet Boche, I got glimpse from the corner of my eye, of his friend zooming into