The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-08-21
AMERICAN MACHINES FLY.
SQUADRON OF DEHAVILANDS
BEHIND GERMAN LINES.
Foulois Leads First Complete Expe-
dition With Planes Built in the
United States.


shing today advised the war depart
ment that early in August complete
squadron of 1S deHaviland Four air.
planes manufactured in the United
States and equipped with Liberty
motors successfully carried out the
first reconnaissance flight of Amerl-
can built machines behind the Ger
man lines They returned without
loss.
In making this announcement, Sec
retary Baker said that Brigadier Cen
eral Foulois Of the American air serv-
ice led the expedition This was the
FIRST report from General Pershing on
the performance of American built
de1lavilands to be made public.
Secretary Baker said his advices
contained no other information re-
garding the fight except that Lieut..
Blair Thaw also was on the trip. The
time and place of the fight Mr.. Ba-
ker considered it advisable to with
hold
The announcement was considered
by officers as setting at cest rumors
that the deHaviland machines were
not a success and also showing that
Liberty motors have now proved
themselves in actual war conditions.
Whether the squadron was attacked
was not stated. 1t would have been
wcii able to take care of itself, how
ever, as the machines, eacn carrying
| u pilot and observer, are equipped
with four machine guns as recon-
mended by General Pershing many
.ncrths ago.
! No recent figures on the production
! of the deaaviland Fours are avail
able and Secretary Baker would not
sanction discussion of this pnase OF
the matter It is recalled, however,
that the production Of the one-thou-
sandth machine at the plant of the
DAYTON Wright Company was recent
IL celebrated and since then another
great plant has come into quantity
production.
1t is assumed that the squadron
mentioned today is now regularly op-
j Grating at the front, which means
that a large number of reserve and
! replacement planes are ready be-
hind it. Probably General Perish
ing has now at his DISPOSAL the ma
iority of the craft of this type so far
produced.
There was much discussion OF the
! deHayiIand Fours recent Que 70
sassSsifieaf reSerf De
i re ceiyed. Investigation here shotTeass
however, that the specific complaints
were minor in character and the tact
that a full squadron has been organ
lied and put into operation at the
front shows this to have been the
case.
The history of the production OF
the deEaviland Four, which Is a.
British design, is regarded as a. srlo-
ute to American engineering skill as
it was put into production on planes
largely worked out from a model sent
from England and was intended only
TO get the plants going and Keep
them going until the later model, the
deHayiland Nine, should be ready:
Plans for this model were greatly de-
1ayed in England and the Four was
taken up to prevent delay in produc-
ton here. Many Of the criticisms OF
the deHaviland Four. it is understood,
are met in the design Of the Haviland
Nj; Q. With full information available
1l.i, time, American engineers have
t.en able to prepare carefully for the
substitution of the Mines for the
feurs.
The Mines do not represent eny no.
BILE change from the Fours, the lat
ter model being refinement of the
earlier machines. Both are two
seated. high speed day bombers.
equipped eiher to fight, bomb or scout
under conditions that require h1gn
speed and easy maneuvering qualities
! The type was adopted as compro-
mise between the several fields OF
military aircraft in order to PROVIDE
an efficient machine for general use
to be supplemented by heavier SLOW
er. weight carrying night bonn oers ana
by the swift single seated COMBAT
planes used to protect observing ana
bombing planes from enemy rs1o-
ers.