The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1918-03-01

0 squadron of men come
-aS,5.J up for relief or digging
|INV,S is begun on Il new series
~ IA of empacemengs but u
SN-sS-yss1 pair OF keen eyes, stead
fly watching from great observation
balloons Just behind the allied front,
takes notice of II.
Every movement, every activity is
registered until schedule OF the usu-
al enemy routine is built up and the
average amount of motion known.
ANY departure from this schedule is
suspicious, writes captain in the avl-
alton corps in the New York sun a
train running late or with more cars
than usual, men in the trenches being
relieved too frequently, new roads or
emplacomentS being built too earnest
ly, give the first hint that Fritz across
the line, is up TO something.
A keen ballOonist notes any of these
changes, and at once telephones down
to the ground: AN extra train Of six
ears passed -- at 10 no. Half Il
mile farther down the line another
moving up 10 front range SO and so.'
Still little further down another
suspicious circumstance is noted, un-
Ill the general staff down below, as
semhlng all these strawS foresees the
beginning OF big offensive across the
line. Counter-measures are taken, bat
ferries directed, conveys and trenches
smashed up, and the enemy's plans
thrown asiew.
Possibly, however the offensive is
to come from the balloGniSt'S own side,
The observer aScends with full knowl-
edge of all the details of action, en-
boldened, probably, to move up much
nearer the German lines than usual
in the belief that the enemy's artillery
will be driven of.
The opening bombardment Is Il time
Of ceaSeleSs and vital work, spottng |
shot by shot watching for new enemy |
batteries TO open up, moving the bar
rage fire back and forth with the ad- /
vance of the troops. Any error here |
may send the steel wall into the OBJ
servers own troops or cost scores of |
lives later by failure to make com
plete demolition of the cnemys de-
fcnse.
Work of Vital Importance.
"IIostile airpIane overhead" is apt !
to break in through the telephone wire
at any moment.
\ German aviator more adventur-
oGs than his fellows is swooping down,
perhaps under a protecting cloud, in
an attempt to put out the ever-watch-
ful eyes. The observer makes ready
his parachute, the machine guns on
the ground below click off a rain Of
lead at the invader, and the windlass
men start bringing the big envelope
10 ground with all possible speed.
Perhaps the invader is driven off;
perhaps the balloon is set afire and
the baIloonist forced to parachute TO
the ground. In either case it is all
part OF the days work which adds ad-
venture and romance to the RESPONSE
bIe work done by the balloonist.
Such is briehy-very briehy-the
duty and work of the balloon observer.
Calm. patient. ever watchful he rides
far above the ground as the great en-
velope swayS on its cable.
The balloon service abroad had been
carefully if modestly developed for
military purposes. and the moment
that the war settled into. the trenches
came into its own because it was at
once discovered that work could be
done with them which could be done
in no other way.
Balloon observation began TO as
sumo vital Importance, until now
hardly a mile of the front lines is
without its big, clumsy envelope. A
constant. ceaseless vigil is maintained
over every move Of the enemy, over
every she'll fired by either side so that
friends below may be saved from sur
prise and enemies across the lines may
feel the weight of every shell hurled
at them.
The United States is building ND
such a force literally from nothing.
Last November the old field out West
was overgrown with weeds, the gas
reservoir out Of repair, the whole
place stagnant In the last few
months. however, the field has been
cleared and brought back TO activity,
the air once again is filled with big,
friendly balloons, and keen-faced men
are being trained for immediate serv-
Tee abroad Already the first Ameri-
can detachments are in France, the
vanguard of n large American balloon
force which ultimately viii be as com
plete as any other branch of the army.
Duties of Observers.
The work that this force will do
will he invaluable. With the airplane
spoilers and photographers, it will
complete the vast air service which
It is expected will blind the German
army and prepare the way for the ar
ttllery and infantry to break up the