The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1918-11-08
DEATH RIDES WITH
OUR AIR PATROLS
In Constant Vigil, Chasers and Bombers
Alike GO Ceaselessly over
Foes Line.
BY LINCOLN EYRE
Staff Correspondent Of The World.
Copyright. 1918 by Tho l'ress PupIisn-
ing Co

Staff Correspondent OIL Inc "ofio-
Copyright. 1918 by Tho l'ress PUBLISH
ing Co.
(The New York World0
WITH THE AMERICAN FL X
ARMY IN FRANCE. Nov. CLOSE 70
our from, line in the neighborhood Oh
Grandprc I watched IL German airplane
rircliuy over the narrow foNholeS IN
which ,rouChrd our muddy and weary
but undaunurd infantry. Suddenly inc
plane SKINNED low and tho sinister
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES of its machine gun flu
sillading our helpless doughb"ys family
reached my cars.
A moment later something that look
rl lik" 4 falling star dropped out or Inc
skies right on the tail OF the low-hyih6
Buche. Abruptly righting itclf. the star
became an American pursuit plane spit
ting bullets at tho maraudcr. ana the
Cpkkcr shot inward and climbed higher,
with his rursucr right behind him, ana
vanished from view far beyond his own
lines
Just as the curtain fell upon this llt-
tie mcl0dramn glimps"d far above even
the highest wisps of cloud group OF
our battle planes riding in stately ar
ray toward Germany. y sweating run
nrr stopped on his way back from the
firing line glanced upward and cxclaim-
, I'd jubilantly, Gee, them birds look good
10 me-"
Task ct All Times Hazardous.
What I had SEEN was simply bit OF
the everyday business our airmrn are
! performing OF this front Aftcrward.
| back ut aviation headquarters ! found
no report Of the occurrence: IL was 100
| much Il matter nf routine IL mention in
! the report. Yet when that American
youth drove back his adversary he prob
| ably saved Il hundred men from wounds
or death.
In the public mind tho aviator Is
! dashing sir Galnhad constantly engaged
! in SpccturUlar uurl% In which he shoots
! his adversary down in flames or Is him
! self destroyed AS n matter of fact.
| these Olympian comhnts form only
| small part % our Chasse pilots duties.
/ Most Of the time they are carrying out
! tasks OF far less sensational. though
equally hazardous. character.
| Scores of pilots seek ralnlr for some
! body 10 fight. They never have the
! luck to encounter = h"ll!gcrrnt focman.
! and are perfurcr Obliged 10 content them
! selves with the routine OF patrolling the
! sky lanrs. Yet they are every whit as
! necessary 10 our army as tho luckier and
celebrated aces. just as sthe destroyer
| which never sites Il submarine lS quite
| as valuable In war NJ sea as her sister
ship which has sunk dozens.
! Even the leaders Of our corps. like
! Cantain Eddie Eickcnhnchor. do not al
ways find the BoChc willing 10 give bat
! tic Captain RiCk"nharher' latest OK
! plot. IN fact. consisted in sort or game
! Of hare and hounds. IN which he was the
, hound and Fnkkcr with crippled en-
/ gIne was the hare. The German sought
: vainly to volplane back to his own terri
! tory, firing scarcely single shot. hut
! Rickcrhachcr managed 70 .n!an"curre
him SO cl"vcTly he was obliged IN come
| down n half mile hchlnu our own
trenches
HOW Meissner "Got" q Balloon.
! The sun" morning Captain James
M.lssncr of Rrooklyu, sent after, GER
tain German plane. found II was not y.t
nlnit, and u" promptly DARED down 10
! within ScV"nty-!ivr feet Of tho ground,
from which hr.sh; ne SGT balloon
abaze with !nc"nliary machine gun bull
lets as il lay IN its nest three mites DO
hind the German front. The defenders
81 the gas bag riddlcd M"IsSncr's wings
with machine gun fire. but he got home
, SAT-" and sound.
The first pursuit group to which thcsc
noes belong still holds the war record
for the number ii enemy planes Destroy
ID within Il given period. Sine ~"
! First Army began TO operate in IN" : I.
Mlhcl salient. four Squadrons or wn,'a
the group is composed. and which t"ia! u
UIilc more than n hundred flyers. hay"
had l27 officially listed Victories. IA
Guiding lho destruction Of forty-thr"2
; ruchc balloons
In tn. sam" period th"ir own casNla-
tics have been loss than Il per cent "f
! thoir advcrsari"s' totnl. They have
fought 373 comhats. fifty 81 which took
place in on" day. Oct. .. In TWO montns
! ih"rr have been only five days when tho
group has n"sn unable 10 send planes
Hiuft.,
Lieut.. Frank Luke. now officially reg
iStrrcd ns missing. was III" star or the
rrnun. with eighteen victories. Captain
Eickcnha cher NOW heads the list with
sixteen. thought unotticially his total
runs higher There ara altogether SIX
,non 1r,.G in .hc nVnuV,