Evening star., 1918-08-05
FIGHTS IN THE AIR
FEATURE AT front
Daring Balloon Observer
bangles in Parachute While
Machine Is Under Fire.
SKILL OF THE AMERICANS
: BY JUNIUs B. WOOD.

: BY JUNIUS b. WOOD.
Oablegran to The Evening Star and
Chicago Daily News. Copyright. 1918.
WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY
AT THE FRONT. August 5.-There
were ear-splitting crashes from the
heavy artillery on the hillside and
In reply from the enemy added to the
din, when suddenly the noise was
punctured by the rat-a-tat of a ma
chine gun overhead. A heavy armored
truck. towing sausage balloon and
another truck with anti-aircraft guns
tagging Just behind 1t had passed
along the road seeking a new moor
ing. High over the ridge foated a
line Of other balloons marking a part
Of the long allied front between sois-
sons and Rheims. looking like the cork
and line of giant fshman's net.
An airplane. with rattling machine
guns. was heading straight for one Of
these balloons. In much less time
unfolded like a white handkerchief
and the balloon observer was dangling
down, while the air was filled with
puns OF black smoke from the shrapneI
that was fired at the airplane by the
batteries on the ground.
Aerial Battle Ensues.
The fate of tho balloon seemed seal
ed. The aviator circled within a few
hundred yards. training his sputter-
ing machine gun at 1t all the time.
Higher up came the fainter rattle of
another airplane. The frst plane An
tshed Its bold circle and the other
swung around ard met it. Then for
the first time 1t was apparent that the
second plane was French. An aerial
battle in which the death of one of
the brave avtators was at stake was
in progress. The balloon was still
noattng serenely, forgotten. Flying
ting bullets at each other. The bat
ter1es on the ground were now silent,
and again both the airplanes circled
about with their machine guns spit
ting trails of smoke. Both were un-
scathed. The German. however, had
had enough of the conflict and instead
OF encirciing again swung off at a
Frenchman pursuing far behind.
Between the German and the safety
Of his own lines was the battery of
Mai. Thomas Hammond of Chicago,
vomiting a steady stream of steel
toward the Germans, who were mass
ing for the attack on which all their
hopes for the day were centered. -.
Sprays Battery With Bullets.
The. German aviator, possibly ram
king because of his failure to get the
balloon. and possibly merely actuated
by the real instincts Of a fighter, and
unable to resist the opportunity
pointed the nose Of his machine down
ward, spraying the battery with bull
lets; scared up again, and continued
in the direction of his own line.
But he had not counted on the
French aviator, who was persistently
following him. This time the German n
plane quivered in the air under the
stream Of bullets. and then slowly
started dropping on a long" silent
glide until he disappeared behind the
tops of the trees, with the French
plane directly behind him. The Ger
man aviator was wounded, but alive,
when he landed. The French aviator
hoped out of his own machine. lump
ed in to an automobile, tore across
the helds and personally captured the
enemy aviator.
Squadron Raid Thwarted.
Last night the enemy airplanes at.
tempted to come over IN squadrons
One dropped bomb. destroying a hos.
pital truck. The deed Accomplished
II started back, passing over the bat.
terry Of Capt. Howard F. Stone o.
Champaign. ILL., The aviator, con.
temptuons Of the ability Of the artii.
lerymen, to hit a speedy target. few
Stangel. a University Of Illinois boy
and operated by Private Charles Nc.
Arthur, former Chicago Tribune re
porter. The pair winged the ayiato,
and brought down the machine.
The next heard of the enemy air.
men was when two badly mussed Ger.
rBan aviators. the pilot with bullets il
each arm, passed in the direction O,
BY Private Joseph A. Mccarthy o.
Cleveland, Ohio.
Germans Desperate.
The Germans were pouring in me,
regardless of lives, counter attack
succeeding counter attack in desper.
ate attempt to break our lines and
slow up our advance. This is one
reason for the persistent attempt.
q. make aerial observations. Our oh
servation is equally vigilant as thu
Germans know to their cost.
1t was reported last night that the,
were maSsing tanks and heavy force.
of infantry far behind their lines, fol-
the purpose Of continuing the counte,
attacks.