Perth Amboy evening news., 1918-04-15


downright. 1918, by the Newspaper
Enterprise Association.)
Though 1 smiled, l was really a lit
tie scared when the time at last came
for my first fight with German air
men.
would YOU care to go over the
lines to protect small two-seater ?"
was the polite invitation of Captain
Jean Derode the second day l was at
the front.
"Yes, sir I promptly answered.
Very well, get ready"
This was July II, last year had
Just finished my training, and had
been assigned to Squadron n 1O2,
d'Arme to the French First Army in
Flanders. l was the only American
IN the squadron of Is.
Our camp was on the Belgian from
tier, west of DXmude. We were on
the Belgian right and the British left.
The allies We're preparing for the big
drive up the Belgian coast to clean
UP the submarine bases at Ostend and
Zeebrugge. Squadron y. 102, whose
tnsignia was n dragon, was engaged in
photo-reCOnnaiSSa Of a very elab-
crate and important nature and of a
kind never before attempted. We had
the best cameras in any army and
the best machines.
l had been given a single scatter
Nieuport 120-hOrsepoWer plane. New
corners always get this "fiivver," as a
Spad is far too valuable to be rislied
with green pilot
While getting into my flying togs
rendezvous, $500 meters over our
field, was arranged by phone with
the two-seater, which belonged to a
neighborinE squadron; and my
bo, Of h.n
soneauX.
Any shed in France is a hangar.
That for a plane is a bessoneauX, so
called after its inventor
The whole camp came out to see
the Yankee make his first trip.
Once in the machine [ quickly test
ed the controls, looked at the "es-
sence" guage, and, finding everything
o k, nodded to my mechanic.
Captain Derode scanned the sky to
see that the air was clear of home
coming planes, and with a wave of
the hand gave the familiar command:
..En- E-.lL ~
"C0ntact!" shouted the mechanic as
he prepared to swing my propeller.
1 turned on the switch, the La
Rhone motor roarcd. and l was off
on my first mission"
I circled and climbed for some min
utes and when my altimeter read
"2500 meters looked out, and there
was the two-seater a couple of blocks
away. Taking up my correct posi-
ton, above and behind the other fell
low, and with q last fond look at my
gun, we started off for No Mans Land
In these single-seaters the fixed
Vickers gun is fred through the PRO
pellor, the trigger being connected by
a Bowden wire to the handle of the
control lever or stick" Thus you
guide your machine and shoot with
the same hand
We had just reached the lines when
my companion suddenly developed en-
gine trouble slid into a cloud, and
disappeared. The last l saw of it was
its red. white and blue tail as it
plunged into q gray bank like a brook
trout you have just missed landing.
Here was d mess-up. | swore-
well, it was in French. so never mind
what. But to show my commander
was game, l would go to the spit II. q.
wanted phOtoed, There / hung around,
Zoo meters higher than where the
harmed old kodak man in the Sopwith
ould be. Then, If he should turn
/ couldn't miss him.
II was all very new and interesting.
lhy nervousness had gone. Below me.
at the 1900 or 140O-yard level, were
a number of our ordinary artillery
spotting machines lodging 'Archies,"
anti-aircraft shells. Their maneuvcrs
fascinated me.
] was thus calmly enjoying myself
when above the roar of the motor