The Washington herald., 1918-04-25

War q Poker Game.
As a matter Of fact the air service.
like every other arm. is organized to
help get on with the war-to help
i.ush the Boche back where he be-
longs.
The Service Aeronautique contrib
utes to this end by finding out what
the enemy is doing. and where. and
preventing him from finding out what
you are doing.
WAR is A GREAT POKER GAME.
You try to figure the other fellows
hand and keep him guessing as to
what cards you hold.
The chasse. or fighting division OF
the flying corps. to which l belonged,
was organized, first, to protect OBJ
servation machines carrying photo
graphic apparatus: second, TO patrol
oup own lines and attack enemy ma
chimes trying TO fly across. and pre-
vent them from seeing our prepara-
tons.
Teamwork" and not individual dis
plays Of bravery and brilliance Is i'm
pressed on every chasse pilot.
- iohioi WIN obotiN
tion machine has the job of getting
the camera man over the enemy OBJ
jective, protecting il while il is doing
its work. and getting it back safely.
1t was on mission of this kind
that / won my Croix de Guerre.
A patrol of five of us was ordered
to take a "Bi-place" back of the
Boche lines aid protect It while photo
cranhs were bping taken
We started in the early morning. six
of us, in the regular w. formation
the observation machine with .ts pilot
and observer leading and flying low
est at the point of the "V'; 500 feet
behind 1t. 600 feet to the right and left.
and 600 feet higher. came two chasse
machines: behind these again 600 feet
back. up and out. came two more
chasse pilots; forming the ends CT the
"V." and finally. 500 feet above. / flew
halfway between the two legs of the
"V."
Heavily ShelIed.
Thus. was the highest machine in
the patrol, the Photographic machine
being the lowest, and directly IN front
OF me, but 1880 feet below.
This is the regular flying formation
for a patrol of its kind.
We reached our objective In a few
minutes without adventure. only to
be greeted by a healthy bouquet of
black puffs from the anti-aircraft de-
fenses.
The shelling grew steadily heavier.
We knew we were in for il. because
shelling is an invariable indication of
the presence OF enemy planes.
Every Boche pilot within seeing dis
tance-and you can see shellbursts a
long way-would make a bee-line for
those black tell-tsle clouds.
The guide is infalliblc, for the Ger
man Gunners use black bursts. while
the French use white.
But the "ofncer-observer" Is the
boss Oh mission like this. and there
was nothing for the chasse pilots to
do but stay with the photo machine
until it finished.
This time We lodged shells ten
minutes.
Nobody was hit
Finally our photographer was salts
fed and we swung around for home.
climbing rapidly.
In few minutes We were up TO the
15.Oo0-foot level and less than three
miles from home, when we ran smash
into a Boche patrol of eight machines
that had been doing its best to get
to the scene OF the excitement
The next few moments were some
of the hottest ever.
Instantly we closed intervals and
distances to half the regular space.
Our patrol was thus so closely
punched that for fear Of collision the
Boche did not dare try to dive
TIN ough.
High man. l was most exposed to
attack.
The leading Boche-they were flying
above and a little to our rear-decided
to make a try for me.