Bisbee daily review., 1919-07-20

l Liberty Plane Crashes. I remember one time seeing Liberty
 plane at one of the air stations which
 was up some 5000 feet when the flyer lost
 control Of the plane and it immediately
 started down tail first but soon turned 1 over and started on a downward course nose first. The flyer tried to right the
 plane and We coiTl see very plainly the wings working up and down but to no ef- feet. In short distance the plane gath
 cred speed and when about 1000 feet from the ground the aviator put on all the speed the engine had to see if he couldn't bring the plane out on a level by sheer force of the power but the plane was out of control and when it hit the ground it must have been going about | 250 miles an hour.
 After picking up the remains of the av- ] iator and mechanic the engine was ex- amined to see how it had withstood the tremendous impact with the ground ahd | 1t was found that the cylendars were mashed flat as the proverbial pancake 1 hut the crank shaft showed to be made | of excellent material and instead of split ting as happened in most cases the shaft 1 had just curled up like a pigs tail This experience demonstrates the main defect of the Liberty plane. It was nose heavy and when control was lost there was no chance of getting 1t back again. French Planes SaIVaged. But believe that the thing which ang- cred the aviators most was a stunt pulled at Romorantin. the big assembling plant near Gievres. when the officers were anxious to put the American planes into service and an order was issued to de-
 stroy the French planes there as salvage and the Liberty plane was to be used entirely. These were perfectly good serv- iceable planes and adapted to combat work but just because some Liberty
 planes had arrived the French planes
 were not to be used any more.
 AS to individual work of the various aviators there has been a great deal writ ten regarding their daring exploits by more able pens than mine and my inten- tion of writing these articles is not from that angle but merely showing the busi- ness end of the A. E. F. and the methods used in the operation of the various de- partments.
 The air service employed in the ,Meuse Argonne battle consisted of the First Pursuit group, the First Pursuit wing. the First Day Bombardment group. the French Night Bombing group. the First Army Observation group. the Heavy Ar tillery group. and the Observation groups of the First Corps. Third Corps, Fifth Corps and the 17th French Corps assisted by one Italian Night Bombing group. On September 26 at the opening of the battle there were sos airplanes available.
 Air Losses In Mouse -Argonne.
 During the period of the battle from September 26 to November Il we lost S24 airplanes from various causes and yet the supply station kept the service In such good shape that on the last day of the battle there were 475 planes avail able for use in this sector.
 During the battle there were 324 planes in the American forces which were put out of action or were missing while dur ing the same period the losses to the en- emy which are known were 456 planes put out of action. In addition the night bombing groups during the period of this battle dropped behind the enemy lines on strategic places a total of 94.44S kilo- | grams of high explosives. Also 62 enemy | balloons were restroyed.
 The casualties in the American Air Service which took part in the Meuse- Argonne battle are reported as follows: l Killed 1O5, wounded 104 missing 154. and prisoners IS.
 Throughout France there were estab- | lished air service stations which kept the | front line units in repairs and furnished | them with supplies as well as providing the facilities for the training of the men. These stations were known as Air Service Production Centers, the largest of which | was located at Romorantin, near Giev- res, and designated as No. 2. being un- der command of Col. E. V. Summer.
 I was fortunate in being able to visit this great aviation center about three months ago and while there secured the report of Colonel Summer in which he gives a brief history of the organization and work of this field which is typical of all the stations in France and I will quote in part his report of April l. 1919.
 RomorantIn Ar Center.
 "The accomplishment of the Air Service, as an integral part of the victory of the America n Expeditionary Forces. in conjunction with that of its al- lies. are we'll known, but even so, the ac- complishments of air service production center No. 2. which made possible to great degree this splendid work. remains practically untold.
 ''Situated near Romorantin. Loir ct Cher. in central France and near the General AVpOl oN Gievres, 1t was very advantageously To- cated as regards transportation facilities. This was also an advantage fin that it was possible to secure subsistence. engi- neering. quartermaster. ordnance and other supplies with a minimum amount of time and effort The site also furn- ished a vast expanse of land for the construction of shops. barracks. ware houses, flying fields and hangars. Most of this land however had first to be cleared of timber.
 Tn ten short months is grew from nothing into an enormous manufacturing plant covering. with it's various uuIIdings, | over 50 acres of floor space. besides handling at the same time all phases of | air service work. and supplying the | souadrons at the front with the neces- sary airplanes and repairs for the prop | CT functoning of their work.
 On the 17th of January. 1918. three aero | squadrons arrived at Romorantin. were |