El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-04-16

which could shoot about 1000 to the
minute. Below the gun was the en-
CINE. The gun had 10 be fired straight
ahead between the flying propeller
blades The propeller and machine
gun were so geared together and
timed that this could be done A
telescope in front with cross hairs
was our means Of aiming and any
thing we caught through the cross
hairs within our range we would get.
We fired by pressing a button on top
OF what was called a stick on the
right This stick was a lever which
elevated or lowered the machine. The
rudder or steering apparatus was
worked by the feet
Bring Down the German.
DO we by unwritten rules OF the
game refrain from ramulng each
other2 Indeed, we do not The OBJ
ject, first, last and always Is 10 bring
down the German. for he may be the
eyes OF battery that may slay thou
sands OF our boys and one life might
save them If we got as close 10 the
enemy as we could and If a gun jams
/ or we run out Of ammunition we ram
Z the enemy II possible.
Our means Of safety Is in = shirt
/ made Of japanese silk which we wear
over our outer clothing and in the
/ back OF that shirt is wire 50 arranged
I that by tying il 20 the machine that
wire pulls the shirt up into a para
chute as the aviator jumps from the
I machine Thus he moves gently q
earth as is done by those who jumr
I from balloons I never had the shirt
I fail me but once and that was wher
/ II had been shot off ne before had
a chance to use II
AS TO scouting. IL Is no easy mat
I'VE "a anslar srr7
l Us up 10 1900 feet There IS an IN
strument used with these guns which
takes our altitude and on the shell
fired at Us IS another instrument
which is adjusted 10 explode the shell
AT that altitude II the explosion Is
anywhere within 100 yards Il would
probably bring Us down II we were
below 1000 feet I always played
high and was never brought down by
one Of these yuns
CamoufIaEe Of Germans.
AT this altitude It can be under
stood how we could be fooled by the
caUouflage art OF the Germans. We
might sight a masked battery detected
by seeing a cannon sticking out from
some brush and bomb IL out Of exist
ence- Later me might find out it
was q wooden dummy when the real
battery was somewhere else
Then again there might be a wagon
NQA4 OF even n ELlALOa4 IN n tunnel
OF canvas miles long and that canvas
so pinted with pictures Of brush. trees.
etc. as 70 appear quite natural 20 US
up in the air over 1900 feet
How did get 10 be an ace2 Wen.
7 was lucky It was in fog and
] ran Into a bunch OF seven German
Fokkers. They were faster than my
Newport. but as I said I could turn
much quicker. so I got six Of them
and with no injury TO myself or ma
chine Geo Guynemer. who was fur
ther away. got the other one
Then for a long time I did the
dropping myself because the Germans
were faster and got out OF my way:
but my shirt parachute saved me.
Into Enemy Lines.
Another experience vas being
brought down in German territory.
This was in the latter part Of March
or first OF April 1917 Six OF US went
over German held territory. I was
running just inside my range when
one man on the side fired and ripped
out the side of my gas tank. Imme-
diately my motor stopped and all
could do was TO Volpleus 20 the
ground I had sat down when my
enemy landed near and coming over
addressed me in perfect English:
Hello- How are you2 One Of
the Americans, chg say ever been
in salem, Oregon I told him 7 had
made an exhibition trip IN a dirigible
from Portland 20 Salem His name
was Oscar Schmidt ne had lived in
the United States l. years and had
never taken out citizenship papers. He
said ne had been on a visit to Ger
many and got caught for the war
As his prisoner I was taken 20 the
aviator officers quarters, my insignia
OF rank was not taken off. I was
treated fine and Just told to stay
around on the 18th day Schmidt told
me I was 20 be taken TO a prison
camp, a horrible place.
The Escape.
Just before shutdown 7 went into
my room and there was G. German Of
Gcer's uniform on my bed / lost no
time in getting into It. I watched
closely and went out into the field.
where I found a little German Haber-
stadt machine. had noticed German
officers never spoke 10 privates exc
cept TO order. and then not 81 mo-
tons could be made TO suffice. I
could not speak German went bold
ly up and drummed on the gas tank
and ammunition box. left the machine
strapped down ready Tor night duty
and returned TO my room I went TO
bed IN my German uniform but COW
cred up in case any one should
come In.
About oclocb next morning 7
went out. unstrapuel the machine ana
struck for the allied lines. About
daylight 7 was crossing the line held
by Canadians. The machine could not
get outside the range Of their guns
They saw 7 was German and they put
q barraRe both IN front and behind
me- A shot finally came very near,
and pretending 10 have been hit I
made for earth inside the Canadian
lines. I elm bed out OF that uniform
but Il was nearly Il a. m. before I
got a lieutenant colonel TO communi-
cate with sthe escadrille and George
Guynemer and Raoul Lufbery came
over and identified ne and escorted
ne and my German machine so I
would not be shot at
That machine was sent 10 Paris
and afterward to England for exhibit
ton purposes NeTtrer side ever used ,
captured aircraft for they would be
fired on by their own men
Says II Was Good Luck.
Ny escape2 A piece Of good luck I
End good craftsmanship on the part .
81 my German victor. The machine l
had taken was no good anyway. Once /
IN a while I suspect that we got care !
less with some OF our German aviator ]
prisoners