Evening star., 1921-05-01

gear and goggles. I joined the group
before the start in the operations
building. where Maj Milling, before
large ackboard, was outlining the
days maneuvers. He assigned the
leader of the group, explained to the
pilots what would be expected Of
them. gave the time for taking off
and for the assembly in the air. Maj.
Johnson supplemented these instruc-
tions all with chalk on the blackboard.
giving flying details along military
lines.
got into the air and. after some
jockeying for place. took position
over the marshlands beyond the fly
ing field. The light bombers. thirteen
of them, followed the single seaters
into the air and the atmosphere was
charged with the continuous hum of
the motors.
Meantime the Martin bombers were
being tuned. Capt. w. r. Lawson. as
the pilot. and Capt. A. +. Easterbrook,
as the bombardier. were in charge of
the ship to which / was assigned, and
took my place beside Capt. Lawson
in the pilots cockpit Capt. Easter
brook entered the bomber's cockpit
just ahead. Into the observers cock
pit at the rear got two enlisted men.
one to operate a radio telephone-in-
tership as we'll as ground communica-
ton is Northumberland the other to
do such mechanical work as might be
required.
This airplane led the group of five
Martins off the ground. circling over
the marshes behind the single seat
ers and the light bombers that had
gone ahead. There was a little ma
neuvering until the ships all were in
position. some swinging back and
forth, and then. at a signal. a dash
NJ h la how oeC he
target.
AS the airplanes kept on, the alti-
tude increased until the 5.O0O-foot
level. that prescribed for the days
bombing. was reached. Later for a
time the ship went to 1000 and then
5000 feet. but dropped back again to
the 5,000-foot level for firing.
CAPT. Easterbrook. who was to do
the bombing. located the target,
gnaling-nobody could talk against
the hum of the two great liberty mo-
tors-to Capt. Lawson when change
in the direction seemed desirable to
get over the target. There is small
open space in the bomber's cockpit
to aid in the sighting and the drop
ping of the bombs.
ne III SCtHeTS DIT an eleNdtlOn
of 5000 feet has many of the character
istics of a gray-green desk blotter. one
perhaps that has been in use for couple
Of weeks, touched up here and there
with few ink spots. The target. mile
below. looked like such a spot. There
was the customary haze that hangs over
Chesapeake bay and Hampton roads.
The sun was bright enough, but the rush
Of air when the speed was ninety miles
an hour was severely cold. The fur
lined flying suits were comfortable. al
though on the flying field half an hour
before they had been too hot.
1t was full minute. maybe two be-
fore we passed over the target the first
time that Capt Easterbrook. pcering
through the hole in the cockpit. released
the bomb. We had barely passed over
the target when the bomb, after it's long
slide through the air, hit the water near
the raft.
The Martin swung into wide circle
to the left, a circle with a diameter of
fifteen miles at least. We were follow
ing the other airplanes. which were set
ting the pace. BY this time the circle
was almost directly over Cape Charles.
which is more than twenty-six miles
from the airplane base. all the way over
water.
1t was a good fifteen minutes before
the airplane swung around to the target
for it's second attack. The signals be-
u
ly observing the course. and Capt. Law
son at the wheel put the machine direct
ly in line with the target again.
This time. without a pause. Capt
Easterbrook swung forward another
bomb, and then another. The two
seemed to chase themselves on a definite
track toward the target, gaining mo- !
mentum as they went. I
Splash. Splash!
They hit in quick succession-again
within the area that would have been !
the deck of the battleship. !
The airplane kept on in the circle to !
the left as before, following the twenty |
two others and leading them at the same |
time 1t was remarkable demonstra- !
tion of aircraft The machines seemed |
almost within touching distance Of one !
another, yet they were separated by a !
mile or more.
The heavy bombers maintained a |
higher altitude than the lighter
bombers, while the single seaters kept !
on a track still lower. but doing more |
climbing and dipping, as it was part
Of their work to go to within 200 |
feet of the target in order to place |
their twenty-five-p pound bombs.
Around and around went the circle. |
shifting from one direction to an
other. now describing the figure IS" |
and then getting into line again. as
they all might be forced to do under |
battle conditions. In time the sig !
nal came for a fresh attack and the |
bombardiers made their preparations
as before. Signals from the bombing