Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-01-08
MARINES WILL GET
SPEED|ER PLANES
Flyers in Nicaraguan Cam
paign Have Been Using
Old Types.

The half dozen wartime DeHavilant.
observation planes which the Marine
Corps Air Force" in Nicaragua, con
sisting of 10 pilots. has been using in
the operations against SANDING, arc
being replaced with the latest two
scatter light bombing and attack planes
and before the Marines have settled
their score with the bandit leader, At
least nine of the new Neutrality-suspicious.
ships will have received their baptism
of fire from the enemy.
When the. flying Marines went TO
Nicaragua At the outbreak of the
trouble. they took the best equipment
they had for the purpoSe--DeHaV-
Hands, which at that time already
were under sentences for the junk pile
and were Just hanging around waiting
for the new arrivals from the factory.
Despite their obsolete design, they
have acquitted themselves admirably.
according TO reports received here, but
their replacement by faster. longer.
range and hicher.maneuverabili
planes is expected to raise the eff
cheney of the air fighters from their
own viewpoint
Planes In Transit.
Four of the newest Marine Corps
combination attack and observation
planes-the Nought "Corsairs holder
of four worlds records for altitude and
speed. already are on the scene and
two more are on the way. In add.
ton 10 these. three Curtiss Falcons"
now in wide Use by the Army Air
Corps AS observation and attack
planes. are due for shipment as soon
as the 'factory discharges them. A
Looming amphihian. used primarily for
I-.,f- L. !,
nlonoplane. employed as transport.
are the other modern planes in the
war zone. The Fokker monoplane
was delivered by Maj. Edwin H. Brain
ard, chief of Marine Corps aviation.
in a one-stop flight between Miami
and Managua, and another similar
ship is soon TO depart for. Managua
via the air route in command of Mai
L. NJ. Bourne of Brown Field, Guam.
tico. Va.
Even though the Marine aviators
will have the best fighting aircraft i'm
the world, the nature of their duties
in Nicaragua and the topography Of
the country has subjected them to
the greatest hazards ever encountered
by an American military aviator any
where. judging from reports that have
verbally trickled into Washington
through personal letters from the
flyers.
The zone of operations is Of a char
acter that would he of limits for
any peace time flyer IL duplicate
of IL could be found in the United
States Rugged mountains. rugged
terrain, thick brush and no emer |
gency landing fields, constitute Mica |
ragua as the Marines see il. Now and |
then a two-by-four corn field on the |
side Of a mountain offers an oppor |
tunity of making a safe crash. but |
even these are so rare that he is |
lucky pilot who happens to be within ]
gliding distance Of one OF the gardens. |
Added to the hazards Of getting out |
alive in a forced landing in that coun. |
try is the fact that the pilots are sub |
ject to capture by the bandits. One |
Marine flyer, Lieut.. Earl A. Thomas, |
and his gunner already have met that |
fate. having been killed by the San I,
dino brigands while trying to make |
their way back to civilization from a |
force down.
Must Fly Low.
Perhaps the Marines or any other
flyer would not balk at flying over
the country for the sport of IL IL they
could keep within $4,000 feet of the !
ground. enabling them to glide many |
milee in the event OF engine trouble |
or TO use their parachutes IL needed
But The Marines must operate at an |
average altitude Of about 100 feet, |
Clipping the tops Of the trees as they |
roar over the bandits. dropping II.
pound augmentation bombs and rain |
ing machine gun fire down on the /
enemy. AZ this altitude, there Is not /
much hope for men or plane IL the |
engine quits cold.
IL liz necessary for the Marines to /
rs al this peace.time prohibitiye /