Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-01-31
CHAPTER I.
The First Air Battle Fought on the
Atlantic Coast.

Atlantic Coast.
Ut was a quiet morning at the naval
air station at Chatham, Mass. Ing
weather was warm on this 2lst OF
July. 1918. and insects buzzed AT
only half speed. Out at sea the
horizon was dimmed by Slight mist
nulled of the water by the Summer sun.
THE commanders office was quiet WIN
the midmorning routine, ana the Jew
officers on duty were nursing 'nen
resentment at being stranded on
placid Cape Cod while their oreLhrell
of the service were acting their paris VA
the great stage of the war IN EUROPE.
The telephone rang. Inc heaiea re-;
man took a seamans grip on tle 'o ~, y
and hauled the instrument across '''e
desk. . 1o ON
.sSay that again and say it slowly
he requested in silky tones.
Are YOU trying to kid somebody. ne
incurred after another minute Inc
nerson at the other end Of the line was
convincing in his earnestness.
IAN right" apologized the Cnatnanl
man sorry. My mistake. Just where
is this happening? Station 40. en-
inst off orleans? You say the tug IS
burning?"
Another pause.
You bet we'll get busy, This Is al
most too good to be true. q oye!
He swung away from the telephone
and addressed the waiting room.
"A German submarine Is aIIachAls
tug with a tow of barges OIL orleans,
M re the cane " he announced. Here is
o11r chance, That Heinie must have
Known how badly We want to see
German. Let's go!"
Naval seaplanes did not bear ro-
mantle names. It is hard TO get
heart-warming thrill out OF H. S. l: Il.
1896" but historical accuracy requires
that we thus identify the seap!ane
which took to the air a few minutes
after the above telephone conversation.
Ensign Eric Lingard. young volunteeI,
f7ver from Boston, was at the SUCK, anu
he was accompanied by Special Me-
chanic Howard. Turning north from
Chatham. Lingard and Howard new up
the Atlantic face of the sickle blade
which Cape Cod thrusts out INTO the
ocean, on their way TO the Ilrst ar
battle to be fought in American waters.
Their seaplane was small ana OF an
older type. able to carry only one oolnp'
but they went to their work as tnough
they strobe the deck of a super dread
naught.
Submarine on Cape Cod.
Meanwhile the submarines battle with
the unresisting tug Perth Amboy and us
helpless tow OF barges continued SIX
inch shells splasfed water over the Tug.
Though the German shooting was WIG.
few shots went home. and the tug
was soon in flames. Three OF the
barges had been hit and had sunk or
we're sinking. A vacatloning Boston
attorney. whose Summer home COM
manded the scene of attack. sent MS
family inland TO safety and then sat
down In o window with his telephone
to report the progress OF the engage
ment. Calling the editorial rooms OF
the BOSTON Globe. he gave that paper
one Of the great beats" OF newspaper
history-a minute by minute eye
witness" report Of the first submarine
attack on the coast of the United States.
Several shells from the submarine S
guns struck the land. for the submarine
was in the easy range OF miles from
the Massachusetts, shore. Chatham ana
Orleans lay helpless under her guns.
and 1t was quite in keeping With the
policy OF the enemy 10 destroy both
towns as a lesson in "frightfulness.
Women and children were sent i1iaiio
but the sturdy Cape Codders remained
TO watch the fight and take hand In
1t If the opportunity offered.
Americas First Air Battle.
Lingard and Howard came booming
I'D from Chatham in their seaplane.
They had only one bomb and they
took no chances of q miss. Although
the bomb was set to be dropped from an
altitude of 1900 feet. Lingard flew
down to 400 feet above the enemys
deck through a storm of machine-gun
bullets, which threatened TO blow him.
his plane and his bomb TO atoms. The
submarine dived hastily and Lingard
dropped his bomb squarely on the deck
Of the U boat as II slid under the sur
face. A direct hit! Had the bomb ex-
ploded the German submarine campaign
on our Atlantic Coast would have been
ended.
The U-boat came back to the surface
after II was evident that Lingard had
spent his ammunition. The crew
poured out on deck and resumed their
work of destruction To distract at
tention from the helpless coaSting craft,
Lingard circled the submarine few
hundred feet above the water with the