Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-02-03
CHAPTER Nv.
ingalls, Wins Some Medals.

AoosANN
like an easy victory.
AS they Owed the German also dove
| and a storm of shells from concealed
German anti-aircraft battery met the
attacking allies. accurately ranged on
| the glistening white tail of the German
bait" AS on other occasions during
| the war. the German scheme almost
| worked-but not quite. The three
Camels caught the AlbatroSs under
their guns before he could escape and
sent him to the ground in flames. them
selves escaping out of the zone of fire
before they we're hit The report of the
three flyers shows none of the perturba
ton they must have felt when the
ground batteries cut loose. The report
reads:
AT l6h50 t4:50 PM, when Camels
were at 10000 feet between DiXmude
and Ostende. leader observed enemy
aircraft at 1000 feet. near Zevecote
village. Camels dived and attacked.
chasing E. A. down to 5000 feet.
Camels then broke off combat owing to
anti-aircraft fire. which was becoming
very accurate. Enemy aircraft con-
tinued diving steeply. clouds of black
smoke issuing from it, right into ground
Just south of Zevecote village. Can't.
Brown fired 200 rounds at 100 yards,
rounds at $50 yards and Lieut.. H. c.
Smith fired so rounds at $50 yards.
COLIN P. BROWN.
Captain, r. A. F..
ID. S. INGALLS,.
Lieutenant. U. S. N. r. F.
H c. SMITH.
Lieutenant, R. A. F."
The next three weeks were quiet
period for the Cleveland flyer. He flew
on several patrols which were without
incident. but uncertain weather kept
the squadron on the ground most OF the
time. A few days after Frank Luke
began his wild balloon-burning career
over st. Mihiel, ingalls, took to the air
again to maintain the honor OF the
Navy 1t was in the afternoon OF Sep
tember Is. 1918. that he and Lieut.
Smith and three other English pilots
took fight for the German alrdome at
Uytkerke, In Belgian Flanders. Infalls
dropped his four Cooper bombs on the
hangers and fired 800 rounds into the
buildings. inflicting heavy losses OF
killed and wounded on the Germans
This time his swoop TO safety was as
successful as before. but he and Smith
turned aside from their flight when
they saw a Rumpler two-Seater just as
they were heading out to sea TO fly
around the end Of the fighting lines.
Although the sky few miles behind
was dotted with the furiously pursuing
German planes. ingalls, and Smith gave
battle to the Rumpler. Let their own
report tell the story:
Sighted one enemy aircraft going
west from Ostende at 5000 feet. Two
camels turned in from sea and at:
a. tsxx @aA nyaA
Ostende Lieuts Ingalls, and Smith fired
about 400 rounds from so to 200 yards
range. following z. A. down to 500 feet
Just east OF Ostende piers. Enemy air
craft went down. apparently out OF con-
troll, and finally burst into flames and
crashed Just of beach.
""SignedD
70. S. INGALLS,.
Lieutenant. U. S. N. r. r.
H. c. SMITH.
Lieutenant. r. A. r.
Confirmed In flames. fSigned) r.
GRAHAM, Major. r. A. r., Command
ing 2l3th Squadron"
Oxtende was then one OF the chief
German bases in Belgium and the dar-
ing OF ingalls, in leading the attack
right into the teeth Of the German
batteries justified the step that Maj.
not usual In the British Army, particu-
larry in the Royal Air Force. ingalls,
| had gone out as commander OF the
flight and the four English pilots had
flown under the orders OF the lS-year-
| old boy from Cleveland!
Wins British Distinguished Flying Cross.
English appreciation OF ingalls, dar-
! ing was expressed by the prompt award
| 80 kafs H.rX aSr nj f1u ri q
| DISTINGUISHED Flying Cross and the con-
| firmation OF his status as flight leader
| Refusing TO rest on his laurels In
gals set forth on the 18th 10 emulate
| Frank Luke by attacking a German OBJ
Servati0n balloon. Taking his English
| friend, Lieut. Smith. and Lieut.. q. S
Dobson. another English pilot. for com
pany. Ingalls, left the home airdOme al
4 O'Clock 10 attack German balloon
which was directing artillery FIRE from
a point near La Barriere. This balloon
was one Of three which had been hang
ing over huge German artillery force
Known as the Tirpitz Battery. which
had inflicted heavy losses on the Brit
iSh and Belgian ground forces.
Eluding the German protecting planes
ingalls, and his companions dove
through the barrage Of projecting anti.
aircraft fire and sent stream OF In.
cendiary bullets into the balloon. which
was being hastily pulled down. As they
followed the big bag down. the attack
ing pilots saw that two more balloons
were concealed In hangers on tn
ground. The German antt-aircraft bat
ter!es had the range and each Of ths
three attacking planes was riddied b,
shrapnei and bullets. but the pilots anc
their engines escaped untouched. Wher
the balloon had nearly reached thu
ground IL burst into flames and tn
blazing wreck set FIRE 10 the hangart
containing the other two balloons II
few minutes the entire balloon uni
had been destroyed. Ingalls, and hi,
COMPANIONS raced back u their owl
lines but the irrepressible Yank dropped
below the formation 10 shoot up Ger
man troop barracks under their line %
4 n n