Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-07
M ID Tales From the Caterpillar Club
No. THE Death of the Sea Hawk
Sea Hawk Crashes Into
Bomber and Both Plunge
to Earth.
Three Army Pilots Escape
Death in Parachutes,
Navy Flyer Perishes.
BY DON GLASSMAN.

screamed over hampton fCodus
and threw off smoking burrows
Flowing the air at 1000 feet, they pileo
the knottage high. Their wings re-
Elected mirror lights and dancing beams
Lieut.. Adds C. Nelson, flying at the
~" front, position No. /, led his mates
through acrobaticS. They practicee
stringing out and making phantom at
tacks right and left.
Pursuing mirages is not game fol-
sea hawks. They want real targets
The section leader looked around
Stretched below he saw the Naval Ali
Station and beach landing. The bay
was thronged with steaming tugs and
tramp freighterS, cutting wakes OF
frothing water. But the harbor craft
might be stunned if he swooped too low
Half mile from the Starboard DOW
an olive-skinned bomber hove up. She
was a gargantuan devil ship, flying
arsenal, mighty err h to scatter r
army Her engines moaned; she lum-
bered and waddled A hawk could sing
circles around her, sting her nose and
clip her wing, and before the flve-ton
Ieviathan could snap back the hawk
would dance out of range. Lieut.. Mel
son conjured up picture as he pulled
into stall at 1000 feet.
Army-NaVy O2me.
Here was a chance for target prac-
tice. The whaleboa would not mir !
1t would be a sham bettle between the
Army and Navy. The bomber's crew
would know how it feels to have sting
ing wasps buzz around their craft. And
every sailor wants to prove he is bet
ter air mariner than a landlubber
Lieut.. Nelson Rugged opportunity. He
decided to take his mates a-haWking.
"Squawk Squawk!" his plane
croaked.
"squawk! ssqqqq-q-quuuaaww-kk!"
they echoed.
It was the prearranged signal-"Get
ready!"
They would since the whales nose
and rub the varnish of her rudder.
Nelson whipped his tail. pulled his
prancing ship into position. and the
gun barked in bursts. The hawking
musketeers rallied, ready to pounce,
sting and disappear. Thirty eight hun
dred feet below the silvery curl called
Tanners Greek meandered into the bay,
and $500 feet to starboard a giant
bomber smeared the sky with an olive
stain.
The muskeeters saw their prey dip
into sluggish left curve, turning back
in the direction of Virginia Beach,
across the narrow promontory. AS the
bomber swung out of her curve ana
assumed a level keel Lieut.. Nelson sig.
nailed:
Attack echelon left!"
The musketeers broke the "V." Lieut.
Roy r. barron few position No. q;
Lieut.. Daniel w. Harrigan brought up
the rear. The string of hawks stretched
/ 900 feet as they swept into sagging
line, and with a final "SQuaWk!"
launched a charge. At the first squirt
their speed was about 100 knots per
hour At less than safe distance the
wound up the echelon.
Leave these sea hawks poised in air
and see what the Army
airmen and bomber were doing half a
mile away.
Three men manned the Keystone.
Lieut.. Donald H. Stuart. Air Corps Re-
serve, held the wheel. Technical Sergt.
A. B. Jewell, ship mechanic, sat beside
the pilot and watched the instrument.
Staff Sergt. Fred p. Miller was testing
his radio receivers in the fuselage.
g They we're Just few minutes out of
home port. Langley Field, on test
fight to try out motors and radio.
Miller wore headphones nd had picked
up DOL of the Second Bombardment
Group Operations ONCE. During their
short period in the air the bombing
crew ascertained that recent mainte-
nance repairs were in good order, and
Lieut.. Stuart struck across Hampton
Roads. He Unanswered over the Nor
folk suburbs. piloted through gentle
banks and glides. The ship performed
satisfactorily.
Swifter Than a Hurricane.
Approaching Norfolk, the Army hyerk
saw several ''V" formations of Curtiss
Hawks. All passed above the bomber
at safe altitude Soon the Navy ships
few out of sight. The bombing crew
gave them no further thought. In fact
they were ignorant that an attack
echelon Of hawks was diving on them
at that moment. One can hear little
above the thunder of two roaring Lib
ertys. Even fear must be drowned in
the uproar. When the collision came
no one in the bombing crew saw OF
heard the screaming attackers.
The echelon volplaned, swifter than
a hurricane. At intervals of 300-50C
feet the musketeers swept after theil
formation generated $50 knots an hour
Lieut.. Nelson measured hair-breadtk
passes, calculating his clearance in cen.
timeters, not feet No doubt. as ne
headed his Curtiss for the bomber in 9
steep angle dive he had estimated thu
targets speed. At close quarters hi
made no effort TO Swerve off and avoiC
the olive right-hand wing. Did he SEE
how long and broad it was? Did hi,
ships wing obStruct vision? Nobody
knows. Nelson buried the story in his
grave.
What the Army airmen missed and
what barron and II rigan saw wa.
the clash OF silver and olive. Pouncine
from above, unseen by the bombinl
crew, the Curtiss Slashed the Keystone:
top and bottom right wings about 4 feet
from the ends. Nelson few through
the dizzy whirl, probably not knowing
what had transpired. The Keystone re.
tanned an even keel and rode safel,
through hazardous moments following
the impact. Its crew saw nothing o.
sea hawks or musketeers.
Cropping for the Cockpit.
Immediately swerving out of his div,
. and leveling off, barron sailed over tn,
| bomber and after his leader. Nelson
grappied with his plane as she slumpeC
her nose and Swirled in revolving spins
No one saw him after that. No on
knows whether he lost control or lapsec
into senselessneSs. Fire tongues spran,
over the engine cowling. The wint
stripped linen and wing pieces and en-
| CINE parts from the wreck. Faithful
! barron followed Nelson. He could b.
OF no possible assistance. however Mel
son and the silvery hawk crashed witt
| bombilation and resounding splash ii
the mouth Of Lafayette River. 200 yard
from shore. barron circled the neareS
house and signsled a man to the rescue
Meantime Lieut. Harrigan sped bac
to the Naval Air Station.
What did the bombing crew thinl
when muffled boom sent the LIB
into a shudder?
| Sergt. Miller. a Caterpillar for hav
ing saved his life on May %, 1927, a