CHAPTER X
A THRILLING EXPERIENCE IN THE AIR
It was with feelings of joy that the boys stepped out of their tent thefollowing morning to learn that the lieutenant had decided on a trialspin in the forenoon, preparatory to the real start, which was to takeplace at two in the afternoon. The engine was turned over, and themachine held down while the usual hour's running test was going on.Everything seemed to be in order, the engine was stopped and anotherinspection made when the lieutenant gave the order to mount the machine.
In this type of military machine the swivel gun is at the extremeforward end, and the pilot directly behind the gunner, and at a slightelevation above the gun. Both gunner and pilot are housed in, and inmost cases strapped to the body of the machine to prevent any accidentalfalling out, as there have been numerous accidents due to men beingthrown from their perches.
The boys found ample room in the forward pit, and at a word the machinewas released and glided forward. The new machine gave them a sensationdifferent from the former one, as it appeared to ride more easily andsteadily. In fact, there is just the same difference in the motion offlying machines as there is in autos, some, the small machines, seemingto glide over the ground and impart every bump to the occupants, asmight be expected of a light machine.
A heavy flying machine, however, seems to move along with the utmostease, and does not sway from side to side when sailing through crosscurrents. Naturally, such a machine is a more stable base for machineguns as well as for observation.
Alfred's particular hobby was kodaking. On this occasion, the first timehe had an opportunity, he prepared himself with a camera. Thelieutenant, learning of Alfred's penchant in this direction, had aregulation government instrument sent over, and attached to the machine,to Alfred's surprise.
Before starting out, the lieutenant said: "I want to give you somepoints now, in using the camera. Photographs, in order to have anymilitary value, must be identified,--that is, they must be made at suchaltitudes, and with reference to certain marked characteristics on theearth, that we may be able to place them on the topographical maps ofthe particular section, and thus verify them day after day."
"What do you mean by verifying them day after day?" asked Alfred.
"I mean by that to see what changes have taken place in the same viewbetween the taking of the two pictures," replied the officer.
"Well, what possible changes could take place in a day or two?" askedRalph in astonishment.
"A great many, and very important ones, too," answered the lieutenant."The camera sees what the eye does not notice. If a picture is taken ofa certain section today, and the following day another picture issnapped, a comparison of the two will show whether or not there has beena movement of troops, or, whether or not a certain undistinguishableobject was something movable, or not."
"Is that the way the map of the enemy's country is made up?" askedAlfred.
"Yes, and every detail is noted, so that when you commence the work becareful to notice something which will distinguish the exact place whereyou are located; also put down the direction of the flight over thatsame area, and the altitude at which we are flying."
As the machine glided over the treetops and the village on the northernborder of the Meuse, the sun shone out with intense brilliancy. Theywere going directly east, and both boys turned toward the lieutenant,their eyes seeming to say: "So you are going to take a peep at thefront, by way of experiment?" which was exactly what the lieutenantpurposed doing.
The altimeter now registered 1800 meters, considerably over a mile high.From that point they could see to Verdun, and thirty miles east ofVerdun, could be noted the blurred outlines and surroundings of Metz,that greatest of all fortified German defences. On they went for nearlythree-quarters of an hour until a stream of some magnitude appeared tothe east, which they soon crossed.
They afterwards learned that this was the Mosel, which flows throughMetz. The latter city now loomed up so it could be plainly seen, and totheir right was another town, Nancy, a fortified French place. They wereabout midway between the two places.
Suddenly an aeroplane appeared to the right, and the lieutenant turnedthe machine in that direction. The boys were relieved to see the greatcircle on the control planes of the machine in the distance, whichshowed them it was a French reconnoitering airplane. In the east severalother machines were noticed hovering about, and the lieutenant at firstheaded directly for them, but he soon turned to the north.
Below were seen numerous flashes of guns, and they knew from this thatthe fighting lines must be along the river. The most startling thingwhich occurred was a tremendous explosion that seemed to be right in themachine itself, and they looked around startled at the suddenness of it,for everything seemed peaceful enough to them at that altitude.
The lieutenant turned the machine, however, as he apprehended moretrouble, now that the gunners below had so luckily secured a fair range.The first shot was followed in another moment by another, and thelieutenant now began to dart the machine back and forth, and turn it inshort, sharp circles.
Another explosion took place, this time remarkably close, and pieces ofthe flying machine came down, and brushed past the boys. The lieutenantshook his head, as the boys glanced back. The machine was now circlingaround, a peculiar manoeuver, the boys thought, as they looked at eachother for a possible explanation.
Ralph looked back, and noticed that the lieutenant, with an alarmed lookon his face, was constantly glancing back to the tail planes. Thesteering lever seemed to be jammed. Ralph had an idea that something waswrong, and crawled over the body until he was alongside of thelieutenant. The latter pointed to the control lever, and Ralphunderstood.
Without waiting for instructions from the lieutenant, he cautiously madehis way along the chassis, following up the wires which were indicatedby the lieutenant. Within four feet of the tail plane Ralph halted.Then, reaching down, he succeeded in grasping a dangling wire, and heldup the end for the lieutenant's inspection. After several attempts hefound the other end of the wire, which had been severed by a shot from ashrapnel shell.
The ship was still circling around, so without waiting to repair thebreak Ralph turned the rudder, and, glancing at the lieutenant, saw thelatter smile, and then by motions direct him to give the control plane astill further push in the right direction. It was impossible for Ralphto hear anything the lieutenant said, but as soon as the airplane wasfairly headed for the west, the power was shut off, and the machinebegan to descend.
"Good boy!" shouted the lieutenant. "Can you fasten them together?" heasked.
"I am afraid not," replied Ralph. "A piece seems to have been shot away.But I can take care of it if you will only direct me to pull it to theright or to the left."
"All right, then. Do you see that great patch of green, directly beyondthe castle?" asked the lieutenant.
"I can see it plainly," replied Ralph. "Shall I steer for it?" he asked.
"Oh, no. We must come up from the south. Note the direction of the windfrom the smoke. Make a long sweep. We are now at an altitude of 1200meters. We can volplane twelve kilometers from this height," remarkedthe lieutenant.
The turn was made to the south in a long sweep, Ralph continuallyglancing forward to note the direction indicated by the lieutenant.
"Now straight ahead, and hold steady."
They were now rapidly approaching the earth; the machine gliding overthe tops of the trees at the border of the forest that ran along theriver bank. To their right, across the river, was a large town,Pont-a-Mousson, and the castle ahead of them was a large school, fromwhich even then hundreds of children were emerging, and excitedlyrushing toward the approaching machine.
Down went the machine at a sharper angle; then, when close to the earth,the rear control was sharply turned, and the nose of the ship raised up,but for an instant only, when the machine settled down, and, afterrunning along a hundred feet, stopped.
The agitated children pressed about, and the
lieutenant tried in vain tokeep them off. Some more venturesome than others, after seeing Ralph andAlfred, began to question them. To the relief of the boys they learnedthat the French out-posts were less than a mile distant.
"Let us make the repairs as rapidly as possible," said the lieutenant.
An examination showed that not only was the control wire cut in twoplaces, but the vertical plane had its pivot shot away, thus accountingfor the peculiar action of the lever, which seemed to jam whenever anattempt was made to turn it to the right. Ralph did not know this, whileseated astride the body and manipulating the plane, and it was obviousthat even though he had succeeded in splicing the wire, it would havebeen impossible, with the rudder in that condition, to turn by means ofthe wire controls.
Assisted by the machinist from the garage belonging to the owner of theschool, they completed the repairs in an hour, and, hungry though theywere, they again went aloft and sailed for their camp, which was reachedafter an absence of three hours.
They thus had less than a hour to get a hurried meal and prepare toline up with the squadron, to carry out the orders for the movement tothe north. They were now going to that section of the fighting line inFrance where the most intense struggles up to that time had taken place,and where, ever since the opening of the conflict the most stupendousoperations were being carried out to gain the mastery.
Imagine, if you can, the sight that met their gaze, as they took theirplace on the extreme right of the three squadrons, which were about tolaunch on this memorable occasion. They were about twenty miles south ofthe city of Verdun. The extreme northern aviation base was not more thaneight miles southwest of the city, located on a level plain east of theforest of Argonne, and close to the Aire river, a tributary of theAisne.
The trip was a short one, as the actual flying distance was less thanfifteen miles. Long before they reached the scene of the great camp,they could see the thousands of vehicles, and the hundreds of thousandsof soldiers, on the highways, in the fields, and around the villagesalong the two main railways which threaded their way along the widevalleys between the Meuse and the Aire.
During every mile of the trip they were under the constant vigilance ofthe officers, who moved them into echelon, formed them into squares, orcaused them to trail in columns of two or three, the object being toaccustom the pilots to obey and execute signals while in flight.