The exploits of the lieutenant and the boys soon became the talk of the camp. From enemy sources more was learned later about the results of the destruction of the oil station, which fully confirmed the earlier reports of the great damage which had been done. Although up to this time there had been some objection raised against the flights of the boys it must be said that after that event there was no one to criticise them.
During the winter months not much was done excepting scout work, as the weather was too severe for the men in the trenches to attempt any advances, but as the spring months came on everything became more active, thus imposing greater duty on the air fleet.
Not much of personal interest to the boys took place until May, when the great raid was planned to attack the munition factories and chemical works at and near Ludwigshafen, on the Rhine.
"Ralph, did you hear that there is going to be a big expedition this week right into Germany?" said Alfred, who had been with the lieutenant at headquarters early one morning.
"No, although the boys are always talking about something of that kind," replied Ralph.
"But this is a sure go; the lieutenant told me so a few minutes ago," responded Alfred.
"Is the lieutenant going, do you know?" asked Ralph.
"Yes, I suppose that is why he told me about it," answered Alfred.
"I wonder whether they will let us go with him?" asked Ralph.
"Well, I didn't ask him, but I looked at him pretty hard, and I guess he knows how we feel about it," answered Alfred.
The rumor turned out to be true, for the following day orders were formally received to prepare eighteen machines for a raid to the Rhine. The lieutenant announced the news to the boys, and added: "I suppose, of course, you wouldn't like to go on such a venturesome mission?"
"Go!" exclaimed both boys in unison.
The lieutenant laughed. "Well, if you insist on it I shall have to take you with me. The Seraph (which was the name of their airplane, although it was officially known as No. 47) will be fixed to carry a dozen bombs for the occasion."
"But how about the quick firer?" asked Ralph.
"We must dispense with that on this trip. Bombs are more valuable," answered the lieutenant.
"Well, aren't we going to take any guard ships along?" inquired Alfred.
"Oh yes; six of the machines will be armed, butwe must use every ounce we can carry on the Seraph. Before starting we must go over the route, as similar instructions will have to be issued to all of the flyers," remarked the lieutenant.
"Do you know where we are to go?" asked Ralph.
"The objective point is Mannheim on the Rhine. The river is eighty miles due east, and Mannheim is about fifty miles farther down the river. That city is on the eastern bank of the river, and Ludwigshafen is a small town, on the opposite shore where the great laboratory of Badische Analin and Soda Fabrik is located," remarked the lieutenant.
"So we are going to destroy a soda factory?" said Ralph with a grin.
"Not exactly," replied the lieutenant, amused at the intimation. "The principal thing turned out at the plant before the war was nitrate, a chemical most essential in the manufacture of explosives, and the importance of the place may be understood when I tell you that fully two-thirds of this product used by the Germans comes from that place."
"When will the start be made?" asked Ralph excitedly.
"Tomorrow," was the reply.
"Then I want to see the map," said Ralph.
"By all means," answered the lieutenant. "Now, you will notice that here is a canal shown on the map which runs due east. That is the Rhine-Marne, which parallels this river, the Zorn.The Zorn flows into the Rhine at Strassburg. You know, of course, that rivers, or canals, are the best guides for our purposes, so we must get these firmly fixed in our minds."
"Yes, that and the towns are sure to carry us along without mistake," remarked Alfred. "What is that place, Saarburg? It is on the river."
"That is an ancient town, and you can hardly fail to recognize the place, for it is surrounded by a great stone wall. It also contains a strong garrison. Now note the next important place, twenty miles farther on; that is Zabern. From that place we can see the Rhine at various places, as we intend to fly at an altitude of two thousand meters, or, as you would say, 6500 feet."
"Why is it necessary to go to such a high altitude?" asked Alfred.
"Because at Saarburg, Zabern and Brumath they have long range anti-airship guns, and we cannot take any chances," replied the lieutenant.
The camp was a seething place of excitement the following morning. Twelve of the machines carried bombs exclusively; some of the airplanes had six bombs, each weighing 180 pounds; one had three bombs of 300 pounds each, and the Seraph carried ten 120-lb. high-explosive cylinders.
These were placed in a suitable case having compartments, the lower ends of the compartments being provided with outwardly opening doors, capable of being released by the pressure of the foot operating against a lever.
"I am going to rig up the cameras so we can take pictures of the explosions," said Alfred, as they made their way to the hangar.
"That is a splendid idea," remarked the lieutenant. "Such an enterprise would be commended by the Intelligence Department of the War Office. By all means make the arrangements, for we expect to start in an hour."
Alfred rushed over to the supply depot, and soon had the cameras in his possession, together with extra rolls of films. Ralph accompanied the lieutenant to the hangar to note the placing of the bombs.
"Why are the bombs placed with the pointed ends up?" asked Ralph, as the men were placing them in position.
"So the fulminate cap can be placed on, preparatory to launching," remarked the foreman.
"Why, won't they go off without the cap on? Wouldn't a concussion explode them?" he asked.
"Well, it would require a pretty tough jar to make them go off," replied the man.
At the appointed time the eighteen machines arose, and started for the east. The sun was full in their faces, but the misty weather made it look like a great red ball, symbolic of the day's work. It was hard to get away from the glare of the sun as they arose to the height which the orders compelled them to take, and at Saarburg some of the machines were actually hit by missiles from the anti-airship guns.
The first city of importance to greet their eyes,after leaving Brumath, was Lauterbach, and then Karlsruhe, a city of over 100,000 was sighted.
"We are now thirty-five miles from Ludwigshafen," shouted the lieutenant, through the tube. "Keep well to the west of the river, and maintain the same height, until the city is reached."
Two miles before Mannheim was reached eight of the machines swerved to the right, and crossed the river, their destination being the town of Oppau, several miles beyond the town, where large manufacturing establishments were turning out ammunition.
"We are bound for the chemical factories," said the lieutenant. "See the workmen running about. They have, no doubt, heard of our mission by this time."
"Which way shall I point the camera?" asked Alfred.
"Straight down," replied the lieutenant. "I am going to signal No. 62 to take the lead, so we will be the fifth in line. That will give you a splendid opportunity to notice the effect of the explosions and to snap them."
The lieutenant set the signal, "echelon formation," which means step formation, one machine being ahead and a little to the right or to the left of the succeeding one. In that manner the ten machines flew along, the distance between them being about eight hundred feet, and by this arrangement each succeeding machine was able to observe the effect of the bomb dropped by the machine ahead.
Mannheim was avoided, and the machines steered straight for the chemical headquarters on the left side of the stream where No. 62 released the first bomb. Alfred strained his eyes, and saw a flash below. It missed a building, and he shouted the information to Ralph through the tube.
"If that had gone a hundred feet to the right it would have taken a dandy building,—there, the second shot did it; that came from old Spic's machine; whew-w-w, but look at it! That smoke is as black as coal,—must be lots of chemicals there. Another,—and the second building smashed to flinders. The lieutenant is going to drop the first one,—down she goes! I took two fine ones just now. I'll bet the last picture will show it up just as it happened. Two more snaps. We are going to turn and go back. 62 is making the circle." Thus Alfred graphically described the first trip over the doomed town.
A dense cloud was now coming up, or, rather, bunches of them in various places where the missiles struck, and just as the Seraph was making the turn a tremendous explosion was heard, which actually seemed to jar the machine. Alfred arose from his seat, and the lieutenant's tense face showed that something unusual had happened, as he gazed below. All the buildings were emptied and scores of operatives were lining up along the river bank, and moving toward the great bridge south of the works.
"Did you notice that big explosion?" asked Alfred through the tube.
Ralph nodded his head affirmatively.
"That hit the largest building in the place, and there isn't much left of it. Did you see that tall chimney at the left side of the town? Well, that looks just like a big cannon with the smoke and fire coming out of it," commented Alfred.
The ten ships crossed the town twice, discharging all their bombs, but they waited in the air for twenty-five minutes until the first of the detached airplanes from the north appeared. During this time there was plenty of opportunity to see the extent of the damage which had been done to the great factories.
At a signal the airplanes, constituting the squadron, were lined up in two columns, and before they had proceeded far the signals told the success of that part of the squadron which had gone to Oppau. The signal was now set for "Home," and the machines, by this time lightened of their missiles, made a tremendous speed, until after they left the Rhine, and were making the last lap of the journey, when the machine carrying Captain De Goye and his Adjutant Buanau-Varilla, was forced to descend, owing to an accident.
The different machines circled around, hoping to be able to render assistance, but shortly after the airplane landed it was discovered to be in flames, and it was conjectured that seeing relief was out of the question the aviators had destroyed the machine to prevent its being of any use to the enemy.
The return to the base with only the single mishap alluded to was cause for congratulations, and the lieutenant came in for a large share of the commendation.
In turn he prepared a special report setting forth the work done by the boys on the eventful journey. He pointed out that Ralph piloted the machine the entire distance, giving him, as the commanding officer of one division, time to direct the operation of the machines and attend to the bombs, while he had the pleasure of presenting to the authorities a set of unique photographs taken by Alfred at the very time the bombs were thrown and exploded.
When the roll was called, two days thereafter, the men of the squadrons were lined up, an officer from headquarters passed down the line, and, among other places, halted before the boys, who stepped forward. On the breast of each was pinned a medal, and as the officer did so he kissed them on the cheeks, a custom which is faithfully observed, in accordance with the regulations, whenever a merit order is bestowed.
There was a cheer as the two blushing boys stepped back to the line, and there were no prouder hearts than theirs as they heard the encomiums expressed on all sides for their bravery and devotion to duty. It was a pleasure to many other young Americans, who, like them, were volunteers serving in the aviation corps, and many of whom were afterwards also honored in like manner.
There was hardly a day that there was not some experience added to their store of knowledge pertaining to airships, and the work connected with flying, all of which was performed with efficiency and credit.
But the work which they performed was not all a series of jolly excursions without the corresponding sorrows. The devotion of Lieutenant Guyon to them dated from the time when that brave officer was stricken while on a trial flight from the camp at Bar-le-Duc. He never forgot how they took charge of the machine, and brought it safely to earth and cared for him so tenderly. Thereafter, it was rarely the case that he went aloft without one or both of the boys in his company.
Shortly after the foregoing events, while the three were performing scout duty north of St. Mihiel, they were attacked by two German machines, an Albatross and a Taube, a combination which, especially when operating against a single machine, is capable of doing deadly work.
When the two enemy ships were sighted, Alfredwas in the pilot's seat, and under the direction of the lieutenant, the airplane shot forward directly in the path of the first machine, while the lieutenant poured out a constant storm of shot. The Albatross dived, and Alfred at once moved the control to ascend, thus bringing their machine above the Taube.
The object now was to so manoeuver their ship as to keep between the two enemies, and in doing so make it difficult for either of them to use the quick firers without danger of hitting the other. The Seraph was a rapid climber, due to the high power of her engines.
"Send her up as rapidly as possible," shouted the lieutenant. "Keep on going, and turn slowly to the left, so as to make a big circle; that will give me a chance to put in some shots."
Alfred knew the manoeuver, the purpose being to bring the two machines into line with each other, and thus enable the lieutenant to get his gun in the range of both machines.
"A little down now, and more to the right; there, steady," was the next command.
"Br-r-r-r-r" sounded the gun, as the officer turned the crank.
"The Taube is going down," cried Ralph excitedly, "and here comes another of the same kind," continued Ralph.
"Go straight for the second one," shouted the lieutenant, and Alfred knew that the same trick had to be repeated.
But the new arrival did not accept the invitationto fight on the lines that the first machine adopted. Instead, it began to circle about at a safe distance, endeavoring to secure the overhead position.
"Follow that bird," said the lieutenant, "and keep going. They will learn something about high flying before they get through with us."
The Albatross was not making much headway in the climbing game. On the other hand, the new Taube was an extraordinary flyer.
"There is only one man aboard of her," said the lieutenant. "Take the glasses, and see if you can make out her number."
Ralph studied the machine for some time. "I am not sure," he said, "but I think it is D 28. No one but the pilot is aboard."
"That's good. He can't hit us head on. Trail him or get ahead of him and keep on ascending," said the lieutenant, now preparing his rapid firer with a new charge.
The Taube suddenly swerved to the right, and let loose a full charge from his gun. It seemed as though one side of the Seraph had the covering of the planes ripped off, for the hail of bullets tore right through the frame. Alfred shook his head as he cleared away several bits of wreckage.
"How high are we?" asked Ralph.
"Two thousand six hundred meters," was the reply.
The lieutenant had his revenge, however, for their own machine was now creeping up and gradually getting a rear position. This was what hehad been aiming for. The stream of shots from the Seraph's gun now began to tell. In one despairing attempt the Taube turned fully half way around and answered, but it was evident that something was wrong with the ship.
Suddenly the Seraph darted down. Ralph and the lieutenant looked back in surprise. Alfred's head had dropped to one side, and one arm hung over the side of the chassis.
The lieutenant leaned over and caught the elevating rudder, not a moment too soon, and corrected the machine. Ralph leaned over the side of the body, and drew Alfred toward him, as the lieutenant climbed into the aviator's seat. All this took but a moment's time, but meanwhile it was necessary for them to observe the enemy and avoid him.
"The Taube is falling," cried out Ralph, "but the Albatross is swinging around."
Before it was possible to correct the machine, and avoid the danger, the gunner of the oncoming aeroplane began to pump, and the shot began to tell on the Seraph's framework. The lieutenant now saw that it would be a terrific task to get above the Albatross, so turning the control rudder sharply, the Seraph made a quick slide below its adversary.
Alfred did not move, and Ralph tried to control himself, for in the great excitement attending the above circumstances, he was almost distracted. He was leaning partly over the body of the machine when the lieutenant saw him crouch forward.He put his hand on the boy and tried to shake him, but there was no response.
Down, down went the machine, still under absolute control of the lieutenant, who turned the machine in a circle in order to be sure to bring it down within the French lines. When within five hundred feet of the earth something seemed to go wrong with the steering mechanism. The lieutenant tugged and pulled the lever back and forth. The machine refused to move forward in a straight line, and landing while the machine is describing a circular movement is a most dangerous manoeuver.
Both boys were quiet, and the lieutenant feared for the worst. A hundred feet more and all would be over. In desperation he banked the machine to stop its terrific speed. This helped the situation, but did not prevent the spinning motion, and finally the crash came.
They landed in a newly ploughed field, the worst possible sort of place for a disabled machine. The lieutenant and Ralph were thrown out of their seats, but Alfred was held fast in the machine.
Many willing helpers were on hand, and they found all three of the flyers were unconscious when put into the van, but, fortunately, they were within a half mile of the emergency hospital south of St. Mihiel. On the way to the hospital a hurried survey was made to ascertain the extent of the injuries, but the physicians were silent.
Alfred regained consciousness before the hospital was reached. The doctors said that therewas a severe bruise on the back of his head, as though he had been struck by some heavy object. The lieutenant opened his eyes, as he was placed on the operating cot. He glanced around wildly for a moment, and then asked: "Where are my boys!"
"We have them here; they are all right," said a nurse.
He forced a weak smile, turned his head to one side, and was quiet.
Ralph had been shot through the body, too high up, it was believed, to touch the lungs. A second bullet had passed through the fleshy part of the left arm, and he was very weak from loss of blood. The three were placed on adjoining cots after the first examination was over, and after all had regained their normal senses a pair of stretcher bearers entered the door, and bore a wounded man to one of the adjoining cots.
The lieutenant was the first to observe the chevrons on the sleeve of the patient, and that he was a German. Ralph tried to raise up as he noticed them carefully lift the wounded man, and deposit him on the cot.
"That's the fellow who piloted the last Taube; I'm sure of that. He's the fellow I saw through the glasses," said Ralph.
Inquiry quickly established the truth of Ralph's observation. His machine had fallen within French lines, and not far from the place where the Seraph struck. It was an odd coincidence.
The lieutenant was the most severely injured,how badly no one knew at the time, for a certain time must elapse before the full extent of the injury in such cases develops. The next morning the boys were informed that the lieutenant was much worse, and then for two days they had no news.
Meanwhile, Ralph's wounds were healing, and no excessive fever developed. Alfred's spine seemed to be affected by the terrific blow, but that would be all right again in course of time.
The sad intelligence came to them a few days thereafter that the lieutenant had died. It was, indeed, a grief to them. They had grown to love him as a friend, and they understood each other so well. It was learned that his heart was too weak to bear up against the internal injuries, which he received when the machine struck the earth.
It was two weeks before the boys were able to leave the hospital, and they were then not able to return to duty. The shock of their friend's death was so acute that, as Ralph expressed it, they never again wanted to see an airplane.
They were soon sent to Paris to recuperate, and while there they formed plans which took them into another part of the great war game, and we may be able hereafter to follow them in their new exploits.
The object of these books is to place before the reader the unusual experiences of a party of boys who succeed in filming a number of interesting scenes.
The stories are replete with striking incidents on land and sea, and above all they describe with remarkable accuracy the methods employed to obtain many of the wonderful pictures which may be seen on the screen.
The Motion Picture Comrades' Great Venture;or, On the Road with the Big Round TopThe Motion Picture Comrades Through African Jungles;or, The Camera Boys in Wild Animal LandThe Motion Picture Comrades Along the Orinoco;or, Facing Perils in the TropicsThe Motion Picture Comrades Aboard a Submarine;or, Searching for Treasure Under the SeaThe Motion Picture Comrades Producing a Success;or, Featuring a Sensation
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THE NEW YORK BOOK COMPANYNEW YORK
1.Phil Bradley's Mountain Boys2.Phil Bradley at the Wheel3.Phil Bradley's Shooting Box4.Phil Bradley's Snow-Shoe Trail5.Phil Bradley's Winning Way
These books describe, with interesting detail, the experiences of a party of boys among the mountain pines.
They teach the young reader how to protect himself against the elements, what to do and what to avoid, and above all to become self-reliant and manly.
12mo. Cloth——50c per volume, postpaid
THE NEW YORK BOOK COMPANY201 EAST 12th STREETNEW YORK
The Hilltop Boys; A Story of School Life
Jack Sheldon, a clean-minded and popular student in the academy, gains the enmity of several of the boys, but their efforts to injure him fail. A mystery, connected with Jack's earlier life, is used against him, but he comes off with flying colors.
The Hilltop Boys in Camp; or, The Rebellion at the Academy
A strange situation arises in which an airship figures as the bearer of an important letter. The head-master acts without investigating all the facts, but matters are all finally adjusted to the satisfaction of all concerned.
The Hilltop Boys on Lost Island; or, An Unusual Adventure
The scene now shifts to the West Indies and Jack figures as the hero of a daring rescue. Their experiences in tropical waters form a most stirring narrative, and the young reader is assured of a tale of gripping interest from first to last.
The Hilltop Boys on the River; or, The Cruise Up the Hudson
The Doctor takes a number of the boys on a cruise up the Hudson. An unlooked-for incident finds Jack Sheldon equal to the occasion, and what at one time promised to be a disastrous trip for all concerned was turned into a complete victory for our young friends.
The Hilltop Boys Doing Their Bit; or, The Young Farmers of the Highlands
Our young friends, fired with patriotism, prove their real worth to the community, and their efforts meet with unexpected success.
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THE NEW YORK BOOK COMPANYNEW YORK
12mo. Cloth. Fully Illustrated——50c per Volume
The Newest Boys' Books on the European War, Relating the Adventures of Two American Boys and Their Experiences in Battle at Sea and on Air Scout Duty. All Profusely Illustrated with Authentic Drawings.
The Boy Volunteers on the Belgian Front
Describes the adventures of two American boys who were in Europe when the great war commenced. Their enlistment with Belgian troops and their remarkable experiences are based upon actual occurrences and the book is replete with line drawings of fighting machines, air planes and maps of places where the most important battles took place and of other matters of interest.
The Boy Volunteers with the French Airmen
This book relates the further adventures of the young Americans in France, where they viewed the fighting from above the firing lines. From this book the reader gains considerable knowledge of the different types of air planes and battle planes used by the warring nations, as all descriptions are illustrated with unusually clear line drawings.
The Boy Volunteers with the British Artillery
How many boys today know anything about the great guns now being used on so many European battle fronts? Our young friends had the rare opportunity of witnessing, at first hand, a number of these terrific duels, and the story which is most fascinatingly told is illustrated with numerous drawings of the British, French and German field pieces.
The Boy Volunteers with the Submarine Fleet
Our young heroes little expected to be favored with so rare an experience as a trip under the sea in one of the great submarines. In this book the author accurately describes the submarine in action, and the many interesting features of this efficient fighting craft are made clear to the reader by a series of splendid line drawings.
The Boy Volunteers with the American Infantry
The entry of the United States into the great conflict offers the two boys their long-looked-for opportunity. The arrival of our troops abroad and the boys' experiences with them make a thrilling tale.
THE NEW YORK BOOK COMPANYPUBLISHERSNEW YORK
Transcriber's Notes:Obvious punctuation errors repaired.Printer errors and inconsistent spelling repaired, including:p. 15 "Eecheren" changed to "Eeckeren" (north to Eeckeren)p. 18 "Belguim" changed to "Belgium" (end of Belgium)p. 21 "increditably" changed to "incredibly" (incredibly short space)p. 77 "d'l'Opera" changed to "de l'Opéra" (the rue de l'Opéra)p. 80 "Bologne" changed to "Boulogne" (Bois de Boulogne)p. 109 "aline" changed to "aligned" (were properly aligned)p. 127 "reappeared" changed to "re-appeared" (the lieutenant re-appeared)p. 152 "Ludwigschafen" changed to "Ludwigshafen" (and near Ludwigshafen)p. 156 "is" removed from phrase "without the cap is on" (without the cap on)p. 158 "th" changed to "the" (the first bomb)p. 161 "enconiums" changed to "encomiums" (heard the encomiums)p. 163 "disance" changed to "distance" (a safe distance)Advertisement page "to-day" changed to "today" (many boys today)
Obvious punctuation errors repaired.
Obvious punctuation errors repaired.
Printer errors and inconsistent spelling repaired, including:p. 15 "Eecheren" changed to "Eeckeren" (north to Eeckeren)p. 18 "Belguim" changed to "Belgium" (end of Belgium)p. 21 "increditably" changed to "incredibly" (incredibly short space)p. 77 "d'l'Opera" changed to "de l'Opéra" (the rue de l'Opéra)p. 80 "Bologne" changed to "Boulogne" (Bois de Boulogne)p. 109 "aline" changed to "aligned" (were properly aligned)p. 127 "reappeared" changed to "re-appeared" (the lieutenant re-appeared)p. 152 "Ludwigschafen" changed to "Ludwigshafen" (and near Ludwigshafen)p. 156 "is" removed from phrase "without the cap is on" (without the cap on)p. 158 "th" changed to "the" (the first bomb)p. 161 "enconiums" changed to "encomiums" (heard the encomiums)p. 163 "disance" changed to "distance" (a safe distance)Advertisement page "to-day" changed to "today" (many boys today)
Printer errors and inconsistent spelling repaired, including: