Crawfordsville High School - Athenian Yearbook (Crawfordsville, IN)

Page 15 text:

THE ATHENIAN around the machmes the mechanrcs always ln attendance the pllots and crews ln their flying mlts all lmpatlently awaltrng developments We had been Ykaltllig ln our hot fur lmed Teddy bears srnce noon Twlce we had cllmbed mto the seats adjusted helmet and goggles and started the motors only to be Interrupted by orders suspending the action Wuth each false alarm the fretful ness Increased The afternoon w as wearing on and the weather thlckenlng whlch gave llttle promise of any actlon that day but the command w as to stand fast and be prepared at any moment to start for a new objectne It w as now three o clock and the mlst was turnlnv mto a sllght drizzle maklng It dlfficult to see much beyond the boundarles of the camp A general clamor w as arlslng to taxl mto the hangers when suddenly the gray Flat tourlng car of the commandant rushed out on the held The Italian major jumped out and shouted for all the crews to gather for a conference Word had armed from headquarters that the Austrlans ln their retreat were attemptmg so cross the Tagllamento Rner and we were to destroy the brldges oxer that stream at Palmanowa and Latlsana at all costs It w as as rf a bomb had dropped ln our midst The order seemed Incredible For a moment we looked at each other dazedly and ln consternation It would be utter folly to attempt an expedltlon mto that mist xt would hardly be possible to follow the course to such a dlstant objectne and It would be necessary to fly low ln order to see the ground that the antl alrcraft would hawe easy plcklng Moreower the hour was so late that darkness would arrlve before we could return and what machines survtved collisions and Arcfhles would become lost ln enemy terrrtory These were a few of the thoughts that flashed through our minds But the hlgher authorltles knew best the condltlons and the emergency Ours was only to obey The scene was soon one of bustling actlvlty Pilots bent oxer maps endeaxorlng to puck out the route whlle their attendants fastened on addltlonal flying garments Me chamcs labored w'th the motors many of which persisted ln balkmg at the wrong moment but soon thlrty propellers were splnnlng When I climbed lnto the carlnlga wrth my com panlons It was with the convlctlon that more than half of the crews would never return Disaster perwaded the atmosphere Yet no farewells were said As my companion pllot took his place beside me a broad smile through his grotesque face mask was hls only comment The major urging haste took hrs place before the llne and fired a Hare shell as a slgnal for the first machine to depart The low hum of tts ldllng motors burst forth Into a roar as lt charged down the held a stream of mud flying from the wheels While manv of us were still adjusting our apparel other planes followed ln close succeslon One machine broke a propellor on leawlng the ground and was out of commlsslon As the slgnal for our departure came I settled lnto the seat fastened the safety belt and tried out the llght swrtches whrch mrght be necessary on the return trlp I opened the three throttles the bus lowered nts head and rushed through the soft held and soon we were ln the alr off agam to the unknown A jagged hlll surmounted by the rums of a medlewal fortress was the chlef land mark of our regions But as we swung around thls outpost ln the dlrectlon of the front tts outlmes were scarcely dlstlngulshable Companlon machlnes a few hundred yards dlstant were lost ln the murk It soon became ewldent after prellmlnary clrclmg that a squadron formatlon would be rmpossrble Every bus must strxke out for Itself and steer clear of the others Nexer dld I peer so intently into the haze stralnmg my eyes ahead V 1 c, . . . . . U ,, . . V V v -V - v n 1 . . 1 - . . . . . Y 5 1 .V V V , . , ., s s . . ' . . - V V V V - v V V n V r 1 - s ., ' - v n V V V V V , . V s 1 , . V y - V . s , . ' s V V .. ,

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THE ATHENIAN A Day watch a. Bomowrrclmetnt Squadron BY LT ARTHUR CLEMENT Y W, N the llfe of every soldier there are certain outstanding events of pecullar VN?v vlvrdness but none I daresay IS more momentous than he first charge over the top or the lnltlal fllght over the lrnes the baptism of fire 1s 1,099 rt IS called After my asslgnment to the tenth ltalxan bombardment X squadron l began loolung forward toward this ordeal v lth a mlngled QT 70- 'V-9 feeling of eagerness and hesltancy Everyone IS anxious to have the but because he IS anxious to learn just how he vvrll bear up under extrarodlnary clrcum stances to test himself out as It were for no one can predict with certamty how hrs nerves wrll behave under fire It was the usual policy among the Italians to try out a newcomer on a nlght expedl tlon for whlle night flying has Its dlfTlCUlllCS and drabw aclcs lt IS more proprtlous IH varlous ways for brealvng ln the novlce It happened that my lnltlatlon occurred on a mldntght rard against an enemy avratlon camp beyond the Piave exchanging courtesres rn a w ay But Instead of dwelling upon the details of an lndrvrdual venture I wlsh to recount the general actlvltles of a day when the fortunes of the entlre camp were at stake when personal conslderatlons were dwarfed ln comparison wrth the perll of the group On October 24 the anmversary of the great dlsaster of Caporetto the drrve was launched that was to redeem Italy from that reverse and clear her soll of the Invader During this final ten clay offensive rn whlch Austrla was routed from her mountain strong holds and lmes of entrenchment along the Piave River and forced to sue for peace the actlvltles of the alr servlce were greatly compllcated by unfavorable weather ln spite of the adverse condltlons our planes had to make expedltlons that ordlnarlly would never have been considered When the llves and fortunes of the troops are dependent to a cer tam extent upon the support of the axr men difficulties are of llttle moment Three days had been required to break the llnes and then began the withdrawal which soon developed mto a retreat and then a rout Toward the last only cavalry and airplanes could keep ln contact with the enemy Their forces had been dislodged rn the Alps and on the plalns were pushed back almost to the national frontiers Posltrons w hrch w exe bombed one day would be ln the hands of the Allies the next Thrs constant flux of the battle llne necessitated our keepmw well posted concerning the advances rn order that we mlght not destroy cur own men This advance of the front from our camp also required longer raids of about 300 mlles occupying over three hours rn continuous Hrght It was during the latter part of the show fa term always employed by the Engllsh that the following expedltlon occurred Durrng the morning of this part cular dav the squadron had attempted one rard mto the Alps but a heavy fog rolling ln from the Adn tlc and the Venetlan marshes completely enveloped the camp After vainly endeavorlng to brealv through the clouds and mlst the machines whlch had talten to the alr were compelled to return to the field By afternoon however everything was set for a new attempt len large Capronl blplanes were llned across the fleld, wlng to wlng, all ln readiness for the tack off The cargoes of bombs were ln place the gasollne supply had been renewed, and the motors tested out, ready for the spmmng of the propeller Clusters of soldrers were lolterlng o i 1. l ' vw , . . V 1 , 1 , P' I L-'L c-: , ,-.1 sc cg . siN4 fffftx . . l T ' ,kit ,.,5 YJ . . of ...fx ju . ' . ' , ' 1 , 7, X---, , . , Shi U ' , 3 - W , . , , initiation over, not so much through a spirit of dare-devil adventure. 9 O T I . V . ' . . . 7 . .- ' 1 Y s -v T ' V l v 2 v I 1 V . . , .V , I . . Y . I . T ! 9 - , , , , ., . ' l - ' J . . . , V , . .R . . ' V i r K ' A I , v v , 1 . v K v l V T ' . . , ,

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THE ATHENIAN and to all sides to ayoid collision But the drizzle persisted in cloudlng my goggles and obscuring the yision It was necessary to remain within fiye hundred metres of the ground in order to see the course And skimming along at that height would afford little opportunity to select a landing ground in case the motor failed Already one bus was circling back in an attempt to limp to camp with crippled engines and the others w ere hopelessly scat tered Under such conditions we would be unable to pick up the escort of chasse planes which were to meet us before reaching the lines lhe prospect of a trip oyer enemy territory without such protection w as not encouraging Almost at the Piaye another plane was forced to drop the race due to misbehay mg motors It had plugged along gallantly with one engine failing from the first but when a second failed it had to seek refuge Skimming over unfriendly country with a full load of bombs when the motors are apt to expire at any moment is worse than running the anti arrcarft But ten other machines continued It was an anxious evening that we spent on the field while aw aiting the return of the other w anderers or at least the news of their fate just as darkness w as settling one bus fluttered into camp with a spar shattered by shrapnel and part of the controls Jammed It had reached the objective bombed the bridge and machine gunned the troops on the road but in descending too low it was caught by an archie How the boys eyei accomplished the return trip is a mystery A heayy night fog creeping in from the sea obscured the camp and we feared for any belated crews caught up there ln the darkness in their efforts to reach home rl hree large searchlights turned their beams into the sky but the futile rays lost themsely es in the mist Flares were lighted oyer all the field rockets and Verey pistols were discharged into the air in an effort to attract any derelict seeking safety Presently we heard the blll0I'l The efforts were not in vain for the ghastly white object came gliding through the mist and ettled ln the glare of the searchllght It also had reached its objectiye but almost came to grief at its own lair The pilots reported that while circling aboye and endeayormg to locate the field a dark jagged mass suddenly loomed up ahead and only by banking up dangerously did they avoid crashing into the crest of one of the mountain hills that girdled the camp Night w as now on and four crews had failed to return It w as useless to continue the rockets because the gasoline supply of the machines would have been exhausted long ago so we gathered at the squadron mess hall still cherishing the hope of receiylng some message concerning the safety of the others It was a silent meal that eyening with so many places yacant The usual bolsterousness seemed to be dampened somehow Fyen those who had returned scarcely mentioned their experience Before long howeyer the gloom was relieved by telephone messages with tidings from the stranded outfits One plane had been forced to descend at Padua on the return trip another had lost its course and landed near Venice and a third came to earth at an enemy ayiation camp which only the day before w as occupied by the Allies Before the eyemng w as oy er messages were TCCCIN ed from all the crews and strange to say not a casualty had occurred Only three planes out of the nine reached the OlJjE'CllYC' but they had accomplished the work and best of all the expected sacrifice of comrades had not been required The operations for the next day would be sorely crippled with so many machines stranded out of camp but at the front the completion of a day is sufficient the morrow will take care of itself I4 v' I I , v y - V ' , . ' ' ,- V I , I s Y ' .. . . Y U V - , ' I V I V U ' V V . - , drone of a machine circling aimlessly over head, and we redoubled the pyrotechnic exhi- ' ' , ' 9 Y n v V 1 V X ' ' ' , V , . ' ' 3 . . ' . 5 . 1 y. . V . , . ' ' V ' , , V ' V V ' x C L V' K 'V 1 ' V . C -. K 'S V V' , . ' . A . I Hr v 1 'Q ' v. K ., I L Z i t .' '. . I 3 ' Y. ' . .