BLOTTING OUT HUN HEADQUARTERS
BELOW them, as they thus swooped downward, the air service boys could
see the earth lying in semi-darkness. It was even possible to make out
the darker shadows which indicated patches of trees, and a white road
stood out like a straight line drawn across a shaded map.
Looking closer, Jack quickly discovered the castle.
It stood among some trees, and was unquestionably well fitted to serve
the German High Commander as headquarters until such time as the
Americans drawing near forced him to move back to Sedan, and then cross
over into Belgium near its junction with Luxembourg.
The bombers now altered their formation. Instead of moving forward in a
compact mass they formed two parallel lines but a short distance apart,
five machines to each column.
Jack looked across to the companion plane and distinguished both pilot
and observer crouching at their posts, eager to get into action. It
seemed as though he could easily toss a coin over and make it land in
the other machine, so close did they range along, with buzzing motors
cut down to slower speed so as not to interfere too much with the
dropping of the bombs.
Each plane was to let just one missile go, and no more. If the castle
had one stone left on another after the rain of aerial torpedoes had
come to an end, it would be vastly surprising.
True, it was a French chateau, and it seemed too bad to have to expend
any of their precious bombs in bringing about its downfall. But of
course they knew full well it was the policy of the Huns never to leave
anything intact that could be of the slightest assistance or comfort to
the enemy. Hence the annihilation of the chateau was already ordained
when Ludendorff should be through using it.
Jack primed himself for his work, though it must be Tom who would give
the word when the exact second arrived for the bomb to be released. One
pressure on the trigger, and down through the slanting tube would speed
the messenger of destruction, bent on its fateful errand.
They were one of the last pair in line, consequently they might expect
to hear some sign of the dreadful work before their time came to join
in.
Guns were beginning to sound, and the raiders could see spiteful flashes
here and there. Evidently, if Ludendorff did have his headquarters here,
he had been judicious enough to mount a number of anti-aircraft guns to
combat the raiding planes should they appear at any time.
But the firing was only haphazard work, because the searchlight that
began now to play upon the airplanes could reveal only one bomber at a
time. Thus the shrapnel burst much above their level, so deceptive was
the glare.
Then came a sudden, terrific crash, sounding almost as if the battery of
Heaven's heaviest artillery had broken loose in one frightful
thunderclap. At the same time a blinding flash from below showed Jack
flying timbers and scattering stones.
The first shot from the bombers had been well sent and accomplished all
that was expected of it. Hardly had the dancing echoes bounded from a
neighboring elevation than there came a second explosion, if anything
louder than the preceding one.
So the bombs exploded in pairs, just as they were let go by the units in
the double column of advancing raiders. Two, four, six had gone, and if
all struck as true to the mark as that initial one, there must be little
left of the doomed castle by now.
Jack was in a fever of suspense. He feared that the signal to cease
firing might be given before he could drop his bomb, the commander of
the bombing fleet having decided enough damage had already been
inflicted, and that it would be only a waste of good material to rain
down any more bombs.
But seven and then eight were falling, as though it had been settled to
make a clean sweep while about it.
Their turn next!
Jack gritted his teeth and awaited Tom's cry, when he would be the last
to burst into the rousing chorus of thunderous reports. The signal came,
and Jack pressed the trigger, releasing the hanging bomb, and starting
it on its downward journey.
If Tom's judgment was good it would at least strike somewhere in the
midst of the debris and add more or less to the wreckage. As to whether
the Boche commander-in-chief had been caught napping and buried in the
ruins, was a matter about which they could only speculate.
Tom himself doubted whether such a happy solution of the affair could be
attained, because he had known of various attempts being made in times
gone by to "get" the Kaiser himself when visiting the western front, but
always without success.
They heard a frightful crash, much louder than any of those preceding
it. The big plane rocked and swayed as though in a gale, and Tom needed
all his skill to keep from being thrown off his balance.
It was no mystery to Jack. He realized that by a strange coincidence his
falling bomb and that of the other rear plane had exploded
simultaneously, making the ground vibrate, and completely destroying
anything that had been left of the French chateau.
Their work in this quarter having been thoroughly accomplished the
raiders now climbed higher, to rejoin the battleplane squadron hovering
above, waiting to act once more as their armed escort.
Looking down in farewell, Jack could see fires burning. The shattered
timbers of the wrecked chateau had been set ablaze. He would always
remember that strange event whenever again watching fires from a lofty
height in the night-time.
The squadron was off again, the second thrilling event connected with
the bombing raid having come off as scheduled without any mishap to the
Yankee air fleet.
Jack had kept quiet up to now, but it had cost him a severe effort.
Talking when a plane is bombing on its way can never be anything of a
pleasure unless it is equipped with an up-to-date wireless telephone for
the use of pilot and observer.
Jack himself had contrived some amateur device of this sort which he
rigged up as soon as he seated himself back of Tom, although up to then
he had failed to make use of it.
The roar of many propellers and the steady hum of a score of engines
combined to make a deafening noise. Nevertheless, when Tom felt a tug at
his sleeve, such as had been agreed upon with his chum, he took hold of
his little receiver and was delighted to hear Jack's voice as plainly as
though there had been no interference.
Plainly then Jack's idea was bearing fruit, and properly cultivated
there might be something worth while in the scheme.
"Tom, do you get me?" demanded the agitated inventor, the first thing.
"Yes, and plainly, too," came the reply that greatly pleased Jack; for
up to then they had found no occasion to test the wireless telephone
under severe conditions.
If it "made good" with all that noise about them, Jack felt that he
ought to call it a success.
"That's right!" he told Tom, exultantly. "I never missed a syllable that
time. Oh, boy! it seems as if it's O K, doesn't it?"
"Splendid thing for talking when you're rushing along; and without
cracking your voice, either," Tom told him.
"Did my bomb explode exactly at the same second as the other one?" next
asked Jack, more to continue the conversation and thrill with his
triumph than for information, because he had already made up his mind on
that score.
"Just what it did, Jack. But let up on this now. I've got to keep my
whole attention pinned to my work."
That often different minds run in the same channel is proved every day;
and in Jack's case it really turned out that while he was testing his
crude invention another much more eminent person in far-away America had
just succeeded in accomplishing the idea he had in mind, and was almost
ready to offer it to the Washington Signal Corps authorities.
After rejoining the squadron of battleplanes the old formation had been
resumed. A cordon of fighters moved on either side, one to each bombing
unit in the fleet. Just as transports were convoyed across the dread
submarine danger-zone of the Atlantic by destroyers and cruisers, so
these working planes were protected by those better equipped for holding
off intending offenders, and striking with all the strength of Uncle
Sam's good right arm.
It would not be for long, Tom believed. Straight as the honey bee heads
toward the hive when laden with sweets extracted from blossom and
flower, they were now aiming for their main objective, the last powerful
stronghold of the Hun in that sector, perhaps in all the extended battle
front.
Doubtless they would meet with a stubborn resistance. The enemy must, in
the nature of things have been forewarned, and would do everything in
his power to ward off the impending blow.
There was likely to be a determined battle in the air, with the Germans
closing in to make desperate resistance. There was also bound to be a
heavy fire from below. Airplanes, perhaps even Zeppelins of the latest
and most powerful description, would attack the raiders, and seek to
smash their formation into a chaos that must mean disgraceful flight and
heavy losses.
But every American heart beat strong with confidence as the fliers
winged their way through space, heading for the Hun stronghold that was
intended to be a supreme menace to the onrushing tide of Uncle Sam's
boys in khaki.