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Aviation History
1916
1916 - 0972.PDF
[/OGHT) It was not, however, with his original monoplanes that Jokker came to the fore, but with what in all fairness can only be described as imitations of the French,Morane, con structed, it is true, on different principles, but resembling it closely in general lines. Even before the outbreak of war the works at Johannisthal became too small, and others were started at Gdrries, near Schwerin. After a few months of war several Berlin bankers took the firm over and all the Dutch capital was bought- out, Fokker himself becoming the director as well as one of the chief shareholders. Later he brought out a small monoplane which had a speed of some 200 kilometres per hour, and into this he fixed a machine gun that fired through the propeller. Fokker himself claims little credit for the machine, we believe, but he does claim to be the first to mount a machine gun in this fashion and to sight by means of the aeroplane controls. Hitherto the impression has been general that the famous French aviator, Garros, was the first to fire through the propeller. Be that as it may, for some time the Fokker monoplanes were the rage in German flying circles, and although they were, to our way of thinking, very much overrated, they certainly did excellent work in the hands of such crack pilots as Immelmann and Boelcke. The growth of the P'okker firm has continued rapidly, so that now, in addition to various works in Germany, there are branches in Buda Pest and Constantinople. THAT International Airship Corporation which has so many times been brought into existence in Berlin for the purpose of establishing a regular aerial post and passenger service between Berlin and Constantinople is still bobbing about in different forms. The latest phase of the little scheme puts the capital at a million and a quarter pounds sterling, and a special bait is being trailed to lure in subscriptions from the unwary to the wily promoter handling the finance. The present plan is to have the route extended from Berlin to Carlsbad, continuing to Vienna via Budweis, from there to Buda Pest, and thence on to Constantinople, over Sofia. Between these larger cities are to be numerous landing stations, the districts chosen for landings having to subscribe for shares. AT least this latter ruse is not a German brain-wave, as the idea has been quite a feature of motor and aviation circuit tours in France for years past. But we fancy the German public will not be too ready to help to have this air route in being for the Allies to annex presently when matters Continental smooth themselves out. The Zepp. Raids, as seen in the United States "Gaining experience." By courtesy of the "Newark Evening News.") NOVEMBER 2, 1916. THE WATCHER IN THE NIGHT. Up in the night. Thick blackness around, And never a sound Save his engine's roar, The Airman waits . . . waits . . . waits .-. . Patient as fifty Fates : His hands are sore. And his feet are frozen— Who would have chosen A task like this But for the kiss Of a loved one, lying asleep below, While he waits aloft for the skulking foe ? Or for England's sake Does his valour wake, Where the stars stare bright, Up in the night ? Up in the night. Sudden, from distant earth, Light springs to birth- Light ! Its pencil pierces, and shifts . . . and stays . . . And there, in the chill unwinking blaze, Hovers, perturbed, the Form of Dread ! Swift overhead The Airman dashes down to his prey : Nearer he dives, and yet more near, Till, poised like Vengeance over it sheer, His moment's come— His bolt strikes home ! He sees the monster sway, Tremble, and strive to turn away ; Another bolt he launches . . and another ! Quick rush the flames along its side, And, through the smoke and smother, Come up to him, bursting with joy and pride, Exulting in the battle. The thin machine-gun's rattle, And . . . thinner dreadful cries of agony ! It falls : a streaming flame all down the sky. In hot air-eddies turning, And burning, burning, burning ! At last it strikes the earth : a rending crash, A thunderous roar, a blinding flash That lights the sky for fifty miles . . . So . . . that's all over, That ends the fight . . . His loved one shall sleep safe to-night ! No longer need the Airman hover . . . He smiles . . . His work is done His battle's won ! Up in the night. —ARGENT. Passing Show.) QUEEN MARY'S Zepp. /21 souvenir brooch, presented by Her Majesty to the British Red Cross, looks like bringing in quite a nice little sum to the Fund. Firstly, it was sold by auction"at the Gift House of the Red Cross Society, Pall Mall. to the highest bidder. The purchaser was Mr. M. Mouchly. of Port Said, whose bid was £20. He intends to present the brooch to the Red Cross in Egypt, and hopes that it will fetch at least £500 there. It is made out of a portion of aluminium from the L. 21, which was wrecked at Cuffley, and bears the inscription " Zepp. L. 21, 1916. Sept. 3rd, Cuffley." By the time it gets round the world it should have a good trail to record. THERE must still be a lot of quaint predictions " undis covered " in forgotten works relating to the navigation of the air. One by one they are being brought to light, and some are, by their insight into the future, of striking interest. The Rev. J. P. Bacon Phillips, of Crowhurst Rectory, Sussex, has just unearthed another of these curious prophecies. It is to be found in Ackermann's Repository for the year 1825. and reads as follows : " Balloons will next come into play Then adieu to the greatness of Old England. We cannot expect to cut such capers in the air as we have done on the sea. We shall have too many and too powerful competitors on that element, which is alike open to all. Delenda tsi Carthago." Had we read these words a few week ago, Mr- Phillips writes, they might have filled our minds with apprehension. Now, however, we are able to hold our own. 964
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