Air Service Boys Flying for Victory or, Bombing the Last German Stronghold   By: Charles Amory Beach

Or

Bombing the Last German Stronghold

by

CHARLES AMORY BEACH

Author of "Air Service Boys Flying for France," "Air Service Boys over the Rhine," Etc.

[Illustration: THE AIRPLANE STARTED TO SHOOT DOWN AT A FRIGHTFUL SPEED.]

The World Syndicate Publishing Co. Cleveland, O. New York, N. Y.

Copyright , MCMXX, by George Sully & Company

Printed in the United States of America by The Commercial Bookbinding Co. Cleveland, O.

AIR SERVICE BOYS FLYING FOR VICTORY

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I In Action Over the Argonne 1

II Yankee Pluck 8

III Jack's Strange Find 16

IV The Story of the Lorraine Waif 27

V A Red Cross Nurse 36

VI Cleaning Out Machine gun Nests 46

VII "Mopping 'em Up!" 56

VIII In the Red Triangle Hut 66

IX The Night Raid 78

X A Surprise for Jack 84

XI The Prowlers 92

XII A Lively Chase 102

XIII The Winning of the Argonne 113

XIV Selected for Special Duty 124

XV Over the Enemy's Lines 131

XVI Blotting Out Hun Headquarters 139

XVII Flying for Victory 147

XVIII Favored by Fortune 154

XIX Tom Leads the Way 163

XX Borrowed Goods 171

XXI At the Old Chateau 179

XXII Invading the Tiger's Den 187

XXIII The Only Way 195

XXIV Tom Keeps His Word 203

XXV Peace in Sight Conclusion 213

AIR SERVICE BOYS FLYING FOR VICTORY

CHAPTER I

IN ACTION OVER THE ARGONNE

"WILL that starting signal ever come, Tom?"

"Just hold your horses, Jack. The other squadron has gone out, and is already hard at it over the Boche line. Our turn next. Keep cool. And here's hoping we both pull through with our usual good luck."

"Wow! See that big Hun plane, a Fokker, too, take the nose dive, will you? But he's overshot his mark. I warrant you he is trying like mad to get on a level keel again."

"Good night! I could almost imagine I heard the crash away off here, even with all that thunder from Big Berthas and the crackle of hundreds of machine guns."

"It makes the goose flesh tingle all over me, Tom, to think that some day or it may be night one or the other of us may finish up in just that kind of fireworks."

"The life of an air pilot is full of hazards, Jack, just remember. If he's going to make a success of his calling he's got to have nerves of steel."

"Yes, and let him lose his grip and confidence because of any unusual danger, his usefulness is gone."

"There's our signal at last, Jack!"

"Here goes! And pity the poor Boche I drive off with my new American plane, and its bully Liberty motor!"

Both young men, attired as air pilots, with goggles and gloves as well as heavy coats for extra warmth in the dizzy spaces a mile or two overhead, hastened to climb aboard their waiting machines, which were of the latest type of battleplane.

Each had an assistant, or observer, who would also handle one of the two machine guns with which those American flying machines were armed.

The time was that period in the fall of 1918, when the fresh American host burst headlong into the battle line in Northern France.

At Château Thierry and St Mihiel they had struck the astounded foe with the force of an avalanche. The Germans, war weary, were stunned by the vigor of the fresh army that once in action would not be denied.