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“The Sky Raider Pt15″ by Donald E. Keyhoe

Link - Posted by David on December 31, 2014 @ 12:00 pm in

Continuing with Donald E. Keyhoe’s The Sky Raider, a serialized novel from 1929. A lot has happened. In the last installment . . .

    With Carmichael’s help, Dick manages to catch Perez, but the line-chief refuses to talk. In an effort to loosen his lips, Dick takes Perez up in his plane and puts it through every heart-stopping trick he can think of. In the end Perez begs to be put down saying he will talk. He admits to sabotaging Lawson’s gas-gauge, but will not name any of his co-conspirators. Dick does get Perez to sign a confession that he hopes will be enough to free Old Man Rand. Dick dashes off to Starkville with the confession…

Will Dick get there in time with Perez’s confession? Who helped Perez kill Lawson and steal the Federal Reserve money? Find out who really killed Lawson and masterminded the plan to steal the money in the final installment of Donald E. Keyhoe’s The Sky Raider!

or

“No Fuelin’!” by Joe Archibald

Link - Posted by David on December 30, 2014 @ 12:00 pm in

“Haw-w-w-w-w!” You heard right! That marvel from Boonetown, Iowa is back to square off against the Mad Butcher of the German Air Corps—Hauptmann Heinz, but not before getting even with the guys at the Ninth for all the razzing he’s been getting lately.

Wilson found a green snake in his bed. Bump Gillis had an unhappy visit from a snapping turtle. And Captain Howell sat up until three a.m. digging iron filings out of the soles of his feet. The boys had been picking on Phineas—and the Pinkham revenge had begun. No foolin’!

“The Sky Raider Pt14″ by Donald E. Keyhoe

Link - Posted by David on December 29, 2014 @ 12:00 pm in

Continuing with Donald E. Keyhoe’s The Sky Raider, a serialized novel from 1929. A lot has happened. In the last installment . . .

    With Wilson’s help, Dick manages to make his night-time sky-writing device a reality. Trying it out on a run to Henshaw Field, Dick finds he needs to work out the releasing interval. The news of Dick’s success does little to lighten Mary’s heavy heart. She makes Dick promiss that he will somehow free her father before his execution.
    The wreck of Lawson’s plane is released from the locked hanger it’s been stored in and Dick finds evidence of sabotage while inspecting it—the gas-gauge was crimped with pliers to give a false reading. Asking Wilson who checked over Lawson’s plane before his fateful run, Dick finds out it was the line-chief Perez…

Was it really Perez who killed Lawson? Was he working alone? And can Dick get the bottom of all this before Old Man Rand faces death that night? Find out in the fourteenth installment of Donald E. Keyhoe’s The Sky Raider!

or

And come back on Wednesday for the exciting conclusion!

“The Sky Raider Pt13″ by Donald E. Keyhoe

Link - Posted by David on December 26, 2014 @ 12:00 pm in

Continuing with Donald E. Keyhoe’s The Sky Raider, a serialized novel from 1929. A lot has happened. On Wednesday . . .

    With all hopes exhausted, the trial of Old Man Rand gets under way. Old Man Rand’s innocence is little comfort when the jury returns with a guilty verdict and the judge sentences him to death. A distraught Mary exhausts all her financial resources in trying any and every lawyer in hopes of finding an appeal that might free her father. Dick, in trying to raise some money for Mary, discusses making his night-time sky-writing invention a reality with Wilson, a mechanic at Rand Field. Excitedly he tries to tell Mary about it, but her thoughts are miles away in a tiny cell with her father…

Can Dick get his invention working? And if he does, will it prove helpful? Find out in the thirteenth installment of Donald E. Keyhoe’s The Sky Raider!

or

And come back on Monday for the penultimate installment!

“Green Horn Wings” by Frederick Blakeslee

Link - Posted by David on December 25, 2014 @ 12:00 pm in

Frederick Blakeslee painted the covers for Dare-Devil Aces‘ entire fourteen year run. He also painted all 17 covers of the first run of Battle Birds. When you’re doing all the covers, it’s easy to have a continuing story. As a special treat this week we have a three part story told over two months and two different magazines. We start with the May 1934 cover of Dare-Devil Aces and continue the story on the following month’s cover and on over to the same month’s issue of Battle Birds!

th_DDA_3405THE COVER this month illustrates one of three exciting encounters described by a German flyer in answer to the question, “What do you consider your most exciting flight?” The author’s name is withheld by request. The other two encounters will be shown on the covers of BATTLE BIRDS and DARE-DEVIL ACES for June. The following has been translated by Mr. J.J. Hermann.

“My most exciting flight? That is very easy to answer—my first front-line patrol.

“Just a word about my plane before I go on. All the ships in our staffel were painted in combinations of red, white and green, except the commander’s, which was all blue. My Albatros had red-tipped upper wings, black crosses on a white field, and the rest of the wing, fuselage and lower wing, was green. A red band encircled the fuselage, on which were black crosses. The fin and rudder were green and the elevator white. It was a beauty and I was immensely proud of it.

“Our commander, like Richthofen, was very severe with anyone who returned to the field with bullet holes in the tail of his machine. Every pilot in the staffel would rather be shot down then come home with holes in his tail.

“I received my instructions, which were to stick in formation and to follow the commander no matter what happened, unless we ran into an enemy formation. In that case, the leader was to rock his ship if he went to the attack, and I was to fly for home at once. They considered me too ‘air-blind’ to be of any use in combat. Of course, I couldn’t understand why any one should be ‘air-blind’, for certainly it would be easy enough to see an enemy plane. But I soon learned.

“I was flying close on the left of the leader, and was so engrossed with watching him that the whole enemy air force could have surrounded us without my knowing it. It was all I could do to keep my place in formation. I would throttle down when I seemed too close and then I’d get too far away and have to speed up only to get too close again. It was probably nervousness, for I had had no trouble in this respect in practice flights.

“I had been making heavy weather of it for perhaps twenty minutes when the leader suddenly dove. Ha, thought I, he is testing me. Down I went only to find that I was last in the formation. The three other planes were bunched directly in front of me. Turning to the left, I frantically tried to regain my position—and lost sight of the staffel at once. There I was as far as I could see, completely alone. The only thing was to go home, but that wasn’t so easy for I was absolutely lost. I was flying around in circles trying to locate the flight when to my surprise I found that I was again following my leader.

“It wasn’t until several hours later that I learned what had happened. When my leader dove it was to attack a lone Bre-guet. My awkward attempts to follow him disrupted the formation and spoiled his surprise move. He received a blast of fire from the French gunner, one bullet passing through his cheek and knocking out a few teeth. Then he saw me floundering around where I wasn’t supposed to be at all; breaking off the flight he picked me up and started for home.

“He looked at me to see if I saw him. I waved—I was determined not to lose him this time—and he began to climb, passing through clouds that covered what had been a cloudless sky. A minute later, he seemed to vanish again. Again I was alone and lost. . . .”

th_DDA_3406“I THOUGHT I knew what had happened. My leader had executed these sudden maneuvers to test me—and I had failed. I determined to be on the alert next time.

“When I saw him go into another dive, therefore, I followed—and a split second later found myself alone again! Finally, after a frantic search, I spotted his Alba-tros high above me. Wondering how he got so high while I was flying so low, I climbed up and took my old position in the formation. This time my leader did not look at me, and a few minutes later we landed at our drome.

“To my surprise no other ships were on the tarmac. We were the first to return. With a sigh of relief at being safely home, but dreading the lecture on formation flying which I knew I deserved, I jumped out of my Albatros. It was then I realized that several men were lifting my leader out of his cockpit. Rushing over I was amazed to see that his face was covered with blood!

“The whole flight had been one surprise after another; but two more were still to come. One occurred a few minutes later when I discovered that the tail of my ship was full of bullet holes! How had they gotten there? While I was trying to figure that puzzle out, one of my missing patrol mates landed and handed me the second surprise by explaining what had happened during the short time I was in the air.

“After describing our encounter with the Breguet (pictured on last month’s cover) he went on. It seemed that my leader, seeing me floundering around instead of flying home and realizing I was a cold meat shot, broke off the flight, picked me up and started for home.

“A minute later an S.E. 5 hurtled straight through our formation. This was when I lost sight of my leader for the second time. The S.E.5 shot through like a mad comet, neither turning right or left, but blazing away with its guns. It is this amazing act of daring that Mr. Blakeslee has painted for the present issue of DARE-DEVIL ACES.

“One of our patrol was shot down th_BB_3406in control and another started in pursuit. The three of us that remained were almost home when we ran into a formation of Salmsons (see June BATTLE BIRDS cover). The leader of this flight shot down another one of our planes—also in control, luckily. The pilot returned two days later. The man shot down by the S.E.5 had to land in enemy territory and was taken prisoner.

“Did I escape a lecture for getting my tail shot full of holes? By the time my leader was out of the hospital I had brought down my third enemy ship—but I got the lecture just the same!”

The Story Behind The Cover
“Green Horn Wings: The Story Behind The Cover” by Frederick M. Blakeslee (May 1934)

The Story Behind The Cover
“S.E.5 Hell: The Story Behind The Cover” by Frederick M. Blakeslee (June 1934)

Check back again. We will be presenting more of Blakeslee’s Stories behind his cover illustrations. This feature will move to Mondays starting in the new year when we will be featuring some of Mr. Blakeslee’s covers for Battle Aces!

“The Sky Raider Pt12″ by Donald E. Keyhoe

Link - Posted by David on December 24, 2014 @ 12:00 pm in

Continuing with Donald E. Keyhoe’s The Sky Raider, a serialized novel from 1929. A lot has happened. On Monday . . .

    With some hesitation, Lois Hamilton provides an alibi for Tommy Rand, saying he was with her the night before the murder leaving late the next day. After some thought on the matter, Tommy realizes where his father was the morning in question and why he won’t tell anyone. Tommy believes his father was at von Siechner’s gambling establishment on the edge of town looking for him. Dick, Tommy and Mary head there. Von Siechner describes their father as having been there, but when he’s questioned by the police, he doesn’t recognize Old Man Rand!

Is there any hope for Old Man Rand? And what is the cruel fate that follows him? Find out in the twelfth installment of Donald E. Keyhoe’s The Sky Raider!

or

And come back on Friday for the next installment!

“Hose de Combat” by Joe Archibald

Link - Posted by David on December 23, 2014 @ 12:00 pm in

“Haw-w-w-w-w!” You can almost hear his insane gaffaw echo through your skull while you read it. Yes, we’re back with another of Joe Archibald’s Phineas “Carbuncle” Pinkham mirthquakes to lighten your holidays. This time from the May 1934 issue of Flying Aces. As always, Phineas gets himself in a tight pickle and once again manages to get out of it and get the upper hand on the “Vons.”

Lieutenant Phineas Pinkham was in a sling. Oh, yes, we know that’s nothing new—but wait a minute. This time he’d dropped a couple of bombs right on the domes of the A.E.F. on his own side of the lines—and it didn’t look like an accident.

“The Sky Raider Pt11″ by Donald E. Keyhoe

Link - Posted by David on December 22, 2014 @ 12:00 pm in

Continuing with Donald E. Keyhoe’s The Sky Raider, a serialized novel from 1929. A lot has happened. The story so far . . .

    Dick Trent, novice in the Air Mail Service, incurs the displeasure of Carmichael, Superintendent of Rand Field, when he flies through the Rocky Mountains in a blinding snowstorm to bring back young Tommy Rand, who is stranded in a drinking in gambling haunt. Old Man Rand, owner of the field, beloved by his men, thanks Dick. Mary Rand, his beautiful daughter, is also greatful to Trent.
    The next day in a spectacular flight, Dick sweeps alongside Mary’s disabled machine in midair and saves her from a fatal crash. They express their Love and Dick is happily thinking of the future as Lawson, his buddy in the service, tells him he is leaving to marry a beautiful blonde. On his last flight Lawson’s plane goes missing. Dick, in searching the country, comes across the burned plane and Lawson’s dead body. A package containing $25O,OOO in government gold is missing. The only clue to the crime is a heavy Luger pistol used to club Lawson’s skull. Mary recognizes the pistol as her father’s.
    Old Man Rand, questioned, admitted giving the pistol to Lawson. He refuses, however, after talking tto his son, Tommy, who has been missing again, to account for his actions during the ealy morning hours when the crime was comitted. When the charred money bag is found in his own furnace Rand is arrested for murder. Dick, along with the other men of the service, is dejected. They all love the old man and know he is innocent. Mary, in hysterics, turns away from Dick, attributing her father’s arrest to the pistol he found.
    After his next run, Dick sets out to visit the old man in jail, but Rand insists he is willing to pay the penalty. Returning, Dick meets Mary, who asks his forgiveness. Dick takes her in his arms and the two vow to solve the murder mystery to clear her father.
    Suspicious of Carmichael, Field Superintendent, who knew of the gold shipment, Dick is later convinced of his innocence, when he intimates Lawson’s connivance. Dick recalls Lawson’s blonde fiancee. With her initials for a clue they learn she left for Hawaii. Jumping into a plane Mary and Dick come to greif in a field. Continuing by train they locate the girl, Dorothy Curtis, who angrily accuses Mary as the daughter of her fiancee’s murderer. Mary assures her of her father’s innocence. Asked to help solve the mystery the blonde mentions a mysterious man who talked of money and left a flask in Lawson’s room. It belonged to Tommy Rand. Accused by Mary he denies guilt of Lawson’s murder, giving Mrs Hamilton as his alibi. Mary calls her up…

Will Mrs. Hamilton give Tommy an alibi? How will this help Dick and Mary in their efforts to clear Old Man Rand? Find out in the eleventh installment of Donald E. Keyhoe’s The Sky Raider!

or

And come back on Wednesday for the next installment!

“The Sky Raider Pt10″ by Donald E. Keyhoe

Link - Posted by David on December 19, 2014 @ 12:00 pm in

Continuing with Donald E. Keyhoe’s The Sky Raider, a serialized novel from 1929. A lot has happened. In Wednesday’s installment . . .

    Dick and Mary are looking for Lawson’s fiancee. With her initials for a clue they learn she left for Hawaii. Jumping into a plane, Mary and Dick come to greif in a field. Continuing by train they locate the girl, Dorothy Curtis, who angrily accuses Mary as the daughter of her fiance’s murderer!

Will Dorothy help Dick and Mary in the efforts to clear Old Man Rand? And what does Tommy have to say for himself and his missing time that fateful morning? Find out in the tenth installment of Donald E. Keyhoe’s The Sky Raider!

or

And come back on Monday for the next installment!

“Hell Divers” by Frederick Blakeslee

Link - Posted by David on December 18, 2014 @ 12:00 pm in

Frederick Blakeslee painted all the covers for the entire run of Dare-Devil Aces. And each of those covers had a story behind it. This time the story is self evident Blakeslee tells us, but then turns around to tell us the story behind his cover for the prvious December’s issue of Battle Birds and ties our old pal, French Ace Georges Guynemer. All this in February’s cover form 1934—”Hell Divers!”

th_DDA_3402WE ARE not going to write a story behind the cover this month. It seems to us that the story is told right there on the cover. You see three Spads doing what Spads did best, and you can visualize the mix-up that followed at the end of their dive. The Fokkers have spotted the Spads and are breaking formation to meet the onrush. Who got the best of the scrap? Well, we’ll let you figure that one out. The Spads all belong to the Lafayette Escadrille, and as that was a hard fighting outfit, its safe to say that they did some damage and then escaped. Note the markings on the ships. The Spad in the foreground carries the mark of the 97th squadron, that on the left the 112th, and on the right the 77th.

Now that we have told you that, perhaps it would be a good time to discuss another Spad, not only because of its unusual history (which we think will interest you) but also to correct some impressions of it.

th_BB_3312It appeared on the cover of the December issue of BATTLE BIRDS. The scene is a close-up of a Spad looking forward from just behind the cockpit. We have been told that it should have had two machine guns, that—well anyway, it was all wrong! Now it may surprise our critics to know that the Spad on the cover was painted from an actual ship. The ship is right here in America and has been seen by thousands, so ten chances to one you have seen it too.

The ship is a Spad 7, one of the earliest types put out under the Spad name and made famous by Guynemer. Guynemer’s ship, which is in the Invalides in Paris, and which we have examined, is a Spad 7, These ships were the first to get the synchronizing attachments added to them; at that time only one gun was being put on a ship. It was not until later that French ships began using the twin mounting.

Now for the history of the ship shown on Dec. Battle Birds. Thousands saw it do a spectacular crack-up some years back—in the movies! Its war-time history has not been handed down, but Paramount purchased it in 1924 for the then proposed picture “Wings.” It was one of several purchased and it was in A-l flying condition.

If you remember the picture, you can not fail to recall the scene of the memorable crash, when Armstrong’s plane (Richard Arlen) was shot down by a German and landed in German wire. Dick Grace, doubling for Richard Arlcn, flew the ship and was supposed to crack-up the plane in the wire. The wire had been cleverly faked by using ordinary knitting wool with balsa wood posts. The spot was marked so Dick Grace would land there. But he overshot and landed in the real wire, causing the broken neck from which he suffered for many months.

The Spad landed upside-down and was a complete wash-out. Only the badly damaged fuselage remained. Since then, time and souvenir hunters have done their work, but at last it has been rescued from oblivion and is being restored. It will eventually have a resting place in the Jarrett War Museum, where, if you are in Atlantic City, you may see it.

The Story Behind The Cover
“Hell Divers: The Story Behind The Cover” by Frederick M. Blakeslee (February 1934)

Check back again. We will be presenting more of Blakeslee’s Stories behind his cover illustrations.

“The Sky Raider Pt9″ by Donald E. Keyhoe

Link - Posted by David on December 17, 2014 @ 12:00 pm in

Continuing with Donald E. Keyhoe’s The Sky Raider, a serialized novel from 1929. A lot has happened. In Monday’s installment . . .

    Dick and Mary have vowed to solve the murder mystery and clear her father. Suspecting Carmichael because he knew of the gold shipment, Dick and Mary are searching his house when he appears. He nonchalantly shows them they are on the wrong track, and convinces them he too is anxious to apprehend the guilty party. He mentions Lawson. Dick remembers the flyer’s blonde. . . .

Can Dick and Mary track down Lawson’s fiancee? If so, will she have any valuable information towards clearing Mary’s father? Find out in the ninth installment of Donald E. Keyhoe’s The Sky Raider!

or

And come back on Friday for the next installment!

“The Sky Raider Pt8″ by Donald E. Keyhoe

Link - Posted by David on December 15, 2014 @ 12:00 pm in

Continuing with Donald E. Keyhoe’s The Sky Raider, a serialized novel from 1929. A lot has happened. The story so far. . .

    Dick Trent, novice in the Air Mail Service, incurs the displeasure of Carmichael, Superintendent of Rand Field, when he flies through the Rocky Mountains in a blinding snowstorm to bring back young Tommy Rand, who is stranded in a drinking in gambling haunt. Old Man Rand, owner of the field, beloved by his men, thanks Dick. Mary Rand, his beautiful daughter, is also greatful to Trent.
    The next day in a spectacular flight, Dick sweeps alongside Mary’s disabled machine in midair and saves her from a fatal crash. They express their Love and Dick is happily thinking of the future as Lawson, his buddy in the service, tells him he is leaving to marry a beautiful blonde. On his last flight Lawson’s plane goes missing. Dick, in searching the country, comes across the burned plane and Lawson’s dead body. A package containing $250,000 in government gold is missing. The only clue to the crime is a heavy Luger pistol used to club Lawson’s skull. Mary recognizes the pistol as her father’s.
    Old Man Rand, questioned, admitted giving the pistol to Lawson. He refuses, however, after talking tto his son, Tommy, who has been missing again, to account for his actions during the ealy morning hours when the crime was comitted. When the charred money bag is found in his own furnace Rand is arrested for murder. Dick, along with the other men of the service, is dejected. They all love the old man and know he is innocent. Mary, in hysterics, turns away from Dick, attributing her father’s arrest to the pistol he found.
    After his next run, Dick sets out to visit the old man in jail, but Rand insists he is willing to pay the penalty. Returning, Dick meets Mary, who asks his forgiveness. Dick takes her in his arms and the two vow to solve the murder mystery to clear her father. . . .

What is Dick’s plan to solve the mystery of the air murder? Who will he question first? Find out in the eighth installment of Donald E. Keyhoe’s The Sky Raider!

or

And come back on Wednesday for the next installment!

“The Sky Raider Pt7″ by Donald E. Keyhoe

Link - Posted by David on December 12, 2014 @ 12:00 pm in

Continuing with Donald E. Keyhoe’s The Sky Raider, a serialized novel from 1929. A lot has happened. Things are looking bad for Old Man Rand . . .

    Old Man Rand refuses to account for his actions during the early morning hours when the crime was committed. When a charred money bag is found in his own furnace, Rand is arrested for the murder of Lawson and theft of the $250,000. Dick is dejected as are all the other men in the Air Mail service. They all love the old man and know he is innocent. Mary , in hysterics, turns away from Dick, attributing her father’s arrest to the pistol he found at the crime scene. . . .

Can Dick get Old Man Rand to open up to him and tell him about his whereabouts on the morning in question? And can he win Mary’s love back? Find out in the seventh installment of Donald E. Keyhoe’s The Sky Raider!

or

And come back on Monday for the next installment!

“The Green Devil” by Frederick Blakeslee

Link - Posted by David on December 11, 2014 @ 12:00 pm in

Frederick Blakeslee painted all the covers for the entire run of Dare-Devil Aces. And each of those covers had a story behind it. For the January 1934 issue Blakeslee paints a confrontation between Richthofen’s Circus and a couple of English Camels in “The Green Devil”…

th_DDA_3401TO MEET the Richthofen Circus in combat was not a matter to be taken lightly, even when the number of ships on both sides were equal. But to meet them on a basis of two to six was no less than suicidal—yet this month’s cover shows a thrilling incident that actually occurred in a dogfight of similar proportion.

On a day early in 1918, an English pilot, Lt. Alderson, was ordered to report at his squadron office. There the C.O. told him that the Richthofen Circus was out looking for trouble and that his squadron (No. 3 R.F.C.) had been selected to provide it. Most of the squadron was out on patrol and only four pilots were available—but orders were orders. So Lt. Alderson and three others took off without delay.

They knew that the Circus numbered six. Four Camels against six Fokkers was not too bad. However, when one of the Camels dropped out of formation with engine trouble, that was something-else again. Three against six! Not so good, damn bad in fact. However, the three Camels kept on.

They sighted the six brilliantly painted Albatrosses almost as soon as they had crossed the lines. Realizing that surprise was their best bet, they charged immediately.

But the Germans had also seen the Englishmen—and they too charged. With the very lirst shots fired, one of the Camels dove out of the fight with a badly damaged tail plane.

The battle that then took place was one ol the fiercest of the whole war. Such a one-sided combat could only end in one way, and the two Englishmen knew it. But before they went West they were determined to do as much damage as possible.

The fight had been on less than a minute when an Albatros went plunging earthward, a mass of flames. Score one for the Camels! A second later another Albatros hurled out of the scrap and, trailing fire and black smoke, went plunging in its turn to destruction. Score two Eor the Camels!

But now the tide began to turn. Observers on the ground saw a Camel fall, completely out of control; it disappeared far over into German territory. A moment later the remaining Camel dove down—a roaring inferno. The fight was over. But only three Germans returned.

The Camel going down out of control was Alderson’s ship. An explosive bullet had shattered his right leg, and he lost consciousness.

From 13,000 feet—a two and a half mile fall—he plunged to earth.

How the ship landed upright has never been told; at any event Alderson survived the crash. When he opened his eyes, a week later, it was to find himself a prisoner of war.

The Story Behind The Cover
“The Green Devil: The Story Behind The Cover” by Frederick M. Blakeslee (January 1934)

Check back again. We will be presenting more of Blakeslee’s Stories behind his cover illustrations.

“The Sky Raider Pt6″ by Donald E. Keyhoe

Link - Posted by David on December 10, 2014 @ 12:00 pm in

Continuing with Donald E. Keyhoe’s The Sky Raider, a serialized novel from 1929. A lot has happened. On Monday. . .

    A police Inspector arrives and arrests Old Man Rand for the murder of Lawson. No one is allowed to leave the house. Kiely, the postal inspector, arrives confident of Rand’s innocence, but Old Man Rand refuses to tell where he was during the early morning hours. Young Tommy Rand arrives. His father talks privately with him. Then the police come for the old man. . . .

Is Old Man Rand guilty of killing Lawson? What of the stolen $250,00? Will they turn up any incriminating evidence at Old Man Rand’s house? Find out in the sixth installment of Donald E. Keyhoe’s The Sky Raider!

or

And come back on Friday for the next installment!

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