The lieutenant set the signal, "echelon formation," which means step formation, one machine being ahead and a little to the right or to the left of the succeeding one. In that manner the ten machines flew along, the distance between them being about eight hundred feet, and by this arrangement each succeeding machine was able to observe the effect of the bomb dropped by the machine ahead.
Mannheim was avoided, and the machines steered straight for the chemical headquarters on the left side of the stream where No. 62 released the first bomb. Alfred strained his eyes, and saw a flash below. It missed a building, and he shouted the information to Ralph through the tube.
"If that had gone a hundred feet to the right it would have taken a dandy building,—there, the second shot did it; that came from old Spic's machine; whew-w-w, but look at it! That smoke is as black as coal,—must be lots of chemicals there. Another,—and the second building smashed to flinders. The lieutenant is going to drop the first one,—down she goes! I took two fine ones just now. I'll bet the last picture will show it up just as it happened. Two more snaps. We are going to turn and go back. 62 is making the circle." Thus Alfred graphically described the first trip over the doomed town.
A dense cloud was now coming up, or, rather, bunches of them in various places where the missiles struck, and just as the Seraph was making the turn a tremendous explosion was heard, which actually seemed to jar the machine. Alfred arose from his seat, and the lieutenant's tense face showed that something unusual had happened, as he gazed below. All the buildings were emptied and scores of operatives were lining up along the river bank, and moving toward the great bridge south of the works.
"Did you notice that big explosion?" asked Alfred through the tube.
Ralph nodded his head affirmatively.
"That hit the largest building in the place, and there isn't much left of it. Did you see that tall chimney at the left side of the town? Well, that looks just like a big cannon with the smoke and fire coming out of it," commented Alfred.
The ten ships crossed the town twice, discharging all their bombs, but they waited in the air for twenty-five minutes until the first of the detached airplanes from the north appeared. During this time there was plenty of opportunity to see the extent of the damage which had been done to the great factories.
At a signal the airplanes, constituting the squadron, were lined up in two columns, and before they had proceeded far the signals told the success of that part of the squadron which had gone to Oppau. The signal was now set for "Home," and the machines, by this time lightened of their missiles, made a tremendous speed, until after they left the Rhine, and were making the last lap of the journey, when the machine carrying Captain De Goye and his Adjutant Buanau-Varilla, was forced to descend, owing to an accident.
The different machines circled around, hoping to be able to render assistance, but shortly after the airplane landed it was discovered to be in flames, and it was conjectured that seeing relief was out of the question the aviators had destroyed the machine to prevent its being of any use to the enemy.