Chapter ONE

“Oh! George, something terrible has happened. You must read the paper right away.”

* * * * *

Mrs. George Cowl, wife of the Secretary of Air, in a state of great excitement met her husband at the foot of the stairs as he descended, and handed him a copy of the Washington _Tribune_.

“Look at this!” she exclaimed.

Taking the proffered newspaper Cowl’s eyes fell immediately upon the eight column “banner” line spread across the front page:

TRANSPACIFIC MAIL AIRSHIP DESTROYED BY AERIAL PIRATE IN MIDOCEAN

Quickly he read the sub-heads, which told in terse sentences a story of piracy in the Twentieth Century more amazing than any exploit of the roving buccaneers who struck terror through the Spanish Main two hundred years ago.

_Giant Rigid Airship Langley Shot Down Midway between Honolulu and
Manila from Altitude of_ 10,000 _feet._

_Survivors Picked Up by Cargo Steamer Yang-Tsze._

_Masked Aerial Pirate Escapes with Valuable Cargo Taken from Langley._

“Good God!” he exclaimed, then turning to his wife, he added, “I’ll have to go right over to the office, Dear.”

Snatching his hat, Cowl hurriedly kissed his wife, and then rushed out, leaving his breakfast untouched. He ran as he had not run for years across the streets to the office in the government building, dodging the early morning traffic and miraculously escaping injury.

Breathlessly, he dashed into the elevator, to the astonishment of Jim the night caretaker who had not yet been relieved.

“Take me right up Jim,” he shouted.

Before the caretaker could close the doors of the elevator, Theodore Mitchell, the Assistant Secretary of Air rushed in, as excited as his chief. The two men looked at each other for several seconds with an expression of utter bewilderment written across their faces. In one momentary flash each read the other’s thoughts, and then Mitchell broke out:

“It’s evident that you’ve read the paper, George, or you wouldn’t be here so early. What do you think of it?”

“I don’t know yet,” replied Cowl, “I just glanced over the headlines and rushed right over. I haven’t read the report yet. I hurried here to see whether we had been officially advised of it.”

When the elevator stopped on the tenth floor, the two men rushed out and ran into Cowl’s office.

“You read the newspaper account, while I call up the telegraph office,” said Mitchell.

Cowl sat down somewhat nervously, and began to read:

Manila, P. I., Sept. 26, 1952.--(By Associated Press.) The mail airship Langley flying from Yokohama to San Francisco was attacked and shot down by a mysterious airplane yesterday, according to a brief wireless dispatch received here from the Captain of the steamer Yang-Tsze. The passengers and crew of the Langley were picked up by the Yang-Tsze which is proceeding to this port.

The mysterious airplane which attacked the airship flew away in a northeasterly direction after removing all the valuable cargo and sinking the disabled airship.

The details of this act of piracy are contained in a later wireless report sent by Captain Carruthers, commander of the Langley, from the Yang-Tsze to Captain Deverest, commander of the naval district, in this city. This report as given out here reads as follows:

“September 25th, Airship Langley flying on a course due East in Latitude 20.35 N., Longitude 170.45 E., overtaken by large airplane of flying boat type. Without warning airplane opened fire at one thousand yards using three inch incendiary shells from automatic cannon.

“Third shell penetrated valve in number three ballonet, releasing helium gas. Firing commenced while Langley flying at altitude of 10,000 feet. Langley began to settle, and I ordered colors hoisted as distress signal. Airplane then ceased firing.

“Langley rapidly settled to surface. Attacking airplane spiralled down, landed approximately same time as Langley, and then proceeded in hailing distance. Commander and crew of airplane all wore peculiar mask-like helmets. Former ordered us to launch boats and abandon Langley.

“Sea smooth, no wind. Boats launched from disabled Langley without difficulty, and passengers taken off quietly and in good order. Commander of airplane ordered us to lay off half a mile from Langley. Soon as transfer of passengers complete, I ordered officers in charge of each lifeboat to obey this command, as attacking airplane had assumed threatening attitude.

“Crew of airplane boarded Langley, and were observed removing part of cargo. This continued half an hour, then airplane lay off two hundred yards and opened fire on envelope of Langley with its three inch cannon. Langley disappeared below surface a few seconds after the fifth shot was fired.

“Airplane then came over to our boats, and her commander megaphoned across that he would wireless for assistance. He then took off. Half an hour later he returned, and informed us that he had sighted a steamer 15 miles SSE of us, and had requested her to come to our assistance, giving our position.

“The airplane again took off and disappeared in a Northeasterly direction at terrific speed. One hour later cargo steamer Yang-Tsze hove in sight and picked us up. Entire ship’s company unharmed, and passengers all well. Attacking airplane bore no international marks, or anything of an identifying character.”

It is understood that Captain Carruthers included a complete and detailed description of the piratical airplane in his wireless report, but Captain Deverest here refused to make public that portion of the dispatch on the ground that it was confidential official information.

The remarkable incident has caused quite a stir here, and the aerial transport companies are considering the advisability of cancelling all schedules until adequate protection of the airways has been established by the Department of Air in Washington.

Officials of the Trans-Pacific and Oriental Aerial Line, owners of the Langley, have cabled details of the affair to the head office at San Francisco and requested that the Westbound airship Wilbur Wright, which is due to leave early tomorrow morning, be held up until the government puts effective patrol units along the course. The officials were doubtful, however, whether the cable would arrive in time.