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less than a quarter of usual area.  That meant that more ^[[pictures]] had to be taken.  There were extra magazines of plates, to be changed during the run. So altogether the operation took more than half an hour compared to less than fifteen minutes on a clear day.

Littauer, expecting trouble, flew one of the protecting planes at the rear of the V. I was his observer.  No German sausage balloons were in the air.  Perhaps they had not ascended because of the clouds, but in any case they would have been hauled down in a hurry when we came into sight.  We had to pass more than once over a balloon emplacement, and at 1200 meters we were within range of the heavy-caliber machine guns that guarded them. Those guns fired big tracers that looked like flying live coals.  We called them "flaming onions". They came shifting up past us and we knew that each was followed by three or four invisible bullets.  They did not greatly bother us, for 1200 meters was near the limit of their range.  None of our planes suffered damage from them, and I don't recall that any was even hit, but we did have a fine display of fireworks.

More alarming was a patrol of German Fokkers which hovered above the clouds during the whole period.  They never seriously attacked, though apparently they wanted to scare us away.  Twice, when we came into view through a hole in the clouds, they dived as if to attack.  Each time their leader came near ^[[enough]] to fire a few shots at long range, then turned away.  I did not even return his fire, for an observer in such a situation could not afford to waste ammunition at long range.  He could empty his magazines of 100 rounds each and ^[[then]] have to change at a critical [[cross out]] time.

If that German chasse pilot had closed in, he had it in his power to make sure that one of us would go down. He had only to keep coming until he could not miss.  That entailed a certain risk for him, but the advantage was all on his side.  A chasse pilot diving on a two-seater sat behind his engine, completely shielded except for his head.  The main hope of the observer in the ^[[two]]-seater was to hit his enemy's head or his propeller. The engine had a conical cover that deflected bullets.  Meanwhile the observer in the two-seater stood as if posing for a full-length portrait.  He was in full view of his enemy from the waist up.