9 o'clock
Hal looked at the clock fastened before him . It was two minutes to 9 ; he could see , directly below , the crimson splash of the great French shells ; a little way to the side showed the flashes of the German heavy batteries making reply . Now , as though smothered by the German fire , the French batteries ceased . It was 9 o'clock , and Hal circled above the German batteries , which were firing , and Chester released the first bomb . Before it struck and burst , he let go another . He laid a third `` egg '' close beside a German battery -- so close that the battery ceased to fire ; but before the fourth dropped the anti-aircraft guns were going . Chester could hear , above the racket of the motor and the air-screw , the `` pop , pop '' of smashing shrapnel .