He gained his first aerial victory on 24 April 1917, destroying an enemy aircraft over Sainte-Croix, and his second on 4 July over Berry-au-Bac. Battesti was promoted to lieutenant on 6 July. Further victories followed on 12 November 1917, then on 22 May and 12 June 1918. On 16 July he shared a victory with "Sous-lieutenant" Claude Fontaine, and on 29 October 1918 having shot down a Fokker D.VII north of Château-Porcien, he was attacked by six other D.VIIs, and was forced to land south of Taizy with his lower wing shredded by bullets. This was Battesti's seventh, and the 29th and final victory of "Escadrille 73" before the armistice of 11 November.