The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1916-10-17
FRENCH ASSERT
SUPREMACY OVER
GERMANS IN AIR
RAIDS OF THE TEUTONS ON
TOWNS ARE ALL DEF
Allies Excel in Accommodating Battle
And in Bringing Down Enemy
Machines-The Americans
In Service.
Rv CAROLYN WILSON.

PARIS. Sept. % fhe French feel.
and with reason, that they have dell
nitely settled the question OF aerial
SUPREMACY. Not only have all German
raids on towns even Slightly over tue
frontier been useless. but even on the
front itself, where the acrop!ane goes
I'D only for accommodating, The Her-
mans lave mad 10 success Whatever.
The reports Of aerial battles Is over
whelmingly in favor Of the Freuch'
Every day there are dozen or more
German machines brought down some
where along the line. and It IS largely
due to the failure OF the Germans TO
get to the other side OF the lines for
observation that the French attribute
their success in the Sonlme offensive.
Doines of a Day
Take Just this mornings report, lot
instance-Sept. 25--there were twenty
nine engagements along the Somlhe-
-Four enemy planes fell within the
French territory. while four others
were forced TO land III their own ter
ritory from damages. Further down
the line on the Mouse and near CnaI'
ons nine machines destroyed and touf
seen to fall vertically within tnelr
own lines, presumably as the enect
OF French machine gun ire.
Add TO this. a pleasant ilttlemo[nlns
iaunt to Essen on the part OF Capt.
De Beauchamps and Lieut., Daucourt
where they dropped twelve large
bombs on the munition factories anu
hurried back to report nelor sunuo" Il
500 miles in all.
That's lust one days work.
And it means added glory for sew
eral Of the we'll known aces as
thew call the popular and lucky pilots.
G1rvnemer attacked two enemy planes
at a time over the Bots des Vaux ana
DESTROYED them in succession, lhese
make his seventeenth and eighteenth
victories.
Death of An American
But this same victorious day mean
death to one of our own boys, klten
Rockwell. who has been serving WIN
the French first in the foreign legion
and later in the air service, SINCE tLe
beginning of the war. He had aIreaoy
been in several serious engagements
bringing down his enemy Win SUCCESS
but wounded in the attempt, last MAY
This brilliant effort gained MN tue
croix de guerre. His brother Paul' Wno
was also In the foreign legion, mas
been reforme as the result u Ills
wounds. H.,
Young Rockwell said to me one DAY
lact Soring when We were speaking OIL
the rcputcd advantages OF aviation oE:r
trench warfare: Any man VINO docs ms -
duty seriously without ShirkinS IL
hound to get killed. OF course IT YOU
SEE you are going to get in had you can
turn tail But if you do your duty. aS
vn,i'd have TO do it in li!i" cirCunstan-
ces in the trenches. II is bound 10 SH'
you" D,,o
I spoke of this yesterday out at Buc
to Two Of tho boys who arc just learn
ing-both Boston and Harvard men.
Must Forget Danger.
That sort Of worry or consideration
belongs /" the past" he SAID. .,,oa
that whole thing long before we made
UP our minds to go into aviation. IL
man is lucky. that is his greatest as
set. Otherwise. as Rockwell SAID IN
time it is quite sure to get you.
They are calm about it, all these
voun., Americans who are out there
There ar, seven more just completing
the cnursc--doing their first spirais ana
finishing their "trianel" test courses.
T went UP yesterday in the newest type
Of military machine. which was being
tested before being accepted by the gov
yernfucut and as We came back from
cut trip to L. Bourgct. tho othHr Slne
of Paris. We saw a machine attempt 10
do a spiral and fall in on itself. the
wind lifting it's tail so that the ma
chine was driven nose into tho earth.
1t crashed and lay silent. No one run
. TO it.
Severity Of the code.
And gradually we came near the
ear;h--nr. as it always seems tn one IN
an aeropIane. the earth comes up TO
meet you. The loud pounding OF the
two motors ceased and only the full
| whir Of tho propellers continued AS We
| slid into tho landing field
And still no ono seemed 10 hay" gone
! to the pilot buried beneath his ma
chine. We both clambered out or our
seats and called 10 some rnechan!cians.
| But It seems that no pupils are allow