The Washington herald., 1916-06-11
CLOSE RANGE AIR
fights Thrilling.
Bulletin des Armees Tells How
French Fliers Risk Lives.
No Rules to Follow.

Special CoTrsspondencs Of The Washington Herald
Paris, June 10-Today's Bulletin des
Armees prints an article on aerial duels
As this publication is Official being is
sued solely to the troops, the "details given
may be correct and free from the exag-
geration often lent to aviation stories.
In April" the writer begins, "our
aviators brought down thirty-one German,
aeroplanes, while we lost only six In
March the numbers were thirteen lost
on our side and thirty-hve by the Ger
mans; seven, including three F'okkers on
one day. Our bombarding squadrons
make attacks on the German rear lines
almost daily.
TT is often asked how aeroplane fght-
ing is carried on. whether any special
tactics exist for attacking an enemy or
for defending oneself against an adversary
who suddenly comes in sight. The answer
Is negative. Aeroplane fighting is tmpro-
vised to suit the conditions. No defined
method Is employed, all being left to
the pilots presence Of mind, coolness and
decision
Success is won by the fighters aerial
virtuosity and the superiority of the ma
chine he flies. Individual qualities make
the conqueror.
Drops on His Foe.
"A German champion, like Immelmann,
the 'super-hawk.' over whom German pa
pers wax so enthusiastic, has but one
trick up his sleeve. He mounts as high
as possible and turns round above his
sector. Then when he catches sight of
an adversary he lets himself fall upon
him in straight drop, and fires his ma
chine gun as he passes. The fight is then
over for him, whatever the result may
have been He makes OF to his own lines
and begins the same maneuver over
again.
"NavsfTe's way of lighting is alto
gsther different He harries his
enemy from every side. He envelopes
him in unexpected evolutions. To pre-
vent him from attacking, Navarro car
ries out the most fantastic leaps
swerves, and twistings, and then at
the right minute pours in a stream of
bullets from his machine guns. He
has no special tactics. but a marvel
Gus variety of attacks and feints. He
brought him down. unless some un-
toreseen circumstance intervenes. And
Navarro is not alone-hs has many
competitor in the service.
The fighting aeroplane in our
squadrons is one-sea ted, while the
Germans almost always have two men
in theirs.
Tn an aeroplane the sense Of hear
ing is useless. the din Of the motor
deafening both pilot and observer
Birds can detect an aeropIane by its
sound from afar and display fear, but
the human bird has TO depend upon
sight. and woe to the man who is
taken by surprise! Speed and power
OF rapid ascent alone allow an unex-
pected attack to be made. a storm of
bullets to be avoided or an enemy to
be overtaken from behind.
Fight at Close Range.
"Aeroplane fighting is at close
range, fifteen to twenty-five yards, II
one wishes to make sure of hitting
the mark with a quick k-frer. OF course
there are exceptions. Navarro at Yer
dun. when at a height of $4,000 feet
saw very fast German aeroplane es-
Gaping and fred at 200 yards distance
almost in scorn, not expecting 20
touch his enemy. But down came the
German machine.
Generally, however, Navarro tries to
get as close as possible to fight. One
day the wind was blowing a tempest
from behind and a Fokker was heeing
before him. Twenty-Five mile chase
took less than ten minutes, Navarro
keeping exactly in the wake of the
foe, repeating every unforeseen move
that he made.
kept up a rearward fire from It's
mitraiIIeuse. Bullets whizzed around
Navarro. but none touched him, his
motor alone received a scratch or two
Then. when near enough Navarro, who
had not fired. opened with his machine
gun and when twenty bullets had sped
the German fell
''Ningesser, another celebrated fighting
pilot. one day saw a Fokker just behind
him, not having heard its approach. All