Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-04-02
COMRADES OF MCCONNELL
DESCRIBES DEATH IN AIR
edmond Genet, One Of Americans
Flying for France, Tells
Of Last Battle.
FOUR MACHINES IN FIGHT
BODY Later Found in MangIcd Con-
dition, and Left Cnburicd Beside
Wrecked MacIine-All Vaiuablcs
Taken Away by Germans.

fAi;iS. April l.z-Eduond Genet. ono
"' tho Americans flying for Franco. has
written the following letter dcscrib-
'HS IN" death of Sergeant James r.
Mc'onn"ll. the american aviator who
was killed March 10. Genet WAS in the
ar with Mcconnell over the limos OF
the rctrcating t;crmans almost until
n" was killed.
l VIII begin at tho very beginning"
''"n"t writes when he and went
out together last Monday morning to-
patrol along tho now French line. and
then aorund tho villae" of Ham and
the region southeast. and 10 protect
french recommending machines which
wcr" making observations over the
German lines. y third member of the
Lafayette cscadrille started with US.
hut Was forced 10 return by motor
trouble
Mac and ! kent on. Mac leading.
We hung around the machines we were
protecting until about 10 o'clock. We
had left at Q Then, for some reason
that do not know. Mac turned aud
headed north over and into the Ger
man lines toward st. Quentin. Prob
ably nc wished TO make observations
'Ot course followed him. some
what above his level so as 10 keep
MINI we'll III view. is usual when
flying in group. North Of Ham. when
VIC were at an altitudc\ OF about 1000
feet. suddenly saw two German ma
chimes coming toward us at consider
ably greater altitude. one was much
nearer than the other
II looked down al Mac 10 sec what
he was going 10 90. but he was going
along as II he had not seen the Boches
at all. Then | saw IN" more advanced
Boche was getting nearer and nearer.
and getting into position TO come down
on US. I decided II would be best TO
~" to get above him. 50 pulled back
and started up az. fun speed toward
him. ! knew Mac could look out for
the second machine ~ he were attack
ed.
The clouds were heavy and there
aas quite thick mist. had 10 keep
my eyes on the Boche machine every
second az mounted up toward II. We
"orc upon each other by the time
reached his level. Then found II was
hiplane. Through the mist could
just make out the white cross on the
Iuddcr.
1t went in front Of me and began
10 circle round me. getting great
advantage, as could nre only by
pointing my machine directly At IT,
While the German gunner was able 10
hold a steady and direct Are at me all
the while
Tho German opened tire nrst. Ills
first shots did some damage to one OF
my main upper wings The supports
were cut in half. and also the guiding
rod of the lcf, wing YEAS injured. The
bullet MAS explosive. and half Of IL
glanced off and made nasty and pa in
full cash in my left check.
1T gave mo a shock for An instant.
but kept on firing as circled toward
him. We passed in opposite directions
at less than twenty yards. | turned
sharply 10 avoid crashing into him.
was half stunned and was fearful
every second that the whole upper
wing would rip away owing TO the
broken support.
The Boche turned away nor;hward
and I drove to find Mac. had been
hghtinE a, 7.l40 feet. and drove to
5000 feet over liam. where circled
for a quarter OF an hour. searching for
see neither. and so. fearing every
minute that the wing might fall off,
and feeling weak from my wound
which was bleeding under my leather
helmet, turned at last and headed
for camp, hoping that Mae had pre-
coded me. as 1t would have been easy
10 miss him In such d; mist.
II got back to camp at lo:45. and
my FIRST question was Is Mac back :?
We waited for news al that day and
the next. but in vain The French ad-
vance was still progressing. and the
cscadrille's French mechanism and
Raoul Lufbcry went out in the after
noon to sec II Mac had fallen behind
the German lines. They saw nothing.
SAW AIRMAN FALL
WITHIN GERMAN LINES
Some French cavalry reported on
Thursday that they had seen the com
bats on Monday. and had seen Mac at
tackled by two machines and fall
within the German lines toward ST.
quentin. The third German must have
been further back in the mist than
the first two, for he was hidden from
me. They said Mae fell just AS
finished lighting the one which at
tackled, so lie could not have been one
OF the two which Mac encountered
We eth hoped Mac might have
been forced to land behind the Ger
man lines on account of damaged
machine or wound. when yesterday
the news camo that French troops had
found smashed Newport with the
body of a sergeant beside 1t, with all
papers and identification marks miss
ing. They gave the machines number,
which was Macs.
Tho machine had fallen in a small
field at the southern edge of the little
village of Petit Detroit. on the edge of
the main hiGhroad. The village is just
south of the village of Flavy lie Martel.
which is little southeast Of st. Simon.
IL flew over there this morning and
came down over Petit Detroit / found
The wrecked Nicuporl and circled over
it few minutes. 1t was completely
shed I cnnld moi 6nd landinr