Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1917-05-03
FRENCH AVIATOR IS
QUICK To GAIN HIGH.
BY HENRY WOOD.

WITH THE FRENCH ARMIES, May
3.-Captain Matte of the French Avia-
ton Service, who has just been promot-
ed an ace" for having brought down
his fifth German machine, has also to
his credit aeroplane combats with
sausage balloons, with railway trains
and with automobile conveys.
The list of his exploits demonstrate
to some degree the extended field of
operations in which the aeroplane has
come to be used by the French in the
present war. Nations rise from the
grade of second lieutenant to that Of
captain and his entrance into the
ranks of the "aces" is one of the short
est that the war has produced
Just eight months ago Nation was
merely a second lieutenant without an
enemy machine to his credit. His first
victory came on July 2S, 1916, in the
thick of the fighting at Verdun. In
company with two other French await
ors he attacked a German bombarding
squadron CT fourteen machines.
The one which he picked out for his
vistim was quickly forced t o land
within the French lines near Souilly
before it could accomplish its mission.
1t was an albatros of the latest type
armed with two machine guns. The
entire crew was taken prisoners, the
pilot alone being wounded, and the
machine itself captured in such good
condition, that the French aviators few
it themselves the following day.
In November of last year, Nation
had his first combat with moving mill
itary train. While accommodating in
enemy territory north of Montfaucon,
he sighted the German train laden with
troops and material. Descending to
within couple of hundred yards in
order to get accurate aim he raked the
entire train for its full length time and
time again with his machine gun.
The troops aboard put up vigorous
defense with their rifles but Nation ex-
hausted his machine gun magazine be-
fore giving up the fight.
His Second Airplane.
In less than a month Nation brought
down his second German sirplane in a
duel in which he killed the machine
gun operator of the enemy machine and
forced the pilot to descend.
These and other exploits brought
him up to the rank of captain before
the end of his first six months as an
aviator. In February of the present
year, he took his first try at an enemy
sausage. To the uninitiated a sausage
balloon looks like pie" for an aero
plane to attack. In reality, it is the
most dangerous and difficult of enter
prises. The big stationary balloons
are always protected to the fullest pos
sible extent both by the enemys air
planes and his anti-air craft guns.
The balloon too is usually so near the
earth as to bring the attacking aviator
within the closest possible range of the
enemy. Worse yet, steel cables are
used for anchoring the sausage to the
ground They are practically invisible
and if the attacking aviator inadver-
emily flies into one of these, his ma
chine is smashed and hurled to the
ground
Nation successfully evaded all these
dangers and with his machine gun
charged with incendiary balls set fire
to his first sausage in the vicinity of
MarVaux.
The bringing down of the other
German airplanes necessary to rank
him as as ACE then varied by a fight
with German military automobile
convoy While accommodating March
%, in enemy territory near Chavonne
Nation sighted the convoy, headed for
Pinon. Dropping to within ESQ yards
Of the earth, the aviator made three
separate attacks on the convoy sweep
ing it each time for its full length
with his machine gun. The chauffeurs
and mechanics replied holly with their
army rifles, but again Nation was able
to exhaust his magazine and escape.