Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1917-09-19
THREE VICTIMS IN
As MANY MINUTES
That Is tho Record Of 6uyne-
msr, Called king Of Aces
.FREnCHMAN'S DEADLY FIRE.

able CO. ordination Of Eye and Tris-
ger Finssr--Has Been Frances Most
Successful Aviator, Yet He Was oces
Rejected.
The amazingly brilliant record OF
achievement In the air made by the
man who has been styled by his coun-
trymen as the D'Artagnan OF the
Clouds and by his comrades Of the air.
British and American. as the king Of
the Aces '-Captain Georges Guynemer
Of the French army-really began when
he was rejected at his examination for
military duty as unfit for any strenu-
! Gus occupation. Today. according to
| the most recent advices. the number OF
German machines he has brought to
| earth and OF German aviators killed.
wounded or captured Is rapidly ap-
preaching sixty.
Instead of moping because those
higher than be considered him unfit
for service. the valiant young French
man Just three years ago. at the age Of
nineteen. demanded employment In the
service of France. and as luck would
have IT. but rather as a last resort on
the part OF those to whom he made
application. he was ordered to one Of
the great French aviation camps to
learn the mechanics Of an airplane. He
was even told that he might. after q
long apprenticeship. master the tech
meal knowledge Involved and become
n full fiedrcd rnecfrauirinn
Three Victims In Three Minutes.
No aviator had ever brought down
three German machines In three min
utcs. Guynemer had gone to the as
sistance OF "A comrade In trouble, hard
pressed as be was by Eve German air
down by bullets from Guynemer's MI
trailieuse in two minutes. and. mount
ing high In the air. he overlook and
swooped down on the third machine.
shooting 1t to earth In fiames. He cast
about. searching for the other two. but
. bursting shell stripped the seft wing
Of his machine of its covering. and he
plunged TO earth within his own lines.
unhurt-
katG hgsNiA uF AOt Aoot- 8G 6atA
On this occasion. but after falling
1900 feet ! thought l would struggle
all the same The wind blew me over
our lines. and like a fash / had the
picture Of my funeral and all my good
friends following the coffin. con-
tnued TO fall. and the levers wouldn't
bulge. In vain ! pushed and pulled
right and left ! made a last despcr-
ate effort. all to no purpose. and then
l saw the field toward which was
dashing down. Suddenly something
happened and my speed diminished
Then there were violent crash and a
resounding shock When l recovered
my wits ! was In the midst Of frag-
ments OF my machine. practically unin-
jured How am J aliver keep ask
ing myself. l believe IL was the straps
which held me to my seat which saved
me-"
Hts first aght with an enemy air
plane took place on July 10. 1918. after
he had left the ground in the parasol
biplane. with a mechanician to art as
machine gunner A signal flashed from
below told them that a German ma
chine had been sighted. and they went
| to give battle The enemy aviator.
however. ran from the challenge and
| Guyuemer was about to descend when
| be saw another dot on the horizon
This time the enemy scout wns head
| ed for the French lines. and Guynemer
| followed him over the city of Soissons.
After the mechanician had fred lis
| bullets al the enemy he WINS shot
| through the hand. and another shot
| grazed his scalp.
To the surprise Of the mechanician.
| Guynemer took the machine gun In
hand himself and. with several shots.
struck the German fier. who sank
down in his seat. The machine took
fire a moment later and went hurting
to the ground.
Owed to Safety Through Cloud.
"vieux Charles" (Old Charles, is the
name Of the machine In which be has
accounted for so many OF the enemy.
and 1t is due to the speed Of this ma
chine that Its operator has been sew
eral times saved from death by the
proverbiai hairs breadth. On Sept
30, 1916. he found himself twenty miles
within the German lines. when one Of
the German airplanes. fast Fokker.
rose to the attack. The reception was
being prepared when Guynemer sud-
denly discovered that his machine gun
had jammed. The Prussian had opened
Hre and with 80 bullets. fred low. had
punctured the landing tires Of 'Oid
Charles" At a height Of 1900 feet
Guynemer saw a bank Of clouds ap-
proximately 1000 feet below. With his
engine racing at top speed be Owed for
the clouds. emerging ten minutes later.
On stiH another day he came into
collision with q large enemy L. @. v.
machine tearing away the best part Of
the left wing Of his own. but this was
because his machine gun was frozen.
and to escape the enemy's Dire be spun