The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1917-10-29

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Germans. In five minutes all three
were crumpled to earth through a
series of bewilderlng evolutions and
daring firing. He started for the
hangers, spied another enemy rising,
and journeyed over to investigate. AS
tie with the newcomer and then sent
him down to join the other three. In
May his score mounted to thirty-nine.
In June it was forty-three.
Lead "Stork Escsdrilie"
1t was Guynemer who led the ia
nous "Stork Escadrille," formed early
In 1916. In fact, he came on the
scene just at the time the squadron
formation was becoming popular with
both armies. After q short time as
member of the escadrille he formed a
taste for fighting alone. Ever after
that his fighting was done alone. He
fired his own guns and managed his
own controls. His brother officers con-
sidered him perfectly safe as long as
he had not more than ten adversaries.
He travelled in his own automobile
and carried his own chef. He was
free to go to any front, though he
accepted the advice of the officers In
regard to his presence on sectors
where his action might be stringenuy
needed. All the valor awards the
French army conferred were his, In
Guiding the Legion of Honor. There
were no honors he could further at
tain. But he knew the admiring and
thankful hearts of many a French
poilu and many French cottage were
praying for him and were happy, In
deed, In the thought that their France
produced such a breed.
There was in the German flying
corps an excellent aviator named Lieu
tenant Honendorf. Before the war he
was pilot for French airplane fac
tory. He knew French machines. He
had destroyed twelve of them. He
met Guynemer one day above the
clouds. In several minutes the poilus
were curiously removing n wrecked
plane from one of their narrow gauge
railways. The machine had fallen on
the tracks. On each wing was Nal
tcse cross.
AT the beginning of September. 1917,
Guynemer's record vas fifty-three enc
my planes destroyed, though experts
credit him with at least twenty-five
others, which were not officially re-
corded.
And now we must write his Meme
sis.
Germans Have Zero.
Parallel with the career of this Guy
nemer a similar career was being
carved out on the German side of the
line.
Baron Captain Won Richthofen. q
young German aviator. had attained
a record of seventy-three allied planes
shot down. His tactics, however. were
quite dissimilar from those of the
Frenchman. Therein lies the claim to
distinction for Guynemer as king of
the Air" Guynemer fought alone. Won
Richthofen commands a squadron and
he fights an easier game.
IL IL lHiS DhIun 1dpldin Won AANlt-
thoften who is responsible for the
death of Guynemer.
The German authorities endeavored
TO match Won Richthofen against Guy
nemer many times. When news came
that Guynemer had moved TO GER
tain portion of the French front, Won
Rlchthofen was promptly transferred
to meet him. Their last meeting came
only after an amusing series of evolu-
tons behind the lines in an endeavor
| TO have Won Richthofen on a certain
spot when Guynemer would appear,
They knew they must overwhelm the
Frenchman.
On September IL, 1917, Guynemer
set out from Dunkirk on a reconnoi-
tering expedition over the Flanders
front Won Richthofen was ready. To
lure the brave Frenchman five Albat-
rosses went aloft to give him battle.
Ordinarily they would be amusement
for him, but this time there was no
intention of letting the Frenchman
have a fair fight.
They Came Too Late.
Once engaged with the Albatrosses
Guynemer started about cleaning uT
the air. He was progressing very
well with the Albatrosses when the
whole Travelling Circus" under vol