The daily Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1916-1917, 1917-08-29
FOOTBALL MAN NOW
BALLOON HUN TER
Sergeant Boyau Has 10 Ger
man Planes and "Sausages"
to His Credit.
SERVED SINCE 1915
War Hero Is One of Great
est of Numerous French
Champions in Service.

Correspondent
WITH THE FRENCH ARMIES,
Aug. (by maiD iD.-Sergeant Boyau
former Rugby football player and
champion of France, who has just at
tanned the rank of an lace" by bring
ing down his fifth German airplane,
has the added distinction of being the
foremost sausage specialist" of the
French aviation corps.
Boyau has the same number of
"sausages." or German observation
balloons, to his credit as he has aero
planes. To the superficial observer,
the winging of a huge, stationary
and defenseless sausage" would ap-
pear like simple task in compari-
son with that of triumphing over a
fast-fying aerOplane. armed with ma
chine guns and manned by daring
aviator full of fight. In reality the
sausage" is the bigger and harder
game of the two.
Hunting the Sausage"
In the first place, "sausages" are
only sent up miles behind the enemy's
lines. Any attack against them means
a long flight into enemy territory and
a battle above the enemy's lines
"Sausages" only mount to an altitude
of several hundred feet, and the at
tack must therefore take place within
close range of all the enemy's aircraft
batteries that constitute the principal
defense of an observation balloon.
The "sausages" again are attached
to the earth by thin wire cables that
are invisible to the attacking aviator.
If he flies into one of these an aerial
smashup of the most dangerous type
occurs. The efficacy of these cables
in keeping off aviators is demon
strated by the fact that one of the
principal aerial defenses of the Krupp
factories at Essen consists precisely
of a large number OF unoccupied
"sausages" flown at great height so
that aviators seeking to bomb the
Krupps are almost certain to fly into
one of the steel anchoring cables.
BOyau, who now has five sausage"
to his credit, only succeeded in get
ting into the aviation service during
the latter part of 1916 after two years
in the trenches. During December of
last year he distinguished himself by
a number of daring attacks over Yer
dun, but only succeeded in bringing
down his first Boche in March of
this year.
Bombed Hangars.
A few days later he successfully
bombed some hangers far behind the
German lines. 1t was on this trip
that Boyau conceived a method for
attacking "sausages" and at once
planned his career as sausage spe-
cialist." He successfully destroyed
the first one he attacked, the balloon
dropping in flames, and then headed
Immediately for second one. This
he missed, but the sausage" observer
was so badly frightened that he
leaped from the observation car in
his parachute
On June 3 he brought down another
sausage" During the attack his
motor went wrong and he was
Obliged to alight in the enemys lines
for repairs. The repairs were effect
ed under the full fire of all the anti
machine guns in the vicinity,
Boyau retaking the air and crossing
back into the French lines at an alti-
tude of only 400 feet under a terrific
German bombardment He received
the Medaille Militaire for this.
June "a witnessed the death of an
other sausage but in returning
from the funeral Boyau found himself
in the midst of five Boche airplanes.
He brought down one, succeeded in
another French airplane
that had been surrounded by Boches
and got back safely to the French
lines BOyau brought down his fftb
airplane over Nancy on July 13, after
still more successful sausage" at
tacks.
He is one of a whole series of
French Sport champions, including
Carpenter, Decoin, the Olympic |
swimmer, and Lapize, the cyclist, who |
have mades wonderful records in |
y II.