The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-08-18

story OF Lieutenant DaVld T.. Tut-
nam, of Newton, Mass, the leading
ace of American aviation, as he tells
it, gives the impression that there is
nothing extraordinary in the max
ing of star of the air fleet. OF
the big things he has done he tells
in so quiet way that they appear
ordinary. His greatest flight took
place on June ), when he engaged
ten Germans and shot down five OF
them.
A year ago he was feeling his way
on a Penguin, the maching that is
given to all beginners because it cam
not fly off the ground. Now his
average is three victories month,
having destroyed twenty enemy
planes and an observation balloon
since his debut, December 20, 1917.
Not all of these have been officially
recorded.
Putnam shows in the air the same
! ardent aggressiveness that the Ger
mans have been grieved to observe
in our infantry. Like great many
neW fliers, he sailed boldly over the
lines far into the territory occupied
by the Germans to provoke battle.
In consequence, number OF his
victories could not be officially con-
tirmed and the risks were largely
increased. Twice he has had to
plane back over the lines with his
. motor out OF commission and his
machine shot up.
After seven months training and
-'one months service at the front he
fought his first battle and won it on
January 10. Wally Winter, OF Chi
cago, flying in the same patrol, said
Putnam saved him during this fight.
Putnam now says he was the man
who was saved by Winter. Flying
in a high wind that bore him over
into the enemy's territory he sighted
two Germans below him making for
the French lines. He dove after
them and got one at 1000 yards |
height. Then he discovered that
the other German was maneuvering
above him and that higher up Win
'1er was coming down followed by
two more of the enemy. He took
height to meet Winter and the Ger
,:mans abandoned the fight.
Curious Incident.
A curious accident in his second
fight, January q, gave Putnam the
unpleasant sensation of being at his
adversaries' mercy. He made such
a sharp dive after his man that his
machine turned turtle and all his
spare ammunition fell out. He had
fired the last cartridge from his gun
when the German, wabbled and
crashed about two miles inside the
German lines. Putnam's last shot
had done for him.
A week later he had another mar
row escape when in fight with four
two-seaters his machine was shot ;
almost to pieces. He just managed
TO dive under his adversarieS and
plane back to the French lines.
Putnam began work with the
squadron of Lieutenant Madon on a
monoplane March A and the same
day ran into patrol of IS Germans.
Knowing he had the advantage i'll
speed he decided to make a quick
attack then dive. All the Germans
followed him down, one of them, at
least, in dizzy nose dive, making
the third success officially credited
to him. The next day he downed
a two-seater in fight with two;
his gun jammed and he had to dive
away from the second.
One of his longest and hardest
combats was on April II when he
iour two-seaters during
minutes. One OF them
crashed. The afternoon of the fol-
lowing day he ran into one of the
German "circuses;" there were six II
IN the group and he got two OF them. II
These made five adversaries shot
iown between March II and April II
y from monoplane. n
Engaged at close quarters with
wo-seater on May IS he got near III
,nough to see the German gunner H
all forward on his quick firer when III
lie sent bullet home. Putnam was N
down himself for the first III
ime June 2, but without personal III
Iamage. He was one of two fight III
RS protecting two reconnoitering III
machines when he sighted II Ger III
mans. He signalled but the recon- III
oitering planes continued their HI
curse. Two minutes later the Ger III
mans came on in two groups, one of III
i've above and one of six below. The III
planes dove for their N
mes and Putnam for the first time N
1 his career gave himself up for
ost.
One of the Germans had succeed III
in cutting of the reconnoitering III
lanes. Putnam dove and drove him
own. Another German dove at the III
econd reconnoiterer and Putnam M
'llowed him. The German put his III
ose up" which in aviation parlance III
cans that he made a steep upward III
i'm, and put three bullets into Put