The Wahpeton times., 1918-04-11
FAMOUS "ACES"
D0WNED;; FRIEND
and FOE LOSE
Dangers Of Flying Pictured in
Career of Leaders.
WILL NOT TAKE NEEDED REST

Ayiators Become Exhausted After
Lono.Time Fighting at the Front
and Often Fall Easy Prey to Freshe'
and Less Experienced Men-Many
Able Germans Downed-Freneh Lose
Thirteen "Aees."
The autumn of 1917 has been excep
tionally destructive for the fighting
"aces'' of the warning aviation corps,
many of the greatest and most famous
flyers in both the allied and the enemy
ranks having fallen. A great number
of them had been flying for tw" and
even three years, and We're almost
deemed invincihlc. It is my belief that
after a ma,, has flown and fought ut
the front for :; long time he becomes
exhausted. and unless he takes a rest,
which few devoted aviatOrs will cun-
some lr,Sher though less experienced
man. writes Paul Ayres Rockwell! in
the Chicago Daily News. At the head
of the lis, of fallen airmen comes the
glorious Frcnchman. Capt. Georges
t;uynemer, who had. by official count,
destroyed SO German airplaneS, and
who had surely accounted for IL, least
1wpn1y others. He was killed in aerial
combat above Poecapelle, September
II. by the German Lieutenant Wisse-
mann. who w:lS slain Il few days later
hy Second Lieutenant FOnck. Guyne-
mer was the finest and most romantic
figure this war has yet produced. His
final citation in French army orders
follows:
Georges Guynemer. captain COM
manding es,adrille n 3; died "n the
field of honor September IL, 1917. A
legendary hero. fallen in the full
heaven of glory. after three years of
ardent struggle. Will remain the most
pure example Of the qualities of the
race; in,lomitable 1enaclty, tireless en-.
ergy. sublime courage. Animated by
the most unShakable faith in the vic.
tory, he beQueaths to the French sol.
dier an ilnperishable souvenir, which
will exalt the spirit Of sacrifice and
provoke the most noble emulations."
Another great Frenchmals who will
fly M more is Captain Nation, who
shot down nine enemy machines. He
did not return from flight over the
German lines on September 10. Later
1t was learned that he had been wound.
ed. captured and taken to"a prison
camp, where he died. These are the
only French "aces" who have been
killed, though several valuable pilots
are no more.
Many Able Germans Downed.
Now read the long list of German
losses: Capt. Baron von Richtofen
commander of the notorious "tango'
escadrflle and credited by the Wolf
communiques with 61 victories, has
been forced by serious wounds to give
up active flying. He was last men
toned in the enemy's communique o.
September 3. which cllronicled his six
tY-first triumph. Shortly after. he wa!
reported killed in action. then British
prisoner. An Amsterdam dispatch o
October % reported the baron's mar
riage to the daughter Of multimillion
aire munition maker and stated tina
the kaiser had given the noted "ace'
place on his staff as inspector of al
German aviation schools.
Won RichtOfcn made his first appear
ance in the enemy communiques o1
January 81. 1917. when his seventeenth
victory was chrOnicled. Why had h
never been spoken of before? Bel
tholdi's fifth victory, Wintsen's fiftl
Baldann's fourth, HOhndOrff's fOurt
were cited. the same for Mulzer, Let
fers. Won Althaus and many Othe
Boche "lces." Yet, although Eo
Richtofen was a noblcman. fact ral
among the German "acpS." and in cor
sequence standing an unusually goo
chance of being Signaled, his debut
were passed over in silence. Jacque
Mortane. the French aviation write
is of the opinion that Won RichtOfen
first 1G victories We're invented fl
: him owing to the fact that when he al
peared on the scene in the cOnlmuniql
the BOche authorities were Sorely
need of faces" to convince the Ge
man public that their aviation VT
, superior to that of the allies.
Big Lossee IN 1917.
Lieut.. Werner VoSs Crefeld W:
:. Killed September "a. along with his fl
teenth victim. Lieutenant Gonterlnnn
who had destroyed 10 allied uirplan'
:. and observation balloons, was kiilt
:. accidentally early in November. Lie
d. tenant Wolff was slain in an air fig
). September Il. after he had triumph.
" over :'3 allied machines. Licutrlla
Dostler. mentioned as having shot dow
20 allied airplnnes. was killed in COZ
u bat In mid-November. Lieutenant II
. ron Won Kicht0f.xl. brother of the not,
- - captain. was reported killed by Il
u British In Scpt"pber. But a later I
y - port from Germany indicates that
IL was only wounded. He was credit
with twenty-four victories. Among
70 Victims was the wonderful English f
81 er, Capt. Albert Ball. who fell May
70 1917. after having gained - victorie.
u Lieutenant H"hndorf, the form
y spy, WAS killed in combat SppteInh
a II, after destroying II allied plan'
u Second Lieutenant Eeatnar .vhn had