Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1918-08-20


 sociated Press .)-Tne story of Lieut. David k. Putnam. of New oll Mass, the leading ace of American aviation> as he tells it, gives the impression that there is notaIg extraordinary in the making of a star of the air fleet. Of the big things he has done he tells in so quiet a way that they appear ordinary. His greatest fight took place on June }, when he engag- ed ten Germans and shot down five of them.
 year ago he was feeling his way | on Penguin, the machine that is given to all beginners because>it can 1'not fly off the ground. Now his aver age is three victories month, having destroyed twenty enemy planes and an observation balloon since his de- but, 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 grieved to Observe in our infantry. Like a great many new fliers, he sailed boldly over the lines far into the territory occupied by the Germans to provoke battle. In con- Isequence a number of his victories could not be officially confirmed and the risks were largely increased. Twice he has had to plane back over the lines with his motor out of conl- mission and his machine shot up. l After seven months training and one months service at the front he fought his first battle and won it on January 19. Wally Winter, of Chi cago, flying in the same patrol, said lPutnam saved him during this fight. Putnam now says he was the man saved by Winter. Flying in a high wind that bore him over the enemy's territory he sighted two Germans be- low him making for the French lines. lHe dived after them and got one at l2,O00 yards height. Then he d3s- covered that the other German was maneuvering above him and that higher up Winter was coming down followed by two more of the enemy. He took height to meet Winter and the Germans abandoned the fight.
 sA curious accident in his second fight. January 27, gave Putnam the unpleasant sensation of being as his adversaries' mercy. He made such a sharp dive after his man that his ma chine 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 nar- row escape when in fight with four l n rooohir,n o1n1nCf shot to pieces. He just managed to dive under his adversaries and pYane back to the French lines.
 Putnam began work with the squad ron of Lieutenant Madon on a mono plane March IA and the same day ran into a patrol of 15 Germans. Know ing he had advantage in speed he de- cided to make a quick attack then dive The Germans followed him down one of them at least, in dig zy nose spin, making the third suc- cess officially credited to him. The next day he downed two-seater in a fight with two; his gun jammed and he had to dive away from the second. I One of his longest and hardest com bats was on April II when he engag- ed four two-seaters during thirty-five minutes. One of them crashed. The afternoon of the following day he ran into one of the German "circuses" there were six in the group and he got two of them. These made five adversar1es shot down between March IA and April 12 from monoplane. 1 Engaged at close quarters with a 1 two-seater on May 15 he got near %D ho fo IT forward on his quick firer when he sent "a bullet home. Putnam was brought down himself for the first time June 2, but without personal damage. He was one of two fighters chimes when he sighted il Germans. protecting two accommodating ma chimes when he sighted Il Germans. He signalled but the reconnoitering planes continued their course. Two minutes later the Germans came on in two groups, one of five below and one of six below. The reconnoitering planes dived for their lines and Put nam for the first time in his career gave himself up for lost.
 One of the Germans had succeeded in cutting of the accommodating planes. Putnam drove him down. An other German dived at the second re- connoiterer and Putnam followed him. The German put his nose up," which in aviation parlance means that he made steep upward turn, and put three bullets into Putnam's motor. He got one in return that sent him down in a crashing slide on the wing. Mean while the six machines in the high CT group were firing and one of their bullets went through the machine within half an inch of Putnam's foot. His motor was now out of commis- sion and he was looking for two dis asters at once-a fall of 4,00O yards and the final bullet. Again the Ger mans abandoned just as they were about to get him aud he managed to fall just softly enough to break noth- ing but wood"
 The great fight that made Putnam famous in France was over the bat tlefield of Rheims on June D. In Eha1f hour combat he shot down five of an enemy squadron of ten Alba