Evening star., 1918-07-14
RARITY OF HUN PLANE. RAIDS
PUTS ALLIES ON THEIR GUARD
Accepted as Indicating lmminence Of On
slaught-Instances Of Heroism Among
French and Belgian Airmen.
1Y PAUL AYREs RoCxWELL

0y SAUL AYHES HOChWELLs
cAblaGTam to The Sunday Star and
CAieago Daily News. CopyligAt, 1918.
WITH THE FRENCH ARMIES. July
13.-That the fiercest German on
slauSht 10 imminent Is clearly indicated
by the comparative rarity Of enemy
airplanss all along the front. Nor
mally during such magnificent flying
weather as we have had recently
aerial activity would be intense. The
enemy evidently is boarding his air
planes for his greatest bid for vic
tory, for no black-crossed machines
except those absolutely essential for
artillery nre regulating, observation
and protection work have been seen
during the daylight hours. while noe-
turnal visits from the Tsutons have
been much fewer.
tho boohes are too quiet" said an
aviation commander TO me today.
They are surely preparing something
biz, which we await with confidence"
However. the French chasing pilots
by constant scrties manage to add
daily mere enemy victims to their
more German planes. two being ON
cially confirmed as destroyed. Under
lieut.. Sardier won his twelfth VIC
tory. shooting down q German ma
chine. which had painted upon its
sides . stork in imitation Of the
underlieut. Haeglen. very young
pilot. destroyed his seventh and
eighth German machines.
Scores Made by the Aces.
Oficially the scores Of ths laadtns
French aces now are: Lieut.. Fonck
forty-ntne. plus two recent triumphl
subject to confirmation; Lieut.. Nun.
sesssr. thirty-seven; Lieut.. Madon
snirty-six: Lieuts. Guerin and Boyau
twsnty-one; Capt. Deuiiiin and Capt
Pinsard. twenty each: Lieut.. Leps
Lieut.. Garaud, Lieut.. Hugues, Lieut.
Jaillsr and Lieut. Marinovitch, twelve
each; Ortolli ana Tarascon, the lat.
ter An ace with . wooden foot, eleven
each: Casale. Herbelin, De SEWN and
De Slads, ten each.
LIEUT.. Willy Coppens. the Belgian
ace OF aces, specialist In burning
captive balloons, has destroyed sincl
April 36 eleven German balloons and
two asroplanea. On May Is Coppens
renewed the hitherto unique, expert
ence Of the Italian. Lieut.. Ancilotto
OF traversing with an aeroplane an
enemy balloon and landing safely
within his own lines. Setting out ia
attack an enemy sausage" Coppens
machine guns jammed. Unwilling &c
return homo without . victory, the
gallant Belgian cooliy drove his ma
chine chin through the German German gas bag
but not enough to prevent his get
ting back to his aerodrome. On May
II Lieut.. Coppens was cited As fol-
lows: "A chasing pilot of the greatest
value, he has destroyed in flames In
less than month four Dracheps ano
one aeroplane."
Lieut.. Coppens also was awarded thu
cross Of the Order Of Leopold. On
June 20 he burned another balloon
and shot down an Airplane which
had attacked q comrade. On June SO
he burned within few minutes three
German balloons-an exploit marvel
GUS to those who know how desper.
are defended.
Other leading Belgian aces are
Underlieut. De Meulemeester and
Lieut.. Thieffry, with eleven victories
each. Thieffry II now . prisoner in
Germany. serEt. Jacques Gerard. g
81. has DESTROYED eight enemy ma
chimes. 10 listed A. missing, after q
flight over enemy territory.
The Official Journal of the French
Republic prints this citation of the
former Princeton foot ball star: AR
thur Blumenthal, corporal with the
Foreign Legion and an American pilot
aviator Of the highest class. enlisted
in the legion to serve France. As ar
aviator he was remarkable from the
first day of his arrival in the squad.
ron by his spirit Of discipline and
steady courage. He wished to remair
in the French aviation service in the
present battle bAfOrA chanRinR In the
American aerial corps and was killed
in combat during . long-range recon.
noissance."