Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-05-20
MAJ.LUFBERY, DARING
AIR FIGHTER, KILLED
Machine Gun Failed American
Ace: Plane Bursts Into
Flames and Drops.
By Associated press to Every Evening

Bv Associated Prees 70 Every Evening
With the American Army in France,
Sunday. Nav 10 Major Raoul Luf-
bcrv, who had been regarded AZ the beet
aviator in the American air service, was
shot down IN flames and killed this morn
ing bv a big German triplane which he
was attacking Iufbcry jumped from his
flaming machine when 800 Yards above the
ground lie had eighteen victories 70
his credit
The German machine which brought
fufbcrv down. WIS armed with two
machine guns with an operator for each
piece
Iuborv only wound, aside from those
received when he crashed to earth, was =
bullet hole through the thumb Ap-
parcnfly the sarnc bullet puncturcd one
of the gasoline tanks ~ his machine
The German machine was under heavy
antI-aircraft fire several times both before
and after the air igh, and one explosion Of
q she'll upset the enemy plane but Il
managed To straighten out again
II was about 10 clock this morning
when q German tripane suddenly des-
cended from the clouds apparently be-
cause Of engine trouble, until il was only
some 800 metres over the city II Tout.
The American flyers we're on the alert
and some ~ them headed for the fighting
line to await the enemy on hIs return.
Luiberv and the pilot of another ma
chine made after the German. who quickly
ran away from the direction 81 the lire,
the two American machines following MN.
Eight miles away from the enemys line,
LlIfbery was seen to attack from under the
tail, but then be drew of as if his machine
gun had lamn ed Two minutes later he
attacked again from the same position
and almost immediately his machine
burst INTO flames
Major Raoul Lufberv had been attached
To the American aviation corps less than
four months but before that he had made
3 brilliant record - d member of the
Lafayette escadrlile with the french
army and was generally accounted the
leader of the American aces. Only
recently he brought down his eighteenth
enemy machine which 50 lar as 5. known
Was the number standing 70 hls credit
when he was killed and which IS by lar
the largest credited 10 any American
aviator either with the American or the
French army
Luibery Joined the French aviation
service IN 1916 ana soon begau To develop
marked skill as an alrIuan with the famous
Lafayette escadrllle BY November Of
that year he had shot down SIX machines
and had been cited for bravery and early
last year he won the Cross uf the Legion
OF Honor. Later nc was presented with
the gold medal 0f the Aero Club of France,
the British Military Medal the War Medal
OF the Aero Club OF America and several
times had been cited in French army
orders, once IS .'an Incompatible pilot.
lie had several narrow escapes from death
When the American aIr service began ~
assume active shape IN France Lufbery
was commissioned q major in the American
army and late January of the present
wear VAS uducted uc0 the United States
service with THAT rank. LWbery was d
natlye-born American.
\ French aviator thlS afternoon Saot
down an enemy plane back Of the Iuue-
vile sector Two men from the plane were
captured by the Americans The Ger
man came FROM somewh ere in the rear.
Is reported. although not confirmed, that
this IS the machine which brought down
Major Iu(bcry.
There has been extraordinary sezlal
activity all day in this sector