Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1918-05-29
LUFBERY KILLED
IN DUEL WITH FOE
Leading American 'Ace" Leaps
From Burning Machine.
LOSES LIFE ON U. S. FRONT
Famous Aviator Is Buried With Full
Military Honors by French and
Observation-Disclosures Believed
Shot Down.

Paris, May 21.-Maj. Raoul Lufbery,
the first American ace to be killed as
the result of an aerial fight, was bur-
led ON Monday with full military hon.
Ors by French and American detach-
ments.
Jumped From Flaming Plane.
With the American Army in France,
May 21.-Maj Raoul Lufbery, who has
been regarded as the best aviator III
the American service, was shot down
in flames and killed Sunday morning
by a big German triplane which ne
was attacking. Lufbery jumped from
his flaming machine when 800 yards
above the ground. He had II victories
to his credit. Lufbery's home was IN
Wallingford, Conn.
The German machine which brought
Lufbery down was armed with two
machine guns, with an operator for
each. piece.
Lufbery's only wound, aside from
those he received when he crashed to
earth. was bullet hole through the
thumb. Apparently the same bullet
punctured one of the gasoline tanks
of his machine.
"Archies" Rock Hun.
The German machine was under
heavy antiaircraft fire several times
both before and after the air fight
and one explosion of a shell upset the
enemy plane, but it managed to
straighten out again.
1t was about ten o'clock in the morn
ing when a German triplane suddenly
descended from the Clouds apparently
because of engine trouble, until it was
only some 1900 meters over the city
of TOul. The American flyers were on
the alert and some of them headed for
the fighting line to await the enemy on
his return.
Lufbery and the pilot of another ma
chine made after the Germans, who
quickly ran away from the direction
of the line, the two American ma
chimes following him. Eight miles
away from the enemy's line Lufbery
was seen to attack from under the
tai, but then he drew off, as if his ma
chine gun had jammed. Two minutes
later he attacked again from the same
position, and almost Immediately his
machine burst into flames.
The Americans on the ground and
hundreds of French men and women
going to church along the country
roads were horror stricken as they
saw the airplane like a ball of fire
plunging earthward. Suddenly they
saw the form of man leap from the
machine.
Lufbery's body fell in little flower
ing garden, while his airplane, still
burning, dropped to the ground 400
yards away. BY the time the first
Americans had reached the spot the
body of the famous flyer had been
taken by the French to the little city
hail, where it later was covered with
the French tri-colOr and great piles of
roses and wild flowers.
Yankees Avenge Lufbery.
With the American Army in France,
MAY PA French aviator shot down
German plane back of the Luneville
sector. TWO men from the plane were
captured by the Americans. The Ger
mans came from somewhere in the
rear. 1t is reported, although not con-
firmed, that this is the machine which
brought down Major Lufbery. There
has been extraordinary aerial activity
all day in this sector.
Two hostile airplanes have been
brought down by American aviators,
says an official announcement issued
at American headquarters. One of
the airplanes shot down carried two
officers. Both had been riddled with
bullets.