Omaha daily bee., 1918-09-09
MEETS TEN HUNS
IN THE AIR AND
SHOOTSDOWN FIVE
Leading American Ace Tells Of
His Greatest Fights
With German
Birdmen.
Correspondence of Associated Press.

France, July 1.-the story OF 1t
David E. Putnam of Newton, Mass.
the leading ace of American aviation
as he tells it, gives the impression
that the. is nothing extraordinary
in the making of a star of the ali
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 en-
gagged 10 Germans and shot down
five OF them.
A year ago. he was feeling his way
on Penguin, the machine that i:
given to all beginners because it can
not fly off the ground. Nov his av'
erage is three victories month, hav'
ing destroyed 20 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 been grieved to observe
in our infantry. Like a great many
new filters, he sailed boldly over the
lines far into the territory occupied
by the Germans to provoke battle
In consequence a number of his vic
tories could not be officially con-
frmed and the risks were largely in
creased. Twice he has had to plane
back over the lines with his motor
out of commission and his machine
shot up.
Saves Wally Winter.
After seven months training and
one months service at the front he
fought his first battle and won it on
January l9. Wally Winter of Chi
cago, flying in the same patrol. said
Putnam saved him during this fight.
Putnam now says he was the man
who was saved by Winter. Flying
in a high wind that bore him over
into the enemy's territory he sighted
two Germans below him making for
the trench lines. He dove after
them and got one at 1000 yards
height. Then he discovered that the
other German was maneuverlng 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 aban-
doned the fight.
A curious accident in his second
fight, January u, gave Putnam the
unpleasant sensation of being at his
adversary's 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.
Machine Shot Up.
A week later he had another mar
row escape when in a fight with four
two-seaters his machine was shot
almost to pieces. He just managed
to dive under his adversaries and
plane back to the French lines.
Putnam began work with the squad
ron of Lieutenant Madon on mono
plan March ID, and the same day ran
into a patrol of IS Germans. Know
ing he had the advantage in speed,
he decided to make a quick attack,
then dive. All the Germans followed
him down, one of them, at least, in
dizzy nose spin, making the third
success officially credited to him. The
next day he downed a two-seater in a
fight with two; his gun damned and
he had to dive away from the sec
ond.
One of his longest and hardest COM
bats was on April II, when he en-
gagged four two-seaters during IS min
utes. 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
adversaries shot down between March
ID and April II from a monoplane.
Brought Down June 2.
Engaged at close quarters with a
two-seater on May IS, he got near
enough to see the German gunner
fall forward on his quick frer 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
protecting two accommodating ma
chimes when he sighted II Germans.
He signalled but the accommodating
planes continued their course. Two
minutes later the Germans came on
in two groups, one of FIVE above and
one of six below. The reconnoiter-
ing planes dove for their lines and
Putnam for the first time i'll his ca
reer gave himself up for lost.
One of the Germans had succeeded
in cutting off the accommodating
planes. But one dove and drove him
down. Another German dove at the
second reconnoiterer and Putnam
followed him. The German put his
nose up" which in aviation parlance
means that he made a steep upward
turn, and put three bullets into Put
MANS motor. He got one in return
that sent him down in a crashing
slide on the wing. Meanwhile the
six machines in the higher group
were firing and one of their bullets
went through the machine within hall
an inch of Putnam's foot. His motor
was now out of commission and he
was looking for two disasters at once
"a fall of 1000 yards and the final
bullet. Again the Germans abandoned
just as they were about to get him
and he managed to fall just softly
enough to breaw nothing but wood"
Fight Over Rheims.
The great fight that made Putnam
famous in France was over the battle
field of Rheims on June S. In a hall
hour combat he shot down five OF
an enemy squadron of 10 albatross.
| es II was c1ose and d;f},c,tt ,,o-t,