New-York tribune., 1918-05-21
Lufbery Killed Germans Kill
By Leap from 81 in Record
Flaming Plane London Raid
Americas Foremost Air
man Shot Down in Battle
With German 3-Seater
(By The Associated Prcss)


WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY IN
FRANCE, Sunday, May 10. - Major
Raoul Lufbery, who had been regarded
as the best aviator in the American
air service, was shot down in flames
and killed this morning by big
German triplane which he was attack
ing. Lufbery jumped from his flaming
machine when 800 yards above the
ground. He had seventeen victorie }
to his credit.
1t was about 10 o'clock this morning
ing when a German triplane suddenly
descended from the clouds, apparently
because of engine trouble, until it was
some 1900 metres over the city of
Toul. The American fiers were on the
alert and some of them headed for
the fighting line to await the enemy
on his return.
Lpfbery and the pilot of another
machine made after the German, 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
tail, but then he drew off as if his
machine gun had jammed. Two
minutes later he attacked again from
the same position and almost inn
mediately his machine burst into
flames.
Body Falls in Flower Garden
The Americans on the ground and
hundreds of French men and women
gong to church along the country
roads were horror-stricken as they
saw the airplane, like ball of fire,
plunging earthward. Suddenly they
machine.
Lufbery's body fell in little flower
garden, while his airplane, still burn
ing, dropped to the ground 400 yards
away. BY the time the first Americans
had reached the spot the body of the
famous flierI had been taken by the
French to the little city hall, where
it was covered with the French tri-
color and great piles of roses and wild
flowers.
The German machine which brought
Lufbery down, which was armed with
two machine guns, with an operator
Tor eacn piece, apparently escaped.
Lufbery's only wound, aside from
those received when he crashed to
earth, was a bullet hole through the
thumb. Apparently the same bullet
punctured one of the gasolene tanks
of his machine.
The German machine was under
heavy anti-aircraft fire several times
both beofre and after the air fight, and
one explosion of a shell upset the
nj h,,t
straighten, out again.
Major Lufbery was know, through
out the American army and in the
French air service as, ".Luff," and was
one Of. the most daring hiers on the
front. He was a daring aviator, but
noted for his coolness as we'll as his
dash. ~
Cuts Short His Leave
Lufbery had just returned from
visiting his godmother. at Brest. His
sister lives there also.
Lufbery came back from Brest be-
fore his leave expired because he
thought his help was needed, and had
made three flights since his return in
his Nieuport pursuit machine before
his fatal fight. He had been writing
record of his life since he became
an aviator for some little time pre.
vious to his death.
Lufbery never missed an oppor-
tunity to attack an enemy machine.
frequently taking desperate chances to
add to his victories.
1t was only yesterday that he re-
marked jokingly:
"You fellows can't get all the easy
pickings. l heard how you were
knocking them down and decided to
hurry back and get some myself. Let
'em all come, the more the merrier."
The air service has lost more than
an expert aviator in Lufbery. 1t has
lost first class instructor of young
airmen just coming to the front, who
looked to him for pointers on the
little tricks Of the trade which in the
pinch may mean life or death to an
aviator