The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1918-02-22
FAMOUS "ACES"
D0WNED; FRIEND
AND FOE LOSE
Dangers Of Flying Pictured in
Career of Leaders.
WILL NOT TAKE NEEDED REST

Avlators Become Exhausted After
Longtime Fighting at the Front
and Often Fall Easy Prey to Fresher
and Less Experienced Men-Many
Able Germans Downed-French Lose
Thirteen 41Aces."
The autumn of 1917 has been excep-
tionally destructive for the fighting
"aces'' of the warning aviation corps,
many Of the greatest and most famous
flyers In both the allied and the enemy
ranks having fallen. A great number
Of them had been flying for two and
even three years, and were almost
deemed invincible. It is my belief that
after man has flown and fought al
the front for long time he becomes
exhausted, and unless he takes rest,
which few devoted aviators will con-
sent to do, he falls an easy prey to
some fresher though less experienced
man, writes Paul Ayres Rockwell In
the Chicago Daily News. At the head
of the list of fallen airmen comes the
glorious Frenchman, Capt. Georges
Guynemer who had, by official count.
destroyed SO German airplanes, and
who had surely accounted for at least
twenty others. He was killed in aerial
combat above Poecapelle, September
II, by the German Lieutenant Wisse-
mann, who was slain a few days later
by Second Lieutenant Fonck. Guyne-
mer was the finest and most romantic
figure this war has yet produced. His
final citation in French army orders
follows:
Georges Guynemer, captain COM
handing escadrille N 3; died on the
field of honor September IL, 1917.
legendary hero, fallen in the full
heaven of glory, after three years OF
ardent struggle. Will remain the most
pure example of the qualities OF the
race; indomitable tenacity, tireless en-
ergy, sublime courage. Animated by
the most unshakable faith in the vic
tory, he bequeaths to the French SOL
dier an imperishable souvenir, which
Will cAdlL luc SplIlI VI odANAiiSS LIN
provoke the most noble emulations."
Another great Frenchman who will
fly no more is Captain Nation, who
shot down nine enemy machines. He
did not return from flight over the
German lines on September 10. Later
it was learned that he had been wound
ed, captured and taken to a prison
camp, where he died. These are the
only French "aces" who have been
killed, though several valuable pilots
are no more.
Many Able Germans Downed.
Now read the long list Of German
losses: Capt. Baron Won Richtofen,
commander Of the notorious tango"
escadrille and credited by the Wolff
with 81 victories, has
been forced by serious wounds to give
Up active flying. He was last men,
Toned in the enemy's communique of
September 3, which chronicled his six
y-frst triumph. Shortly after, he was
eported killed in action, then a British
An Amsterdam dispatch of
october % reported the baron's mar
iage to the daughter Of multimilliOn-
ire munition maker and stated that
he kaiser had given the noted lace"
place on his staff as inspector Of all
1erman aviation schools.
Won Richtofen made his first appear
nee in the enemy communicates on
anuary "a, 1917, when his seventeenth
ictory was chronicled. Why had he
ever been spoken Of before? Ber
loldi's fifth victory, Wintgen's fifth,
adams fourth, Hohndorff's fourth
ere cited, the same for Mulzer, Lef-
rs. Won Althaus and many other
oche "aces." Yet, although Won
ichtofen was nobleman, a fact rare
nong the German "aces," and in con-
'quence standing an unusually good
lance of being signaled, his debuts |
ere passed over in silence. Jacques
ortane, the French aviation writer, /
of the opinion that Won Richtofen's Il
st 16 victories were invented for X
m owing to the fact that when he ap- Il
AIRED on the scene in the communique II
e Boche authorities were sorely in f
ed of faces" to convince the Ger +
IN public that their aviation was X
perior to that Of the allies. Ii
Big Losses in 1917. Ii
Lieut.. Werner Voss Crefeld was B
led September "a, along with his f1f- +
,nth victim. Lieutenant Gontermann,
10 had destroyed 80 allied airplanes
observation balloons, was killed &
,identally early in November. Lieu rs
lant Wolff was slain in an air fight Y
otember Is, after he had triumphed
n 30 allied machines. Lieutenant ri,
stler, mentioned as having shot down ~
allied airplanes, was killed in COM %
in mid-NOvember Lieutenant Ba- bo
Won RichtOfen, brother of the noted
tain, was reported killed by the cd
fish in September. But later re-
t from Germany indicates that he bo
J only wounded. He was credited -.
b twenty-four victories. Among his :
inns was the wonderful English ny ~
Capt. Albert Ball, who fell Nav z. -