Perth Amboy evening news., 1918-08-10
IS ADMIRED BY
AMERICAN AGE
Richenbacker Says There is
German He Would Like to
Meet After War.

copyright 1918 by the Unite- Press)
WITH THE AMERICAN AIRMEN
IN FRANCE. July 10 (By Mail)--
There's q certain German atrman I'd
like to meet after the war, II he lives
and 1 do" said Lieut. Eddie Ricken-
hacker, American C and former
auto races.
eff we meet In the states. Til buy
him an ice cream soda. and IL it's In
Germany, I'll expect him to buy US
both beers. He flies No. 1e in a GER
tain German squadron. His machine
is an observing and fighting type COM
bined. For a German. he is an ex
ceptional sport We had -four days
successive rendezvous together with
out result. and it was real fighting
all the time.
The first morning l hoped into
the can and went up to O pink tea,
looking for anything in general and
nothing in particular. I soon spotted
No. 16 and he spotted me. We jock
eyed for position, both of us trying to
get the blind spot in front of the
sun. Finally I got on his tail after half
al hour of m~aneuvering this way and
that, n let him have 1t. The gun
fired two shots and damned. There
was nothing to do but zoe off home.
which I did.
Next morning I went up at the
same hour and over the same spot.
There vas Heinie No. 16. escorted
by two German fighting planes. He
was higher than me. but 1 was higher
than they. ~ I iockeyed for posi-
ton. Again the gun jammed. and 1
fell into q vrille to get out of his
range. When I zoomed away, ] got
the gun working again. and again
jockeyed for position with Heinie.
whose two fighters a been driven
of by other Americans by now. He
began shooting out of his belly at me,
and I zig-zagged to dodge his bullets,
which were whizzing by me.
Then we began playing around.
and kept IL up for three quarters Of
the other. Finally I got in the blind
spot and started down on him. Again
! my gun tammed and of course he had
the edge on me. Instead OF running,
which would W. been dangerous.
since he had the altitude after I dived
past him. / again jockeyed for posi-
ton, though / kney my Il wouldn't
shoot. 1 wanted to fox him and make
him think I was still in the fight. II
worked for after a few minutes more
OF maneuvering he decided IL was
enough for a day. since neither of us
could get position. So he fired two
shots wild as a goodbye, waved his
hand, n went home. It was a good
thing for me because my motor went
cuckoo O minute later and I struggled
home on a glide, barely making 1t
over the lines.
"The boys had seen me come down
and my mechanics were beginning to
figure their eskimo wasn't coming
back, when I finally got In, travelling
most of the way In an ambulance.
Next morning I had to borrow a
plane, since mine wasn't repaired yet.
I went out looking for Heinie No. 16.
He was there. at the given spot, but
very, very high. / maneuvered for
all 1 was worth, but couldn't make
my plane reach him. 1t vas out OF
the question, though. for l had one
with two guns and the weight kept
Ii down.
"Heinie had an exceptionally good
plane, and ! saw him directly above
me several times. But he didn't shoot
that is, with his gun. / saw him
take a picture OF me with his camera,
and finally he went of while l tried
to get position close enough to shoot.
Next morning I again borrowed a
machine and went after him, with two
guns He was there. taking pictures.
We began maneuvering for position
and finally I got IL and let him have
1t. Then n gun 1ammed. Before I
could get a bead on him with the
other. he was letting me have II. I
vrilled and came back at him still
higher.
FINALLY, both our guns jammed.
and both of us knew the other
couldn't shoot, though we tried to
repair the guns. But no luck. So we
happers and both departed. Next
day / was sent away for a few days.
and the boys a Heinie No. 16
wasn't there either. Some day Well
settle II, and q lot of bets that were
placed on us by the mechanics"