Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-01-20
AMERICAS LEADING ACE.
MODEST ABOUT EXPLOITS
On Ono Occasion Putnan.'s .Airplanc
Turned Turtle and All His
Ammunition Fcll Out,
DoWNED ELEVEN AIRPLANEs
Shot Down Five. o. Ten German
.Albatrosscs Over Baltic Fields Of
Rheims Last iune-Arother Day
Destroyed Three OF Six Fokkcrs.

WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY IN
FRANCE. January Ia Especially. 1.-The
story OF Lieutenant David L. Putnam.
american aviation. as he tells it, gives
the impression that there is nothing
ef;rh rae s. in th0 making Of star
has done he tells in so quiet q way
that they appear ordinary. Ills great
est tight took place on June S, when he
Engaged ten Germans and shot down
five OF them.
y year ago he was feeling his way
given to an beginners because it can.
not fly off the groud. His average is
sh ,ress1 yis ,Sn, Ctnni having de,
peSember 90 ' isls Not ali ms of a ,hssc
putnam shows in the air the same
ardent responsiveness that the Ger
mans have been grievcd to observe in
flyers. he sailed boldly over the lines
far into the territory occupied by the
Germans TO provoke battle. In conse-
ouence. 4 number OF his victories could
not be officially confirmed and the risks
were largely increased Twice he has
machine shot up.
FIGHTS AND WINS
HIS FIRST RATTLE
After seven months training and one
his iirst battle and won it on Jan.
uary 10. Wally Winter, OF Chicago. I
flying IN the same patrol. said Put |
nam saved him during this fight. Put |
nam now says he was the man who !
was saved by Winter. Flying in Il high !
wind that bore him over in the cnemy's |
low him making Tor The French lines.
lie dircd after them, and got ono at
200 Yards ;nc height light Then he disGoy
ncuvcring above him. and that higher |
up Winter was coming down followed
h hs W' Ire meet OF W iH ene and the sr
mans abandoned the fight
y cures accident in his second fight,
ant censaiion Of being at his adver-
sar!c's ne.c.- lie made such a sharp
dive aftc; his man that his machine
nsiion fell out lie had fred the last
cartridge from his gun when the Ger
man wabbled and crashed about two
miles inside the German lines. Put
MANS las, shot had done for him.
y week later he had another narrow
seate.s his machine was shot almost
to pieces, ~" just manaE ed to dive
under his ad>crsaries and plane back
TO tho French lines.
RUNS mtg FATRoL
OF FIFTEEN GERMANS
Putnam begar work with the squad.
ron .! Lieutenant Madon on Il mono
plaaa March a, and the same day ran
Inowing he had the 'e advant sraa" Of
speed he decided to make a quick at
tack then dive. All the Germans fol-
lowed him down, one of them, at least.
in a dizzy nose spin. making tho third
success officially credited to him. The
next day he downed tw.oscater in a
he had 20 dive away from the second
One of his longest and hardest COM
bats w four on Apr IL G Then he Sr
five minutes. One OF them crashed.
The afternoon OF the following day he
ran into one of the German ''circuses":
got two of them These made five adj
vcrsaries, shot, down between March "A
and April IL from monoplane.
ATTACKED BY FIVE
GERMANS AT ONCE
Engaged at close quarters with a
iwo-seater on May 10, he got near
enough to see the German gunner fall
down himself for the hrs,
tine June 2 but without personal
TWO accommodating ma
chimes when he sighted eleven Ger
MANS. lie signal!cd, nut the recon
Moiterine planes continued their course.
TWO minutes later the Germans came
on in two groups one Of five above
and one of SIX below TIE rceonnoiter;;
Putnam. for the first time in his "a
recr, gave himself MP for lost.
one OF ~ 6ne nc ermanS hnd sncScedSd
Putnam dove and drove him down.
Another. German dove a; the. second
rcconnMiterer and Putnam followed
him. The German put his nose up
which in aviation pariancc means that
he made a Steep upward turn. and put
got one in return that sent him down
II crashing slide on the wing.
Meanwhile the six machines. in the
their bullets went through the ma
chine within half an inch of Putnam's
!o 70 ,. Ills motor Was now out OF conf
disasters Al once-a fall Of 1000 yards
and the Nnal bullet. Again, Tho Ger ;
ahou: to get him, and he managed to
fall Just softly enough to break moth
ng but wood"
SALUTE
EACH OTHER IN FIGHT /
Tht great. fight tina; made Putnam
field Of Rheims on June >. In q; half
h"nr combat he shot down five Of an
Il was close and difficult work. for the
Germans Unanswered sliillfully ana
closed in on him until he could see i
machines passed under him. lie waved
ms hand TO one OF them. and the Ger ,
man reinrned The salute in the thick
al the light. Nj Putnam says about
u IS, that he kept out Of range as
hes, he could and watched closely every !
tiidh'" 10 hre. u" nnaily got into
Il good position. and the German ma I
chimes began TO fall Five OF them
crashed before the fight was over :
iunc - Putnam got three out OF
SiN Fokkcrs. and the next day shot
down ono of tWo German observing ,
planes. lie was about TO put out Of ;
TINS on account OF janmcd guns when
one of his adversarics pulled up at n ,
SHARP angle. fred ton shots, turned
over and fell 900 yards: then the ma
chine broke in the air and crashed
since then Putnam has accounted for