Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-02-13
CHAPTER VII,
Meeting Richtofen.

Warned by the fall of their compan-
ion. the three remaining Germans spun
their ships about and plunged at the
daring RichenbaCker with their guns
splitting bullets
AS they turned he saw that the nose
OF each German plane was painted q
bright red-the insignia of Richtofen's
Flying Circus Absolutely alone. Rick
had Numbered upon the doughty baror
taking his morning air,
In his book, Fighting the Flying Cir.
Gus" Rickenbacker says: Il did my best
TO set away in a dignifled manner. but
a sudden squirt of fire past my nose con.
WINGED me that would be very lucky il
/ got away with An unpunctured skin
The contortions I then undertook must
have awakened the admiration Of my
three plrSuers. At odd moments
would try 10 admire their extraordinary
adroitness in handling their machines
for the heavens seemed quite crowded
With those three dancing Fokkers. Nc
matter where turned, there were al
least two OF them there before me!
Il need no more living proof of the
flying ability Of that celebrated German
squadron of fighting pilots. They
whipped their machines about me with
incredible cleverneSs. was looking for
an opening for a quick getaway and they
seemed only DESTROYS Of keeping me
twisting my head of TO follow their
movements, so had this slight advan-
tage OF them there. At last an oppor-
tunity came to try and outrun them
and With motor full open and nose
straight down I looked back and saw
them fading away in my rear"
Sumner Sewall Of the 95th was flying
on the rear Of his sQuadrons formation
that same day when a Fokker dove on
him from above and set his gas tank
aoiaZe with flaming tracer bullets He
was 3 miles above the earth and his
companions had flown on without no.
tlcine what had happened 10 him-they
would have been powcrless to help hin,
II they had. The flaming death which
mao claimed so many wartime flyers
had tapped him on the shoulder and
ne was done with life-or. at least. that
vas the logical conclusion for his mind
TO accept
In Flames.
Sewell however, was one of the breed
that Doesn't quit when they are licked
Diving so that the flames behind hin,
would be swept away from his BODY
Sewell started for home in his blazing
ship Not satisfied with setting hin,
ablaze. the Fokker kept on his tail
and pumped bullets into the falling
plane
Sewell instinctively twisted out OF
range OF the German bullets. although,
ne could see that the whole length of
his fuselage was now ab!aze. Still the
German bullets ripped through the fall
ing ship and Sewell lodged and dove
away from his pursuer turning his ship
almost upside down in the air. AS he
looked back he saw that the German
had abandoned the chase but he also
saw that the fire was out.
BY adroit maneuvering he reached
the American lines before he crashed
His charred wreck turned ground loop
sno ianoeo In the bottom OF shell
hole Finding himself still alive.
Sewell crawled out of the wreckage lust
as something hit the ground beside his
head. Turning around. he found that
1t was one OF the wheels of his airplane.
1t had been shot of by the German
and had fallen from the plane in mid
air. His dive had been So fast that h.
had beaten the falling wheel to the
ground
Investigating further. he found that
large hole had been shot in his ga
tank. When he turned over to avoid
the German. the remaining gasoline
had spilled out and tn. FIRE had died
from lack Of fuel!
The Germans had a tough Job In
beating men who didn't know when
they were supposed to be dead.
Rickenbacker Becomes an Ace Of Aces.
A series Of brisk fights sent Ricken-
hacker into the lead of the American
air service at this time and he was
nailed as our ace OF aces. a title he
held for but a few days until Frank
Luke began his brief and meteoric ca
reer As ! have told earlier in this
story. Luke soon won a remarkable
series of victories which quickly put
him at the head OF the list a position
he held until his dramatic death.
Writing OF Luke. Rickenbacker said
Fourteen "tctories had been gained
ny Frank Luke in eight days. The
history OF war aviation. believe, ha4
not a similar record Not even the ia.
nous Geynemer. Fonck. Ball Bishop
or the noted Baron Won Richtofen ever
won IA victories In single fortnight al
the front In my estimation there
has never during the four years OF war
been an aviator at the front who pos
sessed the confidence. ability and cour-
age that Frank Luke had shown during
that remarkable two weeks"
y was largely this expressed opinion