BATTLE TWO MILES UP.

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2984, 23 January 1917, Page 5

BATTLE TWO MILES UP.

WONDERFUL EXPLOIT OF FRENCH "STAR ACE." Mr. Henry Wood, correspondent of tho United Press of America with tho French armies, writes: Lieutenant Guynemer, tho "Star Acc" ,of the cntiro French Aerial Sendee, who recently brought his twenty-first German aeroplane, established at the same time a new world's record for aerial combats, the air duel having taken pj[ar,e at an"*a!titudo of over two miles and after a ohaso of over seventy kilometres. The entire battle was one of the most dramatic air episodes that the entire war/has produced. Tho undisputed mastery of the by tho French which now Tenders it practic- ' ally impossible for a German machine over to cross tho French lines has imposed on tho French flyers the necessity of flying far hack of the German lines in order to get in contact with the German machines. It was while on one of these hunts that Gnynemer, flying at an altitude of over VA,OOO feet and at a distance of over 70 kilometres behind tho German lines, sighted a German squadron of two observation aeroplanes, _ with an escort of two fighting machines, heading for tho French lines. There was nothing to prevent Gnynemer. giving immediate battle except tho fact that in the event lie should be forced to land .'he would fall within the. German lines and be taken prisoner. He therefore took refuge behind somo friendly clouds until the German scmadron should pass ahead of him, and then staVted the uursuit from behind, closing up sufficiently so that if ho should be seen by the German anti-aircraft gunners from below he would be taken merely for one of the escorting German aeroplanes. For several kilometres he kept up the pursuit, concealing himself as well as possible from tlio German machines ,by keening behind the clouds. Then, when the French lines at last appeared below liim, he emerged in full view and began to fight. The German m.v chine nearest him chanced to be an observation plane, and darting on it ho opened his machine-gun fire at an altitude of 3600 metres, or just two' miles. AVitli unerring aim ho killed the observer with his third bullet, and with the tenth the pilot likewiso shot out from the mnqhino killed. Tho plane at the same time beginning its whirling giddy course down towards tho French lines. Although the machino was the second oite Gnynemer had brought down that day ho at once started after tho other three, but they in£tho meantimo had all disappeared, having apparently. turned back at his very first shot. Without further ado Gu.ynemer started in search of his victims, and succeeded in locating tho machine in tho ravine of Mocourt, the piano itself shattered into fragments and tho bodies of both the "pilot and observer king within a radius of sixty yards. The fight was witnessed by members of the American squadron who are now 'stationed where the.v have the advantage of witnessing somo of tho exploits of 'the most crack "Aces" of tho Prencli Aerial Service. —Exchange.