FAMOUS FRENCH "ACE"

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 261, 23 July 1918, Page 5

FAMOUS FRENCH "ACE"

FOOTS WONDERFUL RECORD (Bee. July 23, 0.10 a.m.) London', July 22. A French official report states:— "Lieutenant Fonck brought down seven of the enemy's machines between July Hi and 19, bringing his total bag to fifty-six.-"—Aus.-N.71. Cnblo Assn.-fteuter. A famous airman, Lieutenant Fonck, recently established a fresh reeord for French aviation by bviiißinpr do«:n six enemy aeroplanes in a single day. Ho ban t'o| his credit not only that record, but. the further records of never bavin;.' been hit himself, of never having had his machine touched, and of being credited officially with having: brought down forty-two enemy machines. Hie latest achievement was officially recognised by the French Government by the bestowal on him of the rank of Officer of tho Legion of Ilonou.r. Ho wears in addition other French and British decorations that have been awarded (o him on Hie field. Fonck is described by ft correspondent who interviewed him not long ago as a Ivpicul French airman in modesty, alertness, and self-confidence. "Like his comrades," the correspondent observed, 'he lakes lifo glndlv, and. as he told mo yesterday, ho was 'first attracted to aviation a vear and a half before tlio war, because, it seemed to' oll'er tlio attraction of speed. He is only 22 years ;.f age, but as n bov ho had a catholic taste for sports, being particularly attracted towards motoring, and having, according to tho old conception of pre-war (lays, the folio do la vitesse. Physic-ally he is rather less than middle height, strongly, though not stoutly, built. The captnin of the aerodrome introduced us with the remark Hint we bad come lo interview him. "Vnus voila maintenant nur la. selletle," ho said, "allez-y." The whole sjene was carious. A kiiiematograpli operator was civi'!in>: romid ow 1 groun, another photographer was all Hio time r.ianouevring to take a succession ot snapshots, and Fonck'a captain lelt him lo his fate. Interview with Fonck. Said Lieutenant Fonck: . " 'Ymi i-.-w it was really easier lo bring the Bodies down Hum (o describe ■ ow ;t vas done. There has been a fearful lot of rubbish talked about it in lie. I'jipcrs. Tiiev have credited me Willi having a special gum and having started <ut bright and early with a view of vetting a bag of .Bodies. Aou cant work like dial. In Hie first place, I have no special gun and I only used Wtv-two cartridges to net t'je six Nuns; and in the second place, when I went out I was on ordinary patrol wort, with no reason to believe that I should find more than the ordinary number o Bodies in the air. Tho morning and afternoon (lights wore a _ matter ot seoonds, There was a certain amount oi

mist in the morning, and suddenly I sighted three biplane machines. I saw them before they noticed me, and manoeuvred for position. In ten secondsI had two of them down, and a rninuto later I had a chance at a third, and brought it down in, flames. "For the moment there "was nothing else to do, and I came back to the aero, drome, congratulating myself on the pr.ro luck that had brought tho squadron n:y way. In tho afternoon I went out again, rather hoping that there would be other German airmen out to avengo their comrades, who had fallen in their own lines. The calculation was a sound one, and I camn across a squadron of nine—four of tho Pl'alz and iivo of the Albatross type. I was'above the enemy and went straight for tho leader. I sent him down in flames, and got down two of the others, breaking tho back of oiie. of them as ho fell. Tho last of them tried to got away, but I was too quick for him, and he could not make good his escape.., Ever sinco tho beginning of the war I have been in aviation, but my first job was to bo an observer. I never got. an enemy machine at all till August G, 101G,' and only started as a pupil in chasing squadrons at tlio end of April. 1017. Six days later I got the first of my Huns as a chasing pilot, <ind by now my own estimate is that I have been responsible for about sixty of them. Qualifications Ncoricd. "Success at. tho job depends partly on personal qualities and partly on method. I rely on tho facts that I really am a nrst-rato shot, on having my machino thoroughly in hand, on moving fast, on being able to attack, from any position, and on only attacking when I have so manoeuvred as to have the advantage of the enemy. I don't believe, in giving tho enemy tho clianco of getting in a shot at me, and I have never even had my machino toudhed. You need to be a gymnast in tho air to succeed, and in looping or in other manoeuvres you must know exactly where your manoeuvre will take you. Above all, everything is a matter of quickness. In tho afternoon's flight the day before yesterday, for instance, but for my superior speed it would have been n risky thing to attack a biplane machine. Biplanes havo the considerable advantage of being able to fire in all directions, and in attacking them you havo principally to rely on sneed." "Fonck, has served not only with tho French, but also with tho British, and for his services with the British in Flandors lie was awarded the Military Cross and tho Distinguished Service Modal, Like flying men generally, he is enthusiastic over the future of aviation after tho war.