The official records of a dozen Aces of the squadron are given: Captain Guynemer, 53 enemy planes downed; Lieutenant René Dormé, 24; Captain Alfred Heurteaux, 21; Lieutenant Duellin, 19; Captain Armand Pinsard, 16; Lieutenant Jean Caput, 15; Lieutenant Tarascon, 11; Lieutenant Mathieu de la Tour, 11; Captain Albert Auger, 7; Lieutenant Gond, 6; Lieutenant Borzecky, 5; Adjutant Herrison, 5. Captain Heurteaux, chief of the corps from December, 1916, until he was wounded in September of the following year, rivaled the marksmanship of Guynemer when he downed a hostile plane with a single bullet. Heurteaux, in the words of an appreciative chronicler of The Storks, “used to amuse himself in the midst of battle by politely bowing and waving ironic greetings to his encircling enemies. This open contempt for them increased their hatred, he explained, and tempted them to shake their fists at him in reply, thus often exposing them in their blind fury to his superior adroitness in maneuvering and attack.” A grave young pilot named René Dormé became so skilful in handling his machine that the superb Guynemer regarded his ability as greater than that of any of his fellows. Dormé was also a remarkable shot. In four months he was victor over twenty-six enemy planes, fifteen of which were officially witnessed as they fell. The end of René Dormé is veiled in mystery. Following a fierce combat high in the clouds on May 25, 1917, he pursued his opponents above German territory. Later, observation balloons reported that a French airplane had come to earth across the enemy lines and had been consumed by fire, which indicated to their practised vision that the pilot had been able to set his plane ablaze before it was seized by German captors. Though the enemy subsequently announced Dormé’s death, the report, for certain suspicious reasons, has been given little credence. “Second only to the crushing loss of Guynemer, France’s idol,” has his passing been mourned by fellow aviators and by the nation. As a discriminating observer of The Storks has stated, “While both were lads of excessive modesty, Guynemer’s air tactics were far more spectacular than those of Dormé, Guynemer was perhaps the better marksman of the two, but Dormé, he conceded, was the better pilot. Dormé’s dodging maneuvers were celebrated throughout France.” It was on the day of Dormé’s disappearance that Guynemer achieved the Magic Quadruple, besides defeating two more planes that fell far within the German lines. Guynemer the avenger! Guynemer the miraculous knight of the air! Less than four months later he fell as Dormé fell, on hated enemy soil. And, in turn, his death was avenged by the famous French Ace, René Fonck of Escadrille Nieuport-103, who within two weeks slew the Hun airman that had brought to earth the Wingèd Sword of France.