Aeronautics; Aeronautics, Military; World War, 1914-1918 -- Aerial operations
It has been said of Fonck that in all his battles in the clouds he never
received so much as a bullet hole in his machine, thanks to his
unparalleled skill at maneuvering. He made a world's record at Soissons
in May, 1918, when he downed five enemy airplanes in one day. He was
flying on patrol duty when he came upon three German two-seater
machines, and in less than 10 seconds sent two of them flaming to earth.
Later in the same day he actually succeeded in breaking up a large
formation of German fighting machines, and after destroying three, sent
the rest fleeing in confusion.
On another occasion Fonck made a world's record when he brought down
three German planes in the brief space of 20 seconds. While in flight
above the lines he came upon four big biplanes of the enemy, flying in
single file, one behind the other. He quickly pounced upon the leader,
and in less time than it takes to tell, had sent him crashing to the
earth. The second had no chance to alter its course. Training his
machine gun on it Fonck soon sent it, a mass of flames, after its
fellow. The third big biplane dodged out of the line and sped out of
harm's way, but the fourth was caught by the plucky Frenchman, who
wheeled his machine round with startling rapidity and fired upon it
before it could make good its escape.
This remarkable feat, performed in August, 1918, brought Lieutenant René
Fonck's official total of victories up to sixty, and made him the
premier French ace, at the age of twenty-four. In all his aerial battles
he had never been wounded, passing unscathed through the most formidable
encounters by reason of his unparalleled skill at maneuvering.
Guynemer and Fonck are perhaps the two greatest names on the French roll
of heroes of the air. But there were many other Frenchmen who did
valiant service. Lieutenant René Dorine had an official record of 23
victories when he disappeared in May, 1917. He was nicknamed the
"Unpuncturable" by his comrades, since in all his exploits above the
lines his machine had only twice received a bullet hole. Lieutenant Jean
Chaput had a record of 16 enemy planes destroyed, when in May, 1918, he
made the great sacrifice; and there are many others, some living and
some fallen in battle, who, flying for France, day after day and month
after month, helped to make her cause at length a victorious one.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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