$Unique_ID{how04642}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{True Stories Of The Great War
XIII - Story Of Lufbery's Daring Flight}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{McConnell, James R.}
$Affiliation{}
$Subject{german
fontaine
lines
lufbery

}
$Date{1917}
$Log{}
Title:       True Stories Of The Great War
Book:        "Flying For France" - Hero Tales Of Battles In The Air
Author:      McConnell, James R.
Date:        1917
Translation: Yeomans, Betty

XIII - Story Of Lufbery's Daring Flight

     The same day that Prince was so nearly brought down Lufbery missed death
by a very small margin.  He had taken on more gasolene and made another
sortie.  When over the lines again he encountered a German with whom he had
a fighting acquaintance.  That is he and the Boche, who was an excellent
pilot, had tried to kill each other on one or two occasions before.  Each was
too good for the other.  Lufbery manoeuvred for position but, before he could
shoot, the Teuton would evade him by a clever turn.  They kept after one
another, the Boche retreating into his lines.  When they were nearing
Habsheim, Lufbery glanced back and saw French shrapnel bursting over the
trenches.  It meant a German plane was over French territory and it was his
duty to drive it off.  Swooping down near his adversary he waved good-bye,
the enemy pilot did likewise, and Lufbery whirred off to chase the other
representative of Kultur.  He caught up with him and dove to the attack, but
he was surprised by a German he had not seen.  Before he could escape three
bullets entered his motor, two passed through the fur-lined combination he
wore, another ripped open one of his woolen flying boots, his airplane was
riddled from wing tip to wing tip, and other bullets cut the elevating plane.
Had he not been an exceptional aviator he never would have brought safely to
earth so badly damaged a machine.  It was so thoroughly shot up that it was
junked as being beyond repairs.  Fortunately Lufbery was over French
territory or his forced descent would have resulted in his being made
prisoner.

     I know of only one other airplane that was safely landed after receiving
as heavy punishment as did Lufbery's.  It was a two-place Nieuport piloted
by a young Frenchman named Fontaine with whom I trained.  He and his gunner
attacked a German over the Bois le Pretre who drove rapidly far into his
lines.  Fontaine followed and in turn was attacked by three other Boches.
He dropped to escape, they plunged after him forcing him lower.  He looked
and saw a German aviation field under him.  He was by this time only 2,000
feet above the ground.  Fontaine saw the mechanics rush out to grasp him,
thinking he would land.  The attacking airplanes had stopped shooting.
Fontaine pulled on full power and headed for the lines.  The German planes
dropped down on him and again opened fire.  They were on his level, behind
and on his sides.  Bullets whistled by him in streams.  The rapid-fire gun
on Fontaine's machine had jammed and he was helpless.  His gunner fell
forward on him, dead.  The trenches were just ahead, but as he was slanting
downward to gain speed he had lost a good deal of height, and was at only six
hundred feet when he crossed the lines, from which he received a ground fire.
The Germans gave up the chase and Fontaine landed with his dead gunner.  His
wings were so full of holes that they barely supported the machine in the
air.