$Unique_ID{how04643}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{True Stories Of The Great War
XIV - Story Of A Surprise Attack On The Boches}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{McConnell, James R.}
$Affiliation{}
$Subject{french
machines

}
$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

XIV - Story Of A Surprise Attack On The Boches

     The uncertain wait at Luxeuil finally came to an end on the 12th of
October.  The afternoon of that day the British did not say: "Come on Yanks,
let's call off the war and have tea," as was their wont, for the bombardment
of Oberndorf was on.  The British and French machines had been prepared.
Just before climbing into their airplanes the pilots were given their orders.
The English in their single-seated Sopwiths, which carried four bombs each,
where the first to leave.  The big French Brequets and Farmans then soared
aloft with their tons of explosive destined for the Mauser works.  The
fighting machines, which were to convoy them as far as the Rhine, rapidly
gained their height and circled above their charges.  Four of the battle
planes were from the American escadrille.  They were piloted respectively by
Lieutenant de Laage, Lufbery, Norman Prince, and Masson.

     The Germans were taken by surprise and as a result few of their machines
were in the air.  The bombardment fleet was attacked, however, and six of its
planes shot down, some of them falling in flames.  Baron, the famous French
night bombarder, lost his life in one of the Farmans.  Two Germans were
brought down by machines they attacked and the four pilots from the American
escadrille accounted for one each.  Lieutenant de Laage shot down his Boche
as it was attacking another French machine and Masson did likewise.
Explaining it afterward he said: "All of a sudden I saw a Boche come in
between me and a Breguet, I was following.  I just began to shoot, and darned
if he didn't fall."

     As the fuel capacity of a Nieuport allows but little more than two hours
in the air the avions de chasse were forced to return to their own lines to
take on more gasolene, while the bombardment planes continued on into
Germany.  The Sopwiths arrived first at Oberndorf.  Dropping low over the
Mauser works they discharged their bombs and headed homeward.  All arrived,
save one, whose pilot lost his way and came to earth in Switzerland.  When
the big machines got to Oberndorf they saw only flames and smoke where once
the rifle factory stood.  They unloaded their explosives on the burning mass.

     The Nieuports having refilled their tanks went up to clear the air of
Germans that might be hovering in wait for the returning raiders.  Prince
found one and promptly shot it down.  Lufbery came upon three.  He drove for
one, making it drop below the others, then forcing a second to descend,
attacked the one remaining above.  The combat was short and at the end of it
the German tumbled to earth.  This made the fifth enemy machine which was
officially credited to Lufbery.  When a pilot has accounted for five Boches
he is mentioned by name in the official communication, and is spoken of as
an "Ace," which in French aerial slang means a super-pilot.  Papers are
allowed to call an "ace" by name, print his picture and give him a write-up.
The successful aviator becomes a national hero.  When Lufbery worked into
this category the French papers made him a head liner.  The American "Ace,"
with his string of medals, then came in for the ennuis of a matinee idol.
The choicest bit in the collection was a letter from Wallingford, Conn., his
home town, thanking him for putting it on the map.