Meanwhile they were preparing the Somme battle; the escadrilles
familiarized themselves with their ground, and new machines were tried.
The enemy, who suspected our preparations, sent out long-distance
scouting airplanes. Near Amiens, above Villers-Bretonneux, Guynemer,
making his rounds with Sergeant Chainat, attacked one of these groups on
June 22, isolated one of the airplanes and, maneuvering with his
comrade, set it afire. That was, I believe, his ninth. This combat took
place at a height of 4200 meters. The advantage went more and more to
the pilot who mounted highest.
After July 1 there was a combat almost every day. Would Guynemer be put
out of action from the beginning, as at Verdun? Returning on the 6th,
after having put to flight an L.V.G., he surprised another Boche
airplane which was diving down on one of our artillery-regulating
machines. He immediately drew the enemy's attention to himself; but the
enemy (Guynemer pays him this homage in his flight notebook) was keen
and supple. His well-aimed shots passed through the propeller of the
Nieuport and cut two cables in the right cell.
Pages:
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164