F.W. in a
quick fight above Poperinghe. This meant three undoubted victories in
four days under circumstances which the number of enemy machines and the
high altitude made more difficult than they had ever been. The weather
during this month of August was constantly stormy, and the Germans were
taking every precaution to avoid surprise; but Guynemer was quick as
lightning, took advantage of the shortest lulls, and baffled German
prudence.
The British or Belgian airmen of the neighborhood called on him, and he
liked to return their politeness. He loved to talk about his methods,
especially his shooting methods, for flying to him was only the means of
shooting, and once he defined his airplane as a flying machine-gun.
Captain Galliot, a specialist in gunsmithery, who overheard this remark,
also heard him say to the Minister of Aviation, M. Daniel Vincent, who
was inspecting the camp at Buc: "It is not by clever flying that you get
rid of a Boche, but by hard and sharp shooting."
It is not surprising, therefore, that he began his day's work by
overhauling his machine-gun, cartridges, and visor.
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