Ueber seine Kampfmethode haben gefangene
franzoesische Flieger berichtet: Entweder liess er, als Geschwaderfuehrer
fliegend, seine Kameraden zuerst angreifen un stuerzle sich dann erst auf
den schwaechsten Gegner; oder er flog stundenlang in groessten Hoehe,
allein hinter der franzoesischen Front und stuerzte sich von oben herab
ueberraschend auf einzeln fliegende deutsche Beobachtungsflugzeuge. Hatte
Guynemer beim ersten Verstoss keinen Erfolg, so brach er das Gefecht
sofort ab; auf den laenger dauernden, wahrhaft muterprobenden Kurvenkampf
liess er sich nicht gern ein.--Extract from the _Woche_ of October 6,
1917.]
This is the filth the German paper was not ashamed to print. Repulsive
though it is, I must analyze some of its details. An enemy's abuse
reveals his own character. So this German denied the fifty-three
victories of Guynemer, all controlled, and with such severity that in
his case, as in that of Dorme, he was not credited with fully a third of
his distant triumphs, too far away to be officially recognized; so this
German also vilified Guynemer's fighting methods, Guynemer the
foolhardy, the wildly, madly foolhardy, whose machines and clothes were
everlastingly riddled with bullets, who fought at such close quarters
that he was constantly in danger of collisions--this Guynemer the German
journalist makes out to be a prudent and timid airman, shirking fight
and making use of his comrades.
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