Guynemer went to view the remains of the Boche that he had brought down first. The pilot had on his body a card, almost burned up, on which a feminine hand had written these words: “I hope that you will bring back many victories.”
A Quadruple Victory
GUYNEMER WITH THE MILITARY MEDAL AND “LEGION OF HONOR”
The Magic Quadruple,—the successive defeat of four airplanes, was Guynemer’s achievement, one of which was downed in one minute, on May 25, 1917, according to the following schedule:
1st airplane, 8.30, 2nd airplane, 8.31, 3rd airplane, 12.01, 4th airplane, 6.30.
THE DEBRIS OF THREE AIRPLANES BROUGHT DOWN BY GUYNEMER IN ONE DAY
Four airplanes beaten down on one day by the same aviator was a record. On February 26, 1916, Navarre secured his first “double.” Nungesser, on the Somme, destroyed a balloon and two airplanes on a single morning. But by his quadruple victory Guynemer exceeded these two earlier records and the one established by himself in the Lorraine when he brought down three airplanes in one day. On the morning of May 25th Guynemer saw three enemy airplanes flying in concert toward French lines. He pounced upon them, and they took to flight. He attacked one of them, maneuvering to get him in the line of fire, then fired, and after the first shots the enemy machine dived and fell in flames.
Meanwhile the danger for the single-seated machine was surprise from the rear. While he was attacking in front, it was necessary for Guynemer to watch the rear. Guynemer turned, and saw a second adversary coming full at him, trying to reach him. But he had fired already from above downward, and hit him with an explosive bullet. Like the first, this airplane took fire. The victories of Guynemer were lightning-like, requiring only a few seconds of fighting.