Part 13 (2/2)

General Anthoine had had less than six weeks in which to see what he could do with the ground, organize the lines of communication, and post his batteries and infantry But he had no idea of delaying the British offensive, and on the appointed day he was ready The line of attack for the three ar, namely, from the Ypres-Menin road to the confluence of the Yperlee and Martje-Vaert, the French holding the section between Drie Grachten and Boesinghe It had been settled that the offensive should be conducted methodically, that its objective should be liht be interrupted and resued on the 31st of July, and the first rush carried the French onward a distance of 3 kilometers, not only to Steenstraete, which was the objective, but further on to Bixchoote and the Korteker Tavern The British on their side had advanced 1500 yards over heavily fortified or wooded ground, and their new line lay along Pilkee, Sanctuary Wood, Hollebeke and Basse-Ville Storust, and German counter-attacks on Saint-Julien, prevented an iust 16 a fresh advance took the French as far as Saint-Jansbeck, while they seized the bridge-head of Drie Grachten General Anthoine had been so careful in his artillery preparation that one of the attacking battalions had not a single casualty, and no soldier was even wounded

The French then had to wait until the English had advanced in their turn to the range of hillocks between Becelaere and Poelcapelle (September 20 and 26), but the brilliant British successes on those two dates wereanother collective operation possible; and this operation took place on October 9, and gave the French possession of the outskirts of Houthulst forest, while the British fought on till they captured the Passchendaele hills

Every great battle is now preceded and acco or bo squadrons did not police the air before an attack, no photographs of the enemy's lines could be taken; and if they did not afford protection for the observers while the troops are engaged, the batteries would shoot and the infantry progress blindly It is not surprising, therefore, that the enemy, who could not be deceived as to the importance of the French and British preparations in Flanders, had as early as es,” and throughout July terrible contests took place in the air

Soht by strong squadrons, and on July 13 units consisting of as many as thirtyfifteen airplanes, and sixteen ed condition

While in hospital, Guynemer had heard of these tre cruises he used to s of the past Was he to be involved in the new tactics and to becoroup, or a chief with the responsibility of collective ht of his ic airplane and could not persuade himself that, whatever the nule one out for his thunder-clap attack

Meanwhile the artillery preparation had begun, towards the fifteenth of July, and the earth was quaking to the thundering front at a distance of 50 kiloions, and there would be no beauty in the from the fields or the sea did not lend brilliance and relief to the yellow stone villages, the straggling woods or copses, the well-to-do fares, or the tall calvaries at the crossroads

Guynemer was in splendid condition His indisposition of the previousto sleep at Dunkirk, as the others did, until their new quarters were ready He wanted to be near his h to see by, and slept in soar or under canvas in order not to e of the dusk to sneak over the lines, spy on our preparations, or bombard our rear He had paid for his i wooden houses stood along the shore, and Guyne with Lieutenant Deullin, his chum of Somme and of Aisne days--in fact, his friend of emarck and Roulers, a very powerful Albatros, apparently a 220 HP of the latest model This fell far within the enemy lines, but enthusiastic British soldiers witnessed the scene Guyneht other machines, and had pulverized it at a distance of a few yards

This victory was his forty-ninth He secured his fiftieth the very next day, bringing down a DFW in flaht, for Guyneic airplane was hit in the tail, in one of the longitudinal spars, the exhaust pipe, and the hood, and had to be repaired This day of glory was also one ofhis star after seven triu alone, was shot in the head, and, afterhis round, died almost immediately

Fifty machines destroyed! This had been Guyneradually seemed a possibility Finally it had beco into account those which fell too far from the official observers, or those which had been only disabled, or those which had brought hoer, dead in their seats What would Guyne, or destroying in the high regions of the atmosphere? Did he not feel the exhaustion consequent on the nervous strain of unlimited effort? Could he be entirely deaf to voices which advised hiion of Honor, and, at barely twenty-two, could hardly hope for more distinction? On the other hand, he had shown in his unceasing effort towards an absolutely perfect iven play elsewhere The occasion was not far to seek, for he had to take his daed airplane back to the works; and ith this interruption and the precarious state of his health--for he had left the hospital too soon--he ht reasonably have applied for leave Nor was this all The adoption of the new tactics of fighting in nuht becoe his temerity only once in a while, and yetpilots

Slowly all these ideas occurred, if not to him, at all events to his friends Guyneht--Guynemer can now rest What would it matter if some envious people should ,” Alexander once said after Antisthenes, ”to hear evil spoken of one while one is doing good” But Guynemer never knew this royal enjoy for his safety He took his machine to the works, supervised the repairs with his custoain at his sport in Flanders

Meanwhile his coer was dead, it is true; but Captain Derode, Adjutant Fonck--a perfect Ayhts-errant, Heurtaux, Deullin (both wounded, and the latter now risen to a captaincy), Lieutenant Gorgeus and Corporal Collins--all had done well Besides theht to be mentioned, but we must liraveyards: Lieutenant Mulard, Sergeant Thabaud-Deshoulieres, _sous-lieutenant_ Bailliotz, _sous-lieutenant_ Pelletier, who saved his airplane if he could not save his own life, and was heard saying to hi: ”For France--I aeant Delaunay, who had specialized in night attacks and disappeared without ever being heard of again

Guyneust 15 On the seventeenth, at 920 o'clock, he brought down a two-seated Albatros which fell in flames at Wladsloo, and five minutes later a DFW which collapsed, also in flaed the death of Captain Auger and of another Stork, Sergeant Cornet, killed the day before On the eighteenth, Guynemer poured a broadside, at close quarters, into a two-seatedthis time on his old _Vieux-Charles_, he destroyed a DFW in a quick fight above Poperinghe This meant three undoubted victories in four days under circuh altitude madethis ust was constantly stor every precaution to avoid surprise; but Guynee of the shortest lulls, and baffled Gerhborhood called on him, and he liked to return their politeness He loved to talk about histo hi, and once he defined his airplane as a flying unsmithery, who overheard this remark, also heard him say to the Minister of Aviation, M Daniel Vincent, as inspecting the caet rid of a Boche, but by hard and sharp shooting”

It is not surprising, therefore, that he began his day's work by overhauling hishis mechanicians where his airplane and motor were concerned, but his weapon and aarded as an axioah to hit, but yourapidity if you do not wish to perish with him”[26]

[Footnote 26: _Guynemer tireur de combat_ (_Guerre aerienne_ for October 18, 1917, special number consecrated to Guynemer)]

Of his machine itself Guynemer made a terrible weapon, and he soon passed his fiftieth victory On August 20 his record nuood condition as on the So not only to have his airplane repaired, but to point out to the Buc engineers an improvement he had just devised

II OMENS

”Oh, yes, the dog always et what he wants,” Guynees, regardless of his two previous failures, insisted at Biarritz upon enlisting

”The dog? what dog?” Guyneue in his father's words

”The dog waiting at the door till soet in while the people'shim out So he is sure to succeed in the end”

It is the sa till we open the door of our life Vainly do we try to keep the door tightly shut against it: we cannot think of it all the time, and every now and then we fall into trustfulness, and thus its hour inevitably co door it beckons to us ”What we call fatalise of nature on man's hen the mind puts too much strain upon the flesh or acts as if it did not exist Orpheus, it is true, charmed the rivers, trees and rocks away from their places with his lyre, but the Maenades tore him to pieces in his turn”