Charles Nungesser, third of France's greatest aces with 43 victories, flying a Nieuport in pursuit of a German plane.
A la poursuite de l’ennemi…Aviation FrançaiseGuerre 1914-1915-1916 . . .Sous-Lieutenant Charles Eugène Marie NungesserNé le 15 Mars 1892 à Paris, titulaire du Brevet de l’Aéro-club de France No. 1.803, à la date du 17 Mars 1915, sur appareil H. Farman, a abattu au Premier Octobre 1916, 15 avions et 3 saucisses.In pursuit of the enemy ...French AviationWar 1914-1915-1916. . .Sub-Lieutenant Charles Eugene Marie NungesserBorn March 15, 1892 in Paris, he holds Certificate No. 1803 of the Aero Club of France. In an H. Farman machine, he has brought down from March 17, 1915, to October 1, 1916, 15 aircraft and three sausage balloons.Reverse:1916-04-12
". . . using his last ammunition drum at a range of 30 feet, finally drove [a German Albatros two-seater] down in a dive.What Nungesser saw next took much of the luster out of his second victory. 'The observer, still alive, clung desperately to the mounting ring to which his machine gun was attached,' he reported. 'Suddenly the mounting ripped loose from the fuselage and was flung into space, taking with it the helpless crewman. He clawed frantically at the air, his body working convulsively like a man on a trapeze. I had a quick glimpse of his face before he tumbled away through the clouds. . . it was a mask of horror.'"
From a description of Charles Nungesser's second victory, that of November 28, 1915. Nungesser was France's third greatest ace of World War I with 43 victories. René Fonck had 75, and Georges Guynemer 53. Both Nungesser and Fonck survived the war; Guynemer did not.
The Origin of the Fighter Aircraft by Jon Gutman, page 40, copyright © 2009 Jon Gutman, publisher: Westholme Publishing, publication date: 2009
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