Guynemer was France's most
beloved ace. He entered the French Air Service
in November 1914 and served as a mechanic before
receiving a Pilot's Brevet in April 1915. Despite
his frail physical appearance, he took part
in more than 600 aerial combats and was shot
down seven times and survived. An excellent
marksman and highly skilled pilot, he was hailed
as the French Ace of Aces. Guynemer received
letters from women proposing marriage, requests
from school children for his autograph and
was often followed through the streets. One
of the first pilots to receive a SPAD S.VII,
he called his plane Vieux Charles (Old Charles).
On 25 May 1917, he engaged and shot down four
enemy aircraft with Old Charles in one day.
Looking for ways to improve the performance
of his aircraft, Guynemer armed a SPAD S.VII
with a single-shot 37 mm canon that fired through
a hollowed out propeller shaft. He called this
impractical aircraft his Magic Machine. Despite
the fumes that filled the cockpit and the recoil
of the canon, during the summer of 1917 he
shot down at least two enemy aircraft with
his Magic Machine. On 11 September 1917, Guynemer
was last seen attacking a two-seater Aviatik
near Poelcapelle, northwest of Ypres. Almost
a week later, it was publicly announced in
a London paper that he was missing in action.
Shortly thereafter, a German newspaper reported
Guynemer had been shot down by Kurt Wissemann
of Jasta 3. For many months, the French population
refused to believe he was dead. Guynemer's
body was never found.
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