rman offensive--against Verdun--had
been foreseen. In consequence, the staff had organized a safety service
to avoid all surprise by the enemy, to meet attacks, and prepare the way
for the reinforcing troops. But the violence of the Verdun offensive
exceeded all expectations.

Our escadrilles had done their duty as scouts before the attack. After
it began, they were overwhelmed and numerically unable to perform all
the aerial missions required. The fighting enemy escadrilles, with their
new series of machines and their improvements, won for a few days the
complete mastery of the air. Our own airplanes were forced off the
battle-field, and driven from their landing-places by cannon. Meanwhile
the Verdun battle was changing its character. General Petain, who took
command on February 26, restored the order which had been compromised by
the bending of the front, and established the new front against which
the Germans hurled their forces. It was also necessary for him to
reconquer the mastery of the air. He asked for and obtained a rapid
concentration of all the available escadrilles, and demanded of them
vigorous offensive tactics. To economize and cooerdinate strength, all
the fighting escadrilles at Verdun were grouped under the sole command
of Major de Rose. They operated by patrols, sometimes following very
distant itineraries, and attacking all the airplanes they met. In a
short time we regained our air supremacy, and our airplanes which were
engaged in regulating artillery fire and in taking aerial photographs
could work in safety. Their protection was assured by raids even into
the German lines.

The Storks Escadrille, then, flew in the direction of Verdun. In the
course of the voyage, Guynemer brought down his eighth airplane, which
fell vertically in flames. This was a good augury. Hardly had he arrived
on March 15 when he began to explore the battle-field with his
conqueror's eyes. The enemy at that time still thought himself master,
and dared to venture within the French lines. Guynemer chased, over
Revigny, a group of five airplanes, drove another out of Argonne, and
while returning met two others, almost face to face. He engaged the
first one, tacking under it and firing from a distance of ten meters.
But the adversary answered his fire, and Guynemer's machine was hit: the
right-hand rear longitudinal spar was cut, the cable injured, the right
forward strut also cut, and the wind-shield shattered. The airman