n Heurtaux. A
brilliant chasing escadrille which for the past two years has fought in
every sector of the front with wonderful spirit and admirable
self-sacrifice. The squadron has just taken part in the Lorraine and
Champagne operations, and during this period its members have destroyed
fifty-three German machines which, added to others previously brought
down, makes a total of one hundred and twenty-eight certainly
demolished, and one hundred and thirty-two partly disabled."

This battle on the Aisne, with its famous climax at the Chemin des
Dames, began to slacken in July; and it was decided that the chasing
squadrons, including the Storks, should be transferred to one of the
British sectors where another offensive was being prepared. But before
leaving the Fismes or Rheims district, Guynemer was active. He had not
been given his new rank in the Legion of Honor to be idle: that was not
his way. On the contrary, his habit was to show, after receiving a
distinction as well as before, that he was worthy of it. On July 6 he
engaged five two-seaters, and brought down one in flames. The next day
his notebook records two more victories:

"Attacked with Adjutant Bozon-Verduraz, four Albatros one-seaters, above
Brimont. Downed one in flames north of Villers-Franqueux, in our own
lines. Attacked a D.F.W. which spun down in our lines at Moussy."

These victories, his forty-sixth, forty-seventh, and forty-eighth, were
his farewell to the Aisne. But these excessive exertions brought on
nervous fatigue. The escadrille had only just reached its new station,
when Guynemer had to go into hospital, whence he wrote his father on
July 18 as follows:

Dear Father:

Knocked out again. Hospital. But this time I'm flourishing. No more
wooden barracks, but a farmhouse right in the fields. I have a room
all to myself. Quite correct: I downed three Fritzes, one ablaze,
and the next day again great sport: mistook four Boches for
Frenchmen. At first fought three of them, then one alone at 3200 to
800 meters. He took fire. They will have to wait till the earth
dries so they can dig him out. An hour later a two-seater turned up
at 5500. He blundered, and fell straight down on a 75, which died
of the shock. But so did the passenger. The pilot was simply a bit
excited, for which he couldn't be blamed. His machine had not
plunged, but came down slowly, with its nose twirling, and I got