d the Iron Cross of the second and first
class and a bunch of flowers, and the Surgeon General coaxed him to give
the details of the winning of his decorations.

Sergt. Luchs and his observer were returning from an aerial
reconnoissance when they were overtaken and attacked by a fast French
aeroplane. The effectiveness of the French machine gun fire was later
shown by seventy holes in the wings of the German aeroplane. For
forty-five minutes the battle in the air lasted--6,000 feet up--revolver
against machine gun, ending only when Luchs was shot through the lungs
and liver. He was able to guide his machine safely to the ground within
the German lines before he lost consciousness. But one of his revolver
bullets had gone home, probably puncturing the gasoline tank, for the
French aeroplane was also seen making a forced landing.

Gen. von Heeringen, Commander in Chief of the Nth Army, told me a
similar story about two officers who fought with revolver against
machine gun until their motor and tank were shot to pieces, forcing them
to glide to earth. The General said he had learned about their bravery
only by accident, as they had reported only the results of their
reconnoissance.

That the German aviators are at a disadvantage in fighting against the
Allies' aeroplanes armed with machine guns was freely admitted by Gen.
von Heeringen, who said significantly that that would be attended to in
the near future.

"French aeroplanes have paid me a number of visits," the commanding
General said with a laugh, "Our aviation camp seems to be an attraction
for them. We have shot down six of them in the last few weeks. Our
gunners are really only just beginning to get the hang of it, with
practice. The trouble in peace time was always to find some sort of a
target to train our gunners in the use of the new motor gun. We couldn't
very well ask of our own aviators to go up and let themselves be shot
at. But now the French are affording us just the moving target we have
been looking for, and our shooting is improving splendidly."

Gen. von Haenisch, von Heeringen's brilliant Chief of Staff, who as
former Inspector General of the aviation arm had more to do than any
other one individual with bringing German military aviation to its
present high pitch of efficiency, supplemented his chief's remarks by
saying:

"We recently brought down a French aeroplane from an altitude of 8,100
feet. Our new gun can shoot four miles high."

I