All about the combat career and fighting aeroplanes of the most beloved french ace.
The beginning:
Georges Marie Ludovic Jules Guynemer was born in Paris on Christmas eve 1894 the son of Paul Guynemer, a retired army officer from an established military family and a graduate of Saint Cyr’s class of 1880 . A sickly child the young George was at first educated at home by his mother and two sisters, but in time his father entrusted his schooling to the Lycee d’ Compiegne.
As a teenager Guynemer was practiced in the art of roller-skating, then all the rage in Paris, and excelled at fencing and rifle shooting. Perhaps these three interests, combining balance and quick reflexes with a good eye, played some part in later developements. A common interest in all things mechanical led to friendship with Jean Krebs, the son of a director of the Panhard Motor Company.
Guynemer learned much about the workings of the internal combusion engine from his freind, knowledge which would later stand him in good stead, and the pair developed a passion for the new science of aviation.
Following college graduation in 1912 he commenced studies for admission to l’Ecole Polytechnique.
However, dogged by continued ill health he was compelled to withdraw in the summer of 1914 and retired to the family villa in Biarritz.
Following the outbreak of war Guynemer was turned down by the air service no less than five times due to his poor health.
Making his own way to Pau he secured an interview with Capitaine Bernard-Thierry and was accepted for training as a mechanic. There followed a successful application for flying training and Guynemer made his first hop at the controls of a Bleriot “Pingouin” on January 26th 1915. The award of brevet number 1832 came in April, along with promotion to Caporal and a posting to the reserve pool at le Bourget.
The first Victory:
On 8th June 1915 he joined his first and only operational unit, Escadrille MS3 at Vauciennes equipped with Morane monoplanes. The Morane type L allocated to Guynemer had previously been flown by Charles Bonnard and had been named by him “Vieux Charles” (Old Charlie).
Guynemer retained the name and carried it on most of the aircraft he subsequently flew. The first victory came on July 19th 5000 metres above Soissons. In a combat lasting ten minutes the Morane’s rearward firing Hotchkiss machine gun was manned by Mecanician Gueder. After 115 shots Guder managed to hit the hun plane s cockpit, the german pilot fell into his seat, the observer trown his hands on dispair, the plane went down and burn, none of thier crew survived the crash.
The Aviatik crashed into the French lines and an excited Guynemer landed beside it in search of a trophy. Two days later he was promoted sergent and received his first Palme (awarded for a mention in despaches), and on August 4th both he and Gueder received the Medaille MilitaireGuynemer’s citation read:
“A pilot of great spirit and daring, willing to carry out the most dangerous assignments. After a relentless chase, brought a German aeroplane to combat, a combat which ended in its crashing in flames.”
The hunter had tasted the blood , and he cant wait for more.
Entering the Nieuport:
Escadrille MS3 was renamed N3 on the 5th following re-equipment with the single seat Nieuport 10, with it’s overwing Lewis a far more effectivly armed aeroplane than the Morane
Guynemer did not score again for almost six months. On December 8, 1915, flying a Nieuport, he caught a couple German planes over Compiègne, fired on the first one at 50 meters, closed to only 15 meters and fired again, putting the enemy airplane into a spin.
Then the young French flier turned his attention to the second plane, which escaped, but in that instant, he lost track of his first victim. He circled vainly, looking for the wreckage that would prove his accomplishment.
Low on fuel and late to meet his parents (for Sunday Mass), he touched down at his aerodrome. He rushed to his parents.
“Papa, I have lost my Boche,” he cried, "I shot down an aeroplane and I don’t want to lose him. I must report to the squadron.
You go out and find him for me; he’s out there someplace. Toward Bois Carré." Guynemer duly reported and his father searched and found the German crashed aircraft (with the flier’s body still inside). For this aerial success, Georges was promoted to sergeant.
In the next two weeks, he shot down two more planes, a Fokker two-seater and a fixed-gun model. He went on Christmas leave with four victories and wearing the Legion of Honor medal.
He was developing into a skilled ace. His marksmanship had improved and so had his knowledge of his airplane. Before each patrol, he inspected it in detail, each wire stay, each bolt, every bit of fabric, and the alignment of its Lewis gun. His flying style also matured.
He flew straight at his enemies, only engaging in aerobatics as a last resort. “My method consists in attacking almost point blank.” he said. “It is more risky, but everything lies in maneuvering so as to remain in the dead angle of fire.”