The red ribbon, the yellow ribbon and green War Medal with four palms,
are very becoming to a young man's black coat. Georges Guynemer never
despised these baubles, nor in any way concealed the pleasure they
afforded him. He knew how high one has to climb to pick them. And he
was eager for more and more, not because of vanity, but for what they
signified.

On the 3d and 5th of February, 1916, new combats took place, always in
the region of Roy and Chaulnes. On February 3 he met three enemies
within forty minutes, on the same round: "Attacked at 11.10 an L.V.G.,
which replied with its machine-gun. Fired 47 shots at 100 meters; the
enemy airplane dived swiftly down to its own lines, smoking. Lost to
view at 500 meters from the ground. At 11.40 attacked an L.V.G. (with
Parabellum) from behind, at 20 meters; it tacked and dived spirally,
pursued neck to neck at 1300 meters. It fell three kilometers from its
lines. I rose again and lost sight of it. (This airplane had wings of
the usual yellow color, its body was blue like the N., and its outlines
seemed similar to that of the _monococques_.) At 11.50 attacked an
L.V.G., which immediately dived into the clouds and disappeared. Landed
at Amiens." He cleared the sky of every Boche: one fallen and two put to
flight is not a bad record. He always attacked. With his accurate eyes
he tracked out the enemy in the mystery of space, and placing himself
higher, tried to surprise him. On the 5th, near Frise, he closed the
road to another L.V.G. which was returning to its lines, attacked it
from above in front, tacked over it, reached its rear, and overwhelmed
it like a thunder-clap. The Boche fell in flames between Assevillers and
Herbecourt. One more victory, and this one had the honor of appearing
in the official _communique_. Sometimes he got back with his machine and
his clothes riddled with bullet-holes. He carried fire and massacre up
into the sky. And all this was nothing as yet but the exercise of a
knight-errant in his infancy. This became evident later when he had
acquired complete mastery of his work.

February, 1916--the month in which began the longest, the most stubborn
and cruel, and perhaps the most significant battle of the Great War. In
this month began Verdun, and the menacing German advance on the right of
the Meuse (February 21-26), to the wood of Haumont, the wood of the
Caures and Herbebois, then to Samogneux, the wood of the Fosses, the Le
Chaume wood and Orn