Henri Patois
Verdun
April 24, 1917
Escadrille3 No. 23

Much has happened since last I wrote. I was promoted to Adjutant. With my fifth confirmed kill, I was celebrated as an ace. And finally, I was given one of the escadrille's N24 scouts to fly. I find it not much of an upgrade, I must say. The upper wing visibility is a little better, the windscreen visibility a little worse. Also, the offset Vickers gun is harder to aim. Anyway, I had the craft painted with a set of lucky dice, which seems to describe my career so far! Today I really needed it as we were jumped by some Hun scouts while observing enemy artillery pieces hidden in the woods. Fortunately, my attacker was no better shot than me and I was able to survive the initial onslaught. Afterwards, we broke up into or usual twos and threes to begin the deadly dance. I climbed up to the top most enemy of the crowd. Sadly, he seemed to be a new flier, as he neither escaped, which he could have easily done, nor evaded. Instead, he circled around aimlessly, like a dog who waits for a master doomed never to return. I fired on him until his engine gave out and then I went away. Maybe he was able to pull out of his deep dive and survive. I kind of hope he did. As I made my way back to the front, I encountered two more Albatros scouts on more equal footing. I put rounds into both, but they dove away and I was in no mind to follow, alone and low over the lines. So I went back to ponder where this war would take us next.