Aces and the Development of Aerial Combat in the First World War on the Western Front. Part 2: The Aces

摘要

The twenty greatest aces shown following, including vignettes of their lives, differed only slightly from the whole body of fighter pilots. Most of these had mixed motives for choosing to be aircrew but the dominant ones were a desire to fly or to escape the mud and blood of trench warfare. Or both. Flying in itself was high adventure which ap- pealed to young men. It was exciting and dangerous, particularly for pilots who were in control of their own destiny to a considerable degree. These were the chief factors leading to flight for prewar pilots. Air combat was an intensification of the same compulsion.