The Guns of Both Armies Suspend Fire as Captains Ball and Immelman
Fight in Air
It was often said in the early months of the war that the air combats
revived the spirit of ancient chivalry. It was true for a time, but
German treachery and ruthlessness soon changed the character of the
upper warfare. When the raider and the dastard entered, gallantry
necessarily gave way to grim and merciless antagonism.
There were many, though, on both sides who felt that no glory came
to aviation from methods of frightfulness and reprisals for such
frightfulness and to the last there were instances of clean, brave
fights. One of the last duels on the knightly lines of conduct was
that in which Captain Immelman, “The Falcon” of the German army, met
Captain Ball, one of the most brilliant airmen of the British Royal
Flying Corps. Immelman had a record of some fifty-one British airplanes
downed. Captain Ball wanted to wipe out this record, and the daring
German at the same time; so one day he flew over the German lines and
dropped the following note:
“Captain Immelman:
I challenge you to a man-to-man fight to take place this afternoon
at two o’clock. I will meet you over the German lines. Have your
anti-aircraft guns withhold their fire, while we decide which is the
better man. The British guns will be silent.
“Ball.”
Ball was by that time quite renowned. The Germans were aware of his
official record. He had taken part in twenty-six combats, had destroyed
eleven hostile machines, driven two out of control, and forced several
others to land.
In these combats Captain Ball had gone up alone. On one occasion he had
fought six hostile machines, twice he had fought five machines, and
once four. When leading two other British aeroplanes he had attacked
an enemy formation of eight. On each of these occasions he had brought
down at least one enemy.
The Germans knew all that, but evidently Ball had picked an opponent
worthy of him not only in skill but in courage and chivalry, for that
day the answer to the note was dropped from a German machine:
“Captain Ball:
Your challenge is accepted. The guns will not interfere. I will meet
you promptly at two.
“Immelman.”