WAR

unshaken by the calamitous experiment in the Spad A. 2, in the wreck of which
he was last seen hanging by his heels, the indestructible Jacques Leps came back
for more. He applied for pilot training. Because of his service record, his request
was approved immediately and he was sent to Amberieu for instruction.
At the beginning of 1917 Leps had flown with Spa 81, stationed near Belfort.
As an observer/gunner he had been over the lines many times before and
the war in the air was nothing new to him. He had, therefore, less to learn than
other chasseurs debutants, in addition to which he was a natural pilot. His talents
manifested themselves in such a way that he broke, without any conscious effort
to do so, the field record for quick learning. The commandant of the school informed
him of his success, of which he was unaware, by telling him he could
pick his own specialty.
"Fighters," said Leps without hesitation.
In March 1917 on the occasion of his second encounter with an enemy formation,
he scored a double, one of the enemy machines being an Albatros twoseater.
Word of his feat was telephoned to the aerodrome from the infantry in
the trenches who had followed the show with delight. Returning to the field,
Leps was informed that he was to be cited by his squadron commander for the
Legion d'Honneur.
The citation reads: "A courageous and ardent young officer. Already
wounded and cited for the Order of the Army, conducted himself brilliantly on
March 16, 1917, shooting down in the course of a single flight two enemy
aeroplanes, one of which fell into our fines."
Une victoire.
One of his hardest fights and narrowest escapes occurred on April 30, 1917,
when he tangled with two German fighters in the course of a solo patrol. The
pilots were well-matched. Leps was unable to get into position for decisive shooting
because one or the other of his adversaries was always on his tail, while he
himself managed to keep out of the way of their shots.
The action was short but
ill