PONDER '17 DOWNS TWO GERMAN AIRPLANES

According to reports in the newspapers, Lieutenant W. T. Ponder '17 is credited with destroying two German airplanes of an attacking group of five. The air fight referred to took place about the middle of Tune near Chateau-Thierry. Lieutenant Ponder was the leader of a French air patrol of six planes but was separated and found himself surrounded by five triolane Fokkers. They were well bunched, and as he was slightly above them he was able to dive down and scatter them. Then picking out the nearest, he cut under its tail and his machine gun soon sent it crashing down. The other German planes continued the fight, but by an abrupt drop Ponder was able to shake them off and deal with one singly, which fell into a wood behind the German lines. Six French fliers had by this time come to Ponder's assistance, and after considerable maneuvering the reinforced Germans returned to their own territory. Lieutenant Ponder has been cited in French army orders and has received the Croix de Guerre with the palm.