Rene Fonck? Ha!

[Dan_San_Abbott]

Gentlemen:
If my memory serve me correctly, René Fonck claimed 125 victories and was credited with 75!
I enjoyed your description of the French. I had a good friend Jacques Estell who said to me in 1972,The French don't like each other, don't expect them to like you! However, I did not find that in the country, only in Paris.
Blue skies, Dan-San

Is it correct that Fonk's aircraft were never hit by a bullet. I believe Juutelainen in WWII also claimed these feat.

I hope that nobody will mind if a Frenchman interfer in this very interesting and passionate debate !

About 30 years ago, I saw on French TV, a gathering of most of the WWI aces still living at the time. I remenber Heurteaux, de Turenne, Tarascon, Frantz (not an ace, but winner of the first recorded air victory), etc… They all spoke of Fonck as their undisputed master. Not a single unfavorable allusion was ever made about him. As far as I am concerned, the opinion of these men, René Fonck's comrades of arms, is the ONLY one who has value to my eyes.

Whatever has been written or said by people :
- who never were in action for most of them,
- who where foreigners (I mean non Frenchmen) and totally ignoring the way Frenchmen are living, loving, dying,
- who are no longer with us and thus precluding us to verify their sources, informations, testimonies, etc..

Is just plain bull@#$% !

I apologize for being rude, but enough is enough.

[Richard_Schrader]

Lucien;
Thank you so much for that information. I agree with you that if those pilots thought so well of him, he may be the most wrongly panned ace!
We seldom get the view of a Frenchman on the forum. I hope that you stay around to give us the French side of things.
Richard

What was his supposed friendship with Hermann Göring DURING WW2.Gotta wonder about that.

I thought under French law you were actually presumed guilty and had to be proven innocent?

Heres some territory the Flamers can get stuck into and sod the facts

Nope ! In France, as in most of the countries in the world, a "convicted" is presumed innocent until the contrary is dully proven.

There again, we must take things at face value as I have said before! All you revisionists, and German apologists can't get out of this one without egg on your mugs! I'll echo what Lucien so adroitly said " I'll believe his (Fonck's) contemporaries before I'd ever believe the drivel you try to sell!" Just take a whiff of what you're trying to shovel!
THANKS LUCIEN!!!!!
Jim 'ACE'

[rammjaeger]

Lucien,

its interesting to hear your opinion. I am also partly understanding your emotions but I think if Fonck was really so undisputed among his comrades(BTW: I am really not expecting that his comrades would "bring down" a National heroe in a public TV-report in 1970!) than it should be easy to clarify some of the potential errors, misunderstandings or inventions about Fonck forever. It would not harm to deal with the problem instead of simply refusing own research or other opinions.

There are enough open questions, e.g "if not a single unfavourable allusion was ever made about him" (Really?) why do foreign (non-German!) sources just report so often these failures in his character and behaviour? And why did he get this trouble in 1944 and after WWII - or did these events not really happen? Do I also simply misinterpret some of his (in my humble mind) unlimited arrogant words and claims - because I am not knowing the French way of living or dying? Did he not mean what he was saying or writing? Or did he simply have a communication problem because of his extremly coolness?

And: Did modern French historians ever publish a real research work dealing with their ace of the aces, his claims, achievements, personality etc. (maybe even in English language - sorry, I know its an impudent plea for some French)?

For Jim, the alleged Ace:

Some people think eggs could fit also very well to the head of this embarassing primitive Richthofen-hater and Hartmann-fan here on the Forum.

Hannes,
That was really a poor attempt at sarcasm. As for hating Richthofen .... no I have no animosity towards the man or his memory. I just don't believe that he was "next to a GOD" as some here would want us to believe. Nor do I believe that the German's were the aggrieved party in WW1. Some on here think that eggs could fit into my head? I know there are others on here (besides myself) who believe that revisionists and German apologists, and those who think the IGAF was second to none ... are full of what a dog leaves in the grass, that sticks to shoes and smells bad! Supposed ace? Yeah it was just a moniker I chose, but now I'm stuck with it, just like the crap that all those apologists/revisionists/and IGAF worshipers are trying to fill people's heads with. But I don't lose any sleep at night wondering if they'll like me in the morning. I have bigger fish to fry! HA!
Toodles,
Jim 'ACE'