Early in 1915 appeared the Fokkers, which were one-seated, and new
two-seated machines, Aviatiks or Albatros, which were more rapid, with
the passenger at the rear, and furnished with a revolving turret for the
machine-gun. The German troops engaged in aërostation, aviation,
automobile and railway service were grouped as communication troops
(_Verkehrstruppen_), under the direction of the General Inspection of
Military Communications. It was not until the autumn of 1916 that the
aërostation, aviation, and aërial defense troops were made independent
and, under the title of _Luftstreitkräfte_ (aërial combatant forces),
took their position in the order of battle between the pioneers and the
communication troops. But early in the summer of 1915 the progress
realized in aviation resulted in its forming a separate branch of the
army, with campaign and enemy-chasing escadrilles.

Guynemer was now on the straight road toward aërial combat. Most of our
pilots were still chasing enemy airplanes with one passenger armed with
a simple musketoon. More circumspect than the others, Guynemer had his
airplane armed with a machine-gun. Meanwhile the staff was preparing to
reorganize the army escadrilles. The bold Pégoud had several times
fought with too enterprising Fokkers or Aviatiks; Captain Brocard had
forced down one of them in flames over Soissons; and the latest recruit
of the escadrille, this youngster of a Guynemer, was burning to have his
own Boche.

The first entries in his notebook of flights for July, 1915, record
expeditions without result, in company with Adjutant Hatin, Lieutenant
de Ruppiere, in the region of Noyon, Roye, Ham, and Coucy-le-Château. On
the 10th, the _chasseurs_ put to flight three Albatros, while a more
rapid Fokker attempted an attack, but turned back having tried a shot at
their machine-gun. On the 16th Guynemer and Hatin dropped bombs on the