Roland Garros (aviator)
| Roland Garros | |
|---|---|
|
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| Born | 6 October 1888 Saint-Denis, Réunion, France |
| Died | 5 October 1918 (aged 29) Vouziers, Ardennes, France |
| Cause ofdeath | Aircraft crash |
| Resting place | Vouziers, Ardennes, France |
| Nationality | French |
Roland Garros (French pronunciation: [ʁɔlɑ̃ ɡaʁɔs]; 6 October 1888 – 5 October 1918)was an early French aviator and a fighter pilot during World War I.
Biography
Garros was born in Saint-Denis, Réunion, and studied at the Lycée Janson de Saillyand HEC Paris. He started his aviation career in 1909 flying Alberto Santos-Dumont‘sDemoiselle monoplane, an aircraft that only flew well with a small lightweight pilot. In1911 Garros graduated to flying Blériot monoplanes and entered a number of Europeanair races with this type of machine, such as the 1911 Paris to Madrid air race.
He was already a noted aviator before World War I, having visited the U.S. and SouthAmerica. By 1913 he has switched to flying the faster Morane-Saulnier monoplanes,and gained fame for making the first non-stop flight across the Mediterranean Sea fromFréjus in the south of France to Bizerte in Tunisia.[1] The following year, Garros joinedthe French army at the outbreak of World War I.
Development of interrupter gear
In the early stages of the air war in World War I the problem of mounting a forward-firingmachine gun on combat aircraft was considered by a number of individuals. The so-called interrupter gear did not come into use until Anthony Fokker developed asynchronization device which had a large impact on air combat; however, Garros alsohad a significant role in the process of achieving this goal.
As a reconnaissance pilot with the Escadrille MS26, Garros visited the Morane-SaulnierWorks[2] in December 1914. Saulnier’s work on metal deflector wedges attached topropeller blades was taken forward by Garros; he eventually had a workable installationfitted to his Morane-Saulnier Type L aircraft. Garros achieved the first ever shooting-down of an aircraft by a fighter firing through a tractor propeller, on 1 April 1915; twomore victories over German aircraft were achieved on 15 and 18 April 1915.[2]
On 18 April 1915, either Garros’ fuel line clogged or, by other accounts, his aircraft wasdowned by ground fire,[2] and he glided to a landing on the German side of the lines. Garrosfailed to destroy his aircraft before being taken prisoner: most significantly, the gun andarmoured propeller remained intact. Legend has it that after examining the plane, Germanaircraft engineers, led by Fokker, designed the improved interrupter gear system. In fact thework on Fokker’s system had been going for at least six months before Garros’ aircraft fellinto their hands. With the advent of the interrupter gear the tables were turned on the Allies,with Fokker’s planes shooting down many Allied aircraft, leading to what became known asthe Fokker Scourge.
After internment in a POW camp
Garros finally managed to escape from a POW camp in Germany on 14 February 1918, after several attempts, and rejoined the Frencharmy. He settled into Escadrille 26 to pilot a Spad, and claimed two victories on 2 October 1918, one of which was confirmed. On 5 October1918, he was shot down and killed near Vouziers, Ardennes, a month before the end of the war and one day before his 30th birthday. Hisadversary was probably German ace Hermann Habich from Jasta 49.[3]
Garros is erroneously called the world’s first fighter ace. In fact, he shot down only four aircraft; the definition of “ace” is five or more victories.The honour of becoming the first ace went to another French airman, Adolphe Pégoud.[4]
Places named after Roland Garros
In the 1920s, a tennis centre which he attended religiously when he was studying in Paris, was named after him, Stade de Roland Garros.The stadium accommodates the French Open, one of tennis’ Grand Slam tournaments. Consequently, the tournament is officially called Lesinternationaux de France de Roland-Garros (the “French Internationals of Roland Garros”).
The international airport of La Réunion, Roland Garros Airport, is also named after him.
The French car manufacturer Peugeot commissioned a ‘Roland Garros’ limited edition version of its 205 model in celebration of the tennistournament that bears his name. The model included special paint and leather interior. Due to the success of this special edition, Peugeotlater created Roland Garros editions of its 106, 206, 207, 306 and 806 models.
See also
- History of the Armée de l’Air (1909–1942)
References
- ^ Flying the Mediterranean Flight 27 September 1913
- ^ a b c G. van Wyngarden. Early German Aces of World War 1. Osprey Publishing, 2006. ISBN 1-84176-997-5
- ^ Jon Guttman. SPAD XII/XIII aces of World War I. Osprey Publishing, 2002. ISBN 1-84176-316-0
- ^ Norman Franks, Frank W. Bailey,mOver the Front: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the United States andFrench Air Services, 1914-1918. Grub Street, 1992. ISBN 0-948817-54-2, ISBN 978-0-948817-54-0.
Categories: Articole de interes general
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