Wings of War and Glory - Interlude 3: Cold Cold Wind
November 22, 1915
For more than two weeks now the wind has been blowing without stopping. No flying. Drinking. Waiting. Checking planes and talking about tactics. I was able to put my hands on a camera and take some photos. I also had a photo taken of me:
Tobias Newmann kept to himself after his first kill. The first time we take a man's life is hard to anyone who has his heart in the right place. Tobias knew he had killed two men on that Avro. "Oh! Does this wind ever stops?!" he said. "Let me take a photo of you and it will stop." He laughed for the first time and did let me take a photo of him. The wind didn't stop.
Thorsten Müller was becoming a friend indeed. Never said much. But it was always there. His second kill came as he was defending the aerodrome. I told him that he was becoming a true hawk. He laughed. "I wasn't able to stop them from bombing the hangars." I shrugged. "Who would be?"
Leutnant Tammo Dieter became the wingman of Oberleutnant Schultz. "Let me take you a photo", I asked them both. "Aren't you sad that you're no longer Oberleutnant Schultz wingman?" asked Tammo. "He taught me to fight and I taught you. It's a fair trade. But if you ever fail our Oberleutnant I'll take care of you myself." Oberleutnant Schultz laughed. "Now he's going to look scared in the photo." Photo taken we went discussing flight tactics to the mess.
Rita Bergmann arrived the Aerodrome November 5 to see her brother buried. Leutnant Anselm Bergmann wanted to be buried near his beloved planes. We made him a beautiful grave in the garden. She stayed. The next day she began helping with the wounded. Nobody minded and Rittmeister Jan Schlesinger gave her the post of field nurse. Sometimes we go for a walk. I would take more, but she only allowed me to take her one photo.
Combat log:
These new changes made me the leader of the support squadron (a half squadron, in fact) and gave me more responsibilities. But that's life. The new organization of our reinforced squadron was this at the moment:
Oberst Metzger (3rd Kest Commander)
Commands 3 Squadrons and 3 Observation Planes
Ours is the Erste Verstärkte Staffel (First Reinforced squadron)
Squadron kills - 29 kills
Primärstaffel
Rittmeister Jan Schlesinger (Squadron Commander) - 4 confimed kills
Oberleutnant Leonhard Schultz (2nd in Command) - 9 confirmed kills (Marksman I Ace Ability)
Leutnant Anselm Bergmann - 2 confirmed kills (KIA November 3, 1915)
Leutnant Otto Drescher - 2 confirmed kills
Leutnant Rüdiger Kuefer - 1 confirmed kill
Leutnant Tammo Dieter - No confirmed kills
Helfenstaffel
Oberleutnant Joachim Lisbon - 8 confirmed kills (Deadly Aim I Ace Ability)
Leutnant Thorsten Müller - 2 confirmed kills
Leutnant Tobias Neumann - 1 confirmed kill
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Originally Posted by Flying Officer Kyte
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