Mission 6: "Oh Canada"--the Battle of Mount Sorrel
It was late Spring as I was flying well away from the front and getting on in the day. I was returning to base when I spied a pair of enemy birds; an Albatros and its escort. They were heading towards the munitions depot of that I was certain.
I approached the pair as they neared the depot. Ground fire from troops in the area was ineffectual as the pair was flying too high.
It appeared that the Albatros was about to begin its bombing run as I came in gun a blazing. He became a fireball hurtling earthward.
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His escort turned to face me and we began the dance of death like a pair of pagan warriors around the funeral pyre of the fallen Albatros.
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Our circle tightened.
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Until I finally managed to get him where I wanted him and emptied my drum! Flames and smoke erupted from his aircraft and as I flew past I knew him! Klingenschmidt! I’d flow against him before; it was he who’d downed the BE2 I was escorting so many months earlier.
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I’d faced him since then, now it was time to finish our acquaintance. We drew apart as I changed drums and he attempted to control the fire.
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And then came back together to finish the dance.
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We exchanged fire and I pulled an Immelman in an attempt to finish him; but my gun jammed forcing me to replace the drum yet again.
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I stayed with him as I changed the drum and he turned on me like a ferocious beast!
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Huntress was wounded, but I stayed with my quarry closing to finish him off. He dodged my burst as I closed.
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But he couldn’t shake me.
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And I finally ended the dance
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I watched him go down; Klingenschimdt had been a worthy opponent and I was almost sorry to see his end?
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