Mission 11 - Live To Fight Another Day - November 15th 1916
It was early evening, 15th November. Peter Büttner had returned from the hospital and extended leave several days before. He didn’t feel right sitting in Hartwig’s old office. Now it was his office and had to deal with his new duties as flight commander. Learning the report procedures was more time consuming than he had hoped. He would rather be flying than writing reports and communications with HQ but he had no choice. Soon he would get back in the air when he had learned what he must.
He had just finished debriefing two pilots back from patrol. He kept them late, to talk a bit to get to know them as he had only talked with them once since returning.
Many new faces since he was here last.
Just then there was a knock on the door. “Come” Büttner replied to the knock.
In stumbled a cold mud covered rider. “”Eagles flight B”? he blurted out.
“No”, replied Büttner, “They are,... were ten miles north of us, but just left today relocating even farther north”.
The rider’s eyes opened wide, “I have to get this to flight B immediately, where have they gone”? The leather dispatch envelope had the red urgent stamp on it.
Büttner could not tell the rider where they were as he did not know himself.
“Let me see what is so urgent, maybe I can help”, he replied as he took the muddy envelope and opened it.
“Schiess”, he muttered under his breath. A spy behind the enemy lines had passed on information about a captured German pilot that had escaped. He would make it to the location marked on the attached map, tomorrow at 4am. Crossing the front would be too dangerous so a plane was to be sent to rescue him.
There was no time to find where flight B was. We will have to do this to save our comrade.
“Reinhardt, I need you to do something very dangerous”, Peter said, looking into Richter’s eyes, with a hand on his shoulder. “You will fly to this location at 3am. You will fly out alone. Fly high then cut your engine and glide in, you must be silent so not to announce your presence. Lucky for you they have chosen a nice flat field, but...it will be dark. Egon Becker and Wilhelm Fischer will fly out just before dawn to escort you back. Be ready at 4:15 to take off with your prize”.
Reinhardt liked the mission, something different. He wasn’t pleased not to have Otto behind him though. “Who am I retrieving? Does he know how to shoot?”
“If it is who I think it is, yes, he can shoot”, Peter reassured him.
Reinhardt left in the old Rumpler. His favorite Roland was still in the shop for repairs. The last couple of weeks had worn down the Eagles. Old planes had to be brought back into service because of severe attrition.
Luckily the moon was bright and he could make out the terrain clearly. He followed the plan and silently landed in the assigned large clearing at 3:15.
He brought his plane as close to the trees as he could and waited. At 3:55 he heard some branches snap. He readied his revolver and faced the darkness, holding his breath. A shadow moving in the shadows came closer,
A hesitant, hushed voice broke the silence, “Der falke fleight im Mondschein”.
Reinhardt lowered his revolver. “Yes, I am the hawk to fly you home. We will leave as soon as our escort arrives, let’s prepare”
Sure enough, at 4:10 there was a buzz approaching from the east.
Egon and Wilhelm circled overhead in the misty morning. It only took 15 minutes for Reinhardt to climb up through the morning mist to altitude with his escort, but to him it felt like hours.
Unfortunately Egon and Wilhelm did not arrive unnoticed. The Tommies down below clearly heard them. Unknowingly their wide circles brought them right over an enemy aerodrome. Planes were readied in minutes and sent up as fast as they could.
Just as Reinhardt reached altitude the Englanders were on them. Egon and Wilhelm turned to engage.
Egon has two enemy attack him. His engine vibrates under the lead hitting it, bursting into flames. Egon’s return fire does nothing as his gun quickly jams.
Egon cuts behind an unknown Entente plane. It is faster than anything he has seen. It is by him before he could have gotten a shot off even if he wasn’t jammed.
Reinhardt exchanges long shots as does Wilhelm, to little effect.
Egon lost sight of the fast enemy as he came head on with a two seater. Luckily its gun went silent after a couple rounds.
Wilhelm had a Nieuport closing from long range on his tail while Reinhardt passed by the first Nieuport letting his prize, Albert Hahn, put a few holes into it.
Distracted with his fire Egon barely managed to avoid the two seater.
Albert kept up accurate fire as the Nieuport Immeled and jammed its gun.
Wilhelm Immeled to get the jump on his Nieuport, but the Englander’s accurate fire destroyed two struts, his wings collapsed and down he spiraled, like a leaf in in autumn.
Avoiding the two seater was a good thing Egon briefly thought except that immediately brought him under the observer’s guns! A bit of canvas shot up and the rear gunner was quickly hammering at his jammed Lewis.
Roy Morrow, shocked at how easily the Halberstadt went down didn’t have time to get a good shot at the Rumpler that appeared in front of him. Albert didn’t take his eye off of the Nieuport and plastered him again, seeing the pilot slump down in the cockpit.
(whoops, just remembered to put the jam counters on the planes to make it easier to follow)
Trying to dive under the two seater nearly cost Egon with another near miss. The close call wasn’t worth the shot he got off at a Nieuport.
Reinhardt felt pity on the Brits that Albert had in his sights. “Wow, this boy can shoot”!
Egon finished off the Nieuport Albert had torn up while Reinhardt turned on the approaching SPAD.
Reinhardt got right behind a foolish Englander and made him pay dearly.
As the swirling action was taking place, a French patrol noticed and came to give their allies some help.
Egon’s fire went out with a large damaging flare, but at least it was out.
Reinhardt kept up a steady fire into the SPAD while Albert again punished the Nieuport who finally unjammed his gun.
Reinhardt’s prey had enough and ducked down underneath him. Albert aimed for the Nieuport’s engine and set it on fire as it made mince meat out of Egon’s Halberstadt.
Albert downed the Nieuport but in doing so jammed his gun. The Nieuport put some serious damage into the Rumpler before it succombed.
Egon’s Halberstadt was barely holding together so he tried not to get the attention of the Frenchies joining the fight.
The two seaters squared off and Reinhardt took the worst of it. Searing pain immediately told him it was time to get out of the fight and back home with his prize.
Egon could only watch as Reinhardt maneuvered against three foes.
Albert tore off the jammed drum and replaced it with a fresh one as the Strutter's rear gunner fired with no worries.
New to the brawl, the Frenchie’s shot hit the Rumpler’s engine and lit a flame.
Reinhardt knew how to keep the flames from growing but he also had to deal with the enemy.
Reinhardt got in a good shot at the 2nd Frenchie while Albert with a new reload hit his target. Egon watched in amazement at how Reinhardt and his gunner took care of business.
With a parting shot Albert’s gun jammed again. Reinhardt and Egon were now clear of the enemy but their slower planes would have to hold together to out run their faster enemy’s faster scouts.
Just as it looked like the way home was clear, Reinhardt’s fire flared up. The Rumpler could not take any more and took Reinhardt and Albert down. Egon watched in horror but he could do nothing. He saluted his comrades as they fluttered downward. They went down next to a wood, so if they survived they could quickly hide. Egon had to leave as his plane was moments from falling apart itself.
Butcher’s Bill
Ltn Wilhelm Fischer SD EXP ET
7 - 3 = 4 Severely wounded , miss 5 missions
3 - 1 - 1 = 1, Captured, too injured to attempt to cross the lines.
Vzfw Reinhardt Richter SD FLM WIA ET 12 - 2 - 1 = 9 Richter lands the plane
9 - 1 - 1 = 7, landed almost home, miss 1 mission
Ltn Albert Hahn SD FLM ET 1 kill
12 - 2 - 1 = 9 Richter lands the plane
9 - 1 = 8, landed almost home, miss 1 mission.
Ltn Egon Becker RTB 1 kill
2Lt Percy Edwards SD FLM WIA FT
6 - 2 - 1 = 3 not so severely injured, miss 1 mission
2Lt Roy Morrow SD FT 1 kill
10 - 1 = 9, All is well
2Lt Ronald Wortley RTB WIA
10 + 3 - 1 = 12, All is well
2Lt Cyril Farquhar RTB
Cpl Henry Martin RTB
Frenchies RTB
The rescue mission was a success. The Eagles traded a rookie for a veteran pilot. Flight B will be happy to have Albert Hahn back.
For those not familiar with the campaign, Lt Albert Hahn was shot down and captured recently. He and his famous partner Hubner were an ominous team, respected and feared by the British when they faced them. Soon they will be back flying together again. Dark days loom for the Entente.
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Originally Posted by flash
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