Recon location is West 06 (Allied Trench Line)
DH2 Pilots: Lt Colin Stewart (1) and Captain Geoffery White (2) @ ALT 05
Halberstadt D.II Pilots: OStv Wilhelm Fronkel (1) and Unteroffizer Ernst Thom (2) @ ALT 05
LFG Roland C.III Pilot and Observer: Lt Oswald Dossenbach and Fw Bruno Loerzer @ ALT 04
“Welcome back, Fronkel. I trust your vacation at our army hospital was to your liking. The combat you had with the English DH2 scout was witnessed by one of our army’s forward observation posts, congratulations on your first kill. As such you have been awarded your Combat Badge for your actions. Personally if it were up to me you would be repaying the cost of your lost Eindecker from your pay, but command has seen fit to reward you with promotion to Offizierstellvertreter. Oberst Lange has reassigned you to one of the new Halberstadts, don’t lose this one either. If you do, don’t bother returning to the airfield, I have a nice dry and warm trench on the front lines picked out for you if you do. Your next assignment is to lead a flight of two Halberstadts and escort a LFG Roland on its photo reconnaissance mission over the British trenches. There are no clouds reported in this sector and currently experiencing a calm front.”
Wilhelm nodded his understanding and with a salute to the Executive Officer headed to the airfield to brief the other two flight crews.
“… And that should be the flight plan for this mission. Thom and I will fly above you, Dossenbach, to provide protection from any harassing Englanders that might show up uninvited to our little party. Thom, stay close to me and keep your eyes open. That’s it gentlemen, let’s get into the air.”
German flight approaches British trench-lines from the east
Close formation flying while keeping a close watch on the Roland
Hidden from view, from behind the observation balloon lurk two British DH2 scouts
Seeing what he thinks is a vulnerable target, Fw Thom breaks ways to attack the balloon. Fronkel attempts to wave him back into position while the Roland dives to line up on the first of three photo recon targets
Matching the Roland's starboard turn, Fronkel stays with his objective. Meanwhile, too late does Thom see the advancing DH2s rounding the balloon with him square in their sights
Both DH2s lewis guns blaze at the same time as Thom returns his own attack on the closest DH2. While Capt. White's gun jams after the first round, Lt Stewart's few rounds strike true and sets the hun machine alight while taking minor damage in exchange.
Thom turns hard to port in an attempt to keep the growing flames at bay. Capt. White side-slips toward the balloon to try and give himself space to begin clearing the lewis gun's jam. The Roland's first attempt produces a poor photograph and Loerzer requests another pass at the target and Fronkel closes in on the remaining DH2
Thom's spandau hammers White's DH2 hard, while Fronkel and Stewart exchange attacks
Fronkel and Stewart barely avoid a collision while Thom presses forward in attacking the balloon. Dossenbach lines up on the second target while Loerzer readies the camera
Thom fires a long burst into the balloon and sees his tracers stitch upward, striking the observer as he attempts to climb out of the basket and knocking him backwards. The last rounds ignite the balloon in a single place above the observer
Fronkel starts to circle to starboard, Loerzer says that was a good photo and to head to the next target. Capt. White continues to clear the bend cartridge from the ejection port
Stewart doubles back on Fronkel and causes minor damage, while below the Roland is struck by the AAMG near the balloon and begins smoking
Thom banks hard over, barely misses the nose of the burning balloon by a hand breath and begins diving in an attempt to extinguish the flames eating at his plane
With the dive successfully putting out the flames, Thom finds the oily smoke difficult to breath. Capt. White clears the jam and flips around to seek his next target. Loerzer announces that even with the smoking engine he was able to get a great photo, just as an AAMG round catches him in the left side.
Stewart and Fronkel's second head on pass results in clean misses for both
White speeds toward the smoking Roland, while Thom begins and left-hand climbing turn toward the DH2
Seeing his friend being wounded, Dossenbach decides that two good photos are enough and turns to head back to the airfield. Fronkel starts a diving right-hand turn into Capt. White's DH2
Firing through the thick smoke, Thom completely misses the DH2 in front of him. But the rounds from Fronkel sets him on fire and shatters the spar of the lower right-hand wing of Captain White's aircraft. Lt Stewart dives on the Roland and actually hits with his burst, wounding the pilot
Fronkel turns into the last DH2 and the flaming wreckage of its squadron mate makes its way to earth. Seeing the Roland wobbling on a homeward path, Thom figures it is best to follow along behind him
The final thoughts of Captain Geoffery White are lost to history as his aircraft impacts in a fireball and creates a new divot in No Man's Land
While passing wingtip to wingtip, Lt Stewart makes a rude hand gesture at Fronkel and Thom and the Roland continue to head to home
Reversing back, Fronkel damages the remaining DH2 seriously while the long range shots from Stewart reignites the engine of Fw Thom
The close range attack by Fronkel shredded the wings of Stewart's DH2 and sends him downward in a hail of falling aircraft parts
Wilhelm is helpless to do anything but watch as Thom attempts another dive to extinguish his burning aircraft. When that fails to work, Thom attempts to land as close to his own front lines as possible but the rough terrain causes him to lose control and the Halberstadt cartwheels into a pile to ripped fabric and broken spars. A group of Pioneers recover his burned and broken body after sun-set. With the loss of the other Halberstadt, Fronkel keeps a close watch over the Roland. But even while wounded himself, Lt Dossenbach manages to bring the crippled aircraft to the landing field. After landing his own plane, Wilhlem watches as the ambulance crew removes the two wounded men from the Roland and the camera is recovered.
Fronkel mutters to himself, "I wonder if this one will be marked as a win, loss or draw..."
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