AAR - Von Richthofen vs Hawker 23 November 1916
On 23 November 1916 one of the most famous air-fights of the First World War took place in the skies over Bapaume between the first British air ace Major Lanoe Hawker VC DSO and up and coming Prussian Jagdflieger Leutnant Manfred von Richthofen. I played the following game on the anniversary of the death of Manfred von Richthofen. The game is not a recreation but a re-fight from the moment Major Hawker decided to attack. I ran Jasta 2 and my little wingman (Alex) controlled 'A' Flight.
The accounts of the battle submitted by the British pilots involved and that of the victor von Richthofen are not consistent, not surprising given the confused nature of aerial combat. To frame this fight I have used elements of both but relied mainly on the first hand account provided by Manfred von Richthofen.
The story starts here........
Bertangles Air Landing Ground, Northerm France
At 1300hrs (British time) on 23 November 1916 four No. 24 Sqn ‘A’ Flight DH 2s left Bertangles aerodrome on a defensive patrol of the British 4th Army front near Bapaume. Leading this quartet was ‘A’ Flight commander John Andrews (7 kills), accompanied by Capt Robert Henry Magnus Spencer Saundby (2 kills), 2Lt John Henry Crutch and, as a last-minute replacement, No. 24 Sqn CO Maj Lanoe George Hawker VC DSO (7 kills). Hawker’s command responsibilities had precluded his regular mission participation, which eroded his combat currency. Nevertheless, he made efforts to accompany his pilots whenever the pilot pool was low or, as was the reason for his participation with ‘A’ Flight’s sortie on 23 November, there was a ‘young pilot about to go on leave’ in whose slot the altruistic Hawker occupied lest misfortune befall an aviator so close to a well-earned respite.
Lagincourt Flugplatz, Northern France
“It was fine weather when I flew away from our aerodrome that day. I was in the best of spirits and keen for the hunt."
Manfred von Richthofen
The weather was fine that day with clear skies dominated by high pressure. ‘A’ Flight’s progress was uneventful until 1330hrs, when its pilots spotted a ‘rough house going on over Grandcourt’ between Nieuports of No. 60 Sqn RFC and unidentified hostile aircraft (HA). ‘A’ Flight power-dived to join the fight but arrived after the Nieuports had driven away most of the German aeroplanes. Crutch saw Hawker ‘go north after a single seater HA’ and began following, but his engine, already running rough, ‘cut out on two cylinders and started to knock’, necessitating his precautionary landing at No. 9 Sqn’s airfield near Morlancourt. There, Crutch discovered ‘two plugs damaged and tappet rods out of adjustment’ – maladies all-too-common with DH 2 7919, an aeroplane plagued with sundry engine malfunctions. Andrews, Saundby and Hawker continued inbound until shortly after 1350hrs when, near Achiet, the former spotted two German aircraft flying at 6,000ft northeast of Bapaume.
"Flying at an altitude of about ten thousand feet, I observed three English planes. I saw that they saw me, and from their maneuvers I gathered that our hopes for the day’s fun were mutual. They were hunting bent, the same as I. I was spoiling for a fight, and they impressed me much the same. They were above me, but I accepted the challenge. Being underneath and in no position to attack, I had to wait till the fellow dived on me. It was not long to wait. Soon he started down in a steep gliding dive, trying to catch me from behind.”
Manfred von Richthofen
Game-play: Von Richthofen's Albatros D.II starts at altitude 8 (with four climb counters) while his Jasta 2 comrades at altitude 10 above and behind him. 'A' Flight begins at altitude 9.
Andrews immediately led ‘A’ Flight into a diving attack that ‘drove them [the Germans] east’. During this chase Andrews scanned his surrounding airspace and discovered ‘two strong patrols of HA scouts above me’. He realised that a long pursuit of the eastward-fleeing Germans was imprudent in the face of such a threat and thus broke off his attack, but ‘a DH Scout, flown by Maj Hawker, dived past me and continued to pursue’. Not wanting to abandon Hawker, who was ostensibly unaware of the German scouts above him, Andrews and Saundby followed him eastward and ‘were at once attacked by the HA'.
“He opens fire with his machine gun. Five shots rip out, and I change my course quickly by a sharp turn to the left. He follows, and the mad circle starts."
Manfred von Richthofen
Game-play: Hawker dives on von Richthofen, who banks left and climbs to altitude 9 to avoid his attack. The action starts up high with the white nosed Albatros firing a burst at Saundby's DH.2. The rounds strike home and Saundby's aircraft starts to 'stink' leaving behind a trail of black smoke.
As the German aircraft dived on ‘A’ Flight, the RFC pilots found themselves involved in what Saundby’s logbook described as a ‘violent fight’. Two Albatrosses attacked his DH 2, forcing him to spiral ‘two or three times’ before the Germans disengaged and ‘zoomed off’.
Game-play: The white nosed Albatros fires a deflection burst at Andrews' DH.2 to no effect.
"He is trying to get behind me, and I am trying to get behind him."
Manfred von Richthofen
Game-play: As Hawker tries to get behind von Richthofen, Jasta 2 and 'A' Flight maintain altitude.
Game-play: The aerial melee about Hawker and von Richthofen develops.
Andrews went after the Albatros attacking Hawker and ‘drove him off, firing about 25 rounds at close range’, but in the process was attacked by a fourth Albatros.
Game-play: Andrews fires a burst at von Richthofen's Albatros but misses his mark.
Game-play: Saundby and the yellow Albatros exchange fire at close range. Saundby's aircraft is badly hit and the Albatros starts to smoke. Saundby's changes the magazine on his Lewis gun as the Jasta 2 pilot works to clear a jam on his Maxims.
Game-play: Andrews gets a telling burst at von Richthofen, bullets smashing into his D.II.
"Round and round we go in circles, like two madmen, almost two miles above the earth. Both our motors are going flat out; still neither of us seems to gain on the other. We are exactly opposite each other on the circumference of the circle, and in this position neither one of us can train our forward shooting machine guns on the other.”
Manfred von Richthofen
Game-play: Hawker and von Richthofen continue to circle each other whilst their comrades re-form above.
Game-play: Andrews gets another burst in at von Richthofen while the white nosed Albatros misses Saundby.
Game-play: Still trying to cover Major Hawker, Capt. Andrews hits von Richthofen again, things are looking grim for the German 'Kanone'. At the same time the other Jasta 2 pilots deliver telling blows to Andrews' and Saunby's DH.2s. Andrews pays a high price for defending Hawker as 7.92mm rounds set his aircraft alight and tear through his flesh.
Game-play: The yellow Albatros delivers the coup-de-grace to Saundby's DH.2 sending him down trailing smoke.
Game-play: The white nosed Albatros again blasts the wounded Andrews at close range, the long burst jamming his guns. The DH.2 goes down in flames.
“He was a fine sportsman, but I knew that in time my close presence behind and above him would be too much for him, particularly as all the time we were getting lower and lower and farther behind my lines. We were getting so close to the ground that he would soon have to decide whether he would have to land behind our lines or whether he would break the circle and, try to get back to his own side.”
Manfred von Richthofen
Game-play: With his squadron mates gone Hawker abandons his fight with von Richthofen and dives away to the west making for the British lines.
Game-play: Von Richthofen runs out of map as Hawker successfully exits the board. End of scenario.
BATTLE DE-BRIEF
The re-fight did not go the way of history - Major Hawker survived the encounter denying von Richthofen his eleventh victory but costing the lives of Captains Andrews and Saundby. German Grenadiers did not find Major Hawker's body in the cockpit, killed by a single bullet in the back of the head.
Despite this ahistorical outcome it was still clear that once Hawker dived to attack von Richthofen 'A' Flight was at a tactical disadvantage. The only way Hawker survived was by the sacrifice of his squadron mates. The other obvious lesson is that despite its agility the DH.2 is out-classed by the Albatros D.II, particularly in regarding to speed and firepower.
The fight was hard fought and bloody (all the best ones are).
Reply With Quote
Great re play of that historic battle Carl.
Originally Posted by gully_raker
Mike
Bookmarks