OTT BE Mission 12, 21 Apr 1918, Another Day over the Somme (Carl Brisgamer)

[Carl_Brisgamer]

PROLOGUE

1500 metres over the Somme Valley
21 April 1918
1115hrs



As he climbed through 1500 metres heading south west, Kapitänleutnant Willi Mattheus scanned the sky from the cockpit of his Albatros D.Va - right to left, up, down, and as always finishing with glance over his shoulder. To his left he could see another Albatros with Vizeflugmeister Hans Goerth at the controls. He was a good pilot and steady in a fight with four victories to his credit. On his right flew another NCO pilot, Vizeflugmeister Alexander Zenzes. He had only recently been posted to the See Adlers, but although this was his first patrol with his new Staffel he was no tyro with a confirmed victory of a Tommy bomber scored when he was assigned to the Seefront Staffel. Zenzes had replaced Leutnant Paul Achilles, who had fallen just two weeks ago. For Mattheus it still felt strange to fly without Achilles on his wing. Things had ended badly for his friend, who had been lost to the war long before he crashed his Pfalz into that English warship.

But now was no time for sentimentality, there were more battles to fight. Mattheus was leading the entire See Adler Gruppe over the front today. And his was not the only formation committed to the action with Jagdgeschwader 1 commanded by Rittmeister Freiherr Manfred von Richthofen sharing the same sky. The English Lords had taken their recent defeats rather badly and were pushing back hard. They were throwing everything they had into the fight, and of machines and men they had plenty. The only saving grace was that many of their pilots seemed to have little experience and could be taken easily by the veterans of the Marinefliegerkorps and Luftstreitkräfte. But each day some of these ‘green-horns’ as the Americans called them survived their baptisms of fire and soon were learning the tricks of the trade. Mattheus could see a day when the Tommies, the French and even perhaps the Amis would have enough of these men to challenge the best Germany could offer.

‘Better we win the war quickly before that day comes,’ Mattheus thought to himself as his eyes again began the task of spotting the enemy before they could spot him…..

[Carl_Brisgamer]

2000 metres over the Somme Valley
1130hrs
21 April 1918



Some forty minutes after taking off from the See Adler’s temporary forward airfield, Kapitänleutnant Mattheus had still not contacted any enemy formations. He had led his Kette right across the front and was now heading east back towards the German lines. It was only now that he saw three black shapes at 1 o’clock, at about the same altitude. As they closed Mattheus made out the familiar sight of three snub nosed Sopwith Camels – so the Tommies were up and about after all!



The Englishmen had obviously picked up his Kette as well for within moments they had changed course and were flying right at Mattheus and his men.



Machine guns barked as the Albatrosen and Camels flashed past each other. Mattheus’ burst stitched up a Camel with visible bullet strikes all over the cowl of the aircraft. The return fire from one of the enemy missed him by a wide margin but he was lucky to avoid the attack of the second (Ace skill Lucky pilot used to avoid 5 damage pilot wound). As the formations passed each other the wild manoeuvres started, each man trying to get behind an enemy machine. In such times inexperience can be telling, and so it was that two of the Camels collided, the one shot up by Mattheus suffering severe damage to its upper wing. Mattheus brought his nose around in an Immelmann and fired another burst of 7,92mm bullets into the stricken Camel, which immediately caught fire!



The Camel was well and truly ablaze as Mattheus banked around to finish his quarry. As he was about to fire another burst however the Camel’s fuel tank exploded and the entire aircraft fell to earth a fiery ruin. Just as he was about to look for his next opponent Mattheus saw the Camel pilot throw himself from the pyre, his flying suit already smoking. For just a few seconds Mattheus watched as the Tommy fell spinning head over heels towards the ground.



What Mattheus could not see was a lone Camel making his way towards the west almost 1500 metres below. The English machine's course was wildly erratic, as if the very Devil himself was in pursuit….



Far above Mattheus performed another Immelmann to face the other two Camels. After dispatching his first so handily he was confident he could quickly dispose of another. As he lined up one the Camels and pushed the buttons on his Maxim guns he could see the muzzles of twin Vickers machine guns sparkling as the Tommy returned fire. What he did not see was the stream of fire coming from the second Camel. The next second Mattheus felt like he had been kicked by a horse! His left arm went limp, his hand falling away from the stick. Looking down he could see a ragged hole in his flying jacket and blood flowing freely down the sleeve. “The bastard got me,” he said in disbelief, as an excruciating pain began to radiate into his shoulder. Collecting his wits Mattheus locked the controls of his Albatros with his good hand and reached up, pulling his white silk scarf from his neck. Biting one end with his teeth he then fed the other under his left arm and pulled it back across the front just above the wound. Pulling with his hand and his head Mattheus fought back waves of terrible pain as he tightened the scarf around the limb. Keeping the ligature tight with the end between his teeth, Mattheus tied off the other before sagging back into the cockpit.



‘Get a hold man, you are still in a fight!’ he reminded himself, as he forced himself to look about the sky. It was only now looking down that he saw another Camel flying at low level, with an all red Fokker Triplane on his tail. ‘Could it be?’ thought Mattheus, until matters closer to home caught his attention. Goerth and Zenzes were still engaged with the other two Camels, trying to keep them off his back. Mattheus unlocked his controls and with his good hand pulled the aircraft around. Every manoeuvre brought a fresh wave of pain, but at least he was starting to gain some feeling back in his left hand. By this time the other Camels and his men had climbed another 300 metres or so higher than Mattheus.



About to climb Mattheus again glanced downward and he saw the red Fokker still pursuing his Camel, but now it was pursued by a second Camel!. Mattheus was still 1500 metres above the fight and in no position to offer any aid, or even a warning. It was then he saw the red Fokker tumble from the sky, crashing into a ploughed field along the banks of the Somme. Mattheus felt a cold fear rise within him, ‘No it could not be, he would not let himself get caught so low, and alone. He is too good.'



There was nothing to be done, so he turned back to his own fight. It was then Mattheus saw Vizeflugmeister Zenzes fire a long burst into the Camel that had almost killed him. The Englishman started to spiral down, slowly at first then picking up speed until the Camel crashed to the ground south of the river. With two of his comrades down the third Camel used its superior rate of climb to pull away from the See Adlers. A few moments later Hans Goerth was beside Mattheus’ machine, pulling up his goggles. His face a mask of concern Goerth pointed in the direction of home. Mattheus nodded and set his course. The battle now over Mattheus could feel himself weakening as precious blood spilled from his wound. Passing over the site of the crashed red Fokker he resolved to make it back no matter what it took. This would not be his last flight…it was just another day over the Somme.

VICTORY POINTS

CENTRAL POWERS
Two aircraft shot down = 4
Total = 4

ENTENTE
Ace Fokker Dr.I shot down = 4
Rookie Camel exits west edge of battle area = 3
Veteran Camel exits west edge of battle area = 1
Total = 8

ENTENTE VICTORY

[Carl_Brisgamer]

SEE ADLER STAFFEL



Kapitänleutnant Willi Mattheus, Gruppenkommandeur See Adler Gruppe (Jagdflieger – yellow Albatros D.Va with blue and red fuselage bands)
WIA RTB (3 damage) / 1 kill (Sopwith Camel down in flames, thirteenth confirmed victory, first wound in action, qualified for award of the Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz)
C&W rolled 4 + 1 Ace - 1 WIA + 3 LSA = 7 - Injured - Skip 1D2 (2) Scenarios.

Bleeding heavily from a bullet wound to his left arm Kapitänleutnant Mattheus nevertheless brought his Albatros down safely. Barely conscious on landing at the airfield, Mattheus received emergency medical care to stabilise his condition before being sent to the military hospital. Doctors removed bullet fragments and within the week he was well enough to travel. Mattheus was summoned to Berlin for specialist treatment. As the highest scoring ‘Kanone’ of the Marinefliegerkorps Mattheus was also called upon to make public appearances to raise morale at home. He was even photographed for a Sanke-Postcard! By the end of May 1918 Kapitänleutnant Mattheus was sufficiently recovered to return to flying duties and resume his leadership of the See Adler Gruppe.



Vizeflugmeister Hans Goerth, See Adler Staffel (Jagdflieger – yellow Albatros D.Va with two black fuselage stripes)
RTB (7 damage) / 0 kills

Vizeflugmeister Hans Goerth suspected his Gruppenkommandeur had been wounded in the fight over the Somme Valley and stuck close by his wing all the way back to the field. On landing he was the first to reach Mattheus’ Albatros and helped his commanding officer from the cockpit. Goerth stayed with Kapitänleutnant Mattheus until his condition was stable and he was transferred to hospital.



Vizeflugmeister Alexander Zenzes, See Adler Staffel (Jagdflieger – yellow Albatros D.Va with single black fuselage stripe)
RTB (6 damage) / 1 kill (Sopwith Camel; second confirmed victory – qualified for award of Eisernes Kreuz II.Klasse)

Vizeflugmeister Alexander Zenzes marked his debut sortie as a member of the See Adler Staffel by shooting down the English pilot who wounded his Gruppenkommandeur Kapitänleutnant Willi Mattheus.

ACE FOKKER DR.I



Rittmeister Freiherr Manfred von Richthofen of JG1 was shot down and killed over the Somme on 21 April 1918. He was buried the next day with full military honours at Bertangles Cemetery.


BULLDOGS



Second Lieutenant Albert Thompson, 209 Sqn RAF (Scout pilot, Sopwith Camel with black & white fuselage stripes)
SD FT / 0 kills
C&W rolled 5 – 1 SD = 4 - Injured - Skip 1D6 (6) Scenarios

Second Lieutenant Albert Thompson managed force land his stricken Camel in friendly territory. Suffering several fractures to his legs and back in the crash he was taken to an aid station before being dispatched by field ambulance to hospital in Amiens. Two weeks later 2Lt. Thompson was onboard a hospital ship bound for Blighty. His recovery was long and painful but after three months 2Lt. Thompson returned to flying duties with his squadron, arriving back in France by the first week of August 1918.



Second Lieutenant James Dolan, 209 Sqn RAF (Scout pilot, first Sopwith Camel with hearts insignia)
EXP FT / 0 kills
C&W rolled 3 – 3 EXP = 0 – Dead!

Second Lieutenant Dolan jumped from his burning Camel, falling to his death along the banks of the River Somme. The next day James Dolan was buried in the Bertangles cemetery, just hours prior to the funeral of the German ace Rittmeister Freiherr Manfred von Richthofen. He was just nineteen years old.



Second Lieutenant Gordon Sides, 209 Sqn RAF (Scout pilot, second Sopwith Camel with hearts insignia)
RTB (7 damage) / 0 kills

The only member of his flight to return safely to the Bulldogs aerodrome following their fight with the See Adler Staffel, Second Lieutenant Sides was considered fortunate to have survived his first trip over the lines.

Veteran Camel and Rookie Camel



Captain Roy Brown saved his friend and comrade Second Lieutenant Wilfrid May from becoming the 'Red Baron's' 81st victory. Brown was credited with his tenth and final victory for downing the German 'Ace of Aces'.

[Carl_Brisgamer]

So as you can see gentlemen, my OTTBE Mission 12 did not deviate from the historical record. I have to apologise for the small number of images available, I lost some when resizing due to a folder mix up . Despite this near disaster I think I saved some of the more important shots - and the accompanying narrative covers the action.

After a dozen missions without a scratch a bullet finally found Willi Mattheus. With the exception of the replacement Alex Zenzes, Oberleutnant Werner Bastian is the only one of the See Adler Jadgflieger yet to be wounded (touch wood!).

[flash]

Great AAR for all that. The pics are striking, thank goodness you didn't erase the lot !

Onkel says:

A sad day for us all but at least our boys made it home even if not in one piece - a bit of rest and recuperation for our gallant leader and an award he may have preferred to do without but it could have been much worse. We can also celebrate an Iron cross 2nd class for our latest pilot who may just have saved our leaders bacon.

[Carl_Brisgamer]

Danke Onkel.

The pilot wound wrought havoc on my plan to dive down and help the red Fokker, for Mattheus was at the time the only one facing the right way to assist. That and von Richthofen received an explosion card from Brown after only four shots!

[Setarius]

Nicely done Carl.
I just thought the lack of pictures meant this was a super quick mission for you.
Keep up the good work.

[Carl_Brisgamer]

Nicely done Carl.
I just thought the lack of pictures meant this was a super quick mission for you.
Keep up the good work.

It actually was a pretty quick mission, once the Ace Fokker was downed during turn 5 the two low level Camels went for home without delay, and the last Camel upstairs just climbed away from the Albatros D.Vas. All over by the end of turn 6.

[gully_raker]

Well that could have been much worse for your See Adlers if Willi did not have the Lucky Git ability.
Thank the Lord you did not loose any more photos Carl as it would have spoilt a really great AAR.
As I have said before its amazing how often History is repeated in Historically based games.
Great story as always mate & Rep inbound!

[Stumptonian]

Another great AAR, Carl. Your pictures told the tale very well - I never suspected any were missing.
A BOOM for MvR certainly ended that part of the story
Congrats on the two kills - makes the result a little easier to swallow.

[Carl_Brisgamer]

Well that could have been much worse for your See Adlers if Willi did not have the Lucky Git ability.
Thank the Lord you did not loose any more photos Carl as it would have spoilt a really great AAR.
As I have said before its amazing how often History is repeated in Historically based games.
Great story as always mate & Rep inbound!

Thanks Barry. The early wound card forced the deployment of the Lucky Git ability, but given that was a 5 damage Mattheus would have had to beat an early retreat so likely would not have been around to get the second wound. The early demise of von Richthofen curtailed the game, but as you say the result followed the path of history.

[Carl_Brisgamer]

Another great AAR, Carl. Your pictures told the tale very well - I never suspected any were missing.
A BOOM for MvR certainly ended that part of the story
Congrats on the two kills - makes the result a little easier to swallow.

Thanks Pete. If it had been May 1918 and the Fokker D.VIIs been in service the third Camel would likely have fallen as well - but at this time the Sopwith's climb rate of 2 compared with 4 for the Albatros D.Va made pursuit futile.

[Flying Helmut]

Very nice AAR Carl!

Thanks Pete. If it had been May 1918 and the Fokker D.VIIs been in service the third Camel would likely have fallen as well - but at this time the Sopwith's climb rate of 2 compared with 4 for the Albatros D.Va made pursuit futile.

The Camel's climb rate is 3, isn't it? Still good enough to out-climb the Albatri.

[Carl_Brisgamer]

Very nice AAR Carl!

The Camel's climb rate is 3, isn't it? Still good enough to out-climb the Albatri.

Yes that's right 3 it is - can't wait for the D.VII then we will see who outclimbs who!

[tikkifriend]

A sad day indeed for us Adlers, but a couple of Tommie planes less to think about.

[tikkifriend]

Yes that's right 3 it is - can't wait for the D.VII then we will see who outclimbs who!

Ah Speaking of which I hope you have some lying about for my July scenario

[Carl_Brisgamer]

Ah Speaking of which I hope you have some lying about for my July scenario

I have eight D.VIIs in the hangar, so bring it on Paul!

[Stumptonian]

Looking forward to finally flying my D.VIIs

Especially a certain one...

[Teaticket]

Another great AAR Carl. Another successful outing for the See Alders, 2 kills and they all flew home.

Photo mishaps are a real pain especially after going through so much effort to record the battle. I've been there and actually re-staged the lost photo or two when they are key shots of the fight.

So history repeats itself once again! How many MvRs will follow this path as we all fly this mission?

[tikkifriend]

I have eight D.VIIs in the hangar, so bring it on Paul!

Default
Looking forward to finally flying my D.VIIs

Especially a certain one...

Dust them off boys and start those engines.

[Carl_Brisgamer]

Berlin
10 Mai 1918
2000hrs



Kapitänleutnant Willi Mattheus stood by the window of his hotel room overlooking Berlin’s bustling Potsdamer Platz as the last glow of the setting sun died in the west. His left arm was still supported by a sling, but the pain of his wound was now little more than a dull ache as the muscle and flesh mended. Once out of his sick bed the Navy Office had wasted no time in putting Mattheus to work raising moral on the home front. Although but a fledgling Eagle beside the incomparable Manfred von Richthofen, whose loss had so shocked the nation, Mattheus was still the highest scoring Marinefliegerkorps Jadgflieger. He had been ordered to address gatherings of Berlin’s well-heeled as well as the crowds of common folk, to reassure them that victory was just around the corner. It was during these events that the state of the working class, and even bourgeois Berliners, had most shocked Mattheus.



All the troops at the front were aware the German people were suffering hardships due to the English blockade of German ports – not even ships from neutral countries were now permitted to pass unhindered. But it was not until he saw the pallid faces of women and children who had not enough to eat in weeks that Mattheus realised how bad conditions had become. Subsisting on a meagre diet of dark bread, a few grams of sausage, turnips and half a kilo of potatoes per week, the widows who stood in the ration queues were more concerned about their children's hunger than the deaths of their husbands at the front. It was the women who were suffering the worst deprivations. The mothers who made sure what little there was went into the mouths of their children while day after day they denied themselves. Their pale skin was drawn tight over bony frames, eyes sunken into sockets and lips drained of colour. Clothes were threadbare and worn-out shoes packed with newspaper barely stayed on their thin feet.



As he was driven through Berlin suburbs Mattheus had witnessed mothers and their children scrounging through piles of rubbish for edible morsels, and a crowd slaughtering a horse struck by a tram in the middle of the street. During his time in the hospital Mattheus had seen the stream of civilian patients suffering all manner of illnesses devastating weakened constitutions. Tuberculosis was particularly bad and was killing the German people at an alarming rate.



Now here he was in a well-appointed hotel room, and looked with no little guilt at the bottle of wine and supper of sausage, cheese and bread on the table. Mattheus felt a sudden fury at the English Lords and their French allies for inflicting such injuries on German civilians. Mattheus was a naval officer and it was his duty to fight and if necessary die for the Fatherland. He could take the fight to the enemy, but the women, children and old men of Germany were being starved to death with no chance of striking back.

Mattheus recalled a conversation with his close comrade Leutnant Paul Achilles, killed only a month before. After having a few too many at the mess Paul had told Mattheus, “We need to be as hard as iron to win this war. There can be no mercy to the enemy, the idea of the ‘honourable foe’ is out of date. We need to win Willi or else you will see how ‘honourable’ our enemies can be first hand. If that day comes I just hope I am not there to see it.”

‘Well Paul’, thought Mattheus, ‘if the worst happens at least you have your wish. But I think you may have been right – we must win, at any cost. Only then will the deprivations suffered by our people be ended and they can fill their bellies again.’

Mattheus looked back out his window as darkness fell over the German capital. He felt a desperate need to get back to the front, get back to his See Adlers, and get back in the air, for there was a war to win.

[gully_raker]

Very moving Epilogue Carl.

[Carl_Brisgamer]

Thanks Barry. Mattheus' wound was a good opportunity to touch on the German home front where conditions were pretty horrific by early 1918. By October 1918 German civilians were dying at a rate of 3500 people a day due to hunger and malnutrition, exceeding the numbers of German soldiers being killed on the battlefield. Unfortunately even the conclusion of the Armistice in November 1918 did not bring an end to the blockade of German ports. The Allies kept this boot on the throat of the German people until July 1919. By the time the restrictions on imports were lifted an estimated 520,000-860,000 German civilians had died due to starvation and disease as a result of the blockade, 100,000 of them after the fighting ceased.

[mikeemagnus]

Very interesting Carl! Quite eerie that the outcome of a game mirrors history so closely. I'm also glad that you didn't lose any more pics, as the AAR is excellent and it would have been a terrible shame had it not been supported by the photographs. Your prologue and epilogue are excellent, as always, and, like Barry, I found the latter very moving, despite already being only too aware of the conditions experienced by civilians in Germany at that time.
I'm glad Mattheus survived his injury - I'm guessing you wouldn't want to be losing a second of your pilots in quick succession Not a great outcome for your CP boys I'm afraid, but at least you did take down two more RFC pilots. And as you say, you have the DVIIs coming up shortly Looking forward to that encounter myself
Before that, though, I have a lot of catching up to do. Almost finished the preparation of the Vaux-sur-Somme (loosely look alike) terrain. That's been quite an undertaking and also contributed to the delays I've experienced in replying to so many excellent AARs recently - but I'm getting there slowly Rep on the way, assuming I'm permitted, and thanks for the really high quality AAR. Cheers, Mike

[Carl_Brisgamer]

Very interesting Carl! Quite eerie that the outcome of a game mirrors history so closely. I'm also glad that you didn't lose any more pics, as the AAR is excellent and it would have been a terrible shame had it not been supported by the photographs. Your prologue and epilogue are excellent, as always, and, like Barry, I found the latter very moving, despite already being only too aware of the conditions experienced by civilians in Germany at that time.
I'm glad Mattheus survived his injury - I'm guessing you wouldn't want to be losing a second of your pilots in quick succession Not a great outcome for your CP boys I'm afraid, but at least you did take down two more RFC pilots. And as you say, you have the DVIIs coming up shortly Looking forward to that encounter myself
Before that, though, I have a lot of catching up to do. Almost finished the preparation of the Vaux-sur-Somme (loosely look alike) terrain. That's been quite an undertaking and also contributed to the delays I've experienced in replying to so many excellent AARs recently - but I'm getting there slowly Rep on the way, assuming I'm permitted, and thanks for the really high quality AAR. Cheers, Mike

Thanks for the kind words Mike. It was rather inconvenient having Mattheus wounded just now, but it does give Werner Bastian a chance to lead the See Adlers for a couple of missions. And it gives the writer in me a chance to focus some of the narrative on other members of the Staffel.

I am looking forward to seeing your terrain next time out, it is always a treat.

[Flying Officer Kyte]

A very moving and well told AAR plus aftermath Carl. Just sorry it took me so long to catch up and give you the rep that you deserve.
Rob.