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Charlie3
02-21-2010, 18:07
I was digging through my library and found this in a Squadron Signal book about there S.E.5a.

The planes used in this discription are the S.E.5s The 5a's did not start performance testing until late May of 1917.

The first combat patrol of the S.E.5 took place on 22 April 1917, when Ball led four other other pilots of No56 Squadron on a mission near the front lines. Since the S.E.5 was still a new and secret aircraft, the pilots were ordered NOT to cross the front lines under any circumstances. Ball attacked an Albatros two seater between Lievin and Crosisilles and fired three 97 round Lewis gun drums from 150 yards. The German dived to the safety of its own lines. Ball mindful of his orders did not pursue.

Four Days later Ball scored the first S.E.5 victory by shooting down two German aircraft. He describes the incident in his combat report:

Note; S.E.5 A4850 is his aircraft serial number. "FE" stands for Flying Enemy
and "H.A." stands for Hun Aircraft

S.E.5 A4850 on patrol, Lens to Arras, at a height of 13,000 feet saw FE.s coming from Cambrai. Number of H.A. observed getting off ground somewhere east of Cambrai until H.A. were about 6,000 feet, and dived at nearest H.A. firing a drum of Lewis and about fifty rounds of Vickers at the same time at a range of about twenty yards. H.A. went down quite out of control, and crashed in wood northeast of Cambrai.
S.E.5 A4850 turned in order to return to the lines, but by this time about five H.A. had got round on the west side. S.E.5 A4850 fired Vickers and tried to get through but could not, so turned southeast. H.A. followed, one getting far in advance of the others. S.E.5 A4850 turned on this, diving, and firing Lewis and all rounds Vickers until right up to H.A. H.A. burst into flames on right side and crashed.
The remainder of the H.A. followed, firing and got a few hits on S.E.5 A4850. S.E.5 A4850 fired two remaining drums Lewis at the nearest H.A. which was a single-seater Scout with a very long tail and sharp nose. This went down, but was all O.K. S.E.5 A4850continued southeast until dusk, after which H.A. had all left.

On 7 May 1917, Ball was flying an offensive patrol north of Cambrai behind enemy lines. They engaged four Albatros DIIIs of Jasta 11. There was heavy cloud cover, and he was last seen chasing an Albatros into the overcast. He ended up crashing to his death. When pulled from the wreckage, Ball's body showed no sign of bullet wounds. German eyewitnesses reported that his plane came out of the low clouds at a sharp angle, however the plane was inverted. It is thought that Ball got disoriented in the cloud cover, and was unable to roll back over before he hit the ground. The Germans buried him with full military honors.

I found the battle report by Ball himself intresting since it talks about his targets bursting into flames suddenly.