Flying Officer Kyte
11-09-2012, 05:11
As soon as we had recovered from our deployment to the new French airfield,Le petit creux boueux, we were soon apprised of our mission by Major Kyte. It seemed as if our Allies had been bogged down as a series of Hun Jastas had been assigned to bolster this area of the front.
To make ourselves as much of a nuisance as possible to the new routine of the Germans before they could settle in, each Flight was instructed to make a raid on one of the enemy airfields just after they had landed from their morning patrol, and before the planes had been refuelled.
As usual Hawkwood and Perry drew the short straw and got Jasta 11 as their objective.
After an abnormally late breakfast, the Flight took off, with the exception of Farmer who was on leave and Evans who could not get his engine to fire up.
By the time they had crossed the lines, Bassett had been damaged by Archie and Davis had been forced to land inside the French lines with a blocked intake problem.
Not an auspicious start to our courtesy call, mused Hawkwood, as he glanced over his shoulder half expecting to see the spectre of an all red Triplane bearing down on him at any moment.
However nothing more untoward transpired as the remaining pair of SE5s sped toward the Jasta 11 airfield.
64953
Had Hawkwood been aware of the fact that at that moment in time the Red Barron was dispatching another totally different type of quarry in the forest of Bialowicz, he would have been much more at ease as he made his first pass over the completely unprepared airfield.
64951
On the ground he could see at least six Triplanes, and a row of tents obviously being used until the drome was established properly.
64952
Overflying the first row of aircraft Perry off loaded his clutch of bombs to good effect and then proceeded to beat up the rest of the aircraft in the line.
64954
Hawkwood also staffed the same machines and both aircraft then climbed for height, before pulling a sharp turn and giving the same planes a return visit.
64955
64956
By this time three of the planes had started to taxi and Hawkwood took the opportunity of finishing the last one off on the ground before having to climb for height once more.
64958
64957
64959
64960
64961
On the next pass, the enemy were starting to take off and our intrepid pilots were also getting some attention from a machine gun which had now been manned by the ground crew.
64962
Nevertheless, Hawkwood got in a burst which started the taking off plane below him smoking,
64963
and Perry who had not fired pulled an Immelmann turn and delivered a devastating fusillade into the plane below him, wounding the pilot, just as it took to the air. However, , at this juncture, Perry himself was set ablaze in cross fire from the ground.
64964
64965
Hawkwood meantime gave the rearward Triplane another telling burst from behind.
In spite of the fire, Perry continued to blaze away at the enemy, and caught the blue Triplane twice in quick succession, killing its pilot as both planes strove for more height.
64966
64967
As even more enemy aircraft were now taking off, and with serious damage to Perry, both he and Hawkwood headed for home copping even more ground fire as they went.
64969
The fire damage to Perry was so bad that he was eventually forced to crash land just short of his own Drome when he lost all power to his engine.
64968
The Butcher’s Bill.
Ginger Hawkwood. Returned to base with little damage, and destroyed one plane on the ground.
John Perry. Crash landed short of his home field due to fire damage. Destroyed two enemy
in the air.
64970
Jasta II. One aircraft destroyed on the ground and two in the air.
64971
To make ourselves as much of a nuisance as possible to the new routine of the Germans before they could settle in, each Flight was instructed to make a raid on one of the enemy airfields just after they had landed from their morning patrol, and before the planes had been refuelled.
As usual Hawkwood and Perry drew the short straw and got Jasta 11 as their objective.
After an abnormally late breakfast, the Flight took off, with the exception of Farmer who was on leave and Evans who could not get his engine to fire up.
By the time they had crossed the lines, Bassett had been damaged by Archie and Davis had been forced to land inside the French lines with a blocked intake problem.
Not an auspicious start to our courtesy call, mused Hawkwood, as he glanced over his shoulder half expecting to see the spectre of an all red Triplane bearing down on him at any moment.
However nothing more untoward transpired as the remaining pair of SE5s sped toward the Jasta 11 airfield.
64953
Had Hawkwood been aware of the fact that at that moment in time the Red Barron was dispatching another totally different type of quarry in the forest of Bialowicz, he would have been much more at ease as he made his first pass over the completely unprepared airfield.
64951
On the ground he could see at least six Triplanes, and a row of tents obviously being used until the drome was established properly.
64952
Overflying the first row of aircraft Perry off loaded his clutch of bombs to good effect and then proceeded to beat up the rest of the aircraft in the line.
64954
Hawkwood also staffed the same machines and both aircraft then climbed for height, before pulling a sharp turn and giving the same planes a return visit.
64955
64956
By this time three of the planes had started to taxi and Hawkwood took the opportunity of finishing the last one off on the ground before having to climb for height once more.
64958
64957
64959
64960
64961
On the next pass, the enemy were starting to take off and our intrepid pilots were also getting some attention from a machine gun which had now been manned by the ground crew.
64962
Nevertheless, Hawkwood got in a burst which started the taking off plane below him smoking,
64963
and Perry who had not fired pulled an Immelmann turn and delivered a devastating fusillade into the plane below him, wounding the pilot, just as it took to the air. However, , at this juncture, Perry himself was set ablaze in cross fire from the ground.
64964
64965
Hawkwood meantime gave the rearward Triplane another telling burst from behind.
In spite of the fire, Perry continued to blaze away at the enemy, and caught the blue Triplane twice in quick succession, killing its pilot as both planes strove for more height.
64966
64967
As even more enemy aircraft were now taking off, and with serious damage to Perry, both he and Hawkwood headed for home copping even more ground fire as they went.
64969
The fire damage to Perry was so bad that he was eventually forced to crash land just short of his own Drome when he lost all power to his engine.
64968
The Butcher’s Bill.
Ginger Hawkwood. Returned to base with little damage, and destroyed one plane on the ground.
John Perry. Crash landed short of his home field due to fire damage. Destroyed two enemy
in the air.
64970
Jasta II. One aircraft destroyed on the ground and two in the air.
64971