Flying Officer Kyte
02-10-2013, 03:32
FLIGHT OF THE GIANTS.
75287
It was just before dusk on Saturday 16th of February that a Flight of Giant Bombers set out from Gontrode commanded by Hauptmann von Bentivengni.
Their destination was London.
During the raid R12, commanded by Oberleutnant Hans Joachim von Seydlitz-Gerstenberg accidentally hit the Woolwich balloon apron clipping a cable with his port wing. Despite falling 1000 feet the aircraft continued on its way to bomb Beckenham, and returned home with only minor damage to the wing. Von Bentivengni in R39, bombed the Royal Hospital Chelsea with a giant 2,200lb bomb which demolished the North Eastern Wing, killing five members of one family. He was probably aiming at Victoria. Station, which was half a mile away.
Just before dawn on Sunday the 17th of February, “The Bulldogs” were briefed by Major Kyte. Two of the raiders had been spotted crossing the coast by an RNAS Airship. They were off course and obviously in trouble because both were flying at a low altitude.
75354
Due to heavy losses amongst 52 Sq. on the previous mission, an ad hoc strike force flying three Bristols was immediately scrambled to try and intercept the Giants before they could cross into German held territory.
75353
With Kyte grounded by “Boom” and Bouncer-Smythe hors de combat, it fell upon Hawkwood to lead the Flight. As his observer he took “Chips” Woodhead, with Perry and Farmer plus the old team of Frank Winter and “Dodger” Dodgson in the third machine.
The trio had plenty of time to gain altitude as dawn came up, and once clear of the few scudding clouds they had a clear view over the whole Front on the crisp but bright February morning.
It was Winter who spotted the first of the returning Giants, and firing a flare to alert his leader he swung his aircraft onto an interception course and dived towards the unsuspecting Gotha.
75355
Hawkwood and Woodhead had already spotted the other aircraft however, and continued to turn, dropping into the cloud base in an attempt to take the Giant by surprise.
Inadvertently all three aircraft managed to miss each other in the cloud, and the only indication that Hawkwood got was a massive turbulence beneath his Biff as if a giant Leviathan had just submerged below him in the cloudbank.
75356
Swiftly, Winter homed in upon the Gotha, and was joined by Perry, who swept in from behind.
75357
Although Perry was unable to score a hit because of engine damage sustained as he passed in front of the Staaken,
75360
Winter’s three forward guns riddled the fuselage, doing significant damage and setting it on fire, without taking any damage in the return of fire.
75359
Meanwhile, although still unsighted by the cloud, Hawkwood pulled an Immelmann and set off in pursuit of the Staaken.
75358
Winter and Perry continued to harry the Gotha, and on the next attack, although Winter had his rudder damaged, he again made his superior fire power tell and wounded the rear gunner.
75361
Hawkwood finally cleared the clouds, but as he opened fire upon the Staaken he received a burst in return which seemed to cease abruptly after doing a little damage to one of his wing spars.
75362
The Gotha was now in dire straits, being harried from the rear by Perry, and with no gunner to return fire. Perry now crippled its Left rudder.
75363
At that very moment, just as the fight reached the Allied front line, two Albatrii hove into view some distance to the East but climbing rapidly to the succour of their beleaguered colleagues.
75364
Long before they came up, however, Hawkwood put a round through the Staaken’s second engine, the first having been knocked out over the English coast by a marauding Comic Camel of the Home Defence Force.
75365
All was now up with the Gotha, for Perry delivered the coup de grace, sending it crashing to its doom in the middle of No man’s Land.
75366
75367
By now the Staaken’s third engine was smoking badly as Hawkwood cleverly positioned himself in its blind spot, thus avoiding any return fire from the rear gunners.
75368
Having dispatched the Gotha, Perry and Winter were also closing in on the Staaken from the left.
75369
75370
Very soon it was bracketed in a hail of fire from three directions, making it unable to concentrate its return fire on any single aircraft.
75371
It was at this moment that Hawkwood set it on fire, just as Perry’s forward gun jammed and return fire from the Staaken started his engine smoking badly.
75372
As they pursued the Staaken over the German side of the trenches, Perry continued to receive fire from the Hun’s rear guns.
75373
At last Hawkwood got into position to fire another telling burst which took out the last of the Staaken’s engines, and sent it down to plough a furrow through the German rear support trenches, as its pilot skilfully glided the still burning aircraft to a halt.
75374
75375
Several figures emerged from the wreck, but before Hawkwood could check up on them the two Albatrii, arrived on the scene intent on revenge.
As the Hun machines bore down on Perry and Hawkwood, Winter, who was still struggling with his stuttering engine emerged from the clouds on their starboard side and raked the nearest machine with his triple guns causing it to stagger left, before his guns jammed once again.
75376
As the planes flicked past each other, all just avoiding collisions, the only successful hits came from Winter’s observer, “Dodger “Dodgson who scored another hit on the closest Albatros,
75377
before all the aircraft separated and attempted to swing back into the action.
75378
The two Albatrii taking refuge in the clouds once again.
75379
Hawkwood now had a narrow escape, as the leading Albatros suddenly appeared out of the cloud an fired on him from his port side.
75381
75380
As he attempted to seek safety in the cloud himself, the second Hun machine suddenly appeared and he was caught by fire from both machines at once.
75382
Frank Winter now dived to his Flight commander’s rescue and drove off the rearmost Hun, before his guns jammed for the third time that morning.
75383
The Bristols now all pursued the rearmost Albatros until two of them getting him in crossfire, he came suddenly to pieces in the air and fell to the ground. The credit for the aircraft going to Winter’s rear gunner Dodgson.
75384
75386
The fallen German’s compatriot was so incensed by the sudden demise of his Wingman, that he spattered Winter’s machine with his Spandaus, before diving straight at him in a suicidal frenzy.
75385
Despite Winter attempting to avoid the oncoming Hun, his engine faltered at the wrong moment and both aircraft collided as they banked in the same direction.
75387
75388
Winter came off the worst, his plane taking more serious damage, and Winter himself being struck on the head by flying debris.
75389
Finally managing to bank away, the Germans machine was seen to have caught fire.
75390
With no more to be gained by either side, all planes broke away toward their own side of the lines, but not before Dodgson managed to get a parting shot into the retreating Hun with the last of his ammunition, and being seen on his way by Winter with his own engine on its last legs.
75391
Frank did not persue too determinedly.
75392
He managed to bring down his machine in a stalling glide at the first airfield on the Allied side of the trenches, and the German succeeded in extinguishing his fire by a steep dive just before landing back at his home field.
THE BUTCHER’S BILL.
Bulldogs.
All returned to base. Winter wounded and his machine was written off as un-repairable.
Hawkwood was credited with one Staaken destroyed.
Perry, credited with one Gotha destroyed.
Dodgson, credited with one Albatros destroyed.
75395
GERMANS.
Losses:- One Staaken, one Gotha, and one Albatros.
75393
One Albatros returned to airfield with serious damage.
75394
Rob.
75287
It was just before dusk on Saturday 16th of February that a Flight of Giant Bombers set out from Gontrode commanded by Hauptmann von Bentivengni.
Their destination was London.
During the raid R12, commanded by Oberleutnant Hans Joachim von Seydlitz-Gerstenberg accidentally hit the Woolwich balloon apron clipping a cable with his port wing. Despite falling 1000 feet the aircraft continued on its way to bomb Beckenham, and returned home with only minor damage to the wing. Von Bentivengni in R39, bombed the Royal Hospital Chelsea with a giant 2,200lb bomb which demolished the North Eastern Wing, killing five members of one family. He was probably aiming at Victoria. Station, which was half a mile away.
Just before dawn on Sunday the 17th of February, “The Bulldogs” were briefed by Major Kyte. Two of the raiders had been spotted crossing the coast by an RNAS Airship. They were off course and obviously in trouble because both were flying at a low altitude.
75354
Due to heavy losses amongst 52 Sq. on the previous mission, an ad hoc strike force flying three Bristols was immediately scrambled to try and intercept the Giants before they could cross into German held territory.
75353
With Kyte grounded by “Boom” and Bouncer-Smythe hors de combat, it fell upon Hawkwood to lead the Flight. As his observer he took “Chips” Woodhead, with Perry and Farmer plus the old team of Frank Winter and “Dodger” Dodgson in the third machine.
The trio had plenty of time to gain altitude as dawn came up, and once clear of the few scudding clouds they had a clear view over the whole Front on the crisp but bright February morning.
It was Winter who spotted the first of the returning Giants, and firing a flare to alert his leader he swung his aircraft onto an interception course and dived towards the unsuspecting Gotha.
75355
Hawkwood and Woodhead had already spotted the other aircraft however, and continued to turn, dropping into the cloud base in an attempt to take the Giant by surprise.
Inadvertently all three aircraft managed to miss each other in the cloud, and the only indication that Hawkwood got was a massive turbulence beneath his Biff as if a giant Leviathan had just submerged below him in the cloudbank.
75356
Swiftly, Winter homed in upon the Gotha, and was joined by Perry, who swept in from behind.
75357
Although Perry was unable to score a hit because of engine damage sustained as he passed in front of the Staaken,
75360
Winter’s three forward guns riddled the fuselage, doing significant damage and setting it on fire, without taking any damage in the return of fire.
75359
Meanwhile, although still unsighted by the cloud, Hawkwood pulled an Immelmann and set off in pursuit of the Staaken.
75358
Winter and Perry continued to harry the Gotha, and on the next attack, although Winter had his rudder damaged, he again made his superior fire power tell and wounded the rear gunner.
75361
Hawkwood finally cleared the clouds, but as he opened fire upon the Staaken he received a burst in return which seemed to cease abruptly after doing a little damage to one of his wing spars.
75362
The Gotha was now in dire straits, being harried from the rear by Perry, and with no gunner to return fire. Perry now crippled its Left rudder.
75363
At that very moment, just as the fight reached the Allied front line, two Albatrii hove into view some distance to the East but climbing rapidly to the succour of their beleaguered colleagues.
75364
Long before they came up, however, Hawkwood put a round through the Staaken’s second engine, the first having been knocked out over the English coast by a marauding Comic Camel of the Home Defence Force.
75365
All was now up with the Gotha, for Perry delivered the coup de grace, sending it crashing to its doom in the middle of No man’s Land.
75366
75367
By now the Staaken’s third engine was smoking badly as Hawkwood cleverly positioned himself in its blind spot, thus avoiding any return fire from the rear gunners.
75368
Having dispatched the Gotha, Perry and Winter were also closing in on the Staaken from the left.
75369
75370
Very soon it was bracketed in a hail of fire from three directions, making it unable to concentrate its return fire on any single aircraft.
75371
It was at this moment that Hawkwood set it on fire, just as Perry’s forward gun jammed and return fire from the Staaken started his engine smoking badly.
75372
As they pursued the Staaken over the German side of the trenches, Perry continued to receive fire from the Hun’s rear guns.
75373
At last Hawkwood got into position to fire another telling burst which took out the last of the Staaken’s engines, and sent it down to plough a furrow through the German rear support trenches, as its pilot skilfully glided the still burning aircraft to a halt.
75374
75375
Several figures emerged from the wreck, but before Hawkwood could check up on them the two Albatrii, arrived on the scene intent on revenge.
As the Hun machines bore down on Perry and Hawkwood, Winter, who was still struggling with his stuttering engine emerged from the clouds on their starboard side and raked the nearest machine with his triple guns causing it to stagger left, before his guns jammed once again.
75376
As the planes flicked past each other, all just avoiding collisions, the only successful hits came from Winter’s observer, “Dodger “Dodgson who scored another hit on the closest Albatros,
75377
before all the aircraft separated and attempted to swing back into the action.
75378
The two Albatrii taking refuge in the clouds once again.
75379
Hawkwood now had a narrow escape, as the leading Albatros suddenly appeared out of the cloud an fired on him from his port side.
75381
75380
As he attempted to seek safety in the cloud himself, the second Hun machine suddenly appeared and he was caught by fire from both machines at once.
75382
Frank Winter now dived to his Flight commander’s rescue and drove off the rearmost Hun, before his guns jammed for the third time that morning.
75383
The Bristols now all pursued the rearmost Albatros until two of them getting him in crossfire, he came suddenly to pieces in the air and fell to the ground. The credit for the aircraft going to Winter’s rear gunner Dodgson.
75384
75386
The fallen German’s compatriot was so incensed by the sudden demise of his Wingman, that he spattered Winter’s machine with his Spandaus, before diving straight at him in a suicidal frenzy.
75385
Despite Winter attempting to avoid the oncoming Hun, his engine faltered at the wrong moment and both aircraft collided as they banked in the same direction.
75387
75388
Winter came off the worst, his plane taking more serious damage, and Winter himself being struck on the head by flying debris.
75389
Finally managing to bank away, the Germans machine was seen to have caught fire.
75390
With no more to be gained by either side, all planes broke away toward their own side of the lines, but not before Dodgson managed to get a parting shot into the retreating Hun with the last of his ammunition, and being seen on his way by Winter with his own engine on its last legs.
75391
Frank did not persue too determinedly.
75392
He managed to bring down his machine in a stalling glide at the first airfield on the Allied side of the trenches, and the German succeeded in extinguishing his fire by a steep dive just before landing back at his home field.
THE BUTCHER’S BILL.
Bulldogs.
All returned to base. Winter wounded and his machine was written off as un-repairable.
Hawkwood was credited with one Staaken destroyed.
Perry, credited with one Gotha destroyed.
Dodgson, credited with one Albatros destroyed.
75395
GERMANS.
Losses:- One Staaken, one Gotha, and one Albatros.
75393
One Albatros returned to airfield with serious damage.
75394
Rob.