Oberst Hajj
04-01-2011, 01:48
Nadine,
No doubt you are concerned with the strange penmanship you find this letter written in. It is with great sympathy that I have to inform you that Kiefer von Loganstein did not return from his sortie today. To save you some worry, I will say up front that Kiefer is alive, but has been captured by the enemy and has serious wounds.
The last mission handed down from high command was to take out observation balloons in our sector. This is always a very dangerous mission, as it proved yet again today. Of the four brave pilots that went up this afternoon, only one, Wolfgang, came back to us. From his account of the fight, Kiefer gave all he had to the Fatherland. Apparently, Kiefer’s plane was set a fire just before he made his initial run on the balloon. He had dropped down to almost ground level in a dash to beat the balloon down. He flew straight into the face of two defending MG positions defending the balloon with his own guns blazing. The balloon was already on fire, but the mission called for complete destruction. In his attempt to fly under the burning balloon, it came down on his plane. Amazingly, he flew right out the other side as the balloon exploded around him! With three enemy fighters still between him and the lines and Wolfgang making for home, Kiefer’s plane was finely overcome by the flames. He was last seen trying to escape, but he was to badly wounded to evade the many ground troops in the area.
As Wolfgang has confirmed the balloon kill, I am please to name Kiefer as the Jasta’s first Ace and have submitted him to receive the Iron Cross. I will forward this on to you when I receive it. I can only hope that one day you will be able to give it to him in my stead.
With my deepest regret,
Hauptmann Jens Dresdner
Jasta 3 Commander
No doubt you are concerned with the strange penmanship you find this letter written in. It is with great sympathy that I have to inform you that Kiefer von Loganstein did not return from his sortie today. To save you some worry, I will say up front that Kiefer is alive, but has been captured by the enemy and has serious wounds.
The last mission handed down from high command was to take out observation balloons in our sector. This is always a very dangerous mission, as it proved yet again today. Of the four brave pilots that went up this afternoon, only one, Wolfgang, came back to us. From his account of the fight, Kiefer gave all he had to the Fatherland. Apparently, Kiefer’s plane was set a fire just before he made his initial run on the balloon. He had dropped down to almost ground level in a dash to beat the balloon down. He flew straight into the face of two defending MG positions defending the balloon with his own guns blazing. The balloon was already on fire, but the mission called for complete destruction. In his attempt to fly under the burning balloon, it came down on his plane. Amazingly, he flew right out the other side as the balloon exploded around him! With three enemy fighters still between him and the lines and Wolfgang making for home, Kiefer’s plane was finely overcome by the flames. He was last seen trying to escape, but he was to badly wounded to evade the many ground troops in the area.
As Wolfgang has confirmed the balloon kill, I am please to name Kiefer as the Jasta’s first Ace and have submitted him to receive the Iron Cross. I will forward this on to you when I receive it. I can only hope that one day you will be able to give it to him in my stead.
With my deepest regret,
Hauptmann Jens Dresdner
Jasta 3 Commander