Watchdog
07-13-2011, 16:06
Today I met the Czech Republic's Wing Commander Dan-Sam in person for the first time and we had a nice quick small game with 2 planes each, using only some basic rules (no altitude and tailing, explosions removed from damage decks).
My flight: an UFAG C.1 escorted by an Albatros D.III
Dan's flight: an R.E.8 escorted by an S.E.5a
The personal log of Offiziersstellvertreter Otto Sadowsky, pilot of Flik 23D, K. u. K. Luftfahrtruppen, Italy:
-date unreadable- 1918 – Weather – the damned fog still. Our Oberst insisted on a reconnaissance flight over the frontlines nevertheless, more for the eagerness to see the brand new UFAG C.1 we just got tested than for any hope of us getting any useful photographs of the enemy lines. Luckily, yesterday, a pilot from Flik 61J could not find his own airfield in the damned fog and had to land his Albatros D.III on our airfield instead, with the last drops in his fuel tank. Leutnant Istvan Laszlo offered to accompany our flight, since in the fog he could not land on his airfield anyway until it disperses later.
Hauptmann Karl Heinrich Storck flew as the observer and also manned the rear machine gun of our UFAG. The flight was uneventful at first, with nothing else but white milk below and blue sky above, when suddenly the Albatros on our right signalled us with its wings and we saw Leutnant Laszlo pointing to the South. Apparently, the Entente commanders had the same idea this morning as we saw two tiny spots in the sky quickly growing into a bigger shape of a reconnaissance airplane and a smaller shape of an escorting airplane. An even match. We decided to engage the enemy.
Soon we saw that out opposition was a RAF R.E.8 and an S.E.5a. We tried to flank them from their left, and attacked the reconnaissance airplane with the frontal machine guns of both our airplanes. As I pulled the trigger I saw the English observer letting loose of the handle of his own gun and dissapear in the hole marked canopy of the aircraft, throwing his arms away from his body like a broken ragdoll. I heard Hauptmann Storck's machine gun rattling behind me as we flew past the enemy airplanes. Leutnant Laszlo then got into a good position and attacked the enemy two-seater headlong, guns blazing, but as he made the attack, the enemy pilot managed to find his Albatros in the crosshairs and to my horror he managed to set Leutnant Laszlo's aircraft on fire! The brave Leutnant turned around again though and despite the flames licking all over the engine, he managed to fire one last burst into the enemy airplane, apparently wounding the enemy pilot, before he finally lost control of his now fully aflame Albatros and it plummented into the fog-covered frontlines below like a mortally wounded bird, carrying the brave pilot with it to a horrendous fiery death. The enemy one-seater's pilot swiveled his plane to better see the end of our escort.
We were now alone against two enemy avions. I turned my head to look at the Hauptmann and seeing the anger in his eyes as he turned back at me I clenched my teeth. One at a time, I thought as I turned our machine against the enemy again. Our quick and bold manouvre apparently startled the enemy pilots and they almost collided. The enemy R.E.8 was now defenseless from the rear and we utilized this to our advantage. I manouvred our UFAG so that either I or the Hauptmann could always shoot at it. I pulled the trigger and saw pieces of the enemy's rudder falling off.
The enemy one-seater tried to assist his staggering comrade but only got himself into my sights. Its engine started belching smoke, but then, suddenly, my machine gun jammed.
I thought we were doomed for sure when the enemy one-seater miraculously turned around and opened fire and I felt the hits to our own machine. There was a loud cling and a change in the tone of the engine and I saw that we were leaving a trail of smoke on the sky too, luckily it almost stopped after a while. I frantically tried to steer the protesting UFAG while attempting to unjam my gun.
The fog started to disperse and we found ourselves putting out a show for the soldiers in the trenchlines on both sides. Then, somehow, the enemy two-seater, apparently confused by the smoke from his own engine, made his last mistake as his belly got into the sights of Hauptmann Storck, who promptly filled it with just about all he had left in the ammo belt of his Schwarzlose machine gun. The enemy rolled over and started losing altitude quickly, finally crashing between the trenchlines, closer to the Italian side. The enemy single-seater was nowhere to be seen. I circled around, but the sky seemed clear. Suddenly, the enemy appeared again and he almost seemed to want to crash into us. I grinned madly as the machine gun started operating again and I accepted the challenge. For a few seconds our planes looked as if they were connected with three trails of hot bullets, which I could hear buzzing all around me, and then the enemy was past us, the Hauptmann sending him a few rounds from a new belt.
I think the Englishman lost the apetite to continue the fight at that moment, since in a few heartbeats I could clearly see his plane, looking like Swiss-cheese, holding together only by sheer luck, limping back home just above the Italian trenches. The Hauptmann patted me on the shoulder and with a dissapointed face he showed me the sorry remains of our photographic aparatus. He later told me that it had probably been hit in the last exchange of bullets as it had been in order just before that. A stutter of our engine brought my attention to our own airplane again and I signalled the Hauptmann that we were going home.
The result:
My flight: UFAG C.1 damaged (9/16), Albatros D.III shot down in flames
Dan's flight: R.E.8 shot down (full damage, both crew wounded), S.E.5a damaged (15/16)
My flight: an UFAG C.1 escorted by an Albatros D.III
Dan's flight: an R.E.8 escorted by an S.E.5a
The personal log of Offiziersstellvertreter Otto Sadowsky, pilot of Flik 23D, K. u. K. Luftfahrtruppen, Italy:
-date unreadable- 1918 – Weather – the damned fog still. Our Oberst insisted on a reconnaissance flight over the frontlines nevertheless, more for the eagerness to see the brand new UFAG C.1 we just got tested than for any hope of us getting any useful photographs of the enemy lines. Luckily, yesterday, a pilot from Flik 61J could not find his own airfield in the damned fog and had to land his Albatros D.III on our airfield instead, with the last drops in his fuel tank. Leutnant Istvan Laszlo offered to accompany our flight, since in the fog he could not land on his airfield anyway until it disperses later.
Hauptmann Karl Heinrich Storck flew as the observer and also manned the rear machine gun of our UFAG. The flight was uneventful at first, with nothing else but white milk below and blue sky above, when suddenly the Albatros on our right signalled us with its wings and we saw Leutnant Laszlo pointing to the South. Apparently, the Entente commanders had the same idea this morning as we saw two tiny spots in the sky quickly growing into a bigger shape of a reconnaissance airplane and a smaller shape of an escorting airplane. An even match. We decided to engage the enemy.
Soon we saw that out opposition was a RAF R.E.8 and an S.E.5a. We tried to flank them from their left, and attacked the reconnaissance airplane with the frontal machine guns of both our airplanes. As I pulled the trigger I saw the English observer letting loose of the handle of his own gun and dissapear in the hole marked canopy of the aircraft, throwing his arms away from his body like a broken ragdoll. I heard Hauptmann Storck's machine gun rattling behind me as we flew past the enemy airplanes. Leutnant Laszlo then got into a good position and attacked the enemy two-seater headlong, guns blazing, but as he made the attack, the enemy pilot managed to find his Albatros in the crosshairs and to my horror he managed to set Leutnant Laszlo's aircraft on fire! The brave Leutnant turned around again though and despite the flames licking all over the engine, he managed to fire one last burst into the enemy airplane, apparently wounding the enemy pilot, before he finally lost control of his now fully aflame Albatros and it plummented into the fog-covered frontlines below like a mortally wounded bird, carrying the brave pilot with it to a horrendous fiery death. The enemy one-seater's pilot swiveled his plane to better see the end of our escort.
We were now alone against two enemy avions. I turned my head to look at the Hauptmann and seeing the anger in his eyes as he turned back at me I clenched my teeth. One at a time, I thought as I turned our machine against the enemy again. Our quick and bold manouvre apparently startled the enemy pilots and they almost collided. The enemy R.E.8 was now defenseless from the rear and we utilized this to our advantage. I manouvred our UFAG so that either I or the Hauptmann could always shoot at it. I pulled the trigger and saw pieces of the enemy's rudder falling off.
The enemy one-seater tried to assist his staggering comrade but only got himself into my sights. Its engine started belching smoke, but then, suddenly, my machine gun jammed.
I thought we were doomed for sure when the enemy one-seater miraculously turned around and opened fire and I felt the hits to our own machine. There was a loud cling and a change in the tone of the engine and I saw that we were leaving a trail of smoke on the sky too, luckily it almost stopped after a while. I frantically tried to steer the protesting UFAG while attempting to unjam my gun.
The fog started to disperse and we found ourselves putting out a show for the soldiers in the trenchlines on both sides. Then, somehow, the enemy two-seater, apparently confused by the smoke from his own engine, made his last mistake as his belly got into the sights of Hauptmann Storck, who promptly filled it with just about all he had left in the ammo belt of his Schwarzlose machine gun. The enemy rolled over and started losing altitude quickly, finally crashing between the trenchlines, closer to the Italian side. The enemy single-seater was nowhere to be seen. I circled around, but the sky seemed clear. Suddenly, the enemy appeared again and he almost seemed to want to crash into us. I grinned madly as the machine gun started operating again and I accepted the challenge. For a few seconds our planes looked as if they were connected with three trails of hot bullets, which I could hear buzzing all around me, and then the enemy was past us, the Hauptmann sending him a few rounds from a new belt.
I think the Englishman lost the apetite to continue the fight at that moment, since in a few heartbeats I could clearly see his plane, looking like Swiss-cheese, holding together only by sheer luck, limping back home just above the Italian trenches. The Hauptmann patted me on the shoulder and with a dissapointed face he showed me the sorry remains of our photographic aparatus. He later told me that it had probably been hit in the last exchange of bullets as it had been in order just before that. A stutter of our engine brought my attention to our own airplane again and I signalled the Hauptmann that we were going home.
The result:
My flight: UFAG C.1 damaged (9/16), Albatros D.III shot down in flames
Dan's flight: R.E.8 shot down (full damage, both crew wounded), S.E.5a damaged (15/16)