Calgary group starts the campaign off with a quick mission....

[Skyguy001]

July 7, 1916.



With the 3ème Escadrille de Chasse recently relocating to a small airfield in the Ypres Sector, its pilots struggle to settle into their new digs. Despite being short on fuel and ammo until supplies are properly redirected to the new airfield, the CO orders his pilots to rise early this morning. He doesn't want the enemy to think they're ruling with autonomy in this sector. "Just a foray to the front lines and back. Let 'em know we're here," he says.



With the sun still low in the sky, a flight of Nieuport 17s skip across the green grass of an unfamiliar terrain and into the brisk morning air.



Once at altitude, it's not long before the front lines are in sight. Flight leader Lt. John Moore is first to spot several dots in the distance, ahead and slightly lower than his flight. He signals the others to engage. As they approach the front lines, they dive to meet their foe. Two Halberstadts and an Eindekker. In the distance, they see an enemy balloon. Well guarded, no doubt. Not enough fuel to engage the balloon, unfortunately. That'll have to wait for another day. And, for whatever reason, the Eindekker is hanging back and not engaging. Must be a newbie, he thought. Well, let's take a quick run at the Halberstadts and head for home. The Halberstadts pass them on their right, and the trio of Nieuports quickly turn in behind the Halberstadts. His wingmen, Lt. John Culpepper and Lt. Mathias de Clerq quickly find the Halberstadts in their sights and each let fly a stream of lead and tracers. Bullets hit their mark, but neither are not mortally wounded. The Huns quickly turn away toward their own side of the lines. Checking his fuel gauge, Moore reluctantly gives the signal not to chase. Moore and Culpepper turn away, but de Clerq lingers a few moments longer, hoping that there will be another easy opening for an attack. Such is not the case and he, too, must turn and heads for home.



Our CO wanted them to know we are here. Well, pretty sure that's the case now, and they have holes in their fuselages to prove it.

[Bruce]

Very nice report. I can visualize it all.
Great 1st scenario/mission.
Keep them coming please. I am copying .... the finest form of compliment short of money they say.

[grumpybear]

As Oblt. Katzenjammer climbing to alt. , once there seeing the foe hastly retreating , he and his wingman also headed home.

[Brand]

July 9, 1916.



The 3ème Escadrille de Chasse is beginning to settle in at the Ypres Sector, three pilots were out on patrol with a few planes allocated behind the trenches over safe territory in case of German activity, a Sopwith 1 ½ Strutter flown by Lt. B.F. Pierce (pilot) and Lt. Nicolas Renard in observer cockpit as a rear gunner, a Nieuport 17 flown by Lt. Nicolas Renard and an RAF FE2B flown by Lt. J. Farr (pilot) and Lt. L. Linvill as the front cockpit gunner.

By chance they saw four German invaders on the horizon at a lower altitude, two Eindeckers each flown by pilots Rittmeister August Katazenjammer and Hauptmann Alfred Konig, an LFG Roland C.II flown by Pilot Lt. Kurt Weig, Observer UFW Hanz Lotz, and an Albatros C.III flown by Lt. Victor Jensen with observer Lt Konrad Herrmannand. The Entente Powers decided to engage the four planes. Due to the unlikely grouping of planes they had they engaged the enemy out of formation which lead to a number of unfortunate events.

First the Nieuport 17raced across the sky landing shots on the Germans in a mad flurry as the four enemy craft held formation in what now appeared to be a bombing run. Lt. B.F. Pierce in the Sopwith 1 ½ Strutter started to zero in on the German forces as Lt. Nicolas Renard in the Nieuport 17 passed the Albatros C.III, where the German rear-gunner Lt Konrad Herrmannand made a critical shot which severed the control cables of the Nieuport and sent it spiralling downward to make a large crater as it hit the ground with an explosive crash.

The slower RAF FE2B was just getting ready to engage the Germans who had now seemed to break up formation when the Sopwith, who just recovered from front and rear jammed guns, made an excellent hit on the pilot Lt. Victor Jensen of the Albatros C.III which also spiralled down to their death. The pilot of the Albatross must have tried to jettison a cargo of bombs but to no avail as the explosion was felt on the ground for miles and the plume of smoke rose into the air-battle.

The RAF FE2B was just getting past the first engagement jitters but landing ineffective shots when both Eindeckers riddled it with lead and made critical hits on the planes small structure and wounded both the pilot Lt. J. Farr and the gunner Lt. L. Linvill. The plane cracked in half under the pressure of the spiral decent which jolted the two occupants as if thunder had cracked through their very soles which was the last sound they each remembered until their recovery from the eventual rescue from the theatre floor.

Lt. B.F. Pierce in the Sopwith 1 ½ Strutter was very brave that day after seeing his squadron members go down and also having his adrenalin raised as he made that bombing plane explode he became determined to take at least one more German down before going home. A mistake that will not be repeated as the Eindecker flown by Rittmeister August Katazenjammermade made a lasting and critical shot which took out the Sopwith completly as it exploded in the air. The remaining Germans flew home after dropping an in-effective bomb cluster which at worst took out a few trees in a field.


July 12, 1916.

The Entente Powers suffered yet another loss of planes as a patrol of two Nieuport 17's each flown by Lt. Antoine Delfosse and Lt. Marcel Thiels as well as a Sopwith 1 ½ Strutter flown by Lt. M. Klinger (pilot) and with Lt. F. Burns in the observer rear gun position, engaged a group of enemy aircraft. The Germans were at an extremely high altitude of 11000 feet and the patrol spotted them from only 6000 feet. It was when they realized that the Germans were not diving to engage them that the Entente forces knew the Germans must be up to a photo-recon mission. They were flying two Roland CII's piloted by ObLt May Otto with observer Lt Paul Rahn and pilot Lt Fritz Herman with observer Lt Walter Hemer as well as a Halberstadt D.III piloted by Lt Paul Jatzen.

The two Nieuport 17's made a hasty climb to engage the Germans and the Sopwith decided to head towards the German escape route as he climbed ever so slowly. As the Entente Powers planes engaged the Central Powers planes where many great opportunities to fire were never missed, one Nieuport had it's control column shattered by a LFG Roland C.II flown by ObLt May Otto so that Lt. Marcel Thiels spiralled towards the ground only to make a last minute swoop which allowed him to survive the crash landing.

Lt. Antoine Delfosse in the other Nieuport managed to cause extreme engine damage to LFG Roland C.II knocking out the planes engine and subsequently forced the Roland into a glide and eventually Pilot Lt Fritz Herman and observer Lt Walter Hemer were captured dazed but alive near the landing site. Later, at the crash site of the plane, the Entente Powers found smashed plates and camera equipment amongst the debris which confirmed the attempted photo-recon mission.

Lt. M. Klinger of the Sopwith 1 ½ Strutter had drifted too far from the combat while trying to get up to altitude, he managed to catch them up as the last Nieuport was shot down, when suddenly the Halberstadt D.III piloted by Lt Paul Jatzen landed several hits on the Sopwith 1 ½ Strutter, as a stray bullet knocked Klinger unconscious the Sopwith plummeted downward. Both Lt. M. Klinger (pilot) and with Lt. F. Burns survived the crash.

The Central Powers were able to complete the photo-recon mission as pilot ObLt May Otto with observer Lt Paul Rahn and pilot Lt Fritz Herman with observer Lt Walter Hemer managed to complete the day unchallenged.

[Dwarflord22]

Thank you for the excellent battle reports!

[The Cowman]

Well Written. A piece of art. Keep on sending us AARs! (and add pics!) :clap:

[Flying Officer Kyte]

Thanks Shane and Robert for your very full reports. Your gallant airmen will not be forgotten when the tales are told in years to come. How they gave their all in defence of the Allies with little thought for their own safety will be an insiration to all those intrepid pilots who come after them. One of these men will surely avenge the loss of his compatriots.:salute:
I shall drink to their memory.:FOK:
Kyte.