37 Attachment(s)
OTT DYM Mission 3- Knowledge is power - 19th Jan 1916 by F.O.Kyte
The chaps called to the Briefing Room were all agog. The morning patrol had just left, and yet they had been assembled by Uncle for the CO.
They could smell the subtle aroma of Kyte's pipe wafting down the corridor seconds before he breezed into the room.
" Sorry to bring bad news chaps" he uttered as he removed his briar pipe from his mouth. "I'm afraid the effluvia has hit the fan again. HQ have reported an enemy battery causing trouble to our Front line, and with the morning patrols up and away I'm afraid I will have to call on volunteers to go spotting for our Counter Batteries."
After the tumult had died down, Kyte chose Nicholas Tyne to pilot the Artillery spotter, with his Observer Benjamin Nevis. The Fe2b, was like the escort a BE2c, all that was available after the previous two weeks losses.
Attachment 264253
Attachment 264254
Both the new Moranes being written off, and the Gunbuses already out Balloon hunting,Pete van Der Maren had already left on the morning patrol in the only Bristol Scout.
Attachment 264255
So that Burrington Combe and his new gunner, whilst his usual one was recovering from wounds, copped for the BE2c.
Undeterred, the two aircraft set off for the lines.
Attachment 264256
Attachment 264257
As they closed with the front they received the normal salute from Archie.
Attachment 264258
Crossing over thy also noticed Pete van der Maren's Scout approaching a Hun two seater in the far distance.
Attachment 264259
Dodging the Archie Pete opened his account by immediately setting his adversary on fire.
Attachment 264260
Neither Nick nor Burrington noticed this as they were just homing in on the errant enemy battery.
Attachment 264261
Meantime the Albatros's rear gunner had smitten Pete in his Port wing as they passed.
Attachment 264262
The FE and its Be escort began a stately progress along the German gun line.
Attachment 264263
Pete started to turn after the burning Albatros.
Attachment 264266
Attachment 264267
Despite the flames eating away at its fabric, the intrepid Observer took the first of his photographs.
Attachment 264268
At the same moment Benjamin Nevis was observing the failure of his communication to the ranging fire of the British counter battery, as the shell burst in the rear of the German positions.
Attachment 264269
Pete's next shot was somewhat more lucky and caught the Albatros in the rear. he being in its blind spot and shrouded in flame, it did not reply, as the Observer fumbled with his unwieldy camera.
Attachment 264270
Another run up the gun line.
Attachment 264271
This time there was a more heated exchange between Pete and the rear gunner of the Albatros as he relinquished his camera for the Parabellum.
Attachment 264272
It was to no avail as even more smoke and fire were added to the already weakened aero-frame and the Albatros met the ground with a sickening crunching of wings and undercart.
Attachment 264273
At this juncture a new player entered the arena in the form of a Fokker Eindecker dispatched to support the recon machine but arriving just in time to observe its demise and exchange visiting cards with the oncoming British and taking a wound for his trouble.
Attachment 264274
Following up on Ben Nevis's first radio report, his second fared no better the shot being well over again but at the far end of the battery.
Attachment 264275
As the Eindecker turned towards his antagonists a welter of fire emulated from all directions.
Attachment 264276
Bradley Stokes' gun jammed. Ben Nevis hosed the Eindecker and started its engine smoking, whilst his own machine also billowed with smoke from a nick in a hot oil line.
After a near collision all three aircraft separated to lick their wounds and in Nicks case to get on with ranging in the British guns once more.
Attachment 264277
At last after his victory over the Albatros Pete was at last getting back into the action.
Attachment 264278
As he approached, he opened up at long range, but failed to achieve the same results as from his first attack. His deflection shot going wide.
Attachment 264279
Nick and Ben were still having no luck, The next ranging shot was short but at least was now bracketing the target.
Attachment 264280
The duel between Pete and the Fokker was now hotting up as he swung wide and came in on the Germans flank spraying the fuselage with 303 rounds, before his gun jammed.
Attachment 264291
Burrington could not get into the action as he was still furiously trying to un-jam his own gun.
Attachment 264281
Finally, back in action, Bradley cursed as the shots failed to damage the Eindecker, which was also failing to get a bead on the Spotter as they closed.
Attachment 264282
Yet another ranging shot went wide although much closer this time.
Attachment 264283
Pete, now un-jammed himself took another pot shot at the Dekker, but missed yet again. his earlier skill seeming to have abandoned him entirely, or was it fickle lady Luck he mused as he followed the tail of his adversary around once again.
Attachment 264284
Then luck suddenly changed. Cutting across the path of his enemy in a tight bank, he got off a snap shot which not only hit home but disturbed the German pilot sufficiently to cause him to miss the Spotter with his own fusillade of bullets.
Attachment 264285
The down side was that the German twitched just enough to clip Pete's aircraft and both machines suffered superficial wing damage.
Attachment 264286
Another over correction from the British battery. There must be something wrong with our guns today!
Attachment 264287
Nothing wrong with Pete's guns though, as he was truly back on song.
Attachment 264288
And the Decker went down finally succumbing to the results of attrition started by the slight wing damage, and completed by Pete cutting through the supporting bracing wires.
Attachment 264289
It was just a matter of hanging around now in case any more Huns turned up, and waiting for the Artillery boys to get their act together.
What no one was aware of was that Radio reception was so bad that it took another three complete circles around the German guns before the whole British barrage was finally unleashed and finally did its business.
Attachment 264290
It was with great relief that our boys finally headed for the lines, flying on the fumes in their petrol tanks.
Kyte.
