Victory in my second battle
France, November, 1917
Dear Mother and Father,
I did not expect to be writing you so soon after my first sortie, but I've fought in a second battle and scored my first victory! I hope it bodes well for my service here with Jasta 11...two successful forays in two days!
Klaus Wittlow and I were sent out on afternoon patrol yesterday over the lines when we were attacked from out of the sun by a pair of Allied pilots in a Nieuport and Sopwith Camel. We came at each other in a head on pass, and would you know it--a cursed lucky shot from the Sopwith hit my engine, which started sputtering and stalling out! To make things more difficult, Wittlow started having problems with his rudder and kept inadvertently turning in too-tight circles and missing his mark! It would have been almost comical if the situation hadn't been so serious. Luckily, once again my good and bad fortune balanced out as the Camel's remaining shots passed harmlessly around me.
Wittlow and I strove to keep our heads about us and remembered the Rittmeister's warnings to stay together and work as a team. As my engine sputtered and stalled, I swung to my left, cutting speed to try and make a tighter turn as Wittlow swung back and forth to try and shake the Camel, which was firing on him with little success. I was able to bring my Albatros in line with the Sopwith's right side as he concentrated on Wittlow. As I opened fire, I was astonished to see the enemy aircraft explode in a ball of flame!
Wittlow and the Nieuport then exchanged shots, and I became alarmed to see the Fokker flying erratically. Wittlow told me afterwards that the hits were causing further havoc with his rudder controls. But after regaining control of his craft, Wittlow looped around, pulled behind the Nieuport, and brought her down with a controlled burst of fire, bringing his kill score to 3.
Though most in the Jasta are favoring the new Fokker Dr.Is, I must say that I am becoming quite attached to my Albatros D.Va. Though she can be mechanically quite difficult in a fight, her speed and sturdiness have been serving me in good stead. You may be amused to know I have taken to calling her "Lotti," after that big black swan that lived near our home, the one that chased Katarina around the lake last summer and gave her such a scare, remember? My Albatros reminds me of that bird--cranky and bad-tempered, but swift and strong in the air. In fact, I have been given permission by the Rittmeister to paint my fighter in black markings with a large "L" on the fuselage in honor of my first victory with Jasta 11.
When I told Wittlow this story, he laughed and said that if my plane is a cranky swan, his is a rooster--running in circles pecking at everything in sight! Of course, now our squadron mates are jokingly calling us "Hahn und Schwan" (Rooster and Swan).
I hope to make you proud. Give my warmest regards to everyone at home, and tell my little sister to behave herself and stop pestering me for autographed pictures of the Rittmeister!
Your son,
Wolfram von Thun-Hohenstein, Leutnant, Jasta 11.
(NOTES: My second foray against a friend at my local gaming store was a VERY fast-paced engagement and a surprising victory for me, despite suffering an engine hit on my Albatros in the first turn, and constantly missing my destination with Fokker by turning too tightly! But some very good draws from the damage deck turned the tide in favor of Jasta 11 once again.
Also, apologies for the retcon change of my pilot's names--in my first post, I mixed up the names of my pilots--'Thun-Hohenstein' is an aristocratic name, so he should have had the 'von' in front rather than Wittlow. Apologies for any confusion. I'm just being nitpicky.)
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Originally Posted by Ed2
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