OTT Early Doors Mission 8: The Battle of the Somme - 15th August 1916
Central Powers Mission 2: Stopping the big push.
Vzfw. Andre Krähe couldn’t stop laughing, “What have you done this time?”
Emmerich whipped the dust cloth off the Rolland C.IIA and stood there with a look of pride on his face.
Ltn Albert Möwe stepped back and sucked air through his teeth making a hissing sound, that sounded ominous and which quickly wiped the look off Emmerich’s face, replacing it with a cold sweat.
“Well I heard you call them Walfish sir” Emmerich stammered. “So I thought I would make your aircraft look more like one, it can be undone in a matter of minute’s sir”
Krähe and Möwe looked at one another and burst out laughing.
“We are going to look like a right bunch of loons if we crash land in this thing.” Möwe motioned at the aircraft.
“We have a reputation to uphold after all” retorted Krähe.
“We love it” they sang out in unison and slapping young Emmerich on the back, while thrusting a packet of smoking tobacco in to his hands.
An hour later the Roland C.IIa aircraft was on the grass outside the communications tent.
“I’m sorry Krähe, but we just don’t have enough scouts to send up with you. We have 4 in the shed being repaired after this morning sorties and the others are either out on patrol or on the roster to go out later. I just don’t have the aircraft to spare!!”
Hptn Jakob Von Machin hated to send up his observation units without a top cover escort but the enemy had been on the offensive, hitting them hard all along the front, more men, more aircraft and it was stretching the squadron very thin.
“What about Von Adler and Schleiereule? They need to get their hands dirty sooner or later and they were talking about going up this morning to get the lay of the land.” Krähe suggested.
“Hmm true, they are green but as you say they need to start earning their pay. Ltn Inform Fwbl Thedor Von Adler and Ltn Siegfried Schleiereule that they will be flying a sortie this morning and to be ready in 20 minutes. “
Ltn Albert Möwe saluted his Hptn and sprinted off to the mess. Ltn Albert Möwe also saluted and waited till Von Machin was out of ear shot before walking up to the hanger.
“Told you didn’t I!” he exclaimed to the smiling faces of Von Adler and Schleiereule who had been hiding in the hanger and listening with anticipation of the outcome of the conversation.
Within 5 minutes the 2nd Roland C.IIa was on the grass it’s engine warming up in the warm summer air.
Von Machin looked out of his window with a broad smile on his face. “They must think me a bloody fool!” he said to the beagle sitting at his feet.
The two Roland C.IIa aircraft were making good use of the cloud cover to mask their approach to the lines, the last thing they wanted to happen was to be spotted and the observation balloons to start descending. Although having them out of the air would yield a result and disrupt the enemy’s effort they would be back up by the end of the day. Destroying them would put a real dent in the enemy’s efforts as they prized their balloons over everything.
2Lt. Phillip Gossip and Sgt Paul Palliser drifted passed the two observation balloons, they needed to get over the lines to take photos of the German lines and also report on the effectiveness of the artillery strikes.
They were a little worried about being up alone but the FE.2b was a very sturdy steed that could soak up a lot of damage and the bullet magnet also known as the 120hp Beardmore Engine offered them some protection compared to the death trap BE.2c.
Fwbl Thedor Von Adler was doing what he had been taught, scanning the skies. HE turned his head a little at a time looking for specs in the distance as well as the edges of cloud formations where prowling scouts played hide and seek.
Suddenly almost on top of him the huge form of an enemy FE.2b descending out of the clouds, like an overly plump goose about to land. Nosing his Rolland up, he let off a burst of machine gun fire.
Sgt Paul Palliser was standing up in the nacelle gripping the Vickers Machine gun which was the only thing sturdy to hang on to and the only think between him and a 3000ft drop to earth. As the plane descended through the clouds the scar of the trenches opened up before him.
Suddenly there was the sound of bullets zipping around him and the thump as of them hitting the plywood body of the aircraft. Leaning forward he spotted aggressor, a brace of Rolland C.IIa’s and he opened fire on the one that was almost on them.
As the two pilots took drastic maneuvers to avoid a collision the two gunners fired at each other ineffectively.
Ltn Albert Möwe tracked the incoming FEE with his Parabellum LMG 14 and it was a weapon that Möwe felt very comfortable with. As the enemy was almost side by side with his own he fired just in front of it leading the giant bird. The rounds smashed through the plywood of the nacelle and engine housing, two bullets grazed the oil pump which started to spray hot oil, leaving a thick trail behind the Fee.
2Lt. Phillip Gossip put his FE.2 through the hammerhead, he wanted to get back on those Roland’s that were making straight for the closest observation balloon and with no scouts in sight it was up to him. His gunner was holding on for dear life, only just getting seated when he yanked back on the stick and was looking pale as he tried to heave himself back up to the firing position.
As the Enemy plane roared down at them Möwe leaned back in his postion and fired two well aimed bursts at the Fee, he cursed his luck when his Parabellum jammed, however his curses evaporated from his lips as he saw flames licking out from behind the enemy aircrafts engine.
Ltn Siegfried Schleiereule looked down the sights of his weapon, the aircraft was bobbing up and down yet he was able to keep track of its movement as they were buffeted about. He gently pulled the trigger watching as the rounds lanced out at the pursuing aircraft.
The FE.2 was pumping out hot oil through the ruptured pump, a fragment of bullet hit the Beardmoore engine and created a spark igniting the oil that added to the blaze already burning furiously in the engine bay.
Pvt. Snowden tracked the German aircraft; he could clearly see the eisernkreuz crosses on the wings so knew straight away that it wasn’t the FE.2 that they had been told would be operating in the area. So these Huns were after the balloons and his job was to stop them.
As the aircraft was almost over them he let of a heavy burst from his MG.
Unfazed by the ground fire Fwbl Thedor Von Adler kicked the rudder so that his nose tracked along the length of the colossal balloon and fired. He hoped that what he had been told in flight school was true, that these beasts burst in to flames with the least provocation. However he couldn’t even be sure if he had hit the damn thing.
Schleiereule wasn’t ready for the sudden shift and he swore as his shots went wide and he turned his head to see what had caused the sudden shift in direction. He was in awe at the sheer size of the balloon looming before them and he momentarily forgot about the enemy aircraft. As he watched his pilot fire more rounds, seemingly ineffective at the lumbering beast.
Vzfw. Andre Krähe lined up his shot, taking aim at the huge gas bag just above the observers basket. If he couldn’t bring the balloon down he would try and hit the observers before they could jump to safety.
Pulling the trigger to the electrical switch the Spandau LMG 08 came to life spitting bullets that raced away slamming in to the soft skin of the balloon. The skin rippled and seemed to collapse in on itself revealing the red glow of flames.
Pvt. Snowden swore as his gun jammed, the mud down here got everywhere and he swore at his fellow gunner as they worked to clear the weapon before the targets could get away.
The wood and doped linen were no match for the flames that ate away at them and as the 120bhp Beardmore engine kept them aloft it also fanned the flames to a roaring inferno. The tail boom cracked and the wires that kept the aircraft straight no longer had resistance on one side and whipped back tearing the whole rudder section away with it.
As the aircraft span the tension on the wings increased, being driven down by the engine the wooden wing spars snapped like twigs and the top wing peeled away followed by the lower right then left wings. The mass of wires and wood drove straight down just behind friendly lines leaving a burning crater in the French countryside.
Meanwhile the fire in the balloon was slowly spreading.
Ltn Siegfried Schleiereule decided not to leave the balloon to fate and continued to fire at it, he cursed as his gun jammed and he worked furiously as he tried to smash the charging handle free.
Vzfw. Andre Krähe straffed the side of the balloon and watched with satisfaction as the rounds punched holes in the fabric. The balloon was on fire but it had caught fully yet and he could see the crew wrestling their parachutes on and detaching the valuable cameras from their mounts.
Suddenly the fire flared and turned in to a huge rolling fireball and the balloon dropped from the sky leaving a long black tail of smoke.
Möwe tapped Krähe on the head and jerked a finger down at the machine gun placement. He received the thumbs up from his pilot and the Roland C.II descended. The Wickelrumpf body of the aircraft made it more aerodynamic than any other aircraft known to man and the airspeed indicator soon hit and passed the 165km/h limit.
They had pushed this machine over its top speed many a time to avoid more nimble aircraft such as the Nieuport 17, that would encounter ‘flutter’ which would result in the lower wings coming off and more often than not creating another crater in the French countryside.
Krähe pulled up and put the aircraft in a long turn over the target, Möwe started the relentless beating on the target and he only wished that he had some grenades that he could toss down at them as well.
Pvt. Snowden cleared the jam as bullets rained down on his position, he and his companions stood firm as the sergeant screamed at the rest of the team to take cover. Swinging the gun around to track the circling plane he pulled the trigger
As the bullets lanced up in to the air Möwe spotted the muzzle flashes of the position and adjusted his aim. As he pulled the trigger he made small circular motion as if tracing a circle with the muzzle of his Parabellum. He cursed his luck s the gun suddenly fell silent, but as he looked over the top of the weapon he saw smoke drifting lazily up from the position leaning over he tapped his pilot on the shoulder and made a chopping motion towards the last remaining balloon in their sector.
With the immediate danger eliminated the two Roland’s cautiously approached the remaining balloon like two hungry wolves. Experience had taught them never to let their guard down as anything could happen. They could be jumped by an enemy patrol or another AA team could set up in a more favorable position, hell they could even get jumped by one of their own. So they continued to scan the skies and occasionally the ground.
Krähe smiled as the Roland climbed higher into the sky on an intercept course with the balloon, the Roland C.IIa could climb 1,640 in 3 minutes and soon he was within striking distance of the balloon, of which the occupants were very aware of their plight.
He couldn’t believe his luck, the ammunition or his damn Spandau were just not wanting to play ball today and as he wrestled with the cocking handle he pulled his steed away from the balloon.
Presented with the huge side of the balloon that loomed large over them like a wall of rippling stone Möwe fired burst after bursts in to it.
Fwbl Thedor Von Adler saw his fellow airmen and followed suit, hammering the balloon with a well placed burst but seemed to do no damage.
Slowly as the two machines kept up their relentless assault on the balloon flames started to lick out from the sagging beast. And yet the two birds continued to circle hitting it time, after time, after time yet it still remained aloft.
Krähe aligned his aircraft expertly allowing both him and his gunner the ability to fire on to the huge balloon, they were running out of time. The two observers had already taken to the silk, parachuting away to safety with their vital cargo and the crew far below them had started to winch down the balloon in an attempt to salvage it.
As Krähe pulled the trigger he curse loudly to the gods, yet again his gun had jammed and he knew for certain he would be having words with the ground crew on his return to the aerodrome.
Ltn Albert Möwe on the other hand was hammering away at the balloon and he could see the fist sized holes punching through the fabric of the giant. Suddenly the balloon exploded, the heat washing over them an instant respite from the bitterly cold air at 3,000 feet.
Vzfw. Andre Krähe gave Möwe the tumbs up and turned his Walfish for home, as he did so he sent up a white flare letting Fwbl Thedor Von Adler and Ltn Siegfried Schleiereule know that they were to turn for home and both aircraft headed for the relative safety of the German lines, as you never could tell if you would get bounced by the brave men of the RFC whom pushed deep over German territory.
Butchers Tally.
Central Powers
- Pilot: Vzfw. Andre Krähe (RTB) 1 kill (Balloon)
- Observer: Ltn Albert Möwe (RTB) 3 kills (FE.2b, AA MG Position, Balloon)
- Pilot: Fwbl Thedor Von Adler (RTB)
- Observer: Ltn Siegfried Schleiereule (RTB)
Entente
- Pilot 2Lt. Phillip Gossip (SD, FLM, FT)
- Observer: Sgt Paul Palliser (SD, FLM, FT)
- Yellow Balloon: (SD, FLM, EXP)
- Brown Balloon: (SD, FLM, EXP)
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