Wings of War and Glory - Chapter 11: Outclassed
February 13, 1916
"Rittmeister Jan Schlesinger, can I come in?" "Yes, yes, do come in." "Thank you sir." "At ease... What can I do for my best mechanic?" "I am sorry for intruding at this hour Rittmeister Jan Schlesinger, but..." "Yes. Go on, go on." "It's about Oberleutnant Lisbon, sir..." "Yes?! What's about him?" "He's looking gloomy after the death of young Thorsten... I mean Leutnant Thorsten Müller, sir." "Yes... It was a terrible blow for Joachim..." "And after miss Rita left and the letter she wrote him..." "Miss Rita left?! Wasn't she going to see her family?" "I don't know... that letter... it was a farewell..." "Schmitt! You've read Joachim's letter?!" "Oh no, Rittmeister!! Never! But I saw his face... and I fear that he lost it..." "Yes... That would be a pity... And what do you propose?" "Well, sir... Oberleutnant Lisbon is our ace, so here's my idea..."
The air was freezing but there was no wind or clouds. We took off before the sun was visible.
We were over the front to make our sweep and only then the first rays of sun hit us. My teeth were making more noise than the engine of my Eindecker.
Then we saw them. Two new British pusher scouts and two observation planes. They were also early morning birds. I pointed them to Leutnant Tobias Neuman and signaled him that we would cut their trajectory. He nodded.
The British seemed unaware of us. I knew about these new planes but I have never faced them.
But we were even. Four against four and even if they had better scouts, the observation planes would be easy meat.
Tobias Neumann was my wingman and Sven Michelson was Thorsten Müller's wingman.
I turned hard left to cut their path as I thought that they would make a swoop south. I couldn't be more wrong.
They kept crossing the front into our zone as if they were coming to pick a fight. With observation planes?!
My wingman followed me and I felt that something was wrong.
The British were in the mood for a clash and now I and my wingman were in a bad position.
These observation planes were also new. Were they observation planes?
They had a synchronized machine gun and they were firing accurately against us!
The pusher were also attacking in a most brave way.
My men fought back valiantly and Sven fired a well placed salvo that put the two seater on fire.
Thorsten was only able to jam his machine gun.
And then both squadrons passed each others by.
The fire doing almost nothing to the new two seater.
My bird was raked by the fire of one of the pushers.
The other one damaging heavily Thorsten's bird.
I was able to hit back the pusher.
And Tobias raked heavily the other pusher.
The day was breaking and I could see now the way the gunners were tracking us. These were no observation planes! These were hunters!
And the two seater was weathering the fire as if it was nothing!
The gunner didn't even seemed worried about the fire the way he manned his machinegun.
The other one hit Sven with an heavy load of lead. By now his Eindecker was heavily damaged.
Tobias fired against the two seater but failed completely.
I fared no better.
The first strong rays of light were blinding us.
The fire in the two seater made no visible damage and then it was put down.
The gunner kept damaging us in small nibbles that were taking their tool.
I was able to hit one of the two seaters.
As we turned around each other I could see Sven moving away... Good!
The gunner of the two seaters fired back in vengeance.
Thorsten and the pushers reversed. I was in the middle. Now we were three against four.
He fired again against me but failed to connect.
I shred the pusher a little more.
Sven was almost out of our sight. We kept maneuvering.
For my luck, this gunner wasn't very accurate.
Nor the pusher pilot!
Thorsten wouldn't agree with me.
I damaged one pusher a bit more.
But Tobias hit the other one squarely in some tender place because it burst on fire.
Thorsten also hit one of the two seaters.
I could see that Thorsten's Eindecker wasn't in good shape. Those planes were better than our Eindeckers. It was time to receive new and more advanced mounts.
The fire was eating the pusher in a very fast pace. Why wasn't he diving?! Ah! He wanted to reach his lines...
The two seater's gunner fired again against me and once again failed to connect.
But now Thorsten was in the middle of the enemy... Why was he pressing?
Both two seaters fired against him.
The other pusher fired against Tobias.
I fired against one of the two seaters and smoke erupted from his engine. Good.
Thorsten damaged it even further.
Light was now more strong.
The burning machne couldn't take more fire damage.
It cracked and went down burning. Another kill for Tobias.
But the British wouldn't leave it like that.
Terribly damaged, Thorsten's Eindecker went down spiraling...
I hit the engine of one of the two seaters with revenge in my heart, but knowing that it was too late.
As we moved away from each other, in a strange agreement, flashes of the laughter of Thorsten flashed in my head.
The gunner of the smoking two seater kept firing...
The other one also aimed at Tobias, wounding him.
I fired back at the pusher and I wounded him back.
Then we split. I could see the agony in Tobias face. He couldn't see mine. I had lost a brother.
A final parting gift raked Tobias Eindecker.
In that cold sunny morning of February 1916 I returned to the airfield broken and sad. I had lost a brother...
Photos: Camille Bru
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Originally Posted by Stumptonian
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