Prologue
Flugplatz Cunel, Occupied France
4 Januar 1916
19:00
“We have only two of the new Fokkers,” said Oberleutnant Karl Selber, commander of Flieger-Abteilung 24 to his second-in-command Leutnant Friedrich Schueler van Krieken, “and I will not be assigning either to an inexperienced, untried pilot.”
“Natürlich Herr Oberleutnant,” agreed van Krieken. “But you have seen Vizefeldwebel Rath putting the Eindecker through its paces,” he added, “the boy can fly.” Like the FA24 commander, Leutnant van Krieken was an observer and not a qualified Flugzeugführer. With the war well into its second year however, he knew a competent pilot when he saw one. But Rudi Rath was young and not regular army, two factors that van Krieken knew would count against him in the mind of Oblt. Selber, a career Prussian Garde officer. Even the other NCO’s called him ‘Bubi’ Rath due to his youthful appearance.
“An acrobatic display over one’s own field is one thing, but a Frontflug is something else altogether,” stated Selber flatly. “With Wendt and Rouselle having already proven themselves, at this time there is no need to take such a risk with a Fokker.”
Leutnant van Krieken took a long drag from his cigarette as he looked at the board where the next day’s flying duties were being posted. “With the recent bad weather lifting I would still recommend assigning Rath to a mission,” he said, before turning and stubbing out the butt in the ashtray constructed from an old rotary engine cylinder that sat on the desk.
Oberleutnant Selber rubbed his chin as he too examined the board. “Leutnant Gross can stand down in the morning,” he said, “and Vizefeldwebel Rath can take up his Albatros C.III on the Luftwachdienst.”
“Flying with von Hartsen, Herr Oberleutnant?” asked van Krieken raising an eyebrow.
Karl Selber smiled at his subordinate’s reaction. “I know Leutnant von Hartsen can be …. difficult,” responded Selber, pausing for just a moment to find the right word. “Still, you can be certain he will give a tough but fair assessment of Rath’s abilities.”
Leutnant van Krieken looked back at the board and crossed out the name of Ltn. Bernward Gross from the roster, then added Vzfw. Rudolf Rath next to the aircraft observer Leutnant Jacob von Hartsen. The Saxon Hussar officer had been serving with FA24 for several months now. Although acknowledged as an excellent observer and the best shot in the unit, von Hartsen was a martinet not well liked by his brother officers and positively despised by the lower ranks.
‘Good luck Rath,’ thought van Krieken tapped out another cigarette from the silver case he kept in his tunic, ‘With the enemy in front and von Hartsen behind, you will need it!’
********************
Flugplatz Cunel, Occupied France
5 Januar 1916
06:30
Vizefeldwebel Rudolf Rath listened intently as Oberleutnant Selber gave the operations briefing for the day, the young pilot noting down times, bearings and altitudes on his map. He could not help but feel some initial disappointment he would be flying an Albatros C.III two-seater and not the latest Fokker E.III type. At least the C series Albatros was also fitted with a synchronised MG08/15 which could be fired by the pilot.
The two E.III’s assigned to FA24 were being flown by Leutnants Wendt and Rouselle on a Sperrflug to the west of the Meuse River. Vizefeldwebel Rath and his observer Leutnant von Hartsen were to take up one of two Albatros C.III two-seaters conducting a Luftwachdienst mission southeast towards Etain, where 5.Armee was sending up a line of observation balloons this very morning.
“Well Rath, your first mission,” declared Leutnant von Hartsen as he and Rudi walked out to their waiting Albatros across the frosty field.
“Jawohl Herr Leutnant,” responded the NCO, unsure of how to reply to this obvious statement.
“Just to be clear Vizefeldwebel,” continued von Hartsen, accentuating Rath’s rank, “I am in command of this aeroplane and you will follow my directions at all times.”
Rath had been told by other NCO pilots that von Hartsen was a real ‘hard case’ as his name suggested. But he remembered the advice of his Döberitz instructor – 'listen to those with experience of the front'.
“I will do my best Herr Leutnant,” replied Rath trying hard to keep his expression neutral.
The officer fixed his NCO pilot with a pointed stare.
“Then I suppose we must hope that your ‘best’ is enough.”
********************
Thirty minutes after take off the two Albatros two seaters had climbed to 2000 metres and were approaching the balloon line positioned near the village of Etain. Fifteen kilometres to the west the Meuse River ran through wooded hills, with the fortress city of Verdun beyond. Although only half an hour into the flight, Rath was already feeling the effects of the extreme cold. He was shivering despite the thick flight suit, gloves and boots. His exposed face was numb now, a dubious respite from the stinging pain brought on by the low temperatures and biting wind flying at this altitude. Rath forced himself to focus, first checking the instruments - oil pressure, engine temperature, RPM - so far the 160hp Mercedes Benz engine was running well. He then scanned the sky ahead and behind, above and below. To his left he saw the second Albatros flown by Leutnant Tütschulte with Leutnant van Krieken in the observer's seat. Then not for the first time this flight Rath felt a riding crop tap his shoulder none too lightly. He turned to see his own observer Leutnant von Hartsen gesturing off to their 11 o'clock. Rath looked in that direction but all he saw was one of the observation balloons as they approached the balloon line. Looking back he shrugged his shoulders, causing von Hartsen to strike him again with the crop and point furiously in the same direction.
Turning back Rath again scanned the sky. This time however he saw past the 'Drachen' and picked out three small black shapes approaching from the south. Rath blinked and re-focussed his eyes ..... yes! There they were, he could see them now, three monoplane aircraft coming in a few hundred metres below. Rath turned back to von Hartsen and confirmed the sighting. The observer was already preparing for battle, raising the butt of his Parabellum machine gun and firing off a test burst into the clear winter sky. Rath reached for the charging handle of his own machine gun mounted to the right of the engine. Pulling it to the rear then forward to chamber a round, he also fired a short burst. The gun chattered as a dozen rounds were loosed in less than two seconds.
'This is it,' thought Rath as he glued his eyes on the incoming enemy formation.
Just seconds later Rath saw puffs of white smoke appear in the sky as the flak battery defending the Ballonzug opened fire on the enemy formation. It was then he saw one of the Moranes side slip away to make an attack on the nearest balloon. Rath banked towards the enemy machine, forgetting for a moment he was flying in formation! He narrowly missed Leutnant Tütschulte's aircraft, passing behind the other C.III. If Erwin Tütschulte even noticed Rath's rash manoeuvre it did not put him off his aim. Exchanging fire with the lead Morane the German officer's burst struck a fuel line from his main tank, leaking petrol over the hot cylinders of the Le Rhône engine. The flammable liquid ignited sending a stream of flame running under the engine and fuselage. The Frenchman was also on target, his rounds passing through the fabric of the lower starboard wing of the Albatros.
The fire that was every aviator's worst nightmare began to slowly consume the Morane.
Rath did not notice the flaming Morane behind him, all his focus on making a diving front quarter deflection attack on the machine in front. The sharp-eyed von Hartsen however fired a long range burst at the stricken French machine, but his Parabellum MG fell silent after just a few rounds as a misfire stopped the gun's operation. Rath's synchronised MG08/15 also rattled into life and functioned perfectly. The Morane flew straight into the stream of bullets Rath had aimed a few aircraft lengths ahead of the machine. In the cockpit the French pilot Aspirant Paul Hasdenteufel rocked back in his seat as steel jacketed 7,92mm rounds tore through his body.
The third Morane having flown through the flak without damage made an attack on the second balloon, causing no damage to the Drachen.
Despite his wounds the Morane pilot slowed his machine and managed to fire off a strip of ammunition through his Hotchkiss gun, some of the copper jacketed rounds deflecting off the wedges protecting the blades of the propeller. The burst did not damage the balloon, but the Frenchman had more to worry about. Rath banked into the Morane intending to follow up his first burst, but as the French machine slowed he overshot. A split second after Morane disappeared from his view Rath felt the Albatros shudder and heard a loud cracking sound even about the roar of the Mercedes engine. Glancing back he saw the Morane spinning away, the port wing a crumpled mess where his undercarriage had connected with the main spar. Rath looked down at his own aircraft and was amazed to see his sturdy Albatros showed no signs of damage despite the mid-air collision.
Such was his shock at the incident he did not even think about the fact he had just claimed his first victory over an enemy machine. Despite the destruction of the Morane the balloon observer Leutnant Alfred Bednarski was quite over being a sitting duck in his basket and deployed his parachute.
Seeing his commander bail out of the balloon was enough to encourage Feldwebel Bruno Burkhard to do the same.
Rath banked his Albatros over a balloon, which was by now being pulled down as fast as the motorized winch could retract the cable. It was now that Rath saw the burning Morane diving steeply away from the action.
But the Frenchman Sous Lieutenant Jean-Paul Gauderman was doing more than just avoiding another attack. Switching off his main tank, his overdive extinguished the flames that threatened a fiery death. He then switched on the reserve tank and restarted the engine, the fuel now flowing though an undamaged line.
Using the agility and speed of their Moranes to good effect, the two remaining French pilots round on the second balloon …..
…. with the red nosed Morane narrowly avoiding a collision with the 'gasbag'.
Coming away from the Drachen the French are again engaged by flak, which bursts wide of the mark.
Rath and von Hartsen pass behind the balloon while Tütschulte and van Krieken come around …..
… to intercept the red nosed Morane. The French pilot pulls up and executes a reversement, passing under the Albatros C.III. Having re-loaded his Hotchkiss, S-Lt. Gauderman opens fire as he comes out of the turn. This time his rounds strike home and in a moment flames begins to consume the German balloon.
Closing on the balloon, Gauderman empties another ammunition strip into the observation balloon …..
….. which continues to burn.
Passing behind and just above the gasbag Gauderman loads another ammunition strip into his Hotchkiss gun …..
….. then reverses course and opens fire. This time the effect is dramatic as the balloon explodes in a ball of flame!
The force of the blast rocks both the French Morane and Rath's Albatros, but no damage is done to either aircraft.
The 'sizzling sausage' falls to earth, marking the French officer Jean-Paul Gauderman's first victory.
Rath dives though the smoke left by the burning balloon, passing just under the oncoming Morane so close that von Hartsen ducks involuntarily as the French machine's undercarriage seems so close he could reach out and touch it!
Meanwhile the other Morane piloted by Aspirant Joseph-Henri Halberger swoops on the second balloon, peppering the fabric skin with machine gun rounds.
Rath pulls the control stick hard to starboard giving Leutnant von Hartsen the chance to put a burst through the Morane's empennage, shooting up the rudder controls.
His second burst passes to the rear of the Morane, even as the flak battery below renews its barrage to no effect.
Rath again passes under the Frenchman as they turn into each other, Gauderman firing a quick burst at the balloon ahead.
As the Albatros and Morane separated von Hartsen fired a final burst which missed his rapidly diminishing target.
On the other side of the balloon Halberger performed a reversement and opened fire on the Drachen, setting the gasbag alight. He moment of triumph was short lived however as a flak gun finally got the range on their target. A 7,7cm shell fired from one of the Ehrhardt-Rheinmetall Ballonabwehrkanone defending the balloon line exploded beside the Morane, sending hot shrapnel into the aircraft. A piece blew a hole in the Morane's reserve tank, setting the machine alight.
Flames enveloped both aircraft and balloon …..
….. but the Frenchman was lucky to avoid further damage.
Rudi Rath banked the Albatros to follow the burning Morane. Lining up his sight ahead of the French scout he squeezed the trigger and again put a deflection burst into the cockpit. Although his instrument panel flew to pieces as the bullets smashed into his aircraft, Halberger was luckier than his comrade Hasdenteufel as just one bullet grazed his arm. The force of the blow however left the limb momentarily numb and hanging useless.
Rath flew over the balloon still now being winched in by its crew, while the burning Morane dived under the smouldering Drachen.
Like Gauderman earlier in the combat, Asp. Halberger performed an overdive in an attempt to quell the flames. He partially succeeded and as he levelled out at almost tree top height the fire burned itself out as the last of the fuel in the holed reserve tank was consumed.
Behind the Frenchman, 'his' balloon still burned but the flames had yet to consume the fabric skin.
Wounded, his aircraft barely holding together and skipping over the ground at very low altitude behind the German lines, and with two Albatros two-seaters hovering above like vultures waiting for the kill, Joseph-Henri Halberger made the decision to put his stricken Morane down in a field and chance his luck at an escape on foot.
Gauderman on the other hand decided to make another attack to put paid to the balloon once and for all. Rath, with one eye on the Morane they had just forced down banked in at the last moment to fire off a burst at the red nosed French machine, which passed astern of his target.
Aspirant Halberger got his kite down in one piece, immediately switching off the engine. But the Morane had a terribly high landing speed and he soon ran out of field. The aircraft hit a ditch and ended up on its port side, and if not for his harness Halberger would have been thrown forward into the windmilling propeller. Having slid to a stop, the Frenchman was pleasantly surprised to find he was not dead! Halberger slipped the harness and, clutching his wounded arm, immediately ran off to put as much distance between him and his wrecked aircraft as he could.
In the skies above S-Lt. Gauderman put yet another burst into the descending balloon, while Rath tried to keep with the more agile Morane.
Despite the additional damage the balloon stubbornly refused to burn up.
Now Gauderman was again faced with running a gauntlet of Boche flak …..
….. none of which was able to find its target.
And still the balloon, now within a few hundred metres of the ground, did not burn!
Incensed the German sausage would not 'sizzle', the French officer again reversed to have another crack, even as the two Boche Albatros machines closed in on him.
With single minded determination Gauderman fired off another long burst into the balloon, even as Leutnant von Hartsen shot up the Morane, sending a stream of black smoke trailing after the French machine.
As Rath and von Hartsen draw away, now Tütschulte and van Krieken close on the last Morane.
Gauderman fires off another tray of ammunition through his Hotchkiss gun, again holing the balloon but little more.
Leutnant Tütschulte draws ahead of the Morane to allow his observer Leutnant van Krieken a clear field of fire.
The smoking Morane is again fired on by flak as S-Lt. Gauderman makes an attack on the Albatros.
Van Krieken opens up with his Parabellum MG as the Morane closes, and Gauderman also squeezes off a burst, but neither man hits their target.
Behind them the balloon still smoulders as the crew have almost brought her to the ground.
Banking to starboard Leutnant Tütschulte gives his observer another shot at the Morane, and this time van Krieken makes it count, putting a long burst into the fuselage. At the same moment Rudi Rath gets back into the fight, but his MG08/15 stops after just a few rounds!
Rath sticks to his opponent with a perfect no deflection angle of attack, but his gun still refuses to fire. Finally Rath remembers to clear and recharge the gun, his inexperience delaying what should be an automatic drill.
Realising he is unlikely to get his MG working in time to stop the Frenchman's escape Rath banks hard to port, allowing Leutnant von Hartsen to bring his gun to bear. This time von Hartsen's marksmanship skills do not let him down as he puts a long range burst into the Morane.
S-Lt. Gauderman feels something give way in the aircraft and the controls become all but useless. Fortunately he is flying at low level and manages to coax the Morane down to crash in No Man's Land.
As the two FA24 Albatros C.IIIs turn back to the north and their own lines, the men of Ballonzug Nr.94 manage to bring in the badly damaged Drachen, and put out the flames.
VICTORY POINTS
CENTRAL POWERS
3 SINGLE SEAT SCOUTS SHOT DOWN - 6 POINTS
1 BALLOON SURVIVED (DAMAGED) - 5 POINTS
TOTAL = 11 POINTS
ENTENTE
1 BALLOON SHOT DOWN - 5 POINTS
TOTAL - 5 POINTS
CENTRAL POWERS VICTORY
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