19 February 1916
Jasta 24 “Adler” squadron headquarters.
“Irgendwelche Fragen?” <Any Questions >
Obltn Bernhard Wienand looks around the assembled aircrews.
He has just given them their orders for the day.
Two Albatros C.III are to photograph the French fort at Douaumont, near Verdun, and the surrounding area.
“Alles klar.” < understood >
ObLtn Moritz Melbeck confirms the mission.
He will command one of the C.III – his favourite pale blue machine, along with his regular Observer, Ltn Ewald Engelbrecht.
The other C.III will be crewed by pilot Fwbl Siegfried Nixdorf and Observer Ltn Leonard Wiechers.
“Zwei Fotos der Festung und zwei in jeder Richtung um die Festung herum.“
< Two photos of the fortress and two in each direction around the fortress. >
Winenand reminds the Albatros crews.
‘Vier Fokker E.III werden Sie begleiten.“
< Four Fokker E.III will accompany you. >
“Stellen Sie sicher, dass sie zurückkehren.“
< Make certain they return >
Douaumont can be seen in the distance.
Die Adler hope they can get in and out before the forward observers can announce their presence.
They approach nervously. Even hardened veterans can feel ‘stage fright’ before a mission like this.
Then a bright flare can be seen bursting in the air ahead of them.
“Wir wurden gesehen!”
< we have been seen >
Actually, not so much seen as heard.
Six aircraft in formation do make quite a racket …
Note: a roll of 6 had then discovered right off the bat.
Engelbrecht gets a photo of the Eastern approach.
Wiechers also gets a photograph of the Eastern sector.
Turn 3: the RFC roll a 5 – the second wave will arrive in turn 5.
Englebrecht takes his second photo.
Wiechers gets a good close shot of the fort itself.
And then another.
Nearly running into Nixdorf’s C.III Engelbrecht also gets a close photo of the fort.
Insurance?
Turn 4 – Right on schedule, Australians 2Lt Percy Herbert and 2Lt Stanley Pateman arrive in CDL DH.2s, just behind Rookie Ltn Karsten Rüdiger in the pale green Eindecker and Ltn Till Huebner in his darker green machine.
Another pair of Fokkers approach – Ltn Günther Giesebrecht and Ltn Felix Eisenhardt.
Herbert is unnerved by the sight of the Fokkers closing.
Herbert gets first blood!
Rüdiger, still somewhat a green pilot - to go with his livery perhaps? – fires at Herbert
Tikka tik ….
First time firing his weapon it has jammed!
Turn 5 finds 2Lt James Mackay, finally back in action after 5 weeks in recovery, and his new wingman 2Lt Charles Gordon, arriving in their PC10 DH.2s
Pateman attacks the brown C.III of Nixdorf & Wiechers, achieving a decent amount of damage.
Huebner retaliates from his E.III
Eisenhardt fires at Mackay’s DH.2
Tikka tikka tik
Another jam!
Mackay fires a steady burst back
Da da da da
His Lewis does moderate damage, but then ..
“Flammen!”
Eisenhardt sees flames flicker from a fuel line.
Da da da da
Gordon’s Lewis rakes Giesebrecht’s Fokker.
Tight combat finds Mackay barely avoiding the burning E.III
Like partners in a choreographed piece Giesebrecht and Gordon have their own dance.
Herbert fires a long shot at Huebner but appears to have missed.
Pateman gets in close to the C.III
Da da da da
Nixdorf’s rudder seems to slacken.
Luckily the left side still feels functional.
Pateman gets too close for comfort and is unable to add to the Albatros’s worries.
And, again, Gordon follows the program …
Turn 6: 2Lt Robert Lewis and Canadian 2Lt Edward Duke arrive in Nieuport 11s that have been ‘acquired for consideration’ from the French Escadrille 67.
Eisenhardt sees them closing and the flames are no longer his only worry.
But the flames are definitely on his mind as they eat up fabric.
Wiechers puts aside his camera for a moment and gets of a solid burst at the DH.2 of Pateman.
Engelbrecht manages to keep his concentration and take another photo, this one of the Western sector.
Seconds later …
Da da da da
Gordon damages the Albatros and smoke begins to curl from the engine area.
“Rauch …” Melbeck remembers his last outing and dreads the possibility of fire.
Like his adversary Mackay he missed several weeks in recovery
Pateman switches targets.
Da da da da
Melbeck’s rudder is now definitely slackened and may not be able to turn to the right at all.
Herbert fires at Rüdiger
Da da da da
Missed completely!
Tikka tikka tikka
Rüdiger returns the compliment and is rewarded by his effort – the DH.2 Gnôme Monosoupape engine begins to cough and sputter.
“Crikey!” Herbert realizes his combat sortie must come to a close – and fast!
Tikka tikka tikka
Giesebrecht comes at Herbert from behind and does yet more damage.
Da da da da
Duke does almost identical damage to the burning Fokker of Eisenhardt.
The Oberursel U.I engine starts mirroring Herbert’s Gnôme.
Even if Eisenhardt can extinguish the flames he must now head back to the Jasta airfield.
Tikka tikka tik …
Melbeck fires his LMG 08/15 causing minimal damage to Mackay’s DH.2 before yet another German gun has jammed.
Still fighting the flames, Eisenhardt has cleared his jam and manages an opportune shot at Gordon.
Tikka Tikka
Huebner fires at Herbert and gives the DH.2 pilot some control problems for a change.
Da da da da
Lewis fires at the blue C.III
Melbeck sees new flames along with the earlier smoke.
And if that were not enough, now his Argus As.III engine is severely compromised as well.
“Wir müssen zu unserer Basis zurückkehren!“ < we must return to our base > Melbeck shouts back at Engelbrecht.
Can Eisenhardt’s day possibly get any worse?
Da da da …
Duke starts to curse “Oh for F….” as his Lewis jams.
But Eisenhardt lets out a yelp as hot lead pierces his side.
Putting his camera duties aside, Engelbrecht fires at Gordon.
Da da da
The Englishman’s turn for rudder issues and smoke.
Tikka tikk ..
Da da d….
Nixdorf and Mackay trade identical damage as each of their guns jam.
Their curses drown each other out.
Unbelievable!
Wiechers fires his Parabellum at Pateman and a third set of identical damage is revealed.
Another damn jam!
* And how is it that “Bullet Checker” Huebner never draws these green jams???
Tikka tikka
Rüdiger fires at Gordon but misses.
Tikka tikka
Giesebrecht hits Duke’s Nieuport causing minor damage.
Tikka tikka
Still burning, Eisenhardt puts some holes into Lewis’s fabric.
Back to business, Wiechers takes a photo of the North sector.
Streaming both smoke and flame, Melbeck fights the Albatros fire with the maneuvers he has stressed with his pilots.
Eisenhardt passes right in front of Duke, also hoping to slow the flames down.
Luckily Duke’s Lewis is jammed.
But then ….
The fire has done enough damage and Eisenhardt struggles to get his Fokker to the ground.
Click!
Herbert finishes the Lewis drum swap, but turns away from the green Fokker.
He hopes his engine has enough left to get him home.
Duke turns and almost runs into Giesebrecht!
“Jeesus H. ….”
Mackay cuts right in front of the brown C.III
Double luck – he avoids collision and Nixdorf’s gun is still jammed, although he would not have been able to fire from so close anyway.
Rüdiger targets the lead DH.2 of Gordon.
Tikka tikka
Just a bit of fabric.
Herbert continues his escape.
At least if his engine dies he will not have a Fokker on his tail.
Rüdiger narrowly avoids Pateman and gets of another quick burst at Gordon*
*Hmmm this should have been +1
Lewis fires his Lewis at the C.III
Wiechers is helpless – both of the Albatros guns are jammed.
Da da da d…
Another (green!) jam …
Melbeck steers the still-burning C.III away from the action toward some low clouds.
The flames seems to be subsiding but then hit a patch of fuel!
Melbeck tries to control the Albatros but is disoriented and cannot see for the smoke.
The C.III slams into the ground and disintegrates.
French poilus attempt to get to the crewmen but the flames are too intense.
Wiechers does what he does best and gets another photo.
Giesebrecht gets a solid strike on Pateman
Huebner whiffs at Gordon.
Rüdiger fires again at Lewis.
Another miss.
Giesebrecht tries again with a long shot at Pateman.
Goose egg this time.
Huebner follows Gordon’s smoking DH.2 and gets a hit.
Duke comes straight and Nixdorf’s C.III
Da da da
Some damage to the wing.
Tikka tikka
“Aaaarggh!”
A bullet rips through Duke’s right side.
He feels the blood seeping through his shirt and realizes it’s time to break off and leave the Albatros for his comrades.
Tikka tik …
Rüdiger just can’t buy any luck today.
Lewis sees some slight damage, but the young German’s gun has jammed.
“Nochmal!” < Again! >
Da da da ..
Wiechers fires at Duke.
The Parabellum suddenly stops – another jam!
Pateman nervously checks behind him.
Giesebrecht cannot hold his fire and ends up wasting a few rounds.
Tikka tikka
Huebner gets a decent hit on Gordon's DH.2, enough to force the smoking machine back to base.
Giesebrecht is nothing if not stubborn in his pursuit of Pateman.
Tikka tikka tikka
“Well that’s carked it!” Pateman lets his frustration be heard as he feels his DH.2 give way.
Giesebrecht has his third kill, but the intensity of the chase has wiped that from his thoughts.
Pateman guides his DH.2 to the ground as best he can.
Da da da
Gordon tries to get his own back at Huebner but to no avail.
Gordon can see the green Eindecker much better now that the smoke has subsided, but saves his ammo knowing Huebner is just outside his arc of fire.
Rüdiger’s frustration is building.
What could have been a perfect shot at Lewis’s N.11 is thwarted.
“Ich brauche einen größeren Hammer!“ < I need a bigger hammer! >
Huebner performs a Split-S just in time to see Lewis pull an Immelmann on Rüdiger.
Da da da da da
Lewis empties his Lewis into the unfortunate rookie, dead in his sights.
Rüdiger is riddled with bullets.
And then a catastrophic BOOM as his fuel tank explodes!
Karsten Rüdiger has flown his last mission.
„Ohne Pech hätte er überhaupt kein Glück“ < if not for bad luck he would have no luck at all >
For the third time in as many missions he has been knocked from the sky.
Giesebrecht hangs on to Gordon like a Rottweiler.
Tikka tikka tikka
“Sie werden dieses Mal nicht entkommen!“ < You will not escape this time! >
The DH.2 has had enough for one day.
Gordon manages to control his aircraft while the thin trees snap around him.
Giesebrecht has his fourth kill, but again the intensity of the combat obscures his count.
Da da da
Mackay puts some lead into the brown Albatros.
Da da da
Wiechers fires a steady stream back and sees Mackay noticeably jerk in his seat.
Another Bulldog with a wound serious enough to force a return to base.
Speaking of wounded pilots returning to base …
2Lt Edward Duke sneaks his Nieuport away unnoticed.
Seeing the DH.2 has not turned to follow them, Wiechers calmly, as he is known to do, takes a second photo of the North quadrant.
Tikka tikka
Huebner is getting frustrated. He is due for another kill.
He wills his bullets toward the Nieuport and damages the rudder.
Lewis finishes swapping his namesake drum.
Just in time to unload at Giesebrecht’s E.III
Da da da da
Rudder damage and … is that? “Yes!”
“Feuer … nicht schon wieder …” < Fire … not again … >
Giesebrecht will again have to deal with a burning aircraft.
Trying not to dwell on the flames, Giesebrecht fires at a DH.2 crossing right in front of him.
Tikka tikka
Mackay slumps in his cockpit.
A bullet has passed right through his heart.
The DH.2 falls awkwardly to the ground below.
And, unknown to him, Giesebrecht has his fifth kill!
Da da da da
Lewis hits Giesebrecht’s flaming Fokker and sees a second stream of smoke begin to flow down the fuselage.
“Can’t be long now …”
Tikka tikka
Huebner desperately tries to help his fellow Adler.
Lewis has almost no rudder control left.
Lewis flies past the Fokker and empties his drum into the C.III
The Albatros is near its damage limit and Nixdorf must look toward home base.
Tikka tikka
Huebner is too far away to do any real damage. Hit bullets fly harmlessly past the Nieuport.
Giesebrecht knows the drill.
He flits side to side to control the flames.
Wiechers gets one last photo of the East sector. He looks up to see the Nieuport flying straight at him.
Luckily Lewis is in the midst of swapping out his Lewis drum.
Lewis is nearly finished the Lewis drum swap – will he get a chance to fire?
Lewis looks up to click the drum into place and nearly collides with his intended target.
Giesebrecht can barely breathe as he continues to fight the flames.
Lewis ducks into the C.IIIs blind spot.
Lewis has been disoriented by the ammunition swap. The Albatros has turned away and he now finds himself out of position.
He sees a green Fokker closing.
Giesebrecht has run out of luck.
The flames flare up ….
…. And the Fokker goes down!
Giesebrecht climbs awkwardly from the cockpit, avoiding the flames as best he can.
As the flames eat up what’s left of his aircraft he is thankful that the Frenchmen will not be able to get any useful information from it.
Just then a voice comes from behind …
“Mains en l'air, allemand!”
With Huebner guarding his exit, Nixdorf flies the C.III away from the area.
“Wir müssen diese Fotos sicher zurückbekommen.“ < We must get these photos back >
„Wir haben teuer dafür bezahlt...“ < we have paid dearly for them >
Huebner sees the Nieuport turn and quickly sets off to join Nixdorf and Wiechers.
Just two Adler are returning.
“Auf jeden Fall ein hoher Preis ...“ < Definitely a high price >
Lewis has time to think on his solitary flight back to base.
He has three kills to his credit, but does not feel like bragging about them.
Bookmarks