OTTDYM Mission 7 - Dit Fromage ! Kyte.
The two German observation aircraft slipped quietly over the lines towards Verdun muffled and concealed by the early morning mist.
Below the French sentinels had no idea that the enemy were silently passing overhead.
Not until the second pair of aircraft appeared was the alarm finally given.
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From Fort Douaumont. a red signal flare snaked its way through the low lying mist. A signal to all in the clear sky above that their airspace had been infiltrated by the enemy patrol.
Too late as the German aircraft began to dive toward there objective.
The sole French Morane over the fort was soon sent skittering away by an escorting Eindecker which had the unlucky Frenchman's engine coughing and smoking in very short order.
Even as this was taking place above the mist, the first observation was taking place below.
As it happened the French aircraft was not the only allied machine in the vicinity that morning. having been pre warned that something was afoot, two British aircraft were patrolling the area and answered the flare. The two DH's were piloted by Pete van der Maren and James Wellard, still smarting from the fact that he had missed the opportunity to shoot down a German scout a few days earlier.
Now both pilots saw a chance to redress the omission as they drove their machines down from above the sitting ducks below who were intent on getting their observations underway before the French Archie gunners woke up to the situation.
The British pilots in their turn did not see the returning Fokker on their flank.
As the mist burnt off, the first Hun observer was now receiving attention from the ground as he took his first snap shot.
In the sky high above Pete and James peppered the second observation craft from two directions as the closed. The German observer also landed some well aimed round on Jim and for the second time in a few minutes an allied aircraft was smoking over Verdun.
This fight was proving anything but one sided as bullets from the enemy whistled past Pete, and James as the attacked.
Fortunately with the advantage of height both Pete and James were more successful with their return fire.
The gunners of Douaumont. were also getting their eye in and damaged the engine of the aircraft which had just photographed the fortifications.
Then suddenly it was all over for the Blue CIII as Pete ripped him out of the sky.
As James broke out of the scuffle and Immelmanned in order to get back into the scrap yet another German Eindecker appeared on the scene emerging from the murk some way behind his tail.
Meanwhile , things had moved on in the dogfight as Pete and the Fokker which had chased off the Frenchman introduced themselves. The German promptly took fire, whilst Pete suffered some structural damage in return.
No one noticed that way below them and totally unmolested, the observation plane got its second shot of the day.
The Brown Observation aircraft had now sneaked in and also got another shot of the outer defences on the west side of the fort.
The rather irate French gunners retaliated.
The burning Fokker made off still flaming merrily.
Click went the camera on the North side of the fort, as James finally spotted what was going off and homed in on the German aircraft.
At that moment Pete had his hands full trying to down the fleeing flamer whilst also fending off another Fokker who had just damaged his controls.
Click went the camera for the fourth time that morning.
Quite suddenly, as often happened in dog fights there was a lull with all protagonists unable to get a decent shot in.
Reanimated the enemies closed again, with James challenging the Photographic two seater for the first time, and giving the pilot a nasty nick in the shoulder, and receiving a jammed rudder in return.
Click and the CIII pilot could head for home.
Not without incident , however, as a snap shot from him set Pete on fire and the AAM again scored a hit on the already damaged CIII.
An attempt to get the CIII off Pete's tail by James failed.
As the snap happy observer took yet another photo for good measure.
Nevertheless, the AAM gunners were having a field day as they again hit the CIII.
Pete's fire was now intensifying, and he decided to overdive in an attempt to blow it out before it consumed his DH and crisped him any further as well.
Meanwhile, the German flamer, its fire now extinguished in the wet morning atmosphere, left the arena.
Pete was now completing his overdive, well below the guns of the departing CIII.
Indeed to observation machine pilot had more to worry about than his wound as James started to give his aircraft his undivided attention. He now became the third smoker of the day over Verdun.
Although Pete's overdive had been successful , his kite was in no condition to continue, so he nursed it gently back towards his home drome as the day finally brightened into sunshine.
In his chase of the CIII James now came under the guns of a new comer, as well as the observer of his chase.
Unperturbed, as both opponents guns jammed, a well placed grouping sent the new protagonist down in double quick time.
James now set off in pursuit of the CIII once again, who mysteriously seemed to have changed his magazine in quick time.
The lucky shot, saved the day for the German as James could not turn to follow as he made off with his clutch of precious photographs.
As James turned for home he reflected on the fact that he had at least made up for his failing of the last mission by at least getting one more victim to add to his tally.
Kyte.
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Well your chaps certainly did their best downing one of the Photographic kites & a Scout.
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