The Eagles had relocated 70 miles north to where the action was heating up. Several Jastas were brought in to deal with the intensifying air activity brought on by incessant Entente aircraft daily crossing the lines. Being now located closer to the British Army, HQ has passed on intelligence that the RFC were seen flying bombers in a fixed formation to maximize their firepower. Many ambitious pilots were seen to dive into this formation and never return. The Great Boelcke has witnessed one of these formations and has put some thought into it. He advises that attacking scouts only approach the edges and the tail of the formation and to attack in concert to overpower the enemy there.
Onkel posted Boelcke’s tactics to the Eagles roster board in the ready room for all to read. Flight leader ObLtn. Konrad Dahl gathered the Eagles to discuss the Boelcke bulletin. It was agreed if one of these formations were found that no one would act on their own. Depending on the situation it would be preferred to attack from a rear quarter. Under no circumstances would a head on attack be made. Under absolutely under no circumstances was anyone to fly into the middle of the formation.
Ltn. Paul Wolff lead the mid-morning patrol along the lines flying a Fokker D.II. With him in D.IIs were Ltn. Otto Reittinger and Ltn. Alfred Müller. Ltn. Lothar Ochs drew the lucky straw and got to fly the Halberstadt.
The chief of the ground crew had warned Wolff that one of the Fokkers had an intermittently sticky control and he wished it not be flown, but Paul insisted on flying a four-plane patrol and took the questionable plane for himself. Every available plane must be flown if each mission was to have the best chances for success.
Paul found the Fokker responding quite well on take-off. When reaching altitude, the four scouts flew their routes along the lines with no encounters to speak of. One French observation plane was seen but it quickly dove back behind its friendly lines as soon as it spotted the four Hun hunters. A pair of French scouts came a little closer but did the same to save themselves from an uneven fight.
Paul hoped to remember to thank the crew chief for his concern as all seemed fine. “We have a very good crew to take care of our machines”, Paul thought. “I hope I remember to thank the chief for his conscientious work ethic”.
The patrol route had been flown and it was time to head back to the barn. Paul, in the lead, waggled his wings to signal the others that it is time to head back.
20 miles from the aerodrome Paul thought he saw something through the clouds ahead. He signaled the others to follow him.
Sure enough, there was a flight of four British Sopwith Strutters hugging the bottom of the clouds. Using the clouds for cover Paul let the British think they were alone as he positioned his unseen flight for an attack. He passed on a few hand signals to remind the others this was the situation they had been warned about by the Boelcke Bulletin. Now is the time to follow the master’s instructions.
‘B’ Flight.
Eagles on the hunt.
Paul instinctively expected the usual. The formation would break and individual chases would follow. The Eagles broke through the clouds a little earlier than Paul had planned and he was sure the enemy had spotted them. To his surprise they stayed true to their course and flew straight on.
“These British are well disciplined staying in their formation knowing they are about to be attacked”, Paul thought. "Lets see if they can hold it".
Reittinger closed in first with Müller just behind. The Sopwith pilot flinched in his seat while Müller felt his joystick pull to the right.
Müller lost his focus and turned into the formation while the three other Eagles stayed on the plan.
Müller’s gambit was not appreciated by the lead Strutter’s pilot as he also was hit. Two bursts and two hit pilots, Müller was working on a reputation!
Lucky for Müller as this was a single seat bomber, no return fire from an observer.
Ochs turns in to attack the flanking Strutter. Smoke began to billow out of the engine cowling.
The Strutter’s observer chose to fire upon the Fokker flying past its tail. Luckily for Reittinger the stream of bullets was cut short.
Müller finds himself right where he was told not to go. He deftly kept out of the trailing Strutter’s firing arcs but a long shot nicked an oil line and his Fokker puffed out thick black smoke.
Müller’s view is greatly impaired by the smoke and he missed a golden opportunity to do some great damage. To insult him more his gun jams.
Ochs tries to shoot around Müller but to be safe has to fire wide.
Ochs turns to get on the tail of the smoking tandem and cuts it too close and has to ease just under it. He takes a pot shot but missed the leading bomber.
In the crazy tangle of planes even the British observers are having difficulty finding their targets.
The trailing Strutter finds Ochs and his Halberstadt vibrated as most of the burst hits home.
Ochs keeps his focus on the smoking bomber. He pulls back just enough to get it back into his sights and lets loose.
Reittinger lets off a short hopeful burst he knows is wide of Ochs but also probably wide of his intended target.
Müller, feeling he is about to clear the jam turns back towards the formation. The trailing observer has found his mark again but the left flanker jams his Lewis.
The smoking Strutter stalls and Ochs once again has to slip under it. Again he can’t find the lead bomber and cuts his burst short.
Ochs backs off and fires but does little but add a hole or two into some canvas.
Reittinger keeps firing wide.
(Here I really screwed up as I somehow missed the gun jams. They must have had bullet checker ground crew as the jams are both green!)
The trailing Strutter finds Ochs and punishes him again.
Müller puts a few good rounds into the Strutter, but Reittinger….at least you can say he’s consistent.
The trailing Strutter’s observer is not to be messed with. He gives no mercy to Müller’s Fokker with a brutal blow…and then a little more for icing on the cake.
(another mistake, firing into the blind spot!)
Müller give one last burst before having to break off. He at least gets a little satisfaction to see some bits and bobs flying off of the Strutter.
With Müller pulling away Reittinger finally gets a clear shot and makes it count. Sparks and smoke, them flames pour out of the Strutter’s enging.
Ochs has to back off again to get a shot at the smoker. One round hits the engine where the oil leak is and immediately the smoke turns into flame!
The observer has difficulty seeing through the swirling smoke and sprays his rounds wildly hoping to hit his foe.
(another case of blind spot shooting!)
Ochs doesn’t let up and soon the flaming mess spins down towards the earth below with no chance to recover.
(yep, more blind spot shooting!)
Reittinger now locks on to his prey, following the flames at a safe distance.
The trailing observer returns his attention to Reittinger and does not miss.
The fire is too much, and the second Strutter falls from the sky.
Ochs’ Fokker has taken its share of damage and he must break off. Its up to Reittinger and….where’s Wolff?
Oh, there he is, well behind Reittinger.
Wolff sees Müller and Ochs peeling off, Reittinger and the British ahead. He pushes the throttle as hard as he can but he knows he is too far behind to catch the enemy.
The remaining pair of Strutters make their escape. The pair of Fokkers give chase but after a few minutes give it up as hopeless. Their slow Fokkers won’t catch the Strutters from this or any distance from behind.
An uncomfortable Paul Wolff stood in front of Onkel's desk.
“Well, that must have been some fancy flying, not a single bullet hole!” Onkel, with his head tilted a little to the side, looks at Wolff.
“It wasn’t my fault. We followed Boelcke’s instructions and came at them all from one quarter. Just as we engaged my controls seized up and the damned Fokker turned away from the formation. By the time I got my kite back under control it was all but done. Ochs and Reittinger each downed one and the remaining two could not be caught. Our sad Fokkers are so slow we can’t even catch their tandems”. Wolff looked defiantly back at Onkel.
“Ja, I know”. Onkel gets up and slaps Wolff on the shoulder. “There are new designs being worked on. Soon we will again have planes worthy for the fight you must fight. Till then you’ll do your best”. Onkel felt the Eagle’s frustration. The glory days of the Fokker Scourge were well over. The Fokkers now are second rate at best.
Wolff left Onkel’s office feeling a little ashamed. He lead the flight but had not participated in the fight. As soon as he released a heavy sigh just outside the office door he saw his flight mates entering the mess. He hurried over to be the first to set them up with a drink to celebrate the two kills and a well fought engagement.
Butcher’s Bill
Entente
‘B’ Sqn 3 Bee tan sides FLM ET
‘B’ Sqn 3 Bee green sides FLM ET
‘B’ Sqn 1 and 2 Bee FRTB-W & RTB
Kaiser’s Eagles
Ltn. Alfred Müller FRTB-E 0 kills
4 & 1 ok
Ltn. Lothar Ochs FRTB-D 1 Kill
3 & 1 ok
Ltn. Otto Reittinger RTB 1 Kill
Ltn. Paul Wolff RTB 0 kills
Results
2 bombers downed +2
2 bombers escaped -2
Draw
Well I really messed this one up. I knew I missed something while playing it out but I was interrupted 4 times and didn’t catch it until I was editing the photos. Usually I fly it in one go but this took two days and some to get to the finish. I know, excuses excuses….
Did the missed gun jams equal the blind spot shooting? Eh. I even missed sending the lead Strutter bomber home because of the wounded pilot. War is hell!
It was still a lot of fun to fly and write up. Thanks for a fun scenario John.
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