The Raid.
KoTA 4. The raid. Despatch to G.H.Q.
Following our successful missions to destroy the German observation Balloons, Sous. Lt. Enpassent and his aircraft returned to his own squadron. Thus it fell out for Lt. Patrick Knight flying his Spad VII as escort, together with Lt. McQueen and his observer Sgt. Rooke in their DH4 to carry out the next phase of the Allied attempt to control the skies over the Front.
Following a detailed aerial recon by G.H.Q. they were told off to bomb three selected important strategic targets. These, being a fuel depot deep inside German held lines, a supply depot, and a forward ammunition dump, nearer to the front.
As the grey light of dawn cut through the remaining wisps of overnight mist, Knight’s mechanic swung his prop over and the sound of his aircraft engine cut through the still of the morning .
Easing the throttle control forward, Knight rolled across the airfield, picked up flying speed and rose up into the dawn on his way to rendezvous with McQueen.
Together, the two machines crossed the lines to the usual morning welcome from the Hun Archie batteries below, and headed off towards their primary objective, the ammunition dump.
In spite of their early start; as they approached the target they saw two enemy machines climbing up to meet them.
Both British aircraft went into an immediate dive, Knight in order to engage the Huns, and McQueen to obtain a bombing run at low level on the target.
Neither of the German machines seemed to be phased by the turn of events and both headed straight for the DH. They could now be clearly recognised as a Red Triplane and a Red and White Albatros. The Triplane turned toward the DH , but before it could come within range, Knight side slipped, and delivered a short burst from his Vickers, which stitched a line along the side of the Red machine. With no warning, the Triplane went into a vertical spin which only ended when the ground intervened.
Taken completely by surprise at this turn of events, Knight was in the middle of executing an Immelmann turn, which effectively took him out of the action for the rest of the mission.
Meanwhile the Albatros had climbed underneath the DH and the chatter of its twin Spandaus , brought no response from Rooke’s Lewis as he was making last minute adjustments to his bomb release. With the first group of bombs on their way, McQueen turned his nose onto a course for the fuel depot.
Another burst of fire from the Albatros only caused superficial damage to the DH, but as Rooke pressed his bomb release for the second time that morning, a near miss by the German Archie battery defending the dump not only threw off his aim, but caused the plane to veer off course, clipping the wing of the pursuing Albatros, which instantly folded in two and nosedived into a field near the railway line serving the depot.
Although the bombs had only been a partial success, the DH had been so badly crippled by the AA. fire that McQueen was forced to jettison his remaining bombs, and limp for home, accompanied by Knight who had just caught up to the action.
On the way back, they passed the forward ammo dump where exploding rounds of ammunition were still going off amid the ruins of the smoke blackened complex.
For his part in the action Knight was recommended for the DFC. And McQeen was promoted to the rank of Captain. Rooke got a mention in despatches.
Of the two downed German airmen, nothing was known, as both came down on their own side of the lines.
Wing Commander Kyte. O.C. Bentangles.
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Originally Posted by Aero825
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