Joined: May 2012 Posts: 4,879RAF_Louvert
BOC President; Pilot Extraordinaire; Humble Man
RAF_Louvert
BOC President; Pilot Extraordinaire; Humble Man
Senior Member
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 4,879
L'Etoile du Nord
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Wow! I see I’ve lots of reading to catch up with here when I get back home this evening. I’ll be out and about for the day but I wanted to post Georg Pfeiffer’s current status.
First sortie was a line patrol that was uneventful, nothing in the sky except the Kaiser’s planes, the birds, and the clouds. Third mission early this morning was precisely the same. However, yesterday’s sortie was another story entirely. Kette Zwei was tasked with watching the lines from Monchy-le-Preux to Lens. All was going well as the two Alb IIIs and two Alb IIs worked their way along No Man’s Land towards the north. They had climbed to 9,000’ and were just over Oppy when five enemy planes dove down upon them from a much greater height, and Sopwith Triplanes at that. Flieger Pfeiffer thought his number was up on but his second sortie ever as two of the Tripes set directly upon him. He twisted and turn and threw his mount all over the sky as he tried to shake them, taking hits in his wings and tail feathers on several occasions. One of the enemy ships suddenly broke off from the fight and headed west but the other pressed on with his attacks. Suddenly, as Georg brought his Alb up and over for the umpteenth time the Tripe flashed across his sights and he let go a volley with both guns, a volley that found its mark on the Tripe’s engine. The enemy plane started trailing black smoke and immediately turned away and headed west after his partner. As young Pfeiffer’s mount was running badly due to hits his engine had taken as well he decided discretion was most certainly the better part of valour at this point and did not give chase. He turned towards home but kept an eye on the Tripe which was giving up altitude at a fairly steep rate. With any luck his attacker wouldn’t make it back across the lines. No sooner had Georg considered this when his engine conked entirely and he had to start looking for somewhere to set down. The road from Vitry-en-Artois was directly beneath him and he surmised that would make an ideal emergency landing spot and lined up on it. He gave the Tripe a final look as he neared the ground and could see that his attacker was landing as well, right in the middle of No Man’s Land. Georg landed his dead mount without any trouble what-so-ever and within the hour was back at camp filling out a claim for the Tripe. It was approved the next day.
On patrol, just before the Sopwiths arrive.
Bringing the nose up to face the incoming threats.
What you do not want to see when you look behind.
One of the seemingly endless close passes during the dance.
After finally getting hits on the Tripe it breaks away, engine smoking.
A vanquished foe loosing altitude as he heads west.
On the ground, safe and relatively sound. Georg lives to fight another day.
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Three RFC Brass Hats were strolling down a street in London. Two walked into a bar, the third one ducked. _________________________________________________________________________
Former Cold War Warrior, USAF Security Service 1974-1978, E-4, Morse Systems Intercept, England, Europe, and points above. "pippy-pahpah-pippy pah-pip-pah"
Damm...Nice tripe kill. Were the Tripes shooting down landing planes? I ran into that but with NUPES on my flight shortly after their AI minds went into focus on landing.
Don't know how it started but they were all swirling about above the field when I noticed so they were fighting. I could not tell who was who at a distance but one broke away and came right under us. That's the bloke I went after.
Never approach a bull from the front, a horse from the rear or a fool from either end. BOC Member since....I can't remember!
The Kette was tagged to fly Escort today. Photos of the line, I think ? Met up with DFW,s at 5000 meters and flew up and down the lines. My fuel was down to 23 % on the last run so broke off and re-fueled at a friendly base then home. Kinda a let down with 9 a/c up you would expect the enemy to be up in force.
I must be the luckiest pilot in the Kaiser's Luftstreitkräfte. This morning's sortie we were ordered to fly a defensive patrol over a local factory. As we were approaching our designated patrol sector, I notice a flight of four Nieuports harassing some DFWs that had just landed. Remembering my dressing down, I quickly dismissed them and turned my attention back to the Schwarm. All at once, my plane pitched forward into a vertical spinning dive. The world started turning red as I frantically tried everything I could think of to pull out of this dive. I had given up hope and that's was when my machine began to level off, miraculously my wings were still attached to my machine. I quickly came to my senses and noticed that I had pulled out and was flying right behind one of the Nieuports, well not to let a good opportunity pass, I fired and scored my fifth victory.
I quickly landed and with quivering legs, I kissed the ground and followed that with a rather large cup of Schnapps.
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That was all true, I've never had anything like this happen in WOFF before. My plane just pitched forward and I really didn't think I would survive. It was just fool's luck that I survived and pulled out right behind the Nieuport. Has anyone else ever had anything remotely like this happen?
Member and provider of banjo music for the Illustrious BOC
Wow, Rick, plenty of excitement for Flieger Lowenbrau!!
Quite the opposite for Pallitz, who spent 71 minutes touring the front, this morning, with not a single EA to be seen. Not even any specs in the distance!
However, a couple of the ground staff have mentioned that he might want to repaint his Albatros, as the colors he has chosen could well be mistaken for RFC colors! They may have a point.
BTW, Rick... you look scarily like Randy Johnson, "The Big Unit", with that moustache!! It had been bugging me, until it came to me, reading your last report!
Rick, congrats on making Ace and enjoy well deserved leave.
"Take the cylinder out of my kidneys, The connecting rod out of my brain, my brain, From out of my arse take the camshaft, And assemble the engine again."
BTW, Rick... you look scarily like Randy Johnson, "The Big Unit", with that moustache!! It had been bugging me, until it came to me, reading your last report!
H
I thought it was Colonel George Pickett!
Never approach a bull from the front, a horse from the rear or a fool from either end. BOC Member since....I can't remember!
Manfred has flown his 7 missions for the week and I am happy to say he is still alive! Our last mission was an intercept way the heck up northeast and did not see a single thing. My Triplane of yesterday was confirmed and it seems he was an ace of some renown. Bad news is, he stripped down to his birthday suit and took off, leaping the German trenches in a single bound. The gunners were so surprised they did not fire a shot. So look out fellow flyers. He is still in the fight. I am off to fly my own Triplane for a few days. It is orange and has "Kubota" painted on the side.
Never approach a bull from the front, a horse from the rear or a fool from either end. BOC Member since....I can't remember!
Well, after the Nieuport was rejected, I went to whatever setting lets you know you shot one down. That's when I sent the FE down in flames with the whole squadron below and behind. At debrief it was not even acknowledged and I could not file a claim so went back to normal. The written claim in my post is pretty much standard for me. No secrets, I have some bummers also and they seem to come in spurts.
Congratulations on becoming an Ace!
Never approach a bull from the front, a horse from the rear or a fool from either end. BOC Member since....I can't remember!
May 3, 1917 08:05 Wind 3 knots (yet again) WSW Patrol friendly front lines at FF377 Schwarm Zwei: 6 planes led by von Tutschek Schwarm Eins: 4 planes - direct assist Otto suffered mechanical failure during the climb to altitude and had to turn back. He landed at a nearby airfield still under power. Rest of the mission continued without enemy encounter or further incidents until the end of the mission when one of the machines from Schwarm Eins caught fire and crashed near the airfield. Rest of the flight landed with the grim sight nearby.
1 machine damaged - 1 day to repair and 1 machine destroyed.
"Take the cylinder out of my kidneys, The connecting rod out of my brain, my brain, From out of my arse take the camshaft, And assemble the engine again."
Horst has made the move to the Alb. DII early and with the move comes a new paint job. I figured that since I'm the Grim Reaper I should have a black plane.
Member and provider of banjo music for the Illustrious BOC