Offzstv. Bernhard Harms, Kasta 18, Pronville, 14. Juli 1916

After nine days in hospital and days of bad weather, my first sortie put me in command
of our flight of three Rolands. We had to reconnoitre the front line around Bapaume.
Arriving near the town at 2200 Meter, we sighted Flak, and then 2 Bristol Scout.
I was about to ignore them, as they were 500 Meter lower and could not reach us.
But then Kaemmler, our rearmost flyer, dived down to engage them.
And when he got into trouble, Seifert also went down to help.

I was terribly angry about Kaemmler and could have strangled him - but then he fell;
a thick black column of smoke over east Bapaume was all that was left of his Roland.
Now Seifert and his observer had one Scout under fire, and the craft went down with
a trail of smoke.
I had a dance with the other Bristol, and twice I had almost been "smearing off"
in our tight turns, but then I hit the Englishman at 700 Meter altitude, and passing
him, my observer Palz also gave him some with his Parabellum.
The Bristol spiralled down and the pilot made a bumpy landing on our half of the line.

Now we were too low for our mission task, and so I followed Seifert, who was heading
back home. But from the north more Bristols came down to chase us. Seifert decided
to land at Bertincourt, while I made it back to Pronville.