Congrats, Eastwood and Mardling - you will see the medals in the next chart!

*** *** ***


Offzstv. Bernhard Harms, Kasta 18, Pronville, 11. August 1916

We just returned from a 1-hour mission; we had to find any new British artillery emplacements between
Bapaume in the north, and Peronne in the south. We had done the job perhaps half, when a flight of
five or six enemy aircraft appeared, which we saw, because the Flak was firing after them like mad.
They were ca. 1500 - 2000 Meter below us, but they climbed and climbed, to get at us.
We could finish flying the whole route one way, but when we had to turn, the E/A had climbed at least
1000 Meter, and I could recognise they were Strutters.
Had we flown all they way back up north, they might have reached our altitude and cut off our way back,
so I decided to break off, and we rushed downwards to the northeast, with our 210 km/h dive.
But those Strutters did the same - and they could keep up with us or even close on us.

I was prepared to fight, but dived even steeper now. Klein clutched his Parabellum, determined to
shoot the first Strutter to hell. But then the Englishmen suddenly swung back and turned away from us.
Maybe we had lured them down too low by now, which must feel very uncomfortable over enemy terrain.

The Hauptmann wasn't happy with what we brought back, and we will have to make another sortie after
lunch - High Command is making pressure on us to deliver 100% of what they asked for.




Vice-President of the BOC (Barmy OFFers Club)
Member of the 'Albatros Aviators Club' - "We know how to die with Style!"