Finally, I didn't think I would ever get to test my new kite against the enemy and the funny thing, it wasn't even an offensive mission. Roderic and I were just ordered to fly around the area and test the new rigging adjustments that the riggers had made to our kites. We had just taken off and were climbing to gain some altitude when I spotted two of the new Aviatiks bombing just a few miles to the south of us. I signaled Roderick and we both began climbing like crazy to reach the Huns. Once again, I was amazed at the performance of our machines and how fast they can climb. In our old Moranes we would have chased them halfway back to the front before we would have reached their altitude, but in our Nieuports we reached them while they were still forming up after their bombing work. The tricky thing with the new Aviatik is the armed observer in the back. I had been pondering exactly how I would attack them ever since I saw that first about a month ago. It seems to me that the only safe avenue of attack is to attack from below and behind. It worked like a charm for the two Aviatiks that we met, but I know that two tests can't, by any stretch of the imagination, be called a conclusive test. Only time will tell, but I'm pleased with how my kite performed in its first combat.
Member and provider of banjo music for the Illustrious BOC
