At least we weren't attacking friendly rail depots this time.
Today I went up with the new guy Sergent Paischa Massinac. He joined yesterday and the CO asked that I keep an eye on him and show him the landmarks. Our nearby fields for example.
My initial plan was to give him a tour of the Argonne, but the second I stepped outside I knew that wouldn't do. This was the dawn patrol and you weren't going to see many landmarks up high, though someone far to the south - I never found out who - seemed willing to help. Either that or they left the lights on.
Greyish mist hung low over the ground. That, coupled with the play of sunlight on my screen and instruments, made it hard to see. As it turned out we were approaching Lemmes aerodrome when I saw smoke billow from one of their hangars! Huns!
At first I thought it might have been a stray cloud that flew between me and the warehouse, but the tell-tale whistling sound began, and soon something exploded against one of their tents.
Massinac was having a hard time of it - whether due to a flaw in his engine, or he didn't care for one of my turns, he'd had to cut in front of me, veer away and then return to formation. His Nieuport didn't like climbing any more than mine did, yet I pushed us upwards, higher and higher looking for the Germans in the grey-blue sky as we shoved through the mist. Slowly the sky brightened, which as you'll see isn't the best thing that could have happened, but still no Huns.
I was about to turn back in disgust when I happened to look towards the sun and saw two tiny dark silhouettes just emerging from the solar glare. Success! I chased them over Verdun (city) with Massinac in pursuit. Unfortunately it wasn't to be. Either sensing their danger or due to their natural course they flew further away from the sun. Deprived of the contrast I lost them. After a few minutes of hopeless pursuit I turned back.
That's when the bright light turned into a problem. The Argonne was still dark, the sun not having penetrated to its depths yet, and between that and the glare on my windshield and instrument panel I quickly grew disoriented, like flying into a fogbank. Once the plane shuddered and I realized I was descending *too* fast, but it ended well.
By the time I could fully make out ground details again I was only a few thousand feet over my two airfields, Lemmes and Valdelaincourt. Massinac and I completed a few circuits where I checked out the damage wrought by the Germans: Not much.
We then flew home. I'm not used to coming in from the south and nearly lost my way, but then saw my old nemesis sliding away to the left. Widowmaker. From there I angled in and we both landed safely.
