Epower, he is not out of the woods, but I see his wood is out and lathed into shape. You’ve been a busy beaver with all these reports coming in fast and furious. So, Oliver’d chosen Clarissa’s heel then. Hopefully he knows what happens to praying mantis male after copulation. Stay on your toes, Oliver! Stay on your toes. I’m surprised that our salty dog sailor, who’d been to Singapore, Hong Kong et al., would be so taken aback by Clarissa’s description of said carnal scenario. Wouldn’t the experience of his previous life on the seas prepare him for such an eventuality?
Carrick, say it ain’t so. Your most successful pilot is no more. RIP 2 Lt J. K. Thorpe. Off to the next incarnation.
13 March, 1918 10:45 Guise, Flanders Sector Jasta 19, JG II Leutnant Rudolf Emil Fuchs EK1, HHO 42 confirmed kills
Escort a Rumpler from FA 33 on recon of enemy front sector across from Peronne. Rudi was sure this would be an easy mission. All they had to do was follow a large, slow biplane. They didn’t even have to navigate. How hard could it be? Everything changed once they were in the air. The Schwarm was approaching the rendezvous point when Fuchs noticed a dot following another dot, with yet another dot descending upon the first two dots. Two SPADs were engaged in a fight with the poor Rumpler. Rudi couldn’t get there fast enough. He was almost sure it would be all over before he could get there. He was so close now. Just a little bit more. He chanced a long range shot. It worked. The SPAD was spooked and disengaged. He watched the French machine descend in a spiral, flipping upside down, trying to regain control, but it was no use. He crashed close to the aerodrome. Fuchs couldn’t believe his luck.
He then noticed another plane above. It wasn’t a SPAD. It looked different and green all over. Even the roundels looked different. It had to be a Britisher! Rudi continued to track the new machine, but he was too low to intercept. Instead, he noticed another one of the planes coming straight at him. He pulled up and sprayed the bottom of the enemy craft with bullets. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. This crate also began to spiral down to crash beneath. But as the plane was just about to smash into the ground, the pilot levelled out and attempted to get away by blending with his surroundings. Rudi wasn’t fooled. He dropped like a hawk and sprayed the unfamiliar machine with his Spandaus. The Britisher tried to outmaneuver the Fokker, but it wasn’t meant to be. Another volley sent the green plane out of control down into the ground.
Fuchs was trying to get his flight to form up behind. Some Dreideckers were already following, but between them he noticed one of the enemy planes. It was too late to do anything. The Englander was on poor Leutnant Schneider’s tail. Rudi watched in terror the enemy open fire and devastate the triplane. Parts of wings detached from the machine and the Fokker tumbled towards the earth. Fuchs was on the Englander’s tail in a flash and letting long bursts of hate into the angular plane. This time it was the Britisher that was losing bits of his plane. Rudi continued to fire until the enemy’s engine caught on fire. It was quick after that. The S.E.5 went into a shallow dive and smashed into the ground.
It was time to turn back, the Rumpler was nowhere to be seen and there was no point of them overflying the Front for no good reason. Hopefully their Rumpler was already on his way to the nearest aerodrome. Fuchs gave signal to return and was leading the Schwarm home when he noticed Flak explosions to his left. It looked like there were more strugglers. There, right in the midst of the puffs of black smoke, was another Britisher trying desperately to get back across the lines. As soon as Rudi pointed the nose of his Dreidecker in the enemy’s direction, the S.E.5 began his evasive maneuvers. Rudi followed and soon found himself behind the English crate and firing. He knew he’d landed some solid hits and watched his target take a dive into the ground, but just before the collision, the British pilot levelled out and set his plane on the direct course towards the front lines. Fuchs was not amused, he’d been outfoxed again, but was the fight over? The Fokker had an altitude advantage and could probably still catch his prey. Rudi dipped his nose and went after the target. He almost had him but the distance was still too great to engage. In his desperation he fired a few long-range volleys. One of them connected and the ugly plane wobbled. Fuchs fired again and the S.E.5 went into a corkscrew dive. Rudi was sure he had him this time and watched with satisfaction as the enemy plane was nearing the ground and its destruction. It never happened, the British pilot tricked him again and this time for good. Rudi didn’t have enough altitude nor speed to catch his target again. He saluted his skillful foe and turned his plane around for Guise. Tybelsky was right, these Englanders were something else.
"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."
