Lou - So Freddy leads a fruitless couple of long patrols. At least all survived and can maybe look forward to heading home at some point in the near future. As for Werner, it was surreal at that presentation that's for sure. It's going to be a weird few days for him and the Jasta.
Lt Werner Rendel, GMVK, EK1 Jasta 78b Buhl Lorraine airfield
47 confirmed kills
10th November 1918
Leutnant Schmid had asked for confirmation on the news he'd received before telling anyone. A phonecall from the local area commander at 7am gave him that confirmation.
As for orders, for the moment they remained the same, defend the ground installations and troops.
Schmid called a briefing for 7.30am with all present. He announced the news of the Kaiser's abdication and that a German delegation was now in conference with the allies to bring about an armistice.
Once the furore had died down, the questions started. "What were our orders?", "Where had the Kaiser gone?", "What happens if there's an armistice?". Some questions were obvious, some unanswerable, but one drew a fearsome response from Leutnant Schmid.
"What are we to do now if we meet the enemy?" asked Feldwebel Leipner. Leipner, from Soest, had clearly not phrased his question properly but Schmid, as unsure and nervous as the rest of the pilots, snapped.
"Your duty Feldwebel!! Shoot them down!!! Until we are told otherwise, you shoot them down!!!" shouted Schmid.
This brought an end to the briefing except for the murmurs and mutterings. Schmid dismissed the throng and stated the mission briefing would be at 8.30am.
Schmid took the briefing and confirmed the Jasta would be heading to the front to the south west once more.
The weather remained very poor as the aircraft took off and began climbing up. They'd not gotten far when Werner spotted flak up above and then saw what they were shooting at. A formation of SPADs high above. The Frenchmen saw the Fokkers down below and started circling down but took an age to decide to commit to the attack.
When they finally dived down it was in dribs and drabs. Werner avoided them with ease and swung around onto a passing SPAD as it levelled out.
A decent burst had the SPAD diving down and Werner went with him. The Frenchman tried all the tricks but Werner was simply too good for him. He stuck on him like glue and put another accurate burst into the enemy aircraft. The SPAD visibly wobbled and a final flurry had the enemy aircraft heading straight into the ground.
Werner levelled out and spotted another enemy aircraft nearby. He went after the SPAD and blasted him with a long raking burst which tore chunks out of him. The Frenchman simply had nowhere to go. Another burst and the SPAD lurched over and went spiralling down into the ground.
Werner now looked around. The murk didn't help him but there was something ahead and to the left. He headed over there and sure enough it was another SPAD trying to run home. He wasn't going very quickly however, probably already damaged. Werner would help quicken his end.
He pulled up behind the enemy machine and hammered it. Smoke started spewing out from the machine and another accurate burst had the SPAD nosing down and racing to it's end.
Werner now headed home and landed safely along with the rest of the Jasta.
Later Leutnant Schmid confirmed two of the three claims. No-one had seen the last SPAD. This brought Werner to 49 confirmed kills.
"Sit down Werner, we need to talk." said Schmid. He took a half full bottle of schnapps from his desk and poured two decent measures.
"This is coming to an end, it could even be tomorrow. We need to decide what we're doing." said Schmid.
"What will they order us to do?" asked Werner.
"Probably surrender and I don't want to spend the next year in a POW camp." continued Schmid.
"Me neither, won't they send us to fight the insurgents?" asked Werner.
"It depends what's left of High Command to issue any orders. We need to stick together though, as a top ace and an officer, you'll be high profile, which is a blessing and a curse." said Schmid.
"I'm thinking of heading north, towards Schleswig-Holstein." said Werner, letting Schmid into his innermost thoughts.
"That's a good idea, as far away from the western front as possible and a place to maybe get our heads down and see what transpires." finished Schmid.
Werner nodded and sipped deeply.
"A great deal of an aeroplane could be holed without affecting its ability to fly. Wings and fuselage could be—and often were—pierced in 50 places, missing the occupants by inches (blissfully unaware of how close it had come until they returned to base). Then the sailmaker would carefully cover each hole with a square inch of Irish linen frayed at the edges and with a brushful of dope make our aircraft 'serviceable' again within an hour."
