Captain Andrew Murphy, DSC x2, CdG,
22nd Aero
Toul airfield

46 confirmed kills

25th September 1918

Morning sortie

Captain Bridgeman took the briefing and explained that both flights would be heading across the lines to Tichemon airfield on an aggressive patrol. He also made the point that in case of difficulties over there, it was quicker to head west to the Verdun airfields than back south towards Toul.

The weather was excellent once more, a lovely late September day beckoned as 'A' and 'B' flights took off and climbed upto 12500 feet before heading out north and continuing to climb.

Andy kept a careful vigil on the skies around as they crossed the front. All was quiet until they neared Tichemon, Andy saw aircraft ahead, they seemed to circling and were roughly the same height.

As he neared he saw they were enemy two seaters and raced after them. It was a flight of Hannovers in their landing cycle.

This made attacking them tricky, as Andy found when he got on the tail of one. The Hun slowed right down and Andy almost ran into him. The gunner put a few holes in Andy's wing as he came around again, but at least this time he used his throttle to stay behind the German. He used his rudder to stay on the circling Hun's rear too.

He opened fire and put a Fonck like burst into the cockpit. The pilot slumped forward and the Hannover nosed over and went straight down into the ground.

He came around again to look for another target as the rest of 'B' flight were dealing with the remaining Huns. He spotted the last Hannover down below and swooped down and gave the German a burst as he passed. He came around behind and hammered the Hun with a long burst. The prop seized and flames erupted along the length of the Hannover.

Andy held back and watched as the enemy two seater went straight down.

He couldn't see any more Huns and was someway below the rest of 'B' flight so started climbing back up.

They reformed and headed home as a couple of others had received hits too.

On landing, five Hannovers had been downed without loss although four SPADs had been damaged, including Andy's.


Afternoon sortie (awaiting two confirmations)

Both flights were ordered on a patrol around Toul, specifically the roads and railways around to protect the constant transports.

They took off into the bright sunshine and warmth and climbed up towards Toul. They started their patrolling and all was quiet for the first 15 minutes. At that moment Andy looked right and saw another formation coming towards them.

He signalled and went to investigate. On nearing it was clear it was a flight of DVII's and they turned to face 'B' flight.

Andy raced straight into the incoming Huns and hit one straight away with a burst as he passed.

He came around but then saw a Fokker coming around onto his tail. He rolled and dived but the Fokker stayed with him. Tracers whizzed past Andy's SPAD and he rolled and dived again, this time full pelt.

He looked around and saw he now had two Fokkers on his tail although he was pulling away.

As the ground neared he levelled out raced between the trees. The Fokkers either lost him in the trees or thought better of chasing him as they now moved away. Andy saw his chance and came around after the DVII's. These must have been the F types as they were far quicker than the normal DVII. Andy fired into the rearmost German who turned to face Andy.

He fired into the Hun again who now tried to climb up but Andy blasted him again and watched as the Fokker fell out of the sky and never recovered, smashing into the ground below.

The other Fokker had now come back for another go and fired at Andy. He missed and Andy wasted no time making him pay for his error. He fired a good burst as the DVII flew past and swung around behind him. Another good flurry and the Filler lost power and height and smashed into the trees below.

Andy couldn't see any more Huns so formed up with some nearby SPADs and headed home.

They landed safely and went to make their reports. Four Fokkers had been downed and although one SPAD was lost the pilot, Captain Tyndall was ok.

Later on Andy was with Captain Bridgeman. "Great performance again today pal. We gave those Huns a roasting." said Bridgeman.

"We certainly did and I'm glad Frank was ok." replied Andy.

"Yeah me too. I've just had the confirmation list through. Three of your claims have been confirmed. Only the second Hannover has been rejected, no-one saw it, probably because it was way below us all." explained Bridgeman.

Andy nodded, "Thanks sir." These victories took him to 49 confirmed kills.

Albert and RAF Lou: The War is winging down so may as well stay safe. and out of the Big Messy Air battles that were 1918 in the air

Lou, Klaus has to deal with a crew like this all the time. It is the opposite to what Freddy deals with. All Abbott needs to worry about is the ratio of confirmed claims and when the next shipment of booze will arrive. Klaus, on the other hand, must deal with pesky Bréguets that don’t fly straight and level. Clap is the least of his worries.
As for Freddy, congrats on reaching that coveted 100 confirmations. I agree with Albert, the bash will have to be one for the books, especially that Abbott doesn’t get drunk easily. Or is it that he doesn’t get hangovers? Or both?
Those engines could be a nuisance. I hear there’s a mechanic out there looking for a job

Albert, true, any contact is better than none (even if it is mistresses). It is also true Klaus prefers SPADs over Bréguets but Fliegers can’t be choosers.
Those Bréguets … did you notice how quickly the tank emptied after getting hit. Gone in 20 seconds.
As to Andrew “Well Greased Nuts” Murphy, he’s doing well. Caught another flight of Hannovers with their trousers down over the field. Helped himself to a two-seater roast in the morning, then some Fokkers in the afternoon, but not before a trip into the bushes to confuse the Huns. Andy should have a word with the rest of the flight and ask why they do such a poor job of covering their leader.
Congrats on the latest claims. Andy’s on a roll. Only one more to that round number.

25 September, 1918 06:45 morning mission
Montingen, Verdun Sector
Jasta 18
Rittmeister Klaus Gustav Raben RAO AO PLM HHO EK1 EK2
Fokker D.VII
129 confirmed kills

The HQ decided to go easy on Jasta 18 this morning and sent them to defend Mars-la-Tour aerodrome. The Schwarm arrived over the airfield making good time and as if on command the enemy formation showed up. And it was a large one. Klaus counted six in his Schwarm and a dozen in the opposing team. Typically that would be a 2:1 odds, but knowing how the enemy operates, it would more likely be 1:1 odds for the rest of his Schwarm and 7:1 for him. He braced himself as the enemy approached. Something didn’t sit well. They were not diving at him. They were close now to recognize them. Not SPADs. Fokkers. Klaus was relieved. He continued his patrol over the ‘drome for the next 20 minutes, but there were no takers. No enemy planes graced them with their presence. Perhaps that fierce flight of Fokkers had something to do with it.

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25 September, 1918 13:25 afternoon mission
Montingen, Verdun Sector
Jasta 18
Rittmeister Klaus Gustav Raben RAO AO PLM HHO EK1 EK2
Fokker D.VII
129 confirmed kills

For the afternoon show they were sent to patrol enemy front lines near Nancy. The Schwarm was approaching the Front when a flight of SPADs intercepted them. The enemy attacked from above and the Fokkers had to defend in the initial stages of the battle. Klaus was lucky not to get damaged on the first pass. Instead, he tangled with an inept Franzose that insisted on turning with the Fokker and continued to lose the altitude and the advantage. After a few shots the SPAD entered the fake spin to get away. Klaus didn’t follow. He preferred to mix it up with the remaining SPADs. He soon rejoined the battle and went after a SPAD which currently had one of his wingmen on the run. The Frenchman noticed Klaus approaching and abandoned his pursuit. Raben had him on the run this time and after a few short bursts had the SPAD smoking and diving for cover. Klaus patiently followed his pray and dove to attack only when he thought he had a good angle. The SPAD attempted to climb above the Fokker, but Klaus wouldn’t allow it and kept him below. The SPAD made another attempt at climbing, but the Spandaus said otherwise. The Franzose was stubborn and could not understand how the Fokker could keep up with him while he was climbing. He was supposed to leave him behind, but repeated volleys from behind proved him wrong. With one final long burst the enemy plane spiralled down to crash into the destroyed city below.

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Klaus climbed back up again to a higher altitude just to be met by one more of the French machines. The enemy circled above a Fokker flying lower and was looking for an opportunity to make a clean kill. Little did he realize he was flying right into Raben’s clutches. Klaus quickly introduced himself with a few bursts and had the enemy do the flat spin. Then another and another. He was getting away in a most peculiar way. Klaus was annoyed with this aviateur and was determined to take him out at the first opportunity. Long range shots followed and a separated wing soon followed the enemy plane careening down into the ground. Klaus has had enough of these crazy French for today. He ordered the Schwarm to regroup and turn back for home.

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Fullofit - Klaus thought he had a morning mauling on the cards there but it turned out to be some friendly Fokkers. Then onto the afternoon and what could have been a problem with those attacking SPADs turned out to be relatively straightforward. Apart from those crazy spins they do. The first one took an age to fall but the second one was left seeing if the SPAD would work as a monoplane....it wouldn't. Yes that Breguet must have properly holed Klaus's tank. I guess with the double lewis in the back, if he hits you with one round he's hitting you with two, so double the damage. As for Andy, it's going well at the moment but he's taking nothing for granted. Behind that next cloud could be the mother of all enemy formations. He's actually enjoying having some empty skies to do his business rather than risking those career ending collisions.

Albert, a mid-air collision is never a good thing as you will see in Raben’s afternoon mission report. Funny you should mention it.
I didn’t think of that that way. One bullet twice as powerful on those Bréguet rear guns? No wonder they do so much damage. It’s actually cheating. There is no way you would hit with both guns all the time. On second thought I don’t think OBD would do that.

26 September, 1918 06:45 morning mission
Montingen, Verdun Sector
Jasta 18
Rittmeister Klaus Gustav Raben RAO AO PLM HHO EK1 EK2
Fokker D.VII
130 confirmed kills

Only one of the three SPADs claimed yesterday has been confirmed. The German soldiers on ground suffer great losses. Klaus experiences his own losses at the hands of the claims board.
The morning mission was a total surprise for the men of Jasta 18. They’ve been tasked with supporting ground forces south of Pont-à-Mousson. No enemy activity was spotted over the Front and the two Schwärme returned to base empty handed.

26 September, 1918 13:30 afternoon mission
Montingen, Verdun Sector
Jasta 18
Rittmeister Klaus Gustav Raben RAO AO PLM HHO EK1 EK2
Fokker D.VII
130 confirmed kills

In the afternoon Jasta was tasked with a patrol behind friendly front lines over factories at Vigneulles les Hattonchatel.
The Schwarm was approaching its waypoint near the Front when they spotted a battle in progress over the No-Man’s Land. Klaus wasn’t sure who was fighting who, but a lot of aeroplanes were involved in that scrap. He decided to investigate and only after a Fokker went by that he knew it was an attack on enemy bombers. He could see them to be the Airco models, most likely they were heading for the factories when they were intercepted. Klaus attacked one and continued to fire until he was very close. Too close, he felt a thump. His stomach jumped up to his throat. Did he lose a wing? He looked down to see the D.H.4 falling in flames and along it was Raben’s gear carriage tumbling through the air.
“- Donnerwetter! This is going to be an interesting landing.” Klaus had to forget about his wheels for now. There was another bomber already smoking in front of him and followed by a gaggle of Fokkers. Raben joined them and he was sure he sent the last volley into it before it went down. Klaus didn’t bother checking if the enemy plane crashed, but it was on its best way.

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He was now turning north and already thinking of his landing strategy, when he spotted another large bird approaching from the opposite direction. He knew the enemy was hurt. He was trailing a long tail of black smoke, that’s how Raben has spotted him. He fired a burst into the carcass of the enemy plane as he flew by and turned around for another pass. These bombers were a pleasure to take down. They were not running circles around their Fokkers. He fired another long burst after catching up to him and watched as the big bird was engulfed in flames and went down in No-Man’s Land.

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Klaus was already pointing north and deciding what to do next. He would split from the rest of his formation and land at the nearby airfield of Ars. He didn’t want to tie up the landing area, just in case his landing didn’t go as planned. He would approach the field low and as slow as possible. Then try to land on the one wheel he still had. He would try to stay on that wheel as long as possible to reduce as much speed as possible before he’d lose the balance and the wing would dig into the pitch.



His approach was good, his speed was coming down and he had no handling issues, except the plane wanted to pull slightly to one side. He quickly corrected that. The plane cleared the rows of trees growing parallel with the direction of travel. His only wheel touched down. Now balance. Steady … steady! No, no, no! The plane was listing too soon and to the wrong side.

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Fullofit - What with bionic SPADs and sniper rear gunners I'd think it highly likely those Breguets can land multiple hits. So onto today's goings-on. A non event in the morning, simply a waste of fuel. Then a sortie of far more significance in the afternoon. Blimey it was nearly the most important and last sortie Klaus ever flew. Those DH4's were very docile, green US pilots by the look of them, not like the crack units old Jacob Kühn came up against fairly constantly back in the day. I think it was their docility that caused the problems for Klaus. He's used to aggressively flown Strutters and Breguets. Thank heavens it was only Klaus's landing gear, but this still meant a very nervy landing which Klaus handled excellently well. Let's hope those two seaters get confirmed.




Captain Andrew Murphy, DSC x2, CdG,
22nd Aero
Toul airfield

49 confirmed kills

26th September 1918

Morning sortie

Andy took the briefing and explained that 'B' flight would be heading north towards the front to the east of St Mihiel. 'A' flight were already out on a patrol over Toul.

The weather remained good with bright sun and few clouds as Andy and the others took off, formed up and headed north.

As they climbed and with the clear skies, Andy saw several aircraft ahead and above. Judging by the flak they were enemy two seaters.

He began climbing up and as he neared them, the Rumplers turned and ran for home.

They were well split up so Andy chose a target. As he came underneath the Hun began evading, this wasn't going to be easy and the gunner was firing off burst after burst trying to keep Andy at bay.

Andy stayed with him and closed in to point blank range. Andy now nosed up and hammered the Rumpler. Just as the gunner was swinging the gun to fire back Andy nosed back down.

Again Andy nosed up, knowing he was dicing with death here but he blasted the Hun and struck the gunner with a deathly blow. He now fired again and watched as the wing of the stricken German aircraft flew off and left it spinning wildly down.

By now the remaining Rumplers were miles ahead and nosing down were too far. Andy swung around and rejoined the rest of 'B' flight.

They completed the rest of their patrol without further incident and landed safely.


Afternoon sortie (awaiting one confirmation)

The afternoon sortie was a full squadron strength patrol of St Mihiel.

The weather was still excellent as both flights took off and climbed up.

They'd reached 13000 feet when there was a loud bang in Andy's engine and a splurt of oil sprayed his goggles.

The revs fell to less than half and the engine sounded like a bag of old nails.

He had no option but to drop out of formation and try to return to Toul.

He cut the throttle to the bare minimum to keep flying, although the oil temperature was rising dangerously. Once the airfield was in sight he cut the engine completely.

He knew he only had one chance at landing so came down steeply and flew the length of the airfield before using the diving speed to come around and landed safely.

The rest of the squadron landed safely some 60 minutes later. No opposition had been encountered.

The mechanics had already set about sorting Andy's engine out. They reported later that the crankshaft had seized, a not unusual occurrence in the Hispanos but the problem was worse as the aircraft was at full revs at the time of the problem.

Andy did have some good news later on that evening, his confirmation of the morning's Rumpler had come through and he was now on 50 confirmed kills.

.

Albert - So Andy's SPAD had a Hisso fit, eh? They are known for such outbursts. Well done on hitting the half-century mark, an impressive milestone! And reports are saying that the Yanks are really giving the German Second Army what for in the Argonne Forest.

Fullofit - Whoa man, scary stuff there for the Kaiser's ace, but Klaus showed his skill in that landing! Shame on that DH.4 for eating Raben's landing gear like that, but then big plane big appetite. And 130 confirmed victories? Wowzers!

Carrick - If your man manages to stay out of those big messy air battles he'll be doing better than most. But ground pounding can make you just as dead, you just don't have to fall as far.



As for Major Abbott. The AMs have managed to put together one good Bentley from the serviceable parts of two bad ones and now have their CO's kite back in running order. So it's off on a morning jaunt with some of the lads to see what the air Hun are up to east of Arras. They've been rather quiet as of late.

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Albert, it nearly was the last Fokker flight for Klaus. Thankfully he was experienced enough to pull it off. I don’t recommend doing it if you don’t have to. And you might be right about the cause of that collision. Klaus isn’t used to bombers that fly like bombers.
Andrew, not to be outdone, also experienced a failure of his own, caused by the poor engineering at the Hispano-Suiza design bureau. Nothing our Captain couldn’t handle. And all this after getting himself that fiftieth kill. I wonder what Andy’s ratio of two-seaters to scouts is? Congrats on attaining this significant milestone. Drinks are on you, I suppose.

Lou, 130 and only half of what he’d claimed. As to that landing, I don’t know. Why was his machine smoking after landing? It was a perfect 1-point landing.
So, Freddy is now flying a FrankenBentley. Let’s hope it doesn’t develop a split personality. Looking forward to finding out what Freddy was able to find east of Arras.

27 September, 1918 04:45 dawn patrol
Montingen, Verdun Sector
Jasta 18
Rittmeister Klaus Gustav Raben RAO AO PLM HHO EK1 EK2
Fokker D.VII
132 confirmed kills

Two of the D.H.4’s have been credited to Klaus. Not a bad haul for a guy with one wheel.
With the undercarriage repaired on his Fokker, Klaus and Co. were tasked with patrolling enemy front lines this morning. Their route would take them south of Pont-à-Mousson.
On their way they encountered a flight of Bréguets near Verny. Klaus was lucky this time and didn’t pick up any of the pesky bombers on his tail. He was free to choose a target of his own. He went after the one his cousin was already engaging. After his one and only pass the enemy machine was going down in flames. Raben circled his victim once and quickly found a new playmate. This one also found himself going down in flames. They were dropping like flies. Flying at dawn wasn’t their forte. The gunners couldn’t see the smaller scouts against the dark sky. Klaus chanced upon a Bréguet smoking profusely but still trying to glide to safety. He wouldn’t allow it and quickly made him land there and then.

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The damage done to Raben’s Fokker, all three holes in his wing, were enough to keep him grounded for the rest of the day. Those Bréguets did more damage than a squadron of SPADs. (Apologies for poor quality of the video. Somehow the quality gets dramatically reduced in poor light conditions. Let me know if anyone knows how to fix that.)

Lou - Yes Andy's been pretty lucky so far with the hispano. Hopefully it's not the start of a spate of problems. Glad to see Freddy back in the air and looking forward to the reports.

Fullofit - It was a close call for Klaus but he got the reward of a couple of confirmations. Then onto today's sortie. A run in with some Breguets spelt danger, but in the end, only danger for them. Klaus dealt with them smartly and used the semi darkness to good effect. Let's see how the claims go in that light. As for Andy, I'm not sure about the two seater to scout ratio, but he certainly goes after the two seaters if he sees them. Wherever that may be.



Captain Andrew Murphy, DSC x2, CdG,
22nd Aero
Toul airfield

50 confirmed kills

27th September 1918

Morning sortie

This morning, Captain Bridgeman gathered the squadron and ground crews to brief them on the new offensive taking place to the north, opposite Verdun. The attacks had begun yesterday and the US forces were playing a pivotal role.

"As far as early reports have suggested, the attack is progressing steadily. The US troops together with additional French support are attacking northwards whilst the main French armies are attacking eastwards from the Marne and southern Somme. The British and Belgian armies are attacking in Flanders." said Bridgeman.

"As you can see by the scale of attacks, this is it, the big one. It's hoped that if the British and French can penetrate the Hindenburg line and we can outflank it, we can meet up deep into Belgium and then force our way into Germany itself." he continued.

"We are going to be very busy clearly, not that we haven't been anyway of course, but we can expect to be called into action at a moment's notice." finished the Captain.

Dismissing the ground crews, he then explained the morning mission to the pilots. They'd be escorting half a dozen Breguets from Esc 7, over to get some accurate pictures of the situation north of St Mihiel.

The weather was good although far more cloudy than previous days as Andy et al took off and formed up. Andy's own kite had still not been fully repaired so he was flying a reserve.

They moved off towards the rendezvous point which was due north and sure enough the big two seaters were there on schedule.

Andy took up position above and to the rear of the bombers as they climbed and continued north.

All was quiet until they'd cleared the old front. The Germans were pounding them with flak when Andy looked left and saw an arrow shaped formation approaching.

He signalled and swung to meet them. He now saw they were DVII's and headed directly into the formation. He fired as the two formations met and definitely hit one of them as they flew past. He came around and looked for an opening. He was about to let loose on a Fokker when he saw a glint of red to his right and realised one of the Huns was trying for his tail.

He rolled and dived and the Fokker tried to stay with him. Andy completed a loop and fired into the passing Fokker who now dived down himself.

Andy went with him and the pair raced towards the ground. Andy fired a burst into the enemy and the Fokker levelled out and tried to climb. Andy was ready for that and hit the Hun with another good burst.

The German aircraft was now clearly struggling and Andy wrapped things up with a long burst which had the enemy nosing down and racing straight into the ground.

Andy couldn't see any more Huns so formed up with a nearby SPAD and climbed back up towards the Breguets.

The two seaters completed their recon and they all headed home without further hindrance.

On landing, three Fokkers had been downed for one damaged SPAD.


Afternoon sortie

Bridgeman confirmed that the squadron would again be escorting the Breguets of Esc 7 but this time they'd be attacking the retreating Germans.

Both flights headed out in the reasonable weather and reached the rendezvous point on time to meet the Breguets. They when headed north across the old front lines. The flak started again and the SPADs were being thrown around by the blasts.

As they neared their target Andy checked to his right and saw another formation coming in. They seemed to be heading towards the Breguets who were preparing for their attacks.

Andy cut across the incoming aircraft to try and draw them away. It worked a treat as five of the Fokker DVII's now tried to get on his tail.

Andy nosed down slightly and throttled up. He gradually pulled away from the Huns who were trailing him and pulled them down and away from the Breguets.

He gauged the distance between himself and his pursuers and decided he was far enough ahead to try something. He raced around and straight at the incoming Huns. He noted they were extremely close together and he fired into the two lead aircraft as they neared.

The two Huns panicked and tried to maneuver out of the way but in doing so they smashed into each other and both spun towards the ground in flames.

Andy let out a 'whoop' of delight and raced through the smoke.

The collision seemed to panic two of the remaining three Huns, or perhaps they'd been damaged in the coming together, either way they ran.

This left one remaining Fokker and Andy went after him. He fired a long burst which had the Hun trying to climb away. Andy fired another long accurate burst into the enemy aircraft which now fell into an inverted spiralling fall and crashed into the ground.

The other two Huns were miles away now so Andy made his way back up towards the Breguets who had finished their bombing runs and had started on their way home.

They reached Toul without any more problems.

Andy didn't bother claiming the Huns who collided, he claimed the one he'd clearly shot down.

Four Fokkers had been downed for two damaged SPADs.

Later on Captain Bridgeman stated he'd not heard anything about the outstanding claims yet. However he'd arranged a mess party to celebrate Andy's 50 confirmed kills.

Cecil P Fawnsworth, DFC.
Lt , Rfc, 54 Sqn
Acting B Flight Commander
Avensnes- Le-Comte,
Flanders.

Sept 27, 1918.

8 Victory Confirmed
5 Unconfirmed
1 pending

Back on flight ops after a brief Maint stand down with a full Sqn. Mostly new guys.

1st Mission: Intercept Nothing sighted.
2nd Mission: De fence Patrol Engaged a Recon type with 2 scouts as escort. A flights 5 a/c got the 2 seat we chased the fighters. I got one , the port wings just sawed in haft under my Vickers fire the other went home. e/a's had green painted noses.

Glad to see one and all still above the mud. I'll catch up on your adventures later this evening but for now I *Must* get some episodes out if I'm to have any hope of catching up by Oct 1.
___________________________________

À la Recherche du Temps Perdu - Part 104



20 August 1918
No. 55 Casualty Clearing Station
Vecquemont, France


Lawson came to visit today, bringing me fresh clothes, my Iliad, Prof. Murray’s Oedipus Rex plus this diary notebook. When he told me Hazell had temporary command of the squadron, I simply nodded, but that fact gave me cause for concern. Hazell, however brilliant a Flight Commander, is incredibly aggressive. He reminds me of Maybery. Both began as cavalrymen and share the same “go straight at them” mentality. Hazell is skilled and experienced enough to get away with this. He’s earned his nickname, ‘The Red Baron’. I do worry about the less experienced men.

Where to begin?

Dawn Patrol over Rosières on August 17th. The full squadron went up together. We tangled with an entire Jasta of Green Tails. I saw Wren chased by a Fokker and against my better judgment flew after him right into the middle of the dogfight. I never saw the Hun who shot me. Broke hard for the lines. For a full minute I couldn’t draw breath and feared I’d pass out. My right arm useless, I landed left-handed just behind our line of advance. Not my best job and D6975 went over on her side.

The bullet hit my back just below the right shoulder blade, went through the thick muscle, then exited cleanly under the armpit. The initial blow knocked the wind out of me but it didn’t hurt at the time. Like getting hit with a baseball bat, I felt it more as a numbing pain that spread whenever I tried to move my right arm.

A group of Diggers pulled me from the wreck and helped me to the Advanced Dressing Station. By that time the numbness wore off and the wound hurt like hell. I shared my flask of whiskey with them and took a large draught myself.

At the dressing station, the MOs looked puzzled by the copious amount of blood, then worried. They trundled me onto the first lorry heading for the nearby CCS. I was faint by the time I arrived at Vecquemont. I could barely walk. My Sidcott suit slung over my left shoulder felt like a 50-pound rucksack. Blood seeped through the dressing. Under my right arm a huge brown-red stain ran from armpit to upper thigh. Waiting for treatment, I must have passed out.

I stood on the palace wall outside the royal apartments. Night had fallen but the festival of Athene continued throughout the City of Priam. The warm summer breeze floated in from the Aegean. I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned; it was she. The oil lamps in our sleeping quarters shone behind her. Their light cut through the gossamer silk of her dress, illuminating the strong lines and delicate curves of her body in a golden glow.

“Come back to me, beloved. Love me,” she whispered, pulling me toward her.

I felt hand on my forehead. It was she. Twilight glow shone through the windows. In the dark lit ward, the lamps gave her green eyes an eldritch fire. Her Matron’s veil sat back on her head. The light illuminated a streak of grey in her raven hair, just as it had that night a year ago. My eyes refused to focus. She wore not a veil but a queenly crown of some long dead realm, now lost to history.

“Matron.” I mumbled my words, rising to consciousness.

“You are as ever a difficult patient, my dear. Still with us though.”

“I dreamed…”

“Yes,” she said. “Eliza kept vigil over you. I sent her to rest.”

She checked my dressing, then settled me back into a more comfortable position on my side.

“Why do I only see you at the setting of the sun?” I asked, still groggy.

She smiled inscrutably; green eyes alight.

“Sleep now,” she said, touching my forehead. That was the last thing I remembered.

The next day, August 19th I was myself again. Right arm in a sling and sore as all hell. My headache lingered but now much reduced, I barely noticed. The crick in my neck from all that time on my left side was a doozie. When I stretched my neck to one side it crackled like fireworks.

The officer’s ward was largely empty for now, the ambulance train having departed last night, but wounded continued to stream in. It would be full later today. I convinced the ward nurse to let me have a walk. The Vecquemont complex was huge. Originally constructed in early 1916 it was at the heart of the Somme battle until 34 and 55 CCS relocated to Grovetown. Now it was even larger. The nurse told me that no less than five CCS based here - (No. 5, 37, 53, 55, & 61.) The day was warm and she eventually settled me into a chair in the sister’s private garden. It was more comfortable than a bed and kept my weight off my wounded right side. When she made to leave, I asked her why I wasn’t evacuated on last night’s ambulance train. She said she didn’t know. In the sunlight I soon fell asleep.



I woke to a hand touching my face. Eliza stood there, the sun illuminating her light brown eyes. She looked exhausted. Her eyes were shining in the sun but the black rings around them told the tale of fatigue and endless wounded. She smiled down at me with a look of contentment. She said nothing, just held my hand and kept an unbroken gaze.

“What are you staring at?”

“The man I love,” she replied, giving my hand a firm squeeze. She leaned over and kissed my forehead.

My heart skipped a beat at that. She’d never said those words before.

Eliza smiled, not in triumph but more relief.

“I thought you’d be upset with me getting ventilated again.”

“You bled so much. The bullet nicked the circumflex scapular artery but you shouldn’t have bled like that. All that aspirin must have thinned your blood. It’s a Blighty, Oliver. You’ll be in England in a few days. You’ll be safe.

“No!” I sat bolt upright and without thinking I pushed off the chair with both arms, leaping to my feet. Pain exploded all around the wound.

“Easy!” cried Eliza. “Go easy. You’ll pull the sutures. There’s a bigger incision there than you might think.”

“No! I can’t go to England. I won’t go to England. I’d go AWL if they tried to send me.”

Eyes flashing darkly in fury, Eliza looked ready to explode.

“G-ddammit, Oliver!”

I saw it at the last second. Too late. A quick bright flash of light accompanied by a stinging thud as Eliza slapped me hard across the face.

“I watched one man I loved die. That was enough for a lifetime. Why?! Why won’t you go?!”

“Do you know me so little, Eliza, that you would ask that question? Leave the war and be safe, while the woman I love, and the men I command - men whose lives I might save - tread into harm’s way? Could you love a man who would do such a thing?”

“You aren’t the only one trying to save lives, Oliver. And right now, I’m trying to save yours.”

“That may be, but there’s something else, Eliza. I’d be in as much danger in England, as I would remaining in France. Maybe more. At least here I’d have a chance to see the enemy coming.”

“What are you talking about, Oliver?”

Tennyson’s words rose once again.

“Wealth beyond imagination. World domination.”

“The true architects of this war are neither the Kaiser nor the Tsar, nor as you once called him, my good friend the King. Rather, they are powerful men of no nation, working in the shadows for their own nefarious aims. Your distant Cousin moves among them. Rhea’s son, Tennyson the elder.

“Aidan? I never met him. He was always away when I visited Aunt Rhea.”

I thought Eliza said Aidan but her pronunciation was odd. It sounded more like Aidon.

Aidan. She must have meant Aidan

“Count yourself lucky then,” I said.

“Whatever do you mean?”

“A most disturbing fellow. Just being in the same room with him put the wind up me, and I don’t scare easily these days. I’ll say no more.”

“Does this have anything to do with that coin around your neck?” asked Eliza.

“Yes, it does. I was wondering when you’d ask about it.”

“I’m asking now. Tell me.”

“No. Leave it be, Eliza. That knowledge would only put you in danger.”

“Then speak the whole truth. What you said about duty and protecting the men under your command, that’s not all of it. You want to stay. I almost think you enjoy the war.”

All too true. I do love it so.

As always, Eliza could read through any mask I set. She took my silence as an affirmation. The horror in her face was evident

“That’s it, isn’t it? Oh my God!” she cried.

Eliza saw that part of me but I would never reveal to her the entire truth as I had to Clarissa.

“We’re not so different in that regard. Yes, the war is hideous and ugly and a glut of horror and human suffering, but this was the test to which we set ourselves. For different reasons, true, but in that test what have we become? What have you learned in the last two years? What have I?

“Look what you’ve done, Eliza! You held a man’s lifeless heart in your hand and it began beating. You’ve sewn men’s torn insides back together. Do you feel it when operate on a man who is certain to die, maybe just minutes from death, and save him nonetheless? The exaltation, the sense of purpose. When all your skills manifest themselves in a single instant, does time slow down? Do you step out of yourself, like you’re in two places at once, there in the operating theater but also touching some higher hidden place. Some other realm of awareness?”

Eliza stood silent, recognizing the truth in my words. I could see that in the stillness of her body and the way her eyes stared off into the distance.

“Is that what it’s like for you,” she asked finally. “When you fight in the air?”

“Exactly that, when I'm at my best. Just as it is for you in your operating theatre.”

“Please, Oliver. Take the Blighty, while it’s still a Blighty. At the rate you heal it won’t be one for long.”

It was her last desperate and ultimately losing play. She knew it even as I gently shook my head.

I put hand to her shoulder. “That’s quite a punch you have there, slugger.”

“You make me so angry sometimes. Impossible man. How did I fall for such a stubborn mule like you?”

“Karma. Do you know the concept...?”

“Yes, I know what karma is!” she snapped in exasperation.

“Perhaps you were especially wicked in another incarnation, now you have me.”

Eliza snorted, then she laughed aloud. The heavy weight of our argument lifted. I put my one good arm around her then. She rested her head against my chest. Her veil flew up, covering my eyes. I laughed inwardly at the absurd picture we must present as I felt the strength of her body close to mine.

“I love you, Eliza,” I whispered.

“I know, Oliver. How could I not.”

epower: mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, Nurses.

Carrick - That looked like one dead Fokker judging by those detached wings. Let's hope for a confirmation for Cecil.


Epower - Our posts crossed. An excellent episode, quite an injury but when all is said and done it could have been far worse. At least Oliver came down near others and not alone otherwise he'd possibly have bled out. That was an argument waiting to happen between Eliza and Oliver. One the caring loving nurse, the other the dutiful but fearful pilot. He's had to let Eliza in on at least part of his secret, but stopped short of endangering her too.



Captain Andrew Murphy, DSC x2, CdG,
22nd Aero
Toul airfield

50 confirmed kills (awaiting two confirmations)

28th September 1918

Morning sortie

The morning patrol was going to be a trip over the battleground north of St Mihiel and over to Frescaty airfield.

The weather had deteriorated overnight, very strong winds and driving rain made taking off unpleasant to say the least.

Both flights were involved and formed up above Toul airfield and headed out north.

The awful weather made formation flying hard and visibility very hit and miss.

They made their way over the old front and had broken through some of the clouds as they neared Frescaty.

It was at that point Andy spotted a trio of aircraft below and to the left.

He went to investigate and saw it was a formation of enemy two seaters just beginning their landing cycles.

They disappeared through the clouds and Andy went with them.

He came through directly behind the Rumplers and dropped below. The Rumplers were being battered by the winds which made it much harder for Andy to get a bead.

He got in close and hammered the lead Hun with a lengthy burst. The German went through another cloud so Andy kept his throttle checked and came through the same cloud.

It worked and he only had to slightly alter position before unleashing another long burst into the Rumpler. The two seater burst into flames and the fuel tank clearly ruptured.

The enemy aircraft went straight down into the ground with a trail of thick black smoke behind him.

Andy couldn't see the other two enemy aircraft and didn't want to go searching through all of the clouds.

He therefore set course for home and arrived safely about 30 minutes later.

On landing, no-one else had made contact with the enemy aircraft but everyone was safe.



Afternoon sortie (awaiting three confirmations)

The afternoon sortie was a trip over to the north of St Mihiel. The weather was no better, in fact it had probably worsened.

'A' and 'B' flights took off and headed north west after climbing up.

The trip out was uneventful but unpleasant until they'd reached St Mihiel. Andy then caught sight of several other aircraft out to the right. It looked like two formations, although quite broken up. He signalled and swung around to investigate.

He was right, it was a formation of two seaters and their escorting DVII's up above.

As he neared, the Fokkers turned and faced 'B' flight and a messy melee ensued. It was messy because keeping tabs on the other aircraft was hard if not impossible in all the clouds.

Andy saw one DVII off to his left and put a burst into him. The Fokker dived and Andy went with him.

He lost him as they came through the clouds but as they bottomed out he caught a glimpse of grey and latched onto his tail. He blasted the Hun who rolled away again.

Andy stayed with him and a final burst had the Fokker spiralling down into the ground.

Andy checked around but couldn't see any more aircraft. He decided to make his way home and stayed low so the troops near St Mihiel could clearly see the SPAD and USAS roundels.

As he made his way he saw the total devastation which St Mihiel had been left in.

He arrived home 20 minutes later. As the rest came in it turned out that two Fokkers had been downed and a two seater, Swaab knabbed the other Fokker and Doolin brought down the two seater.

One SPAD had been lost, Trevor Kurtz was brought down and had been killed. Kurtz, from Aurora, Illinois, had only arrived the previous day and showed yet again that this was no place for beginners.

Captain Bridgeman called Andrew to his office later on and confirmed two of his claims. The second Fokker from yesterday and the two seater from today had been rejected. This brought Andrew's total to 52 confirmed kills.

He had more news however, an order had been received from Major General Patrick's office confirming that Andrew's transfer to the 49th Aero would take place on the 3rd October.

Cecil P Fawnsworth, DFC.
Lt , Rfc, 54 Sqn
Acting B Flight Commander
Avensnes- Le-Comte,
Flanders.

Sept 28, 1918.

9 Victory Confirmed
5 Unconfirmed


Just one mission for B flight an AF attack. The e/a field was just a short hop passed our lines. Spotted a flight above us ( e/a ? } ,but they just passed over us. Then near target 2 e/a ,but they just turned away from our 6 a/c. 2 bombs did hit smoke and dust everywhere then the Gun Runs.
Good mission No losses

RAFLou: I am beginning to like the Came a/c. Its still a handfull and a spin can kill ya, and prone to ground looping but Fire power and turn with Rudder is enjoyable.

Albert, it was a lucky day for Klaus. Taking out three of them and getting credit for them as well. It seems setting your enemy on fire adds credence to your claims. Who would have thought?
A babysitting job for Murphy throughout the day and it looks like for good reason. Those Fokkers wouldn’t stand a chance against those Bréguets, but let’s not tell that Andy and make him believe he was essential. It is no wonder those Fokkers prefer to go after the SPADs, rather than tangling with the bloodthirsty Bréguets. Now, add to that the Fokkers’ general ineptitude and it looks like Andrew had an easy job of it. Congrats on the multitude of claimed Huns. Let’s hope the claims office is sensible when it comes to awarding those kills. Now, off you go to get a drink or two.
Now, onto today’s going-ons. Andy’s playing with fire, playing cat and mouse games in the clouds with the two-seater is very dangerous. It’s so easy to collect the other plane in those clouds. Luck was on his side and stupidity on the Rumpler’s side. He could have changed direction inside that cloud and Murphy wouldn’t be any wiser. Andrew punished him deservedly for making that mistake.
Then another game of cat and mouse in the clouds in the afternoon. Andy was lucky once more to catch the Fokker inside the clouds. There was nothing else to do but to teach the Hun a lesson. Well done on the confirmed kills and boo to the unconfirmed ones. The important fact is that Andrew has finally received his marching orders. His own command in less than a week. Time to get a comfy chair.

Epower, a lot of catching up, but it should be easier if Oliver is unconscious for most of it. That beat soup should do wonders to get his blood cell count back up.
As to Eliza, how is it that she’s always busy, but when Winningstad gets a paper cut she’s there all of a sudden? Very suspicious. Now, I enjoyed that part when the shoe was on the other foot and now it’s Oliver with a secret and she’s being kept in the dark. How d’you like them apples, Eliza?

28 September, 1918 07:45 morning mission
Montingen, Verdun Sector
Jasta 18
Rittmeister Klaus Gustav Raben RAO AO PLM HHO EK1 EK2
Fokker D.VII
135 confirmed kills

Klaus was able to claim all three of his Bréguets from last morning. Hopefully he won’t run into more of them again any time soon.
The morning brought orders to patrol over the Mars-la-Tour aerodrome. Klaus didn’t expect much to come out of this.
The rain has returned and so have the towering clouds. Klaus knew there was still blue skies and sun to be had once they reach their cruising altitude. He knew the weather was only going to get worse. He decided to enjoy what he had left of it. As for the enemy, Klaus knew he wasn’t going to find any in this soup. The chances of meeting other planes in this weather were as good as catching les Poilus in a shower.

28 September, 1918 14:25 afternoon mission
Montingen, Verdun Sector
Jasta 18
Rittmeister Klaus Gustav Raben RAO AO PLM HHO EK1 EK2
Fokker D.VII
135 confirmed kills

In the afternoon the orders came to escort 5 Hannovers from FA(A) 226 on a bombing mission over enemy troop camp west of Malzeville. The clouds continued to pose the greatest obstacle for the Schwarm. It was just too easy to get lost or get jumped by the enemy planes. After their rendezvous with the bombers the Schwarm skipped from one large cloud to the next all the way to Malzeville. While emerging from a particularly large one they were met by a battle in progress. Large planes mixing it up with the scouts. Right away Klaus knew the large planes were unfriendly. German bombers don’t dogfight enemy scouts. So, Fokkers vs. D.H.4’s. Klaus went after one, hit it with a decisive volley and set it on fire. He then proceeded to engage another Amerikaner. He was able to engage it successfully and send a lot of lead its way but lost it beneath his wings. He reacquired him or perhaps it was another one. Klaus couldn’t tell. He engaged and after a few bursts nearly collided with one of his own as another Fokker dove on his target from above. It was close. Raben reengaged and destroyed the large machine mid-air. He then gathered what was left of his Schwarm and continued his escort duties as the Hannovers commenced their bombing runs. Once the attack was over they escorted the bombers back to Mars-la-Tour and then returned back to Montingen.

YouTube Link

Carrick - Congratulations on the confirmation. A well executed airfield hit as well. Cecil is progressing nicely.

Fullofit - Always rewarding to get you're two seater confirmations, especially when they're Breguets. So onto today's happenings, a run in with some more Amerikaner DH4's. They were well spaced out when Klaus arrived and he took that first one out with minimum fuss. The second one was far harder, especially when Klaus lost him in the murk below. Thankfully he found him again, or found something anyway and carried on pummelling the two seater. Speaking of carry on's, what that other Fokker was doing is anyone's guess, but it nearly cost Klaus his life. Eventually though Klaus cracked the tough nut and sent the DH spinning down. As for Andy, the Breguets don't seem as aggressive when they're supposed to be on your side. Yes the transfer is on, I suppose he should write to Bella to let her know, although the address won't change.

Fullofit... DH.4's dogfighting with bombs on???

Trooper - You should see the Breguets, the only thing they're missing is air to air Le Prieur's.



Captain Andrew Murphy, DSC x2, CdG
22nd Aero
Toul airfield

52 confirmed kills

29th September 1918

Morning sortie

Captain Bridgeman took the briefing and confirmed that both flights would be heading over towards the Lac de Madine on a patrol of the area.

The weather had not improved at all, heavy rain and winds made life difficult for the pilots as they took off. Andy wondered how much more the airfield could take as he slid along and finally got airborne.

They headed north after climbing upto 12500 feet. They crossed the old front and could finally make out the shores of the lake ahead.

As 'B' flight emerged from a particularly large cloud, Andy saw more aircraft to the left and flying towards them. He watched for a few moments and then went to investigate.

He saw it was a formation of Rumplers heading the opposite way. As he moved towards them, the enemy aircraft turned and ran.

Andy chose a target and raced onto the tail of one of the Hun two seaters. The wind was throwing both aircraft all over the place but finally Andy got a bead on him and fired a good burst into the fuselage of the Rumpler.

He nosed down behind the tail and as the Rumpler swung he nosed up again and put an accurate burst into cockpit. The stricken pilot fell forward and the enemy aircraft nosed down and went straight down into the ground to the east of the lake.

He came around for another target as the rest of 'B' flight took on the rest of the enemy aircraft.

As Andy levelled out, the Hun swung left and a couple of bullets smacked into his wing. He nosed down and swung with the Rumpler. A lengthy burst from Andy tore chunks out of the wings. He came up again and hammered another burst into the German machine and this time the top plane disintegrated and the Rumpler was left spinning down and eventually smashed into the ground below.

Andy formed up with the rest of 'B' flight. Four of the five Rumplers had been downed and the fifth had ran into the clouds.

They headed home and landed safely. Two SPADs had been damaged, not including Andy's which was very minor.


Afternoon sortie (awaiting two confirmations)

The afternoon sortie was a patrol back over towards the Lac de Madine and again 'A' and 'B' flights would be involved.

Large puddles were forming on the airfield now as the squadron took off into the murky grey.

The squadron reached the patrol area safely enough although, accurate formation flying was very hard in the strong winds.

Just then Andy caught a glimpse of something over to his left. He signalled and went to investigate. It was another formation. Just at that moment a Fokker DVII fired a burst at Andy, as he dived down. Andy instinctively rolled out of the way and swung around after the Hun who had continued downwards after his failed attack.

They went through several clouds but Andy kept the Hun in sight. The Fokker now turned and the Hun was trying to find the tail of the SPAD but couldn't manage it. Andy used his speed to stay clear and bided his time.

Eventually the Fokker looped over and tried to turn the other way. Andy seized his chance and fired a snap burst into the Hun who now dived and rolled to throw Andy off.

Andy throttled back and waited until the Fokker levelled out and then put a devastating burst into him. The DVII wavered and a final flurry and the Hun burst into flames. The stricken aircraft nosed down and went into the ground like a meteor.

Andy couldn't see any more Huns and formed up with a couple of nearby SPADs. Together they headed home.

Three Fokkers had been downed and although a SPAD was lost, Clinton Jones was ok. James Beane and Ray Brooks had downed the other two Huns.

As Andy made his way towards Captain Bridgeman's office he squelched along the muddy path. 'There'll be no flying tomorrow', he thought to himself as he quickened his pace to try to get out of the pouring rain.

"Ahh Andy, sorry for dragging you out in the god-damned awful weather but I have several bits of news." said Bridgeman.

"That's ok sir. I don't think this weather's going anywhere, anyway." replied Andy.

"You're right, we've just had the meteorologist report and it's with us for the next 48 hours at least. Which brings me to the first part of the news." continued Bridgeman.

"General Patrick has requested all USAS CO's in the area to Toul tomorrow afternoon for a full briefing. As the new CO of the 49th, you are cordially invited." explained Bridgeman.

Andy nodded, "At least we won't miss anything with this weather. Is it at the Town Hall again?"

"Yes and we will be staying overnight in town again. The adjutant is making arrangements as we speak." said Bridgeman.

Andy barely heard the last sentence as he was already wondering how quickly he could get a telegram or letter to the hospital in Toul.

Captain Bridgeman read Andy's mind clearly...."Obviously once the briefing is over, our time is our own." he said with a knowing grin.

"What time does the despatch rider leave for Toul?" asked Andy.

Bridgeman checked his watch, "In about an hour." he replied.

"So what was the other news?" asked Andy.

"Two of your claims have been confirmed, the second two seater has been rejected as no-one saw it." said Bridgeman. They brought Andy's total to 54 confirmed kills.

"Thank you sir. If that's all, I've got a letter to quickly write." finished Andy.

"I imagine you have pal, best get to it." said Bridgeman smiling.

Andy went back to his quarters and put together a short and sweet letter to Bella, telling her that he will be in Toul tomorrow evening and Tuesday 1st October and can she arrange some time off. He also said he'd be at Le Sanglier tomorrow evening.

He managed to catch the despatch rider Corporal Hooper before he left and the Corporal promised to drop the letter off at the hospital.

Albert, agreed, the kills you’ve worked for the hardest are the most satisfying confirmations. All Bréguets fall under that category. That first DH.4 did go down without much fuss, but the second one definitely required more cajoling. And as to that other Fokker - no words. Sometimes those wingmen are more dangerous than the enemy.
I’m surprised the Bréguets on your side are this docile. Perhaps they’re just getting complacent seeing that Andrew and his crew take care of business so efficiently? Why risk their own skins? And speaking of skin, yes, definitely Bella needs to know of the promotion. Perhaps she can even think of a reward?
Looks like another run of the mill morning mission for Andy. Two two-seaters thought otherwise.
Then the afternoon show, more clouds and more sneaky Huns trying to catch our hero unawares. Murphy was to sly to fall for it and dispatched his foe with style. Congrats on the latest confirmations. At this rate Andrew’s going to hit that 100 mark before the war is over.
Finally, using the briefing in town as an excuse to meet up with his sweetheart. Use a condom Andy, use a condom.

Trooper, DH.4’s dogfighting - that alone raises eyebrows. Add to that “while carrying bombs” and you have a fully blown jaw drop. The two-seater flight model is very generous and the AI is exploiting it to the fullest.

29 September, 1918 06:45 morning mission
Montingen, Verdun Sector
Jasta 18
Rittmeister Klaus Gustav Raben RAO AO PLM HHO EK1 EK2
Fokker D.VII
136 confirmed kills

Only one of the two bombers from yesterday had been credited to Klaus.
This morning Jasta 18 was sent to patrol over friendly troop camp west of Mars-La-Tour aerodrome. The patrol over the assigned aerodrome was eventless, but on their way back along the frontlines the Schwarm encountered a solitary SPAD. At first, Klaus couldn’t even see him. It was only after the rest of his Schwarm started to shoot over his wings that he realized something was up. The SPAD, who must have been coming back from a mission, as they usually do, in singles after a dogfight, was flying head on straight at Klaus, but the enemy machine was hidden from view by the top plane. Raben was lucky he wasn’t hit during the initial merge. He then looked back as the enemy went by to see the rest of his Schwarm attacked the single enemy en masse. Klaus watched from the sidelines. What he saw was painful. His wingmen were tripping over each other while chasing the SPAD. It was a miracle those clowns didn’t collide with each other. Klaus had to step in and end this circus. He swooped in right behind the enemy plane and sent it careening into the ground after blowing off one of his bottom planes. The engagement was over and the Schwarm returned to base.

YouTube Link



29 September, 1918 13:45 afternoon mission
Montingen, Verdun Sector
Jasta 18
Rittmeister Klaus Gustav Raben RAO AO PLM HHO EK1 EK2
Fokker D.VII
136 confirmed kills
Awaiting one claim confirmation

In the afternoon it was back to ground forces support between south of Pont-à-Mousson and Marbache.
Raben’s flight was quicker and lost Schwarm Eins somewhere in the clouds. They spotted some bogeys approaching head on. From now on it was Schwarm Zwei show, all four machines worth of it. The Bréguets were the first ones to attack and the SPADs followed. Klaus ignored the Bréguet, hoping the rest of his Schwarm would keep him occupied and concentrated on the approaching SPADs. He let them all go by, hoping some would collide with each other while turning back. They were Americans after all, but no such luck. He had to do it the old fashioned way. He juggled the SPADs and the Bréguets, had a very good run at one of the Indianers and eventually settled on one of the Bréguets, which was getting uncomfortably close. Klaus made sharp turn, lost a lot of speed and watched the pesky bomber fly by and in front of his guns. The French pilot realized his mistake and attempted to roll out of the way, but it was too late. Raben’s guns found their mark and left the enemy plane falling to his death below in flames. The rest of the planes have suddenly disappeared and Klaus pointed the nose of his Fokker north and headed home. The rest of his Schwarm caught up with him on the way. All of them. They’ve got out of this scrap without any casualties. The weather was closing in again.

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