Hi Chaps , I so am grateful to you all for the warm welcome.

RAF_Louvert, I am blessed indeed! When I got the message from Raine I jumped for joy! Among my aviation books is a beauty on Jasta 18's history and pilots so this will be super immersive for me. I've never played Jasta 18 before. Raines generous assignment, I hope, is an omen of a great campaign! The duel between Swanson and Toombs would be a corker, but I'm no way ready yet, early days!

Fullofit and carrick58 thank you for your kind words. I love all these stories and look forward to each post! My current fear is bumping into SC Tobias Chester Mulberry VC, DSC&Bar, DSO. That is one encounter I would never walk away from! He'd chalk up five in a day for sure!

The War Diaries of Sebastian von Toombs 24th and 25th of January 1917.





Chapter Two

Wednesday 24th

My first operational day in the Jasta was a shocking day I escaped death twice. I was shaken awake very rudely to the word “scramble”. A number of British planes were flying over the airfield and the fear was that they would begin dropping the bombs any moment.

We raced to our planes and began to get the things going. The engine start seemed to take an eternity in the frigid January air. The ground was icy, very bumpy and as our wheels rolled over that uneven earth I felt every tremble, every vibration as never before. Looking up I could see at least eight planes over our field, they looked to be at about 8000ft maybe more. As a Jasta we raced skyward as quickly as our Mercedes engines would carry us. I thought it would take some time but a stray look over my shoulder before I was barely minutes off the ground, and, much before I was ready, revealed a Sopworth triplane diving on us and buzzing around us like an angry green wasp, hungry to sting.

I danced the dance of death with him, spinning and turning realising just how hard it is to get on their nimble tails. Every now and then I saw the reassuring Red and Blue of my squadron mates firing at the angry wasp.

I noticed how the more experienced members of the Kette didn’t try to out turn him but used their power to fly high then low, almost as if they wanted to fight in a vertical plane while the Sopwith wanted to fight us, to his advantage, on a horizontal one. I learnt from them and unable to get any advantage I dove to earth over the airfield, building up speed leaving it to the last possible moment to pull up. In reflection this is a stunt I won’t ever pull again. I barely pulled up in time, and there are small divots near our airfield that can pay tribute to that fact. My wheels touch earth but thankfully not with enough force to rip off my undercarriage. If it had - at the speed I was going - I would have surely died.

The manoeuvre at least worked, and I was able to pull up on his starboard side. I remembered my training and shot, not at him, but just ahead him. As best I could, I kept my sights ahead of him, following him into a wide right turn. I fired about 20 seconds worth of machine guns. Then he started very slowly to try to climb, I was unsure how many hits I had, it didn’t look like many other (note to self I have got to improve my gunnery). As he climbed I fired again and again first on topside, his cockpit and upper wing, and then as he banked into a sharp left bank, I fired into his exposed belly. Again he started to pull up and climb.

By now my power advantage was evident. He rolled to the right and started diving as I gave him one more squirt of the two Spandau machine guns. I saw a puff of smoke, I had hit something significant at last. As he plummeted to ground I thought I’d scored my first victory. But suddenly when I thought it was all over he pulled up sharply. Once more the hunt for advantage was on .

I chased and was joined briefly by another Albatros. He climbed again, I came in low and fast firing all I had. My bullets ripped into his fuselage, splinters and cloth erupting as my lead hit. He had slowed to an almost stop as I flew under his wheels, just as I thought I had past him, he dropped without warning coming crashing down behind me, his propeller chewing bite marks into my tailplane. The noise was deafening, the world and my engine utterly silent, even the sound of air rushing through my rigging was silent. I was sure I would crash, totally unstable unable to pitch or yaw. But not today. The Good Lord held me in his hands.

The damage was only superficial. I leant out as far as I dared to examine the British vandalism of my Albatros, and it looked messy but was stable. Although I couldn’t hear my engine it seemed to be turning over nicely, I checked my compass set the nose east and landed safely home a few minutes later. Apart from the ringing in my ears I was unscathed. I put in a claim, but sadly it was rejected. I didn’t see him crash, but surely he did?



Thursday 25th

Today I was scheduled for a routine patrol behind our lines, I was flying number 3. It was a clear but freezing cold day, my lips are taking a battering and are chapped and bleeding after just three days of this. We saw no one else up and after an hour returned home. Safe and sound. My hearing has returned. And I’m off to buy a scarf.



To Be Continued ...

Jasta 6 , Mess Hall
2000hs.
Victory Party
Band and entertainment
compliments of Hentzau's
Hotels Inc. in Hamburg.



Party Jasta

Carrick, those Germans know how to party. Nice Kette of spring chickens. Well done.

Harry, that’s some fancy flying against that Caudron! Lazlo should get the credit for the inventive shooting technique alone. How could any gunner get him if he made himself such a difficult target. A few bullets for your troubles, you say? Well, I hope he gets to see his nurse at least.

Seb, tough luck with the D.III’s going back to the shop. Also, rough going with those Strutters. They seem to have an advantage with that stinger in the rear. Mulberry didn’t care much for his gunner when he was flying them. Congrats on the confirmed kills and the bling. Looks like the Gong Fairy has been upstaged. Have fun at the dance and don’t forget to tell us all about it.


28 January, 1917 12:05
Vert Galand, Flanders Sector
RNAS-8
SC Tobias Chester Mulberry VC, DSC&Bar, DSO
49 confirmed kills
Awaiting 1 claim confirmation

Well, when they arrived the balloon they were ordered to attack was gone and there was no trace of it either. What they found in its place was a Schwarm of Halberstadts meandering below. Toby ordered the attack and observed the proceedings. He circled above, waiting for the black crosses to appear below. They came into view and he pounced. Mulberry circled behind his victim firing constantly into the fuselage. The Hun lurched and dove into the ground. Toby searched for the next Boche and one appeared as if on command. The young ace followed him. Another Halberstadt appeared, followed by a Pup. It was getting crowded. This new Hun was trying to evade Toby by climbing above the melee. Mulberry’s Vickers continued to fire, but he had to let him go when he noticed two more enemy planes at his rear. He quickly stalled his plane to reduce speed and let the two Halberstadts pass him by. He then rejoined the pursuit, now behind his baffled opponents. One of them broke away, but Toby continued to circle with the other one and damaging him at every opportunity. All of a sudden Toby’s plane was hit. He wobbled, ready to evade his pursuer but no one was after him. It must have been an unlucky stray bullet. Mulberry resumed his pursuit. He picked up speed and closed the distance to the already wounded German. Toby was in range and opened fire again. More hits and a trail of grey smoke began to emerge from the enemy’s machine. Mulberry noticed he was being pursued and had to break off his attack again. He turned to face his new assailant. As the fresh Hun banked to engage, Toby switched back to his original target and continued the pursuit, leaving the new arrival behind. He closed the distance to his target again, checking his rear and making sure he is also not being caught up to. Toby fired and this time more smoke and debris came off the Halberstadt. This was it. Mulberry dealt a mortal blow to the enemy, which promptly dove into the landscape below. Toby was already banking to avoid fire from the Boche on his tail. One second too late. Spandau rounds hit Toby’s machine. Thankfully the damage was superficial and the Sopwith responded well to Toby’s controls. He finished the loop finding the Hun at the end of it. He responded in kind, setting the Halberstadt on fire. The unfortunate pilot, struggling with his controls and managing the fire, flew into the tree branches and then set his machine heavily on the ground. The landing speed was too great and the plane overturned engulfing it in copious amounts of acrid smoke and then disintegrated.

YouTube Link



Toby was now on his own, quickly finding his bearings and setting the course across the No-Man’s Land and to his base. As he flew on, Toby noticed two specks still dancing above the front lines. He followed them and when one of them began to move towards him, he dove straight at it. He knew it was a Hun returning home. An easy kill. Mulberry slipped behind his unsuspecting prey and closed right in. They were heading straight for the two recent columns of smoke and Toby was already planning to make it a trio. A few bursts from his Vickers and the third column of smoke was beginning to rise near a farmhouse. Mulberry decided to turn back this instance. He was very low on ammo and was in no mood to encounter any more angry Huns today.

YouTube Link

Rupert E. Hentzau
Feldwebel,
Jasta 6
Kette. Zwei
Fontain-Uterte,
Flanders.
2 Unconfirmed.
2 Confirmed


Jan 28 1917. DECEASED DECEASED DECEASED DONE IN.

2 Kette of Jasta 6 ( 5 air machines) was seen to engaged a lower flight of 5 RFC Pups while circling down 3 N-17's higher up dove on the Huns. A mid air occurred with the last Hun A/c ( Hentzau )
ending his career Field Medics reported finding most of the Pilot.