#4538058 - 09/22/20 10:05 PM
Second hop - Jasta 34b
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,712
33lima
Senior Member
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Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,712
Belfast, NI
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I recover from my wounds quite quickly and soon find myself back at Foucaucourt. The morning's mission is a patrol to the south, to a point just on the enemy side of the trenchlines. This time, I'm leading just one other aircraft, another Albatros, flown by a pilot whose name is like 'deckhouse' - so I have half a chance of remembering it, if I need to name a witness for a claim. The others are flying in a separate flight, triplanes and a Pfalz D.III. Supposedly they will fly in support; still, I'm not exactly delighted the aircraft weren't spread out more evenly between the two flights. I feel like I'm the bait. Deckhouse, or whatever his name is, seems to have no such reservations. He roars off ahead of me. FRAPS didn't get pics of the briefing so here's one taken just after take-off, showing the route. Good-bye for now, Foucaucourt. See you again soon...I hope. It's only late May, but the crops seem to be ripening quite nicely. Must be this spell of good, sunny weather we're having. Foolishly, perhaps, I decide to cut out a leg to the north and climb instead towards the next waypoint after that, south-west towards the lines. No patience, some people. I'll make do with whatever height I can manage and take my chances on messing up the co-ordination with the other flight. Which is rarely that good anyway. Onwards and upwards we go. If Deckhouse has any reservations about my tactics, he's showing no signs of it. Even though the other flight is now no-where in sight. But what could go wrong, on such a nice day as this? ...to be continued!
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#4538152 - 09/23/20 06:08 PM
Re: Second hop - Jasta 34b
[Re: 33lima]
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,712
33lima
Senior Member
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Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,712
Belfast, NI
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We climb steadily and the Lines come into view, ahead and right. There's nothing much to do for the moment, except keep on climbing... ...and maintain a good look-out, just in case. The cloud seems more prevalent over the trenches, at least to our right, but it's still a nice day to be aloft. The sun is high to our left rear. It's in the direction of friendly territory, so I'm hoping our flak will alert us to any interference from that quarter. We start to traverse No-Man's Land, diagonally, having reached just under 3,000 metres. The clouds are now rather less in evidence to our left. The shelled area is quite wide in this neck of the woods. I can see no sign of activity, on the ground or in the air. The enemy flak people seem to be having the day off. We reach our next waypoint, which is just on the enemy side of the Lines. Instead of bearing south from here, I decide to orbit for a while. The idea is to give our other flight a chance to put in an appearance, so we don't have to go any further without their support. As it happens, we won't be alone for long! ...to be continued!
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#4538156 - 09/23/20 06:38 PM
Re: Second hop - Jasta 34b
[Re: 33lima]
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,712
33lima
Senior Member
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Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,712
Belfast, NI
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We haven't been circling for very long when I become aware of a group of aircraft to our rear, a few hundred metres higher. Their course is slowly diverging from hours. For some reason, it doesn't occur to me that they're our other flight, possibly since they don't much look like triplanes, even at this range. I struggle to identify the aircraft type. They appear to have broad, wide wings, and from their inoffensive demeanour, I reckon this could be a flight of enemy two-seaters, perhaps on a bombing run or an armed reconnaissance. I turn to come up and around them. But it soon becomes apparent that while maintaining their height, they, too, are altering course - towards us! Quite suddenly, they're on top of us and swooping down. SPADs! And four against two! I hurl my aircraft out of their way and single out one of the SPADs which has levelled off and is curving around in front. At the same time, I order the attack, in case my companion is in any doubt. My chosen adversary sees me coming and starts throwing his speedy machine about the sky like a man who knows the ropes. I immediately try to supress a sense of inferiority. All I can seem to do is stop him getting me by the neck, while grabbing snap shooting opportunities as he flashes past. My hope is that I'll land some hits which will slow him down, wounded or damaged. Lo and behold, this works! After signs of some hits from my latest burst, the SPAD is turning less vigorously. I manage to cut inside him and close the range, shooting as I come. Now, I feel like the hunter, not the hunted. The SPAD, who bears French cockades and camouflage, wriggles to get off the hook, but I manage to stay above and behind him. Up to now, I've been relying on my rapid manoeuvring rather than a good watch behind to keep me safe from his friends. Now this has eased off, I know I don't have much time. I swoop down behind the SPAD, close in and blast him with a long burst, risking a stoppage. The SPAD suddenly flips over onto his back and falls earthward, clearly hit hard and out of control. Got him! For the sake of a successful victory claim, I make a quick check of time and location - 08:17, a few kilometres south of Corbie, just on the enemy side of the Lines. And there he goes, smack into the ground. No doubt about that one! That will even the odds. Now, I just need to rejoin the party, which seems to have continued without me. ...to be continued!
Last edited by 33lima; 09/23/20 06:55 PM.
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#4538159 - 09/23/20 07:30 PM
Re: Second hop - Jasta 34b
[Re: 33lima]
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,712
33lima
Senior Member
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Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,712
Belfast, NI
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I've started to draw ground fire but the skies seem to have emptied of other aircraft. I reckon I've expended most of my ammunition, so after an orbit to clear my tail and have a good look, I set course for our side of the lines, in a shallow dive. What happened to my flight-mate I'll have to establish when I get back to Faucoucourt. After a while, I realise there's another aircraft well above me, on a similar course. My missing Albatros? No sooner have I decided to spiral up to get a better look, than the fellow dives on me. It's a SPAD! With ammo low, I'd have been quite happy to get back home without further drama, but now I must fight for my life once again. A full-blown turning fight develops. By pushing down the nose and rolling into my turns, I find I can start to get behind him, at a heavy price in altitude. Just when I think I have him, he flicks around into a tight, fast right-hander and I have to start all over again. We're now dangerously low. But fast and handy though he is, my Albatros seems to be able to get the better of him in turns, especially as the SPAD hasn't tried to maintain his height. Finally I manage to haul my nose around onto his tail and get in a good burst, before he jerks out of my line of fire. Now at last the SPAD starts using his superior speed in an effort to regain height and create distance between us. It's quickly clear that my hits have clearly turned his mind to escaping, rather than knocking me down. He has a short head start and uses it to climb for the lines, gradually pulling away. I snap out some bursts as the range increases, trying to cause him to turn, but it's no good. And I must have used up most of whatever ammo I have left. So I bid him farewell... ...and turn for home once more. Suddenly, from nowhere it seems, a burst of fire rakes my aircraft from astern, hitting man and machine. Shocked and wounded, I break hard right and look behind. It's another SPAD, and he's breathing fire down the back of my neck! ...to be continued!
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#4538160 - 09/23/20 07:43 PM
Re: Second hop - Jasta 34b
[Re: 33lima]
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,712
33lima
Senior Member
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Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,712
Belfast, NI
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I manage somehow to escape being knocked down there and then. I use my reprieve to nose down onto the deck at full power, heading straight for friendly territory. My decision to 'bravely run away' is confirmed by the rapid realisation that there's more than one SPAD after me. In fact you can see five aircraft in the pic below, and none of them look friendly to me. I seem to have run smack into a second bunch of bloodthirsty Frenchmen! Somebody else has recently come to grief, over there on my right. I'm next, probably! The shell-swept earth undulates quite a bit here and I try to hug the dips in the ground. This seems to help keep me alive a little longer. More aircraft are burning, ahead and right, but my attention is drawn to a kite balloon nearly straight ahead. If I can get that far, maybe its defences will persuade my pursuers to give up the chase! It could be the only hope I have left! ...to be continued!
Last edited by 33lima; 09/23/20 07:44 PM.
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#4538162 - 09/23/20 07:56 PM
Re: Second hop - Jasta 34b
[Re: 33lima]
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,712
33lima
Senior Member
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Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,712
Belfast, NI
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The friendly gasbag seems a very long way off. I press my machine as low as I dare, and throw in some modest zig-zags so as not to fly a dead straight course. The pack is still hard on my heels, though they've perhaps fallen a little behind, as if hesitant. Finally I'm across the Lines and over friendly territory, if not yet safe. I'm beginning to think that I might just get away with this. At last it looks like the Frenchmen are finally giving up. All but one. At last the German flak opens fire and the last SPAD turns for home! I'm mightily relieved to see the back of him, as you can well imagine. Now I just need to get down before my engine conks out or worse, I black out from my injuries! ...to be continued!
Last edited by 33lima; 09/23/20 07:57 PM.
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#4538164 - 09/23/20 08:10 PM
Re: Second hop - Jasta 34b
[Re: 33lima]
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Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,712
33lima
Senior Member
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Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,712
Belfast, NI
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The nearby church steeple helps me pinpoint my location; a quick check of my map shows my airfield is several kilometres away to the east-north-east and I turn towards it... ...managing to avoid the steeple as I sweep past. I'm aware from the map that there's another airfield about half-way back to base. It seems unwise to push my luck, so I decide to land there rather than delay obtaining the medical attention I need. Mercifully, the airfield is soon in sight. I waste no time in landing, taxying up to the sheds and switching off. What a relief! Later, I find that poor old Deckhouse has been killed, but dutifully file a combat report describing the action and claiming a victory - my first, whether it's confirmed or not. The other flight got one too, without loss if I recall right. A bit of a mixed bag it was, to be sure. But I was very lucky to survive three successive encounters with those darned SPADs. To have knocked one down is the icing on the cake. Next time, I'll think twice before going anywhere with just two unsupported aircraft. And I'll hope to run into some two-seaters, instead of these patrols of fast scouts!
Last edited by 33lima; 09/23/20 08:11 PM.
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