It's the 5th July 1915 and I've been detailed to another go at dropping puny little bombs on the Tommies. I'd have been a lot less happy if I'd known how this one was destined to turn outI'm flying with my usual observer, Alvensleben. A second Aviatik is with us, crewed by Prager and Schirmer. The staffel's other section is putting up Steiger and Berr, who'll be flying their own route to the target, so there's be three aircraft on this hop, all told.

The only good thing about this one is the weather. Except that such clear conditions are maybe a bad thing. Anyway, orders are orders and so off we go.



Our airfield at Ghistelles is close to the front and it's not long before we're over the shelled area, which is rather wide in this sector, close to the Channel coast where the 1914 'race to the sea' ended in the trench warfare now seen all along the Western Front.

We've still a way to go to the target when I become aware of an aircraft chasing another, astern and to my left. You can see them above my wing, near the nose of my aircraft.



As I watch, the aircraft being chased drops like a stone, recovering at the last minute. I fancy it's Steiger and Berr, hunted by Englishmen. My suspicions are confirmed when the enemy aircraft - there's actually a second one - come up and around, after us. By this time, flak is in action, from both sides. One of the enemy starts sliding out to my right, while the other seems to be going after Prager and Schirmer.



Knowing what's coming, I start swinging around in my painfully slow and unarmed Aviatik. Machinegun fire announces the first attack from my assailant, which I can now see is one of those fast single-seater Bristols. His aim is good, despite his MG firing ahead at an angle to avoid the prop. We are quickly hit!



I manoeuvre as violently as I can, but we only get the briefest of respites, before the Englishman is coming in again.



Suddenly there's more hits, followed by a rending, ripping sound - and my right lower mainplane is gone!



Pilot and observer have also been hit so I know I must land, before I pass out. Down does the nose, rudder and ailerons over against the stops to hold the wings level. I don't think I'm going to make this one!



It looks like I might clear the shelled area, but the ground ahead and below is anything but flat. It seems that even Mother Earth has decided we must die today!



I throttle back but the net result of that is that we are literally flying sideways...something not quiet right, there.



This is going to take us into some trees so to restore some forward motion, I open up the throttle again - but chop it and switch off altogether, just before we hit. Dust and dirt fly, as we go in. There's a flash if fire, too. Looks like we're done for! I grit my teeth and wait for the end.



But no, by some miracle we slither to a halt and are saved!

Saved but not unscathed. We'll both need some time in hospital. Prager's and Schirmer's luck deserted them altogether - both were killed. The other section's machine and crew got away with it, somehow or other - I believe they were indeed the aircraft I saw attacked.



As for myself, I want out of this bomb-dropping business! It's bad enough in these B-type machines doing recce and art obs, but at least you've a chance of accomplishing something. Risking my neck to chuck glorified hand grenades is not my idea of usefully risking my neck.



Reviewing my log book, I decide it's time I applied for a transfer to another unit. Enough is enough!

Nice AAR!

I'd like to see some shots from the first person, but that's me.

Wow, talk about a close one!

Great AAR. Keep up the good work!

No wonder two-seater pilots and observers drank so much!

Well done