WWI Western Front Aerial Campaign - Episode 4

Pick Up

This is the fourth episode of a campaign representing fictitious battles in the air over the Western Front during the First World War. It was initially planned to use the Wings of Glory rules, but these were modified to use hex based movement in order to facilitate remote play over the Internet due to Corona restrictions.

Mission Briefing

Alphonse Lacourt and St John Featherstonehaugh, two of the 1er Escadrille International's pilots, had just received brand new Sopwith Camel scouts. 

Lacourt had just returned from leave in Paris, where he met an eccentric scientist. The scientist, Professeur Le Fou, gave Lacourt one hundred 7.7 mm rounds for his machine-guns. These were very special and valuable as they were made from gold. Le Fou wanted Lacourt to test them in combat, and Lacourt now had fifty rounds loaded in each of his Vickers machine-guns.

Featherstonehaugh, for reasons none of his fellow pilots could fathom, had his erks paint two large red hearts on his top wing. 

They were test flying their new Camels far behind their own lines.

A German spy has identified two very unusual enemy canon. They was much larger than any artillery piece that the spy had ever seen before. He sent a carrier pigeon with a little information and a request to be picked up behind enemy lines. In order to move freely behind the enemy lines, he was in disguise, as a nun. 

Because of its reputation as a crack unit, the Kaiserliche und Königliche und Kaiserliche Jagd-Schlachtstaffel was tasked with recovering the spy. Florian Meier and Jörg Fritzl-Falconi will take the LFG Roland C.II to pick up the spy. The Roland’s deep fuselage, which earned it the nickname Whale (Walfisch) and which contained windows, was big enough to squeeze the spy into. They would be escorted by a Fokker D.VII piloted by Gaspard Hauser.

The Hun Pilots - by MW

The Action

Alphonse Lacourt and St John Featherstonehaugh, in their Camels, two Hun aircraft at 1,000 ft, almost treetop level. The two Camels descended 2,000 ft and the could clearly identify a Fokker D.VII and a LFG Roland C.II. 

Both Camels moved forward while slipping right.

The Huns continued forward, the Roland entered a shallow dive and gained speed. 

Yet again, both Camels moved forward while slipping right.

The Huns still continued forward, with the Roland maintaining its shallow dive. 

Both camels continues straight ahead.

Gaspard Hauser in his Fokker D.VII decided to try and draw the Camels away from the Roland so he turned left. Florian Meier in the Roland decided that he could dive under the Camels and he would be so much lower that the Camels that they wouldn't be able to react. Unfortunately this meant that his rear-gunner, Jörg Fritzl-Falconi, couldn't get off a shot because the range was too great.

Gaspard Hauser in his Fokker D.VII continued straight ahead, having succeeded i getting the attention of both the Camels. 

St John Featherstonehaugh was now tailing the D.VII and got a long range shot which damaged the D.VII's rudder so that it couldn't turn left.

Alphonse Lacourt was also tailing the D.VII but as soon as he opened fire, both his Vickers machine-guns jammed. Could this have been because the bullets he was firing were make of gold, a very soft metal?

Florian Meier was now at only 200 ft, he turned right (away from the fighting) and slowed down preparing to land. 

Somewhat surprised not to have been bothered by the Camels, the Roland touched down gently in a field close to the spy's hiding place.

The D.VII turned right, still followed by the Camels. Gaspard Hauser was leading them on a wild Fokker chase.

St John Featherstonehaugh was still tailing and got a long burst at the Fokker..

Alphonse Lacourt was following the D.VII while desperately trying to unjam his guns.

The D.VII continued straight ahead, using it superior speed over the Camels at low altitude to inch ahead.

St John Featherstonehaugh was still behind the D.VII but his guns didn't quite have the range..

Alphonse Lacourt was following the D.VII while still desperately trying to unjam his guns.

What appeared to be a nun, came running out from hiding in the trees. The nun ran towards the Roland, holding her habit up round her waist to keep her somewhat hairy legs free. Jörg Fritzl-Falconi reached down and pulled the spy into the Roland. As soon as the spy's feet left the ground, Florian Meier gunned the engine and started rolling forward for a take off.

The spy, dressed as a nun, runs out from the trees to the waiting aircraft - by MW

Gaspard Hauser saw that the Roland had landed, so he decided that he had led the Camels far enough away, he half-looped his D.VII and started to fight back.

Alphonse Lacourt was still following the D.VII while trying unsuccessfully to unjam his guns. The D.VII opened fire on him.

St John Featherstonehaugh didn't expect the D.VII to half-loop, so he turned his Camel right.

The Roland struggled into the air, now heavily loaded and manoeuvring even worse that normally. 

Florian Meier slowly turned the Roland right while trying hard to gain both speed and altitude.

Lacourt turned his camel tightly left.

Featherstonehaugh half-looped his Camel, to continue hunting the D.VII which in turn slipped left and opened fire on the Camel. 

Florian Meier continued to slowly turn the Roland right while trying hard to gain both speed and altitude.

Gaspard Hauser accelerated and headed for home. This confused the Camels who expected him to stand and fight, the Camels turned tightly but missed the D.VII.

As the Camels turned to chase the D.VII, Gaspard Hauser looped his aircraft and opened fire on Alphonse Lacourt's Camel and wounding him.

The Roland was very slowly gaining speed and altitude.

Gaspard Hauser now turned his D.VII away from the fight. This confused the Camel pilots, who couldn't work out if the D.VII wanted to fight or run. 

Even the Roland was confused, Jörg Fritzl-Falconi hadn't opened fire once for the whole mission, and was eager to take a few pot shots at a Camel with his Parabellum MG14 machine-gun, so he indicated to the pilot that he really wanted to close with the Camels.

But Gaspard Hauser in the D.VII and Florian Meier in the Roland had completed the mission and headed for home, they were fast enough that the Camels could never catch them.

Alphonse Lacourt and St John Featherstonehaugh gave up the chase and turned for home. Both landed safety despite Lacourt’s nasty wound. Lacourt was sent off immediately to the local field hospital to be patched up. 

St John Featherstonehaugh wandered into the 1er Escadrille International’s officers’ mess where he found a serious dispute under way. The French inspecteur général Hippolyte St Prix was in conflict with the squadron commander Major Brackton. Inspector St Prix had determined that their pilots were drinking too much English beer. English beer is bad for the constitution. So Inspector St Prix ordered that all the English beer in the officers' mess be sent to the nearby County of Dampshire infantry regiment. He then ordered a Bréguet BR 14 to fly to his family’s vineyard and there he purchased with squadron funds two dozen crates of 1897 vintage Côte de St Prix. Drinking such a vintage is healthy for the pilots, not like English beer, he explained to Major Brackton.

The hard-nosed Brackton used words that would have made a navvy blush, to explain what he thought of St Prix. He then rushed out and jumped into the squadron’s only DH.4. He soared off, heading for the Dampshire’s camp in the hope of rescuing at least some of the beer.

When the Roland landed at the Kaiserliche und Königliche und Kaiserliche Jagd-Schlachtstaffel's aerodrome, the spy was immediately debriefed by the squadron commander Major Fritz Detterman. Still in the nun's habit, the spy explained that there were two huge artillery pieces ready to stop our St Crupelle offensive. "Wunderwaffen" he exclaimed.. But the sly Brits have disguised the canons so that from the air it looks like a simple camp, this they did by covering the emplacement with camouflage netting onto which tent like structures were painted. Detterman noted down the exact position of the encampment.

The Result

Central Powers Victory

Campaign results:

• Gaspard Hauser:  +2 XP, +1 luck 
• Florian Meier:  +2 XP, +1 luck 
• Jörg Fritzl-Falconi:  +2 XP, +1 luck 
• Alphonse Lacourt:  +1 XP
• St John Featherstonehaugh:  +1 XP, +1 luck

Campaign Log

The Score:
1er Escadrille International 2     -     KuKuK Jagd-Schlachtstaffel 2

	Missions	Kills	XP	Luck	Notes
Premier Escadrille International
Charles “Half Pint” Carruthers (GB)	2	0	8	2
“Dirty” Bertie Parker (AU)	1	0	6	1
Captain Jack Yates (GB)	2	1	9	2
Alphonse Lacourt (FR)	2	0	2	1	Miss episode 5 because of wound.
St John Featherstonehaugh (GB)	2	0	6	2
Kaiserliche und Königliche und Kaiserliche Jagd-Schlachtstaffel
Udo Lockbach (DE)	2	0	2	1	Miss episodes 4 & 5 because of wound & food poisoning.
Erbprinz Rupprecht zu Sachsen-Zenda (DE)	2	0	3	2
Florian Meier (DE)	2	0	6	2
Jörg Fritzl-Falconi (HU)	2	0	6	2
Gaspard Hauser (DE)	2	0	3	2

WWI Western Front Aerial Campaign - Episode 3

Contact Patrol

This is the third episode of a campaign representing fictitious battles in the air over the Western Front during the First World War. It was initially planned to use the Wings of Glory rules, but these were modified to use hex based movement in order to facilitate remote play over the Internet due to Corona restrictions.

Mission Briefing

Spring 1917 – Premier Escadrille International - Officers’ Mess

When the pilots are seated, Major Redmond, their Intelligence Officer, addresses them “Gentlemen. The German offensive at St Crupelle continues without slowing down. Day by day, step by step, the British and Canadian forces have been pushed back. Now only two small bridgeheads remain on the northern shore of the Juliana Canal. In the ruins of St Crupelle itself, the 2nd Battalion Dampshire Regiment are hanging on by the skin of their teeth. In recent days, the division headquarters has lost contact with the battalion as the front line is now very fluid. You will carry out a contact patrol, fly low over the fighting, identify the positions of friendly troops, and report back, thus enabling Army HQ to build up a picture of the front line and how the battle is going”.

Major Redmond and his map - by MW

After a hearty lunch, washed down with a nice bottle of claret, Charles “Half Pint” Carruthers walked to the hanger where his beige Airco DH.2 was kept and St John Featherstonehaugh went to the adjacent hanger and his olive green Airco DH.2. They taxied out, took off, climbed to 2,000 ft and flew towards St Crupelle. 

They knew that they would be fairly safe from small arms fire from both the enemy and their own infantry when above 1,500 ft. Soon after spotting the town and its canal, they saw two Hun scouts patrolling nearby.

Udo Lockbach and Gaspard Hauser were patrolling over their advancing infantry in the vicinity of St Crupelle. Hauser had an old Fokker Eindecker monoplane and Lockbach had an Albatros D.I biplane, a new modern design. They stayed above 2,000 ft to avoid friendly fire and in the hope of finding a lone enemy two-seater. 

The Hun in the Sun

We added a new rule for this game. If an aircraft is firing out of the sun then it gets the "aim bonus" and will do extra damage. This is because it isn't easy for the target to see the firer and thus has difficulty in manoeuvring so as to avoid the machine-gun fire.

The sun marker shows the direction of the sun, which is fixed throughout the game.

The Action

Udo and Gaspard parted in what could have been a pincer movement.

Half Pint and St John could see eight different infantry units on the ground in front of them. Some of them were the Dampshires and some were German. They dived their DH.2's so as to give themselves a good chance of recognising friend from foe on the ground.

Half Pint and St John continued to dive, but at 800 ft they were still too high to see the troops clearly.

Udo dived his Albatros while Gaspard stayed at 2,000 ft in his Eindecker.

Half Pint and St John continued to dive, and now at only a couple of hundred feet they could see the troops clearly.

Udo in his Albatros turned in towards the British. Gaspard finally realised he was too high and started to dive his Eindecker.

Gaspard realising he was still far too high, started to crash dive his Eindecker.

Gaspard Hauser in the dive - by MW

Both Half Pint and St John turned right and flew low over two infantry units. They could tell that these were infantry units, two companies of the 2nd Dampshire Regiment. Unfortunately for Half Pint and St John, the Dampshires hadn't had much experience at aircraft recognition, and both companies opened fire on the DH.2's despite the roundels on the underside of their wings.

Udo dived his Albatros down to the same height as the British, but in doing so missed an opportunity to open fire.

Gaspard turned in to chase the Brits. Udo got on Half Pint's tail and opened fire.

Udo turned slowly right.

Half Pint performed a half-loop and St John a very tight turn. Both now had Udo's Albatros in their sights. They opened fire wounding Udo and damaging his aircraft.

Gaspard came racing in towards the dogfight and took fire from the Dampshire infantry.

Udo in the Albatros went straight ahead out of the fight as Gaspard in the Eindecker came whizzing into the action and opened fire on Half Pint who's DH.2 was now more holes than canvas.

Udo turned sharply right and got behind Half Pint. 

St John and Gaspard nearly collided, but both managed to get off a quick burst before the dodged each other missing by inches.

Half Pint had decided his badly damaged aircraft wouldn't hold out much longer, so he put his foot down and was streaking towards his own lines with the information on the Dampshire Regiment's location. 

St John was still dogfight with the Huns and in what could have been a tricky situation. He had an Eindecker on his tail and an Albatros at close range to his left. Udo in the Albatros opened fire, but his machine-gun jammed immediately.

Although Gaspard in his Eindecker was on the tail of St John's DH.2, Gaspard couldn't fire because his machine-gun was jammed.

With his machine-gun jammed, Gaspard pulled out his trusty Mauser C96 pistol.
He emptied the 10-round magazine, but without any apparent effect - by MW

Half Pint was in the distance, heading towards home, but both the Huns gave chase. This gave St John a chance and he took it, he turned sharply and got behind Udo's Albatros, he opened fire but his machine-gun jammed. 

Half Pint could be seen in the distance, as the other three aircraft headed towards the British lines.

St John noticed that there were two Huns in font of him, so he turned his DH.2 away, as the Huns continued in vain to chase after Half Pint.

Seeing that the distance between the two Hun aircraft was opening, St John turned in to have another go at the nearest one: Udo's Albatros.

St John was lucky; Udo's engine started to flame!

St John turned towards the British lines, but neither Gaspard nor Udo could reach him before the needed to turn for home due to lack of fuel.

“Half Pint” and St John landed at a small strip near to Army HQ and reported the position of the companies of the 2nd Dampshire Regiment that they had located. When flying back to their own airfield, they flew over a huge cannon, the like of which neither had seen before.

Gaspard Hauser headed back to his aerodrome, to complain about his jamming machine-gun and to get more pistol ammunition for his Mauser. After landing he met Jörg Fritzl-Falconi, the Hungarian pilot, who, just the previous day, had suffered a horrible jam while dog-fighting with a Camel. "Scheisse!!" said Jörg, I am starting to think it really is "Sabotage!!".

The wounded Udo Lockbach decided that his fire damaged Albatros wouldn't make it back to the aerodrome, so he landed in a farmer's field right next to a small village. He climbed out, left the somewhat smoking aircraft, and walked into the village. There he found a small bistro with a rather attractive waitress. She tended his wound before serving him some local cuisine. Afterwards he hitched a lift back to the aerodrome. The next morning he woke up with a nasty case of food poisoning which would delay his return to flight duties. 

The Result

Entente Powers Victory

Campaign results:

• Charles “Half Pint” Carruthers:  +2 XP, +1 luck 
• St John Featherstonehaugh:  +5 XP, +1 luck
• Udo Lockbach:  +1 XP, +1 luck
• Gaspard Hauser:  +1 XP, +1 luck

Campaign Log

The Score:
1er Escadrille International 2     -     KuKuK Jagd-Schlachtstaffel 1

	Missions	Kills	XP	Luck	Notes
Premier Escadrille International
Charles “Half Pint” Carruthers (GB)	2	0	8	2
“Dirty” Bertie Parker (AU)	1	0	6	1
Captain Jack Yates (GB)	2	1	9	2
Alphonse Lacourt (FR)	1	0	1	1
St John Featherstonehaugh (GB)	1	0	5	1
Kaiserliche und Königliche und Kaiserliche Jagd-Schlachtstaffel
Udo Lockbach (DE)	2	0	2	1	Miss 2 episodes because of wound and food poisoning.
Erbprinz Rupprecht zu Sachsen-Zenda (DE)	2	0	3	2
Florian Meier (DE)	1	0	3	1
Jörg Fritzl-Falconi (HU)	1	0	3	1
Gaspard Hauser (DE)	1	0	1	1

WWI Western Front Aerial Campaign - Episode 2

Bombing

This is the second episode of a campaign representing fictitious battles in the air over the Western Front during the First World War. It was initially planned to use the Wings of Glory rules, but these were modified to use hex based movement in order to facilitate remote play over the Internet due to Corona restrictions.

Mission Briefing

Spring 1917 – A spy has reported the location of an elite British photographic unit to the German High command. It has been placed in a converted brasserie, Les Trois Magots, in the small French village of Saint-Benoît-du-Saucisse, a fair way behind the front lines. It is used to develop the photographic plates taken by photographic reconnaissance aircraft and also by analysts to interpret the photographs for the British General Staff. 

Because of the importance of the target, the High Command task the crack Kaiserliche und Königliche und Kaiserliche Jagd-Schlachtstaffel with the job of destroying the brasserie. Before dawn, Squadron Leader, Major Fritz Dettermann calls to his office his most experience two-seater pilot, Florian Meier and his Austro-Hungarian observer Jörg Fritzl-Falconi. He tells them to take off at dawn in the squadron’s Roland C.II and to bomb Les Trois Magots in order to put the British Photographic unit out of business. As it is know that the dastardly Premier Escadrille International will be operation in the area, he promises Meier that he will be escorted by two Albatros scouts.

At the crack of dawn, as the first beam of light appeared over the horizon, Meier and Falconi started up their Roland and beside them was Erbprinz Rupprecht zu Sachsen-Zenda in his Albatros D.V. Udo Lockbach should have been flying a second Albatros, but Lockbach was nowhere to be found. As the mission took off, one aircraft short, they were waved at by rider entering the aerodrome; what appeared to be a rather dishevelled German cavalry officer. They climbed quickly to 10,000 feet and then headed west towards Saint-Benoît-du-Saucisse.

As per their standard operation procedure, the Premier Escadrille International sent up a dawn patrol over the village of Saint-Benoît-du-Saucisse at 15,000 feet. The patrol was led by Captain Jack Yates in his Sopwith Camel, still merry after his kill the day before. Yates’s wingman was the French aviator, Alphonse Lacourt. Lacourt’s SPAD had been damaged on landing the day before, so he was loaned the squadron’s Sopwith Triplane. 

Yates spotted the Huns and followed by Lacourt had descended to 12,000 feet when the Huns saw the diving scouts. 

The Action

The Roland C.II continued to make a beeline for the target as the pilots closed the distance between their aircraft.

The aircraft continued towards each other with both the Camel and the Albatros accelerating in front of their companions.

The Camel and the Triplane turned in to intercept the Roland. The Roland expecting that manoeuvre turned away. The Albatros got onto the tail of the Triplane and Erbprinz Rupprecht zu Sachsen-Zenda opened fire.

Jörg Fritzl-Falconi, the Roland's observer, opened fire on Yates's Camel but his Parabellum MG14 machine gun jammed before a single bullet had left its barrel. "Scheisse!!" he shouted, and then he decided "Sabotage!!".

Despite being tailed, Alphonse Lacourt managed to turn his Triplane so tightly that the Albatros couldn't stay on his tail.

Jörg Fritzl-Falconi signalled to his pilot, Florian Meier, that he had a jammed gun and needed time to un-jam it. So Meier flew the Roland directly away from the enemy straight and level while Fritzl-Falconi desperately attempted to un-jam his Parabellum.

Yates had guessed where the Roland was heading, but it took him a little too long to turn his Camel.

The Albatros and Triplane were flying round in circles trying to get a shot at each other.

Yates in the Camel got a snap shot at the Roland and Meier got off a quick burst as the Camel rushed past his nose.

The Albatros and Triplane now met head-on, so Erbprinz Rupprecht zu Sachsen-Zenda and Alphonse Lacourt opened fire at each other at short range.

Meier turned the Roland back towards the target, but the cunning Yates was on his tail in the Camel.

Meier turned the Roland towards the village of Saint-Benoît-du-Saucisse, but Yates was going too fast in the Camel and overshot.

The Albatros and Triplane were, yet again, flying round in circles trying to get a shot at each other.

Meier flew as straight and steady as he could towards he village of Saint-Benoît-du-Saucisse and when they were over Les Trois Magots, Fritzl-Falconi dropped the bombs right on target. Immediately after Fritzl-Falconi had shouted "Bomben weg!!", Meier put the Roland into a tight right turn; at least as tight as the lethargic Roland could manage.

Luckily for the Roland, Meier's tight turn caused Yates in the Camel to overshot yet again.

Now unencumbered by bombs, the Roland turned tighter and dived at the same time. Yates turned again onto the Roland's tail but was too high to get off a good shot.

Erbprinz Rupprecht zu Sachsen-Zenda accelerated in the Albatros and came speeding to the assistance of the Roland leaving Alphonse Lacourt in the slower Triplane behind.

The Albatros fired at the Camel.

Having completed the mission, Florian Meier put his Roland into a steep dive back towards the German front line. Jörg Fritzl-Falconi scanned behind them looking for a target, but they had too good a start for the somewhat shot-up enemy to catch them, especially with the Erbprinz Rupprecht zu Sachsen-Zenda protecting their tail in his Albatros.

Jörg Fritzl-Falconi was so happy with his successful bombing mission that he had his portrait painted by the famous artist Toulouse Vinplage. He wrote a letter explaining how he had bombed and destroyed a secret photographic unit that the dastardly Engländer had hidden in a brasserie. He sent both back home to his mother, the Countess Fritzl-Falconi, who lived in the Schloss Schönbrunn.

Leutnant Jörg Fritzl-Falconi - by MW

At the Premier Escadrille International's aerodrome one riddle was solved. Who was the shadow that Lieutenant Lugeau has seen sneaking around after dark? All of the pilots were drunk in the mess, so it couldn't have been one of them. Finally the riddle was solved; it was Malcolm the squadron mascot. Malcolm, the goat, was put into his pen every night by his handler, an Erk named Boyd. But what Corporal Boyd didn't know, was that Malcolm could open the gate whenever he wanted, and wandered round the aerodrome looking for something to chew on.

The Result

Central Powers Victory

Campaign results:

• Florian Meier:  +2 XP, +1 luck 
• Jörg Fritzl-Falconi:  +2 XP, +1 luck
• Erbprinz Rupprecht zu Sachsen-Zenda:  +2 XP, +1 luck
• Captain Jack Yates:  +1 XP, +1 luck
• Alphonse Lacourt:  +1 XP, +1 luck

Campaign Log

The Score:
1er Escadrille International 1     -     KuKuK Jagd-Schlachtstaffel 1

	Missions	Kills	Experience	Luck	Notes
Premier Escadrille International
Charles “Half Pint” Carruthers	1	0	6	1
“Dirty” Bertie Parker	1	0	6	1
Captain Jack Yates	2	1	9	2
Alphonse Lacourt	1	0	1	1
Kaiserliche und Königliche und Kaiserliche Jagd-Schlachtstaffel
Udo Lockbach	1	0	1	0
Erbprinz Rupprecht zu Sachsen-Zenda	2	0	3	2
Florian Meier	1	0	3	1
Jörg Fritzl-Falconi	1	0	3	1

WWI Western Front Aerial Campaign - Episode 1

Photo-Reconnaissance

This is the first episode of a campaign representing fictitious battles in the air over the Western Front during the First World War. It was initially planned to use the Wings of Glory rules, but these were modified to use hex based movement in order to facilitate remote play over the Internet due to Corona restrictions.

Campaign Background

The formation of the squadrons

Early Spring, 1916. Both sides' armies try new measures to preserve the fighting spirit in the war-weary homelands. The latest idea is to strengthen solidarity within the alliances by putting together international air squadrons, whose adventures the newspapers eagerly report on. A whimsical coincidence has placed the "Premier Escadrille International" and the "Kaiserliche und Königliche und Kaiserliche Jagd-Schlachtstaffel" directly opposite each other. Neither of these multinational squadrons has a clue about the complicated and intricate stories they are about to experience.

Premier Escadrille International

After long and heated discussions, France has agreed that the squadron is to be led by an Englishman, the hard-nosed Major Brackton. This is a victory for England, but a victory that could only be won by accepting the appointment of a French inspector to investigate how efficiently the squadron works. This system does not bode well for the future – Inspector St Prix has, even before the squadron carried out its first mission, directed devastating criticism at Major Brackton's way of leading the squadron. Criticism that could ruin Brackton's further career. Aggravating the situation, there are rumors that several of the American and Canadian the pilots may have been recruited by a German spy, “Fräulein X”, operating on the passenger ships that brought them across the Atlantic. Even among Europeans, there are individuals worth watching. Sous-Lieutenant Foudrelle writes extensively in his notebook - poetry, he claims - but why may nobody see it? And who is the shadow that Lieutenant Lugeau has seen sneaking around after dark?

Kaiserliche und Königliche und Kaiserliche Jagd-Schlachtstaffel

If the situation is worrying and chaotic on the Entente Powers’ side, then it is even more worrying and confused on the Central Powers’ side. Squadron Commander Fritz Detterman thought he had encountered most things during his years in the colonial police in German South West Africa, but already after a few days at the new the squadron, he faces a series of strange questions. General Schmidt stopped by to say hello and good luck to him. An hour after he’d left, he telegraphed that he had forgotten his bag containing the plans for the Christmas offensive at the squadron - but here no one knew anything about any bag. Was there then reason to believe the rumours that allied spies had succeeded in infiltrating the newly formed squadron? Maybe one of the pilots from Austria-Hungary's unruly small nations, the ones with strange names? And speaking of strange pilots - who actually is the young pilot with memory loss appeared that this morning at the squadron? All he had with him was a pilot's license issued to "Gaspard Hauser", an identification badge of the same name and a backpack with a bible and a pickled sausage. And finally, who are the two identical men who both claim to be the heirs of Sachsen-Zenda?

Mission Briefing

Spring 1917 – The Premier Escadrille International has been tasked with photographing the bridge over the Mosel at Rettel across which a large number of Hun supplies and reserves are passing. To do this they have been allocated a new Bristol F.2B Brisfit two-seater. It has modified to carry a camera with a newly developed lens capable of taking detailed photographs from 15,000 feet. They will be escorted by one of the squadron’s Sopwith Camel scouts. Charles “Half Pint” Carruthers will fly the Brisfit with “Dirty” Bertie Parker as his observer and cameraman. Captain Jack Yates will be escorting them in his Camel. It takes 20 minutes to climb to altitude before heading towards their target. 

They keep a good lookout because it is known that the Kaiserliche und Königliche und Kaiserliche Jagd-Schlachtstaffel is flying patrols in the area with their Albatros scouts.

The Germans had taken off from their aerodrome and were now patrolling over the Meuse bridge at just over 15,000 feet. The patrol was led by Udo Lockbach in his blood red Albatros D.III with the Erbprinz Rupprecht zu Sachsen-Zenda as his wingman flying an Albatros D.V.

The Action

Captain Jack Yates in the Camel (1) spotted the bridge and at the same time noticed the two Huns patrolling nearby. He waggled his wings to alert Half Pint in the Brisfit (2).

Udo Lockbach in the red D.III (3) flew straight ahead while Sachsen-Zenda in the speckled D.V (4) slipped left. Yates and Half Pint headed straight towards the bridge. 

Half Pint decided there and then on his tactics, he would head straight for the bridge to get there as soon as possible while maintaining height and then once Parker had photographed the bridge he would turn for home diving in order to gain speed and hopefully outrun the Hun.

True to his plan, Half Pint in the Brisfit headed straight towards the bridge. His observer, “Dirty” Bertie Parker, had been gesticulating at Yates in the Camel. Yates totally misunderstood this, and turned tightly to the left.

Sachsen-Zenda in the speckled D.V attempted to dive down on the Brisfit and at the same time turn towards it; this unfortunately for him, caused the Albatros to enter a spin.

Udo Lockbach in the red D.III, having predicted that the Brisfit would continue straight for the target, turned in toward it and opened fire.

Somewhat luckily, Sachsen-Zenda recovered from his spin and turned back toward the fight, climbing slowly to regain height.

Evan Yates, realising his mistake, headed back toward the fight.

Half Pint disliked being shot at and decided that his original plan wouldn't work. Instead he slipped the Brisfit in towards the red Albatros hoping that the Hun would overshoot and that Parker in the rear seat would get a good shot.

But Udo Lockbach in the D.III was sneaky, and he turned tightly and ended up on the Brisfit's tail at close range!

Udo Lockbach opened fire doing good damage from the tailing position. Luckily for Half Pint and Parker Udo hadn't managed to position his Albatros in the blind spot created by the tail assemblage, so Parker returned fire with his Lewis Gun. His first couple of bullets hit a fuel line and flames could be seen coming from the Albatros. But before Parker could finish off the Albatros, his gun jammed!

Both Albatros scouts headed toward the bridge where they expected the Brisfit to be. But Half Pint had decided that the bridge was a little to hot for comfort and he turned left giving Parker a chance to unjam his Lewis and hopefully time for Yates to return to the fight.

Both Albatros scouts, realising that they had missed the Brisfit, turned back towards it. 

Half Pint turned sharply right towards the bridge and got in a quick shot at Sachsen-Zenda in the D.V while Parker in the rear seat was unjamming the Lewis and attempting not to be thrown out of the violently manoeuvring aircraft. Half Pint's shot was a lucky one, and smoke started pouring out of the D.V. 

Yates had now got the Camel up to full speed, and was heading back into the battle. He opened fire on the red D.III and damaged the tail fin. It would take a while before the D.III could turn left.

Yates in the Camel was now back in the fight, he opened fire on the smoking D.V. 

Udo Lockbach turned sharp right, trying to get his tail fin working again.

Half Pint flew a straight run in toward the bridge to give Parker in the rear seat a good shot with the camera. Parker did his duty and took the photograph, despite being severely tempted to pick up his Lewis and shoot at the circling red Albatros.

Sachsen-Zenda, in the damaged and smoking D.V, headed for home.

The Camel and the red Albatros were circling round each other, trying but failing to get any good shot.

Half Pint in the Brisfit had also decided that it would be wise to head for home, both Albatros scouts had made nasty holes in his new Brisfit. Parker in the back seat, fired a Parthian shot at the D.III. This shot hit Udo's engine causing it to loose power.

Realising that the D.V had left the pitch, Half Pint decided to have another go at the lone red Albatros before play ended so he turned back.

With both engine damage and fire damage, Udo in the red Albatros decided that discretion was the better part of valour and turned to follow Sachsen-Zenda's D.V home to their aerodrome.

Yates had turned his Camel tightly to the right, and whether by skill or fluke, had ended up on Udo's tail.

Yates's shot was at long range, but yet again Udo's engine was hit. The engine seized up immediately.

Udo put his D.III into a dive and glided down. He performed a dead-stick landing in a farmer's field near to the bridge. He was feasted in the officers’ mess of a Prussian infantry regiment who wrongly believed that Udo had stopped die Engländer from bombing the bridge while they had been marching across it. He was returned, on horseback, to his aerodrome early next morning with a huge headache.

When the photographic plate was developed, Charles “Half Pint” Carruthers and “Dirty” Bertie Parker were treated to a slap up meal in the officers' mess by their Squadron Leader, Major Brackton.

Charles “Half Pint” Carruthers and “Dirty” Bertie Parker
outside the officers' mess - by MW

The Result

Entente Powers Victory

The score so far:
1er Escadrille International 1     -     KuKuK Jagd-Schlachtstaffel 0

Campaign results:

• Charles “Half Pint” Carruthers:   +6 XP, +1 luck
• “Dirty” Bertie Parker:   +6 XP, +1 luck
• Captain Jack Yates:   1 kill, +8 XP, +1 luck
• Udo Lockbach:   +1 XP 
• Erbprinz Rupprecht zu Sachsen-Zenda:   +1 XP, +1 luck