How hard must a pilot become these days

[Olham]

Jasta 15, Bonneuil Ferme, 27. April 1918

We were on a ground support mission at the front line bow, south-west of St.Quentin.

Flight 1 had gone up high; so we were at 11.000 feet. The huge towering april thunder

clouds painted a dramatic scenery.

Suddenly I saw them: two flights of SPADs coming down like falcons from some 3.000

feet higher on flight 1. When we got there, most of friend and foe had chased each other

down towards the deck. But 3 SPADs had remained up here, and began their attack on us.

I sent von Marchlewitz and Beckedorf after the others, and took up fighting "my" SPADs

with von der Ziegler behind me. One of the three also travelled downwards.

The SPAD attacking me first now, was William "Bill" Thaw, covered by a wingman.

When he saw, that he couldn't get behind me, he also played the falcon. Knowing about

my wing structures, I followed in safer spirals. When I came down, he came back up again,

and the turning began. Now, I know how to turn into a SPAD, and soon he only got punches.

His wingman can't help - von der Ziegler is like a bulldog after him. Two-and-a-half minutes

later, William Thaw digs his nose into the dirt like a dying boar.

But now I realise, that the other SPADs must have "smoked up" all of flight 1 plus my wings 2

and 3, or chased them to the horizon. Flying over von der Ziegler, I had noticed briefly, how

5 or 6 SPADs all jumped on him. Moment of a hard decision: flying on would just now get me

over the line, over our grounds. Turning round would make me confront all these SPADs, to

get out von der Ziegler.

Before I had finished a wide half turn, von der Ziegler had been wiped out. And now, I flew

right into that swarm of mad hornets.

To cut it short: I made it around again and, taking hits, to crawl back over the lines. While

the 103rd were still mad after me, I had to perform a crash landing, surrounded by trees.

I just made it alive.

Next time, I shouldn't turn round for an already lost wingman, if I want to survive all this.

Right? How hard must a pilot become in these days?...

[Olham]

Forgot the pics of Thaw's and von Ziegler's end.

[Ronbo]

Awesome pics! whats your system? vista or xp?

 

and you do know that 'Cry wolf' should be auf deutch? Ja?

[Olham]

My system is XP, Ronbo.

And I wrote "Cry Wolf" in English, for my Allied opponents often can't read German.

 

(And I wanted the word "Wolf" on the plane, as my pilot is Wolfram "Wolf" Mahlo.

In German, that saying would be "Schrei Alarm!" - no Wolf in it.)

[Ronbo]

I prefer Kempf's famous saying, kenncht (sp?) mir noch? and Du Doch Nicht! from Udet.

[Olham]

Yes, "Kennst mich noch?" (Remembr me?) and "Du doch nicht!" (But not you!)

I know both, but wouldn't want to use the signatures of others.

I'm thinking of writing "Dich hol ich mir!" (I'll get you!) on my other Albatros.

[Dej]

Yes, "Kennst mich noch?" (Remembr me?) and "Du doch nicht!" (But not you!)

I know both, but wouldn't want to use the signatures of others.

I'm thinking of writing "Dich hol ich mir!" (I'll get you!) on my other Albatros.

 

I always thought the best thing to have on one's aircraft both to unnerve opponents and as a constant warning to oneself would be "Look behind you!"

 

And, Olham, your English is so good that you probably know this, but idiomatically 'Cry Wolf' is more often associated with a false alarm, not sure if that's what you had in mind pr whether it matters.

[Olham]

Yes, looked it up and you're right , DEJ.

I had thought, "don't cry wolf" meant, don't cause false alarm.

But it seems, to "cry wolf" always means that. I'm never too old to learn, I always say.

Thanks, DEJ.

Now I must change that skin.

Funny: "Look behind you!" is exactly one, I also had in mind.

[Olham]

DEJ, I have changed my "Wolf skin" now, and used the idea, you had.

Now it reads: "Sieh Dich mal um!" (Look around you, or Look back). Better, indeed!

[Ronbo]

Stamp of approval!