"Big Ack" Two-seater crew woudn't sell their skins

[Olham 164]

This moving story of fight and bravery is an excerpt from Peter Kilduff's book

"The Red Baron", which I hereby recommend [ ISBN 0-304-35207-1 ]

(Thanks again, Rickitycrate)

 

Geschwader-Kommandeur von Richthofenled the second mission.The triplane he had used in the morning,

Fokker Dr.I 127/17, was replaced for the afternoon patrol by Dr.I 477/17, an aircraft which bore his brick-

red colour on all upper surfaces and was all the more conspicuous from most of the other triplanes, which

were painted in the standard brown and green streaked finish with a few individual adornments barely visi-

ble from a distance. The whole point was for everyone - friend and foe - to be able to recognize Germany's

now legendary air combat leader.

Once JG I returned to the Albert area, however, it was one of von Richthofen's newer hawks who scored

the afternoon's first triumph. Southwest of the city the Richthofen group saw a triplane from another unit

in a heated battle with an Armstrong Whitworth F.K.8, a slow but steady two-seat general purpose aircraft

know as the "Big Ack".

The two-seater had just sent the lone triplane into an spin, apparently out of control, when JG I's fighters

dived on it. One after another they roared past the F.K.8 and fired into it. The 'Big Ack's' observer hit one

of the triplanes, which appeared to catch fire and fall away.

Ltn. Hans Kirschstein of Jasta 6 came down firing and then pulled up, turned and raked the two-seater's

underside with machine-gun fire. The British observer, although wounded, shot at another triplane and

reported, that it exploded. Meanwhile, Kirschstein climbed above what now proved to be a formidable oppo-

nent and shot up the F.K.8 from front to back, again wounding the observer and this time setting the fuel

tank afire. One other triplane opened fire, wounding the pilot and adding to the observer's injuries.

 

The remaining triplanes milled about, not interfering to avoid hitting Kirschstein, as he jinked back and forth,

deciding wether to deliver a fatal shot to the flaming Armstrong Whitworth. Kirschstein had the opportunity

to kill the observer, who struggled out of his burning cockpit and climbed on to the F.K.8's bottom wing,

grasping the Scarf ring gun mounting to keep from falling to his death.

But the German did not fire; his mission was to destroy enemy aeroplanes, and he knew that in this instance

he had succeeded. Then the F.K.8's pilot climbed out on the wing and held on to the control column in the

hope, somehow, of landing the burning two-seater.

 

Hans Kirschstein, a 21-year-old Rhinelander who had fought in the ground campaigns in Poland and Galicia,

and had survived a two-seater crash on the Western front, did not need to administer a 'coup de grace' to

the Armstrong Whitworth. It was finished and would be recorded as his second victory. He pulled away and

let some of the newer pilots - called 'Häschen' (young hares) - follow the crippled aircraft down.

Moments later, Kirschstein shot down a Sopwith Camel, his third victory. [...]

 

As the Armstrong Whitworth headed down, a pursuing Fokker triplanegot too close and was hit by a burst

of fire from the observer. Finally free of it's pursuers, the F.K.8 made a crash landing between the trenches.

2/Lt. Alan A. McLeod, the pilot, scrambled out and pulled his observer, Lt. A. W. Hammond, MC, from the

flaming wreckage. McLeod was wounded again, as he crawled with Hammond on his back toward the safety

of British lines. Both men survived the ordeal.

 

On 4 September 1918 Alan McLeod went to the Buckingham Palace, where King George V presented

him with Britain's highest award for bravery, the Victoria Cross. The 19-year-old Canadian

was the First World War's youngest air VC recipient.

[chrispdm1 1]

One of my favorite pilots and stories from the Great War. Sadly Mcleod died during the influenza epidemic. He came from Stonewall, MB not far from my own birthplace of Ashern, MB. Another VC winner and great ace came from nearby Dauphin, MB: William Barker

[Olham 164]

What is MB ?

[chrispdm1 1]

Manitoba, a province in Canada

Edited April 28, 2009 by chrispdm1