A brush with fate - Meeting the Red Baron in the Campaign

[Hellshade 110]

On 1/26/1917 while out on patrol in our trusty RNAS1 Tripehounds, we ran afoul of a flight of Halb DIIs. Their markings were of Jasta 11, so I took a closer look and guess who I found? After chasing him around a bit, I managed to get some good solid bursts into him, but he was still able to land his smoking crate. I thought I saw the pilot jump out of the cockpit once it landed and it was lucky for him he did. Moments later she burst into flames right on the ground. Perhaps we shall meet again someday...

 

 

 

He was a damn good pilot, even with an inferior craft. But what I really want to know is how big of a pain in the ass it must have been for him to sign his name on checks!

Edited July 3, 2011 by Hellshade

[TaillyHo 2]

Hhmm, so now we know who was responsible for MvR being so insistent that Germany go all out to develop a triplane of their own . . .

[Rickitycrate 10]

Yep, I'ld say it was history in the making. Good show.

[Hasse Wind 46]

It's encounters like this one which make flying OFF missions so exciting.

 

I remember when I encountered a red Albatros near Arras in the spring of 1917. I was flying an RE.8, and we were attacked by Jasta 11, lead by Freiherr v. Richthofen himself. Fortunately we had some Pups escorting us, so we were able to retreat almost unharmed. Scared the hell out of me, though!

[Olham 164]

How must that feel, to encounter a Sopwith Triplane, when you only have the Halberstadt?

True, Hasse Wind - these are the very immersive moments!

 

MvR never scored in the Halberstadt, by the way - his first aerial victory came with the first Albatros.

 

Hellshade, here is how Manfred signed with his name - it reads: Frhr. v Richthofen

(If you want to read the translation attempt, you find it here:

http://combatace.com/topic/60872-von-richthofens-66-victory-claim/page__view__findpost__p__457121 )

 

 

Edited July 3, 2011 by Olham

[RAF_Louvert 101]

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Well done HS, it is always exciting to encouter one of the aces when flying an OFF mission. Gotta love this sim.

 

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[themightysrc 5]

"MvR never scored in the Halberstadt, by the way - his first aerial victory came with the first Albatros."

 

Fantastic!

 

If I ever fly another BE2 campaign and he turns up, I'm going after the f***er!

[Olham 164]

Well, don't take it so, that he wouldn't shoot back at your or even shoot you down, mighty!

OFF may not go THAT far in historical truth.

[Hellshade 110]

"MvR never scored in the Halberstadt, by the way - his first aerial victory came with the first Albatros."

 

Fantastic!

 

If I ever fly another BE2 campaign and he turns up, I'm going after the f***er!

 

 

To be more accurate, he never had a confirmed victory in a Halb DII. Who knows who might have been killed but the credit for it was never given. Be sure you're on the right side of history before you get too brave, good sir.

 

 

Hellshade

Edited July 3, 2011 by Hellshade

[carrick58 23]

I too had a near miss with the Ring Master. I was flying an SE 5 and was tangled up with a flight of Albatros As I was being shot down another flight joined in, Low and behold one was a Red Albatros albeit too late to add me to his score.

Edited July 3, 2011 by carrick58

[Herr Prop-Wasche 7]

Congratulations, Hellshade, for a whopping good story to tell the grandchildren sitting around the fire as you relate your experiences during "the Great War."

[Lewie 7]

I always seem to meet a bunch of German Aces in good number when tasked with airfield defense. Once ran into Jasta's 2 and 11 with Lothar and a few other aces. Fortunately for us, we were tackling a couple of DFW's while the Flying Circus dived past us while intent on another Camel squad.

[Javito1986 14]

I ran into Jasta 11 and 2 in the same flight on a mission just southeast of Ypres some weeks ago. Those Jasta 11 pilots are terrifyingly skilled, it's a shock to see them in action when you're used to fighting the rank and file Huns. On their very first pass one of my wingmen's kite was turned into a smoking ruin. Wasn't a good day for me but you've gotta respect those guys.

 

The Red Baron himself wasn't present I believe, lucky for the rest of us ;-)

[Shiloh 12]

At one point I had the names toggled on but now only type of plane and squadron. Do you guys know how I could toggle the names on?

[TaillyHo 2]

At one point I had the names toggled on but now only type of plane and squadron. Do you guys know how I could toggle the names on?

 

Only aces are 'named' in the labels, Shiloh. Lesser beings just get the squad and plane details. If you are in a quieter section, it may just be you haven't encountered any aces amoung your opponents for a while.

[Shiloh 12]

Only aces are 'named' in the labels, Shiloh. Lesser beings just get the squad and plane details. If you are in a quieter section, it may just be you haven't encountered any aces amoung your opponents for a while.

 

Ahhh...makes sense TaillyHo. I did meet some along the way but can't say who, when or where - I'll keep an eye out.

Edited July 8, 2011 by Shiloh

[JFM 18]

To be even more accurate, Gents, MvR *DID* have a confirmed victory when flying a Halberstadt D-type. Unknown if a Halb DII, though. Ferko's J11 roster shows J11 was outfitted mostly with Halberstadt D.Vs, but there was also a Halb D.II and Halb D.III hanging around.

 

 

 

19th Victory.

 

February 1st, 1917

BE Two-Seater.

4 p.m.

Over trenches 1 kilometer south-west of Thelus.

Occupants: Lieut.Murray - Lieut.McBar, both wounded and

died on February 2nd.

Plane No.6742.

 

--------------

 

About 4 p.m. I spotted, flying with Lieut.Allmenroeder, in 1800 meters height an artillery flyer. (BE two-seater). I managed to approach him within 50 yards apparently unnoticed, with my Halberstaedter machine. From this distance up to only the length of a plane I fired 150 shots. The enemy plane then went down in large, uncontrolled right hand curves, pursued by Allmenroeder and myself. The plane crashed into the barbed wire of our first lines. The occupants were both wounded and were made prisoners by the infantry. It is impossible to remove the plane.

 

(Sig.) Frhr. v. Richthofen.

 

Was acknowledged.

 

 

He was flying a Halberstadt because one of his Albatros D.III's lower wings cracked 24 January and was getting repaired. Then the Alb Ds were grounded from 27 January until 19 February. In that period MvR scored on 1 February and twice on 14 February. Thus, although I overlooked the simple math when I wrote my MvR book, he must've shot down all those planes while flying a Halberstadt because all the Albs were grounded, getting their wings repaired. It is possible the grounding applied only to unrepaired machines; i.e., if repaired they could be flown while others were grounded. I have not seen official documentation of this, however, and neither have I seen documentatin regarding just when MvR's Albatros was repaired. So, MvR had at least one and very possibly 3 credited victories while flying a Halberstadt D-type, most likely (but not absolutely) a Halb D.V. Also, that the Halberstadt he flew temporarily was red is pure conjecture.

 

Regarding Jasta 2, they weren't outfitted with Halberstadts. They had a single "refurbished" Halberstadt D-type when MvR joined but that's it. From his writings I believe he flew it in combat prior to 17 September 1916 (date of his first victory) but did not have any success with it. His first credited victory as a single-seat fighter pilot came while flying an Albatros D.I.

 

Speaking of the Alb D.I, behold, OFF Devs!

 

 

You're getting sleeeeppppyyyy, veeeeerrryyyy sleeeeepppppyyyy...

[Olham 164]

This is an interesting bit I did not know. You are a good researcher, JFM.

I should have written: MvR never scored in a Halberstadt, before the Albatros D.I appeared.

But wouldn't it have been also possible for him to fly an Albatros D.II, when the D.IIIs had to remain grounded?

 

And when Jasta 2 was never outfitted with Halberstadts - what did they use before the Albatros?

Edited July 9, 2011 by Olham

[JFM 18]

Hey, Olham!

 

As far as I know Jasta 11 was not an Albatros Staffel prior to the D.III. They were outfitted with Halberstadt Ds. Mostly and overwhelmingly the Halberstadt D.V, but a few Halb DIIs and one Halb D III. I see J11 had a single Albatros DI and a single Albatros DII in October 1916 but that December they had been sent to Jasta 10.

 

Prior to the Albatros, Jasta 2 used nothing. Well, they did have a small, rag-tag collection of machines. J2 didn't form until August 1916 and at first they were a Staffel without airplanes! The unit slowly acquired pilots but not planes; by mid-September they still only had four machines for the entire Staffel! One Fokker D.I, one Fokker D.III (given to Boelcke to use), one "refurbished" Halberstadt D-type, and one Albatros D.I that had come over from Jasta 1. That's it. Their complement of Albatros D.Is (and Boelcke's D.II) didn't arrive until 16 September, after which the Staffel was outfitted with Albs, although I know the two Fokkers lingered.

[Olham 164]

Good to have an expert here with you, JFM! Thanks a lot!

It looks like the Germans only then, in August/september, really started that efficient Jasta system?

[JFM 18]

Yes, Olham, the Jagdstaffeln didn't start appearing until August 1916. The Fliegertruppe was restructuring (became the Luftstreitkräfte in October) and single-seat scouts were grouped together to 1. shoot down enemy recon/arty/bomber planes and 2. prevent the enemy from doing the same. Right at this time the Albatros D.I and D.IIs appeared and the combination begat the turning of air superiority from British to German hands, which the Germans held at least through mid 1917.

[RAF_Louvert 101]

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Jim, thanks for that D.I photo and extra info on MvR. As always, you are a wealth of knowledge Sir.

 

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[JFM 18]

Eh, Lou, I know a little about a little. And even within my narrow focus the learning never stops!

 

Hey, did you say D.I? I think you did...

 

Just think, with an Alb DI, OFF would be the only flight sim to feature every Albatros D-type: D.I, II, III, III(OAW), V, Va, Va(OAW). There is a D.Va (OAW) in OFF, isn't there? Can't remember offhand without checking. No matter! If not you'll be one variant closer to having them all!

 

You're getting very sleepy, Pol, veeerrrry sleeepyyy...

 

 

 

Sleepy, veeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrryyyyyyyyyyyy sleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeepyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy................

 

Edited July 10, 2011 by JFM

[Hasse Wind 46]

I hope your tactic works, JFM. Maybe they could add some French two-seaters under the same hypnosis?

[Olham 164]

From the looks, one should think it wouldn't be so difficult to change the existing D.II

into a D.I - but Pol once said, that it saw service only shortly, and that it had a far worse

forward vision, so no one might want to fly it in the end.

How many people fly the Halberstadt?

 

But I am totally convinced, that this OBD team is determined to get the whole wide field

of WW1 aviation into OFF - if they live long enough to build it all.

 

But sorry, I interrupted your hynosis - where were you? Sleepy. ... sleepy .... .... (bonk!)