Knight of Germany: Oswald Boelcke German Ace (Vintage Aviation Series) by Johannes Werner

Author:Johannes Werner [Werner, Johannes]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Bisac Code 1: HIS027090
Publisher: Casemate / Greenhill
Published: 2009-10-19T04:00:00+00:00

IMMELMANN’S FIRST VICTORY

Douai, 11.8.15. You asked in your last letter whether I did not take part in the air fight of 1.8. 15. Naturally I did!

Early on the morning of 1.8.15.—it was a Sunday—the clouds hung so low that the officer on duty telephoned it was no use going out to the aerodrome. So I was lying quite happily in bed when Fischer suddenly woke me and said there was an Englishman about. I jumped out and ran to the window. But as the Englishman was making for the front and so I had no chance of catching him, I crawled back under my bedclothes, cursing. I had hardly got warm once more before Fischer rushed in a second time; the Englishman was coming back again. Well, if the fellow is so impudent, I thought, I’ll get up quick and have a go at him. So all unwashed, with my nightshirt still on, but no puttees, I shoved along to the aerodrome on my motor-bike and came just in time to see those chaps—there was not one but four of them—amusing themselves by dropping bombs on our aerodrome. I jumped into my machine and took off. But as the Englishmen flew home as soon as they had dropped their bombs and had very fast machines, I did not manage to get within range of them. I turned back sadly.

When I got over the aerodrome again—I could scarcely believe my eyes—there were another five machines that had come to pay us a visit with their bombs. So I went for the nearest, a French monoplane. I got to grips with him nicely and peppered him well, but when I was close enough up to think that the next shot must send him crashing—Lord, my gun jammed! Oh, I was wild. I tried to removed the jam up there and used so much force on the lock in my rage that the obstructing cartridge broke in half. So there was nothing for it but to land and get a fresh supply of ammunition.

As I went down I saw our other monoplane coming up and felt pleased that those English machines would at least get their tails twisted by it. While I was loading with new cartridges down below I saw Lieut. Immelmann attack an Englishman in grand style and send him bolting. I climbed up again quickly to help Immelmann against the others. But they cleared off again as soon as they saw me arrive on the scene a second time, and I had only disappointment for my trouble. Meanwhile Immelmann had forced his Englishman to land; he put a bullet through his elbow, so that he had to come down as quickly as he could.

Immelmann was extraordinarily lucky over the whole business. I only gave him his first lesson on a Fokker three days before, i.e. I went up with him in his machine and let him help handle the controls. The day before he did his first solo and had great difficulty in pulling off his landing.

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