54 Sqdrn. 'B' Flight - End of Day Report - April 7, 1917

Mission 24: Dawn Patrol

Patrolled 12 hexes (+120)
Two German Scouts Destroyed (+40)
Jasta 11 Scout Damaged/Aborted (+7)
Allied Aircrew Captured (-25)
Allied Scout Destroyed (-10)
Four Allied Scouts w/ Minor Damage (-12)
Mission Offset (-80)
+40 VP's

Mission 25: Trench Strafing

Failure to Undertake Mission (-10)
-10 VP's

Mission 26: Long Reconnaissance

Failure to Undertake Mission (-20)
-20 VP's

Mission 27: Balloon Bursting

One Balloon Damaged (+5)
Allied Scout Damaged/Aborted (-3)
Mission Offset (-20)
-18 VP's

Victories

Two German Scouts (Lt Grün, 2Lt Barrington)

Casualties

One Captured (2Lt Degrande)

Replacements

One SPAD VII
2Lt Gerald Carson-Jeffries' assignment made permanent

Ratings Changes

2Lt Clark BR -1
2Lt Barrington PS +1

Victory Point Totals

-8 Today
-218½ To Date

19 Sqdrn. "B" Flight - End of Day Report - April 7, 1917

Objective: Balloon Bursting (Zone “C” & “A”)
Mission Points:
Zone “C” patrolled (no balloons sighted): 0
Zone “A” not patrolled: 0
Two enemy scouts destroyed (LeMaris): 40
One Sopwith destroyed: - 10
One pilot KIA (Blessing): - 30
One Sopwith scout aborted (Kitt-Parr): slight damage: -3
Mission Deduction: -20
Mission TOTAL: - 23

Objective: Bombing Raid (Zone “B” - Airfield at Douai)
Mission Points:
Bombed Objective (3 hits): +30
Mission Deduction: - 10
Mission TOTAL: +20

Objective: Trench Strafing (Zone “C” - Airfield at Douai)
Mission Points:
Strafing enemy lines: +22
Enemy plane aborted: +3
Sopwith pilot wounded,
lands at emergency field: - 10
Mission Deduction: - 10
Mission TOTAL: +5

APRIL 7 Total Points: + 2

Personnel and A/C Requisitioned:
One Sopwith Pup: received
One Scout Pilot: denied

Aircrew Rating Changes:
2nd Lt. Wendell Austin: +1 Bravery
Lt. H. LeMaris: +1 Firing; u/l - already at "A"
Lt. H. LeMaris: Permanent Assignment

19 Sqdrn. 'B' Flight - Trench Strafing - 7 April, 1917.

Objective: Trench Strafing (Zone “C”)
Taking Part:
Pilots:
Lt. Harry Brandt
2nd Lt. Gray Horton

Comments:
• By the time we reached the lines the weather had turned to light rain which I knew Harry thought was the good for strafing. Just as we began our first attack we were set upon by four German A/C. Lt. Brandt caused one Alb. D-II to abort with what appeared to be engine trouble. After that we machine gunned the Hun lines for a short time and then Harry caught one in the shoulder from ground fire.
• I accompanied him to the southern emergency field and then went on to land at Amiens under heavy clouds.

(Signed) 2nd Lt. Gray Horton writing for Lt. Brandt, ‘B’ Flight, 19 Sqdrn.

Mission Points:
Strafing enemy lines: +22
Enemy plane aborted: +3
Sopwith pilot wounded -
lands at emergency field: - 10
Mission Deduction: - 10
Mission TOTAL: +5

19 Sqdrn. 'B' Flight - Bombing Raid - 7 April, 1917.

Objective: Bombing Raid (Zone “B” - Airfield at Douai)
Taking Part:
Pilots:
Lt. Harry Brandt
Lt. Henri LeMaris
2nd Lt. Wendell Austen
2nd Lt. Gray Horton

Two-Seater Aircraft (5 Sqdrn.):
Sgt. Brian Cornell w/ Lt. Paul Pressing
Sgt. David Emmett w/2nd Lt. Cecil Hamilton
Comments:
• Began with good visibility so I lead the flight directly to Douai climbing to 15,000 feet as we progressed. We encountered only one enemy flight, probably because the weather deteriorated was deteriorating. We encountered a solo Hun as we started the dive towards Douai airfield. Sgt. Cornell’s DH-4 was the tail end of our flight and was the only one who didn’t dive past the enemy; soon they were in a duel somewhere in the clouds above us. (The Halb. D-III had headed for the clouds as soon as he saw us but Cornell was able to follow him - he says he’s decided to be a fighter pilot!)
• Although there was reasonably good visibility at the target we scored only three hits that did any damage; those were mainly aircraft parked on and near the field. Sgt. Cornell and Lt. Pressing should be credited. As soon as they had finished I turned us for home and we encountered no further enemy aircraft.

(Signed) Lt. Harry Brandt (acting flight leader), ‘B’ Flight, 19 Sqdrn.

Mission Points:
Bombed Objective (3 hits): +30
Mission Deduction: - 10
Mission TOTAL: +20

19 Sqdrn. 'B' Flight - Balloon Bursting - 7 April, 1917.

Objective: Balloon Bursting (Zone “C” & “A”)

Taking Part:

Pilots:

Lt. Giles Kipp-Parr

Lt. Henri LeMaris

2^nd Lt. Wendell Austen

2^nd Gray Horton

2^nd Amory Blessing

Comments:

• Lt. Kipp Parr lead us off directly to the east in bright morning sunlight. We climbed steadily for the first dozen or so miles until we reached about 15,000 feet. West of Peronne we spotted a lone E/A which was the first of four different enemy flights we sighted before reaching the lines. They were single planes, except for one pair, and well below us. Lt. Kipp-Parr kept us together and headed to the east to destroy balloons. We were near the lines and finally three planes slightly below rose to meet us. There was no way to avoid them so we dove on them before they reached our altitude. After a quite long dog fight I got on the tail of one of the Alb. D-II’s and sent him down in flames. (He crashed very close to the southern emergency field.)

• We dropped down towards the lines with them in sight when we spotted two E/A’s (again Alb. D-II’s). They were between us and the lines and K-P signaled the attack. I dove on one and destroyed him on the first pass.

• We crossed over the lines but in all of Zone “C” spotted no balloons. Northwest of Cambrai we spotted two Halb. D-II’s. The ensuing dogfight was a confused affair and Lt. Amory Blessing was shot down, his plane exploded when it hit the ground; there is no way he could have survived.

• Just into “B” attacked by two Jasta 11 Albatrosses. K-P took rounds into the engine and made off for the central emergency field. I took over the flight and we continued northwards to “A” but just before getting there we were met again by two Jasta 11 Alb’s. This fight finished after a lot of ammo and petrol expended - enough to make me realize there was no way we could search Zone “A” and be back to Amiens for the afternoon’s flights. I aborted the mission.

(Signed) Lt. Henri LeMaris, “B” Flight 19 Sqdrn.

Adjutant’s Note: Lt. Kipp-Parr is reported to have been forced down due to engine failure in the vicinity of Mercatel; he suffered no injury and his plane had only minor damage.

Mission Points:
Zone “C” patrolled (no balloons sighted): 0

Zone “A” not patrolled: 0

Two enemy scouts destroyed (LeMaris): 40

One Sopwith destroyed: - 10

One pilot KIA (Blessing): - 30

One Sopwith scout aborted (Kitt-Parr): slight damage: -3

Mission Deduction: -20
Mission TOTAL: - 23

54 Sqdrn. 'B' Flight - Balloon Bursting - April 7, 1917

Zones B & A

Sir:

With the rest of the flight stranded near the North Advanced Landing Field, Capt Edeline allowed me to fly alone against the balloons observing our troops between Bapaume and Arras. I flew at 1000 feet under low cloud, crossing the lines near Cambrai. A balloon was spotted immediately. I made several passes at it, and observed damage to the cover, but it did not ignite despite my incendiary ammunition. The balloon was winched into its shed before I could destroy it.

Turning north, I headed for another balloon, but an Albatros dove on me from out of the overcast before I reached it. My controls were damaged on its first pass, but that did not prevent me from sliding out of his sights on all his subsequent passes, until he finally gave up.

As I was crossing back over the lines on my way to the Mercatel Advanced Landing Field, aileron control was lost completely. I set my machine down reasonably safely in a clearing, using only the rudder and elevators.

(signed) 2nd LieutenantHarvey Clark
B Flt, No. 54 Sqdn RFC
April 7, 1917

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Victory Points

One Balloon Damaged (Clark) +5
One Allied Scout Damaged/Aborted (Clark) -3
Mission Offset -20

Total -18

54 Sqdrn. 'B' Flight - Long Reconnaissance - April 7, 1917

Sir:

I regret that today's Long Reconnaissance must be canceled, as we are unable to provide escorts.

(signed) Captain Matthew Edeline
"B" Flight Leader, No. 54 Sqdn RFC
April 7, 1917

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Victory Points

Failure to Undertake Mission -20

Total -20

54 Sqdrn. 'B' Flight - Trench Strafing - April 7, 1917

Sir:

As 2Lt Clark is the only scout pilot B Flt, No 54 Sqdn, has available for the rest of the day, I have asked him to conduct today's Trench Strafing operation as part of a Twilight Patrol this evening. He will have essentially the same effect on the enemy, but will have a substantially better chance of returning in this evening's twilight compared to this morning's bright sunlight.

(signed) Captain Matthew Edeline
"B" Flight Leader, No. 54 Sqdn RFC
April 7, 1917

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Victory Points

Failure to Undertake Mission -10

Total -10

54 Sqdrn. 'B' Flight - Dawn Patrol - April 7, 1917

Sir:

B Flt, No 54 Sqdn, saw heavy action in a Dawn Patrol this morning. Six dogfights consumed petrol at a rate that prevented the flight from returning to Corbie.

I led the full strength of B Flt, consisting of myself and 2Lts Degrande, Clark, Barrington (who has just returned to duty following an injury on the 3rd), Glenn, and Stramel at 1000 feet in cloudless skies. Clark experienced engine trouble over Albert, and returned safely to the aerodrome. Glenn's machine was hit by ground fire, holing the fuselage, as we crossed the trenches southwest of Cambrai, and then again just behind the lines.

Jasta 11 was patrolling the central sector. We first encountered them southwest of the enemy supply dump when two Albatros D3s and a Halberstadt D3 attacked us. Barrington managed to hit one of the Albatroses, causing it to stream petrol, but none of us were able to finish it off. As we continued north through the central sector, a single Albatros D3 from Jasta 11 made one pass at us, but did not return. Jasta 11 attacked a third time just northwest of the marshaling yard, with an Albatros D3 and two Halberstadt D3s. Degrande's engine was damaged in the action, and I decided that we would escort him to the North Advanced Landing Field, as we could still complete the majority of our patrol along the way.

Unfortunately, Degrande's engine failed completely as we were passing over the enemy Advanced Headquarters. He tried to glide to our lines, but starting at only 1000 feet, he had no chance. We saw him set his machine down in a clearing, climb out, and set fire to it.

Since the four of us remaining were all undamaged (the holes in Glenn's fuselage being entirely cosmetic), I diverted to Lens so we'd complete a full patrol. Passing over Vimy on our return, an Albatros D2 and D3 dove on us. The D2 pilot seemed quite inexperienced. Stramel fired on him and probably wounded him, as he did not attempt to evade Barrington, who shot him down.

This last dogfight brought our petrol reserves to dangerously low levels. I estimated that we could just about make it back to Corbie, and since I didn't want the flight to be out of action for the rest of the day, we continued in that direction. Jasta 11, however, had other ideas. An Albatros D3 attacked us over Arras. The only effect of the action was that by the time it broke up, we could not possibly reach our aerodrome. I turned us for the North Advanced Landing Field, where three Halberstadt D3s attacked just as we were making our approach. Stramel drove one off, and I shot one down, but none of us could reach the airfield on the petrol we had remaining. We set down just short of the field. Our machines were all damaged slightly, but none of us were hurt.

(signed) Lieutenant Wolfgang Grün
"B" Flight, No. 54 Sqdn RFC
April 7, 1917

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Victory Points

Patrolled 12 hexes +120
Two German Scouts Destroyed (Grün, Barrington) +40
Jasta 11 Scout Damaged/Aborted (Barrington) +7
Allied Aircrew Captured (Degrande) -25
Allied Scout Destroyed (Degrande) -10
Four Allied Scouts w/ Minor Damage (Grün, Barrington, Glenn, Stramel) -12
Mission Offset -80

Total +40

April 7 ASSIGNMENTS

WEATHER: 5. Fine - cloud increasing later (AM 6+ / PM 9+)

“B” Flight No. 19 Sqdrn. (Amiens Aerodrome):
13 Balloon Bursting (AM), Defensive Line Patrol, Bombing Raid

“B” Flight No. 54 Sqdrn. (Corbie Aerodrome):
34 Dawn Patrol, Long Recon., Trench Strafing, Balloon Bursting

Escadrille N103 (Amiens Aerodrome):
56 Trench Strafing (AM), Photo Recon., Defensive Line Patrol

Flight leaders will allocate replacement personnel and aircraft
for their respective Flights

AAR's and End of Day Reports due the evening of May 24, 2010