19 Sqdrn. 'B' Flight - Artillery Spotting - 4 April, 1917.

Objective: Artillery Spotting (Zone “C”)
Taking Part:
Pilots:
Capt. Everett Hopewell
Lt. Harry Brandt
2nd Lt. Wendell Austen
2nd Lt. Darren Bayliss

Two-Seater Aircraft (5 Sqdrn.):
Sgt. Brian Cornell w/ A/M Paul Pressing
Sgt. Owen Cadell w/ Lt. Max Faraday


Comments:
• Lt. Hopewell led us due east under overcast skies towards the German side. Nearing the lines at 5ooo feet we saw a lone Hun craft off to the south which declined to attack; Lt. Hopewell did not permit us to attack either as it would have taken us well off the route to our assigned spotting area.
• We crossed the lines and then all hell broke lose! Five Alb. D-II’s with the Baron leading came down out of the clouds in near vertical dives. We hadn’t seen them, and Lord knows how they saw us, but they were on us before we could even turn into them. After that initial attack they had difficulty pulling out fast enough to keep us off their tails. I went into a tight diving circle starboard in an attempt to get behind the plane that dove in front of me. I was able to get on his tail, actually within about thirty feet, pulled the firing mechanism and nothing happened! I went into another dive to gain speed and momentum and then back up into the clouds. While I worked to clear the jam I could see below what was happening to most of the flight. Our two scouts were trying to engage as many enemies as possible to keep them off the two-seaters.
Even in the dull grey light I could see the red of Richthofen’s machine as he was climbing back to finish off his victim whom I knew instinctively was Capt. Hopewell. Captain must have been badly wounded at the outset as he took no evasive action until the Baron had put more rounds into his plane. Suddenly Captain nosed over and went into a high-angle dive. That was all I could see, but according to Faraday who was lower, at the very last moment before he should have crashed he was able to pull the nose up enough that his plane skidded and then began burning. Faraday says he is certain he saw Captain crawl out from the plane before it burst into flames.
• I cleared my jam and re-entered the fight - or at least tried to; both scouts were involved in duels off in the distance. I saw the Baron stoop to dive on a two-seater being chased by an Alb., but the observer put so much lead in his direction that he left the fray for good. (From what I am told the new observer, A/M Pressing not only drove off Richthofen, but earlier had driven off a scout; also Lt. Faraday in Sgt. Owens’ a/c made it very hot for another scout who decided he should cool off on the periphery.) The fight broke up with no other damage to either side.
• We were deep in Hun territory and about halfway to the assigned area when Sgt. Cornell’s DeHaviland developed serious engine problems. (I sent Austin off with him and they eventually made it to the southern emergency field where Cornell’s engine stopped just as he started his descent. He landed alright and both a/c will be back by late evening.)
•As we began our spotting duties we were set upon by two Alb. D-II’s. Bayliss and I were able to keep them off our recon. machine long enough for the spotting to be done.
• Nothing further occurred of note.

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

Mission Points:
Zone “C” spotted: 20
Non-Jasta a/c driven off: 3
Scout pilot (Hopewell) captured: - 25
Sopwith Pup destroyed: - 10
2-seater aborted (engine problem: - 3
(landed at south. emerg. field)
Mission Deduction: - 0
Mission TOTAL: - 15