54 Sqdrn. 'B' Flight - End of Day Report - April 12, 1917

Mission 45: Photographic Reconnaissance

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

Mission 46: Trench Strafing

Trench Strafing (+6)
Jasta 11 Scout Damaged/Aborted (+7)
Two Allied Scouts Damaged/Aborted (-6)
Two Allied Scouts w/ Minor Damage (-6)
Mission Offset (-10)
-9 VP's

Victories

None Today
To Date: 3 Aircraft and 9 Balloons

Casualties

None

Replacements

Scout Pilots:
2Lt Myron Perry (temp)
2Lt Kerneels-Pépin's assignment made permanent

Ratings Changes

2Lt Milford PS +1

Victory Point Totals

-19 Today
-82½ To Date

19 Sqdrn. "B" Flight - End of Day Report - April 12, 1917

End of Day Report - June 12, 1917

Objective: Artillery Spotting (Zones “A” & “B”)

Two zones spotted: 40

One Enemy a/c made to abort (Pressing): 3

One DH-4 aborted (Cornell/Pressing): -5

Mission deduction: 0

Mission TOTAL: 38

Objective: Offensive Line Patrol (Zone “A”)

One E/A shot down: 20

Scout pilot (LeMaris) aborted with damaged tail plane: - 3

Mission TOTAL: 17

Objective: Photo Reconnaissance (Zone “C”)

One average quality photo: 20
Mission deduction: 0

Mission TOTAL: 20

APRIL 12 Total Points: 75

To Date

Points: 164

Enemy a/c destroyed: 8

Balloons destroyed: 4

19 Sqdrn. personnel lost: 13

Sopwith Pup’s lost: 8

5 Sqdrn. personnel lost: 2

DH-4’s lost: 2

Rating Changes: Sgt. Brian Cornell (No. 5 Sqdrn.) +1 firing

Personnel and A/C Requisitioned:

Scout pilot (permanent): 0

Scout pilot (temporary): 1 (Rec'd 4.12 - #15)

Sopwith Scout A/C: 1 (Rec'd 4.12)

DH-4 A/C: 0

19 Sqdrn. 'B' Flight - Photo Reconnaissance - 12 April, 1917.

Objective: Photo Reconnaissance

(Zone “C”)

Taking Part:

Pilots:

2^nd Lt. Wendell Austin

2^nd Lt. Peter Burnett

2^nd Lt. Michael French

Two-Seater Aircraft (5 Sqdrn.):

Sgt. Owen Cadell / 2^nd Lt. Max Faraday

Comments:

• What started as a bright sunlit day turned to light cloud, low cloud, and then overcast by the time we had finished the assignment; we were exceptionally fortunate! Our first encounter happened before we were into German territory - about four miles northwest of Mercatel we were attacked by two Alb. D-III’s. Nothing came of the fight except our DH-4 was driven off.

• Just short of the armaments depot at (coordinate K1o) we were attacked by three Alb. D-II’s. Nothing came of that fight either except Lt. Faraday’s MG jammed permanently.

• One photo was taken and then three Halb. D-III’s came out of the clouds at us. The fight broke up with nothing gained or lost.

• Back to photographing and when they were nearly finished an Alb. C-III flew past us apparently without realizing until the last moment that we were British - he made for the clouds before we could get to him.

• We finished the photographing and turned for the west. Heavy MG fire from the ground holed Burnett’s wing. We were about halfway to the lines when three Halb. D-III’s came at us. French was driven off and my gun jammed. I cleared it in time to greet the next three Huns, again Halb. D-III’s!, which came at us through the overcast. The fight ended with nothing dramatic occurring other than French had to take to the clouds to get away from a very aggressive Hun.

• We made it back to Amiens without further contact and with hardly any fuel or ammunition remaining.

• With the exception of the first two planes we saw no other Alb. D-III’s or Jasta 11 planes. I can say, even with my limited experience, that the Sopwith Pup is decidedly superior to either the Alb. D-II and the Halb. D-III. We often out-flew them but our shooting was not good. It was an excellent exercise for myself and the two other (new) pilots. With stiffer opponents it might have ended in tragedy.

(signed) 2^nd Lt. Wendell Austin (acting flight leader)

Mission Points:

One average quality photo: 20
Mission deduction: 0

Mission TOTAL: 20

19 Sqdrn. 'B' Flight - Offensive Line Patrol - 12 April, 1917.

Objective: Offensive Line Patrol

(Zone “A”)

Taking Part:

Pilots:

Lt. Harry Brandt

Lt. Henri LeMaris

2^nd Lt. Michael French

Comments:

• I took the flight north to St. Pol and from there headed due east to begin our patrol in Zone "A”. The weather, which had been low clouds at Amiens, had cleared to the point where there was unlimited visibility by the time we reached the lines.

• The first incident was Lt. LeMaris was hit by MG fire as we dove on a lorry load of troops; part of his tail plane was shot away. He signaled for us to carry on and he made it back to the northern emergency field without further mishaps. We hit nothing.

• Next, before we could find another target, we were attacked by three Alb D-II’s. French immediately was into a duel with one of them and the other two tried to box me. I shot one down and drove the other off. French’s gave up and left.

• Our next target was a car full of Hun brass. It went off the road and into the remnants of a farm where we couldn’t get a clear shot. We came out of our dive to find three Alb. D-II’s on our tail. I was able to get above them but my gun jammed. At about the same time French’s gun did likewise. Our flying saved us as we both got far enough away to clear our guns. French, his first flight with the squadron, drove off an enemy and the others quit the fight.

• Over Armentieres and spotted a Hun supply train - again no hits. And a Hun attacked, this time an Alb. D-III which was immediately in a duel with French. A good flyer and he drove French off. My gun jammed again and at the same time it appeared the Hun lost one of his guns. He flew off trying to fix it. (I can’t understand why as he still had another . . .) Before we found a target (I had cleared my MG) another Alb. D-III attacked us; he picked out French for his victim. The most he could do was drive French off and I got out of there. I signaled a return because I was low on ammo.

• We were about four miles west of the line when six Huns caught us at one thousand feet - a mix of Alb D-III’s, D-II’s and Halberstadts. In their first pass French was driven off, and I was caught in a ground leaping duel with a D-III. I came out from behind the remnants of a church steeple to find him dead ahead of me and close - an easy shot - I pulled the trigger, and no ammo!

• Six of them on us, me with no ammo and French with little, and we were able to escape. That’s either some bloody fine flying or was it bloody good luck? But I have to say, even though I was able to put one Hun out of the war, my firing was off - I missed too many shots at Alb. D-II’s.

(signed) Lt. Harry Brandt, acting flight leader

Mission Points:
Zone “A” spotted: 20

One non-Jasta 11 E/A shot down: 20

Scout pilot (LeMaris) aborted with damaged tail plane: - 3

Mission TOTAL: 37

19 Sqdrn. 'B' Flight - Artillery Spotting - April 12, 1917.

Zones 'A' & 'B'

Taking Part:

Pilots:

Lt. Harry Brandt

2^nd Lt. Wendell Austen

2^nd Lt. Peter Burnett

Two-Seater Aircraft (5 Sqdrn.):

Sgt. Brian Cornell w/ A/M Paul Pressing

Sgt. Owen Cadell w/ 2^nd Lt. Max Faraday

Comments:

• What I feared would be a bright sun-lit day quickly began to deteriorate and by the time we reached our first assigned spotting area (‘B’) northeast of Mercatel it was raining. It took the 5 Sqdrn. lads a bit of time (archie was particularly heavy and Sgt. Cadell was driven off once). Finally Faraday contacted the battery and called in fire. We had turned to leave when we were jumped by an Alb. D-III and an Alb. D-II. I was in a long dogfight with the D-III but nothing came of it. Pressing caught the D-II as it climbed for another dive and apparently blew away some of its control lines; it abruptly climbed into the mist.

• We headed north to Zone ‘A’. Archie continued to be intense and for a short time I had to leave the flight fearing my craft might have been damaged. The rain let up and we had clouds at varying altitudes. We were close to the spotting site when Cornell (with Pressing) had to abort with engine damage (again archie). I sent Lt. Burnett to see them to the northern emergency field. After Faraday directed artillery fire we left and returned to Amiens by the back route, first passing over the northern field where we spotted neither of our planes.

• (This is the story Lt. Burnett related: after leaving us they were over the lines when two Alb. D-III’s attacked. Burnett tried to stay between the Huns and Cornell but one D-III was such a good flyer that the two of them ended up in a dog fight and he was unable to assist Cornell. (During the fight which lasted quite a long time Burnett said he only once had a shot.) Cornell caught a burst from the D-III that required they set the a/c down a couple hundred yards or so behind our side of the lines - but during their descent Pressing put enough rounds into the Hun to cause it to leave the fight. (You’ll remember it was Pressing that sent Richthofen limping home.) Cornell landed between shell craters and neither of the two was injured, and the plane, after some patching up will be back in service by tomorrow. Burnett was able to extricate himself from the dogfight and on his way to Amiens over-flew Cornell and Pressing who were on the ground talking with infantrymen.)

(signed) Lt. Harry Brandt

Mission Points:
Two zones spotted: 40

One Enemy a/c made to abort (Pressing): 3

One DH-4 aborted (Cornell/Pressing): -5

Mission deduction: 0

Mission TOTAL: 38

54 Sqdrn. 'B' Flight - Trench Strafing - 12 April, 1917.

Zone C

Sir:

The two new 2Lts, Milford and Kerneels-Pépin, accompanied 2Lt Carson-Jeffries and I to strafe the enemy trenches near the south of our sector. The sky was absolutely cloudless, and we circled southeast of Albert waiting for a change. No change was forthcoming, and eventually I decided we needed to either dash for the trenches, or return to Corbie. We dashed for the trenches.

As we approached the lines, two Albatros D3s in the distinctive markings of Jasta 11 dove on us. As ordered, Milford escaped as soon as he saw an opportunity (if I may say so, the RFC School had no business sending him to the front). All of the rest of us managed to fire and were fired on in return at one time or another, but the dogfight broke up before any damage was done.

Once over the trenches, two more Albatros D3s from Jasta 11 dove on us. Again, Milford escaped, and I joined him to clear a jammed gun. Carson-Jeffries reported that he and Kerneels-Pépin each took on one of the D3s each. Kerneels-Pépin's petrol tank was holed, but the D3s did not press their advantage.

Carson-Jeffries, Milford, and I made a quick pass strafing the enemy lines, and then turned to escort Kerneels-Pépin back to Corbie. As soon as we'd left the immediate area of the front, yet another Albatros D3 from Jasta 11, this one all red, attacked, singling out Kerneels-Pépin. The additional damage to his machine made a forced landing imperative. Seeing that he'd pulled it off rather neatly, the rest of us vacated the area before the red D3 could return.

We were almost to Albert when Jasta 11 struck again, this time with two Albatros D3s and a Halberstadt D3. Carson-Jeffries' engine was damaged, while I drove off one Albatros and wounded the pilot of the Halberstadt. With our petrol running low, we ended the scrap as soon as possible. Unfortunately, it was not soon enough. With the time we spent waiting for the weather to improve, and the petrol burned in three protracted combats (and a brief one), we could not make it back to Corbie and all set down safely on the outskirts of Albert.

(signed) Lieutenant Wolfgang Grün
"B" Flight, No. 54 Sqdn RFC
April 12, 1917

****************

Victory Points

Trench Strafing +6
Jasta 11 Scout Damaged/Aborted (Grün) +7
Two Allied Scouts Damaged/Aborted (Carson-Jeffries, Kerneels-Pépin) -6
Two Allied Scouts w/ Minor Damage (Milford, Grün) -6
Mission Offset -10

Total -9

54 Sqdrn. 'B' Flight - Photographic Reconnaissance - 12 April, 1917.

Sir:

Heavy losses yesterday leave us unable to provide suitable escorts for today's Photographic Reconnaissance mission. I regret that it must be canceled.

(signed) Captain Matthew Edeline
"B" Flight Leader, No. 54 Sqdn RFC
April 12, 1917

****************

Victory Points

Failure to Undertake Mission -10

Total -10

April 12 ASSIGNMENTS

WEATHER: 6. Fine & sunny - good visibility. (AM 5+ / PM 6+ )

“B” Flight No. 19 Sqdrn. (45): Artillery Spotting (AM), Photo Recon. (PM), Offen. Line Patrol

“B” Flight No. 54 Sqdrn. (44): Photo Recon. (AM), Trench Strafing

AAR's and End of Day Reports due the evening of Oct. 11, 2010