19 Sqdrn. "B" Flight - End of Day Report - April 13, 1917

End of Day Report - April 13, 1917

Objective: Photo Reconnaissance (Zone “B”)

Mission Points:
Photos: 0

One non-Jatsa a/c shot down (LeMaris): + 20

Mission Deduction: - 10

Mission TOTAL: +10

Objective: Trench Strafing (Zone “C”)

Mission Points:
Strafing enemy lines: +42

Mission Deduction: - 10

Mission TOTAL: +32

Objective: Offensive Line Patrol (Zone “A”)

Mission Points:
Goods train damaged: 8

Mission TOTAL: 8

APRIL 13 Total Points: 50

To Date

Points: 234

Enemy a/c destroyed: 9

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: 2^nd Lt. Peter Burnette +1 flying skill

Personnel and A/C Requisitioned:

None

54 Sqdrn. 'B' Flight - End of Day Report - April 13, 1917

Mission 47: Dawn Patrol

Patrolled 12 hexes (+120)
Mission Offset (-80)
+40 VP's

Mission 48: Offensive Line Patrol

Patrolled 3 hexes (-0)
Trench Strafing (+10½)
Two Hits on Column of Troops (+6)
One Hit on Goods Train (+2)
+18½ VP's

Mission 49: Long Reconnaissance

Average Quality Plate (+25)
+25 VP's

Mission 50: Artillery Spotting

Successful Spotting (+20)
One German Scout w/ Minor Damage (+3)
+23 VP's

Mission 51: Twilight Patrol

One Allied Aircrew Killed (-30)
One Allied Scout Destroyed (-10)
-40 VP's

Victories

One German Scout (Sgt Hill)
To Date: 4 Aircraft and 9 Balloons

Casualties

One Killed in Action (2Lt Clark)

Replacements

Scout Pilot:
2Lt Perry's assignment made permanent
Denied:
One SPAD VII

Ratings Changes

2Lt Carson-Jeffries BR -1
2Lt Perry PS +1

Victory Point Totals

+66½ Today
-16 To Date

54 Sqdrn. 'B' Flight - Twilight Patrol - 13 April, 1917.

Sir:

2Lt Clark requested permission to conduct this evening's Twilight Patrol. I was glad to see such offensive spirit on his first day flying after his injury, so I granted it. In retrospect, the skies were far too clear for a solo mission. Clark was seen making his was slowly to the northeast, waiting, as usual, for the light to fade. Unfortunately, visibility actually improved, and he was set upon by an Albatros D2 and D3. The D3 pilot fired on Clark twice, and we saw his machine fall to Earth. He did not survive the crash.

(signed) Captain Matthew Edeline
B Flight Leader, No. 54 Sqdn RFC
April 13, 1917

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

Victory Points

Allied Aircrew Killed (Clark) -30
Allied Scout Destroyed (Clark) -10

Total -40

54 Sqdrn. 'B' Flight - Artillery Spotting - 13 April, 1917.

Zone A

Sir:

With 2Lt Perry's arrival, B Flt, No 54 Sqdn, was at full strength this afternoon, and I led the entire flight to escort 2Lt Hamilton and Sgt Barnes (piloted by Sgts Steele and Hill, respectively) to spot for our artillery between Vimy and Lens. We maintained an altitude of 1000 feet to conserve petrol, and headed north out of Corbie, passing over the North Advanced Landing Field to minimize our time behind enemy lines.

The weather improved slowly as we flew. The lines were crossed under light cloud, but the ceiling became unlimited soon after Hamilton and Barnes established contact with the battery. Thus exposed, we attracted the attention of a full flight of German scouts, led by the Red Baron in his infamous Albatros D3. At least we were able to see them coming. The 14-machine dogfight immediately broke down into five individual combats, with 2Lt Clark taking on the Red Baron so the less-experienced 2Lt Milford could escape. At great risk to himself, Clark kept the Red Baron occupied until the Germans broke off.

I found myself taking on an Albatros D3 with 2Lt Kerneels-Pépin, although I soon lost track of them and found myself alone. Kerneels-Pépin reports that his gun jammed the second time he got the D2 in his sights, and he was unable to clear the stoppage until the dogfight was over.

Perry tangled with a single Albatros D2, and acquitted himself well for his first operational flight. While he did not damage the German machine, he did at least position himself to fire on it a couple times.

2Lt Carson-Jeffries fought with a pair of Albatros D2s. Like Perry, he did not damage them despite firing several times.

Hill and Steele kept their DH4s together for mutual support against the Albatros D2 that attacked them. Hill eventually hit the Albatros, damaging the engine, then took advantage of the situation to attack again, forcing it to land. Of all the opportunities that were presented to us, only Hill in his two-seater was able gain a victory!

After the Germans broke off, we regrouped and returned to 1000 feet so Hamilton and Barnes could begin spotting. Barnes' and Hill's machine was hit by ground fire, holing the wings, but that did not stop Barnes from successfully bringing our artillery onto the target shortly thereafter, with Hamilton spotting the fall of shot simultaneously.

We returned the Corbie the way we came. Milford's engine spluttered at one point, but he was able to keep it going and we all landed safely.

(signed) Lieutenant Wolfgang Grün
B Flight, No. 54 Sqdn RFC
April 13, 1917

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

Victory Points

Successful Spotting (Barnes, Hamilton) +20
One German Scout Forced to Land w/ Minor Damage (Hill) +3

Total +23

54 Sqdrn. 'B' Flight - Long Reconnaissance - April 13, 1917

Zone B

Sir:

With Sgt Steele as my pilot, I set out to photograph an enemy installation deep behind the centre of our sector. Sgts Hill and Barnes of No 5 Sqdn remained at Corbie so there would be someone to spot for our artillery this afternoon should we fail to return. The distance to our objective made an escort from No 54 Sqdn impossible.

We took off and climbed to 20,000 feet through an overcast that soon became a mist. Arriving over our objective, I had Sgt Steele descend to 13,000 feet and wait for the mist to change. I knew that getting a useful photograph through the mist would be highly unlikely, so almost any change would be an improvement. After 10 to 15 minutes, the mist gave way to a heavy cloud and Sgt Steele took us down to 5000 feet to get below it.

Archie found our range and became more and more intense as I exposed plate after plate. Only once did a burst come close enough to interrupt the process, but I was able to continue and expose all five plates. Sgt Steele then climbed back to 20,000 feet for the return flight. Thunderstorms moved in shortly thereafter, so we were very lucky to have been over our objective in the short time between the mist and the storms. By the time we reached Corbie it had begun to sleet.

My first plate was adequate, while the next two were useless. The final two plates had been damaged, probably by Archie. If I'd known the first plate would be the only good one, we could have saved ourselves a lot of trouble.

(signed) 2nd Lieutenant Cameron Hamilton
No. 5 Sqdn RFC
April 13, 1917

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

Victory Points

Average Quality Plate (Hamilton) +25

Total +25

54 Sqdrn. 'B' Flight - Offensive Line Patrol - April 13, 1917

Zone B

Sir:

After this morning's Dawn Patrol, all of B Flt, No 54 Sqdn's scout pilots took off to look for ground targets across the lines from Mercatel. Skies were overcast, and I led 2Lts Carson-Jeffries, Clark, Milford, and Kerneels-Pépin at 1000 feet. Just before reaching the trenches north of Mercatel, three Albatros D3s from Jasta 11 pounced on us from out of the clouds. We all survived the initial onslaught, and then I became separated from the dogfight. Milford, on his second day at the front, managed to escape from combat as ordered. The other three became involved in individual combats, all of which concluded with the Germans breaking off.

We strafed the enemy trenches as we passed over them, giving Milford's gun a permanent jam. Turning south behind the lines, we eventually came upon a column of troops. Milford was now a spectator, but the rest of us attacked, and Carson-Jeffries and I caused particular havoc. Continuing south, we spotted a goods train. Milford's machine was hit by ground fire (not seriously), Carson-Jeffries' gun jammed (also not seriously), and I managed to hit the train.

Crossing back over the lines south of Mercatel, we once again strafed the enemy trenches. My wings were holed by ground fire, but that was the final incident before our return to Corbie.

(signed) Lieutenant Wolfgang Grün
"B" Flight, No. 54 Sqdn RFC
April 13, 1917

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

Victory Points

Patrolled 3 hexes -0
Trench Strafing +10½
Two Hits on Column of Troops (Carson-Jeffries, Grün) +6
One Hit on Goods Train (Grün) +2

Total +18½

19 Sqdrn. 'B' Flight - Photo Reconnaissance - 13 April, 1917.

(Zone “B”)

Taking Part:

Pilots:

Lt. Henri LeMaris

2^nd Lt. Wendell Austin

2^nd Lt. Michael French

2^nd Lt. Peter Burnette

2^nd Lt. Robert Swann

Two-Seater Aircraft (5 Sqdrn.):

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

Sgt. Brian Cornell / 2^nd Lt. Paul Pressing

Comments:

• We had gotten as far the lines when the heavy cloud changed to snow and sleet and it remained as such for the entire mission until just before regaining Amiens. Crossing into Hun-land near the northern emergency field Cornell/Pressing had to land there because of a serious engine problem leaving us with only the one DH-4 for photographing, a fact which further diminished our hopes for success.

• We stayed at a thousand feet to avoid archie but paid with some vicious MG fire. Burnette had his fuselage shot up as did the DH-4. The snow and sleet were terrible - continuous, coating the wings, covering us and numbing our hands and faces, penetrating even the smallest opening in our flying suits; especially bad were the goggles which had to be cleaned continuously.

• In this swirling white hell Richthofen and two Alb. D-II’s somehow spotted us and attacked just short of the objective. During a very brief combat Lt. DeMaris shot down one of the Abatrosses. Richthofen, apparently not wanting to fight us and the weather, soon led the remaining fighter back into the clouds and we finished the assignment, but with little hope of having any decent photos.

• The only adversary we faced returning was the weather as we had to withstand the icy conditions while trying to stay together and not lose our way. Once on our side we were aided in this by following what had been the Arras - Amiens rail line.

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

Mission Points:
Photos: 0

One non-Jatsa a/c shot down (LeMaris): + 20

Mission Deduction: - 10

Mission TOTAL: +10

19 Sqdrn. 'B' Flight - Trench Strafing - 13 April, 1917.

(Zone “C”)

Taking Part:

Pilots:

Lt. Harry Brandt

Lt. Henri LeMaris

2^nd Lt. Michael French

2^nd Lt. Peter Burnette

Comments:

• Leaving Amiens under overcast skies I flew us north until Doullens where we turned east. As we approached the lines (with a light rain) I encountered heavy MG fire and was separated from the group for a short while. When I rejoined them they were already strafing the Huns. The rain turned to mist and then heavy cloud; we continued strafing for awhile and were interrupted only once by a lone Jasta 11 Alb. D-III, who, in spite of the odds, immediately attacked. I had a couple good shots at him but the best I was able to do was drive him off into the clouds. (In the last three missions I have hit enemy planes four times but never critically - all “drive off’s”; obviously I’m doing something wrong!)

• With the Hun craft gone we strafed a little longer and returned home with no further incident.

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

Mission Points:
Strafing enemy lines: +42

Mission Deduction: - 10

Mission TOTAL: +32

54 Sqdrn. 'B' Flight - Dawn Patrol - April 13, 1917

Sir:

I decided to make this morning's Dawn Patrol a show of strength for B Flt, No. 54 Sqdn, and took all four available scout pilots with me. 2Lts Carson-Jeffries, Clark (who has just returned to duty), Milford, Kerneels-Pépin, and I climbed to 1000 feet and the overcast soon turned to light rain and mist. These conditions persisted for our entire time behind the lines, as we flew B Flt's usual patrol route — crossing near Bapaume, behind Cambrai, north to Lens, and returning via Vimy and Arras. The weather prevented our spotting any HA. Ground fire was sporadic, although it did come closer than I would have liked over Lens.

The weather deteriorated rapidly to a thunderstorm once we returned to Allied territory, letting up just in time for us to land safely.

(signed) Lieutenant Wolfgang Grün
"B" Flight, No. 54 Sqdn RFC
April 13, 1917

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

Victory Points

Patrolled 12 hexes +120
Mission Offset -80

Total +40

19Sqdrn. 'B' Flight - Offensive Line Patrol - April 13, 1917

(Zone “A”)

Taking Part:

Pilots:

Lt. Harry Brandt

2^nd Lt. Wendell Austin

2^nd Lt. Michael French

Comments:

• We left Amiens under overcast skies. I took the flight directly east to Zone “C” and we crossed over east of St. Quintin. Immediately we were met by two Alb. D-III’s and the battle lasted an inordinate length of time with absolutely no results one way or the other.

• When we were rid of them we commenced to look for ground targets. We spotted a goods train headed west. Austin and French puts some rounds into what they hoped were ammo cars, but alas, no big bangs. French’s fuselage was holed by ground fire.

• Shortly after we spotted another train but we did no damage to it as we were interrupted in our endeavors when we saw not high above us an Alb. D-II escorting another smoking D-II. We gave chase, but the best we got out of it was two driven-off’s. The smoker was a sitting duck but he got into the rain clouds and I couldn’t find him.

• Nothing further of note except Austin this time was the recipient of MG fire as we passed over the lines.

(signed) Lt. Harry Brandt, acting flight leader

Mission Points:
Goods train damaged: 8

Mission TOTAL: 8

April 13 ASSIGNMENTS

WEATHER: 7. Overcast - cloud clearing later. (AM 10+/PM 9+)

“B” Flight No. 19 Sqdrn. : (12) Offensive Line Patrol, Trench Strafing, Photo Recon.

“B” Flight No.54 Sqdrn. : (55) Dawn Patrol, Artillery Spotting (PM), Long Recon., Offensive Line Patrol

Due evening of Nov. 8