1ere Escadrille
8 Andre de Meulemeester
PilotStatus: ok
Squadron: Escadrille 1ere
Aircraft: Nieuport 17
AircraftStatus: ok
TimeIn: 1 hour+
10 Ivan Roberts
PilotStatus: ok
Squadron: Escadrille 1ere
Aircraft: Hanriot HD1
AircraftStatus: ok
TimeIn: 1 hour+
Claims: Share #19 with #11
narrative: Helped out #11 shoot up hun #19 till his tail came appart and also had a coll with Hun #9 then our
#16 chased him and we forced him doen under fire
5me Escadrille
11 Kessler
PilotStatus: ok
Squadron: Escadrille 5me
Aircraft: Nieuport 17
AircraftStatus: ok
TimeIn: 1 hour+
Claims: #15, #19 shared with #10
narrative: Flew assigned route, met up with recons, at one point deep into enemy territory we saw 4 unknown planes
down below us and in close form, as we were in a very loose form and quite a bit above, it was decided that these were
enemy scouts, we shadowed them, and in a brilliant move one of our spads attacked the last alb in formation causing the
other albs to respond, we then attacked them, i made a long burst pass on the lead alb (#17?) during the fighting i then
locked onto another (#19??) and proceeded to damage him, at one point i suffered a short stall and lost the enemy, i then
caught #15 in front of me and locked on him, over the course of the fight, he finally tried to make a dive for his base
below, i followed him down shooting, as he was trying to land, his plane slipped sideways and was completely destroyed
on impact. i found myself low over an enemy base and was expecting to get bounced at any moment, but i guess the other
albs were still busy with the spads above. out in front of me i witnessed and alb pile into the ground, his plane was
completely destroyed (this turned out to be pilot #16, victor unknown).
after a mass mech, we flew on our 2nd patrol, we eventually found 2 unknowns below us and shadowed them, we had 3 in
our flight and felt the odds were good, once the planes were identified we attacked. as the attack was ordered there
appeared to be a third alb join in, #10 and myself attacked #19 and he suffered structural failure an died. i believe
#16 in our flight attacked one of the other enemy planes, i did witness #16 force down enemy #9 who landed at his base,
unknown what happene to the 3rd enemy in this flight. end of report.
15 Flint
PilotStatus: ok
Squadron: Escadrille 5me
Aircraft: Nieuport 17
AircraftStatus: ok
TimeIn: -1 hour
narrative: got back from leave. Decided to take a short sightseeing tour of the surrounding countryside. Took up a
17 and flew for about 10 minutes before I had to rtb because it was getting late.
16 Willy Rogier
PilotStatus: ok
Squadron: Escadrille 5me
Aircraft: SPAD 7
AircraftStatus: ok
TimeIn: 1 hour+
Claims: forced down #9
narrative: Flew escort and encountered EA's near target area. Took shots at several EA, but had to run with two on my
tail. Rejoined after clearing and then left area with section mate #11, who was low after he shot a hun down. RTB fuel
and ammo. Second patrol resulted in 3 on 3 over enemy aero. After shooting at several EA, I noticed one drop out of fight.
It was #9 who was tumbling with wing tip missing. (He had shot me last, so I had a Shift-T lock on him.) I followed him
down a ways but figured he would crash, so I tried to rejoin fight. I then noticed #9 had recovered and went after him,
forcing him down in countryside. I left again to rejoin flight but noticed he had taken off, so I went after him again.
#10 joined me in shooting at him until he landed at aero. (second force down?) We joined #11 who had at least 2 kills for
the night and flew to #10's aero for cocktails.
20 McQuerry
PilotStatus: ok
Squadron: Escadrille 5me
Aircraft: SPAD 7
AircraftStatus: ok
TimeIn: 1 hour+
Claims: Downed #16 and will confirm #11 downed #15
narrative: Escorts met at predetermed location and proceeded to target. Esc 5 reconned ahead of the group using the
power and speed of our Spad 7's. Over target area I spotted 4 flashes lower and spotting was confirmed with a puff a
smoke from an engine a moment later.
I turned course and headed back to the group. I signaled that enemy aircraft had been spotted but I don't think our
R/B saw me. They were in danger! I signaled franticlly to the rest of my group and turned towards the direction of the
last spotting.
The R/B had successfully pulled away and allowed the escorts to go to work. I came up on the tail of a Hun single
seater and sprayed his cockpit and wings. Without pulling away I moved on to his leader and fired a burst into him as
well. I quickly pulled up and extended away. I looked behind me and saw that the rest of the flight had engaged as
well. I pulled high and cirlced looking for my chance to pounce. I was spoting a target when bullets ripped past me
from the left. I turned into the stream and brought my pitiful single gun to bear on the willey Hun and had good bullet
strikes.
He broke to my left and I broke to my right. I heard a sickining sound of fabric tearing and my craft shuddered and
kicked like it had been hit by artillary fire. I saw that my rudder and elevator had been badly damaged. I was
wondering what happened to my advesary when I saw pieces of wing and fabric floating down in the winds from this amazing
height and saw him slowly tumbling end over end to his death.
I returned to my home field and had the mechanics go to work immediately on repairs.
I again took to the skies looking for my group but never saw them again. I was patroling my old hunting grounds when
I spotted 3 craft loitering over an enemy drome with no AA firing. I shadowed them to the front and then fired off 3
flares, one for each pilot, and headed home and to a warm meal.
End Report
McQuery Out!
6me Escadrille B/R
9 Wehner
PilotStatus: ok
Squadron: Escadrille 6me
Aircraft: Strutter
AircraftStatus: ok
TimeIn: 1 hour+
Claims: 2 targets bombed: 1 bridge and 1 r/r yard
12 Flybert
PilotStatus: ok
Squadron: Escadrille 6me
Aircraft: RE8
AircraftStatus: ok
TimeIn: 1 hour+
Claims: none
narrative: First flight was exciting , one of the few we've done with a large escort ... spotted about 4 enemy planes
and turned the recon planes around , and our escorts kept them occupied ....
Second flight was done solo , as one of our RE8s had developed engine problems ... this fight was a lucky escape as
well .. As I approched the German front , I spotted 3 Albs well below me , and only my altitude advantage allowed me to
outrun the Huns.
So while the missions failed .. we saved ourselves twice , and feel blessed to be alive.