Victory claims:

Flint (#3) claims #11 and #14 (shared with Hudson)
Hudson (#10) claims #12 and #14 (shared with Flint)
Fuches (#8) claims #13
[Rucker (#16) also scored a kill, but he did not file a combat report, so I don't who it was.]

Casualties:
Hudson (#10) downed by ground fire

Combat reports:

Flint (#3):

Took off with #8 Fuches and #10 Hudson. Took a quick peek across the lines hoping to catch a 2-seater before they had gotten a chance to get behind our lines. No such luck though and we quickly headed back across to our side and proceeded with our designated patrol. Came back from the southern leg and headed for the depot and bridge in C1-5/8. I began to hear sirens from the installations below me. Scanning picked up nothing though as we passed over each one. Headed east some from the bridge, finally decided I was hearing things or the huns were long gone and turned south.

We had just started to put some distance from the bridge and depot when Hud signaled a sighting to our 7oclock. I whipped around and again began to scan fevourishly, heart pounding with excitement. Finally I spotted something down by the bridge below me. First 2 then at least 4 EA below us. I signaled Fuches and Hud to follow and we began to gradually descend, watching the huns all the way.

I believe they spotted us quickly and 3 of them began to make a break for NML. One stayed near the bridge and seemed to be climbing. Thinking he was a scout attempting to distract us from the fleeing 2-seaters, I ignored him. Instead I took us down after the 3 huns fleeing for home. We closed on them quickly as we dove on them. I thought we had 3 helpless 2-seaters ripe for the picking. I glanced back at the hun we left behind us, but he was nowhere in sight now. I quickly moved in on the last of the 3 huns as they flew single file. To my great shock I had dove on 3 hun scouts and my heart skipped a beat as one then two quickly gained my six.

The fight must of lasted for several minutes. All of us trading fire with each other. I could ID the number #11,#12,#13 austrian planes. Fuches put the #13 down in the first few minutes of the fight with a headshot. I watched as #13 spiraled out of control into the ground in front of me. This helped our cause greatly and a few minutes later #11 made a run for it. Hud and I chased him out across NML putting bullets in him all the time. Hud then turned back to help Fuches with #12. I kept on #11, finally forcing him down?( looked like mech in NML to me) looking back behind me towards our lines I could see Fuches and Hud on #12 and could see a plane burning (#12 I was told later).

After rearming and refueling we headed back to the same area. I knew at least one more hun had been in this area and was sure it was a 2-seater. With still plenty of daylight left I felt confident we could count on one of them making another try across our lines.

Everything looked clear in the area so I took us across the lines. We headed for the Austrian drome right across the lines from our bridge in C1-8. Almost over the lines I spotted a lone plane below me. I signaled attack and we dove in. The #14 hun 2-seater turned for home as we opened up on him. Hud and I took turns peppering him until he finally burst into flames. He made a good landing on the edge of NML/Austrian territory.

It would of been a great day if we would of stopped right there. Unfortunately I spotted a hun high above, running for home. He passed over the drome in D1-7 and kept going for the one SE of it. We followed, our thirst for blood still not quenched (or maybe just mine). I gradually gained ground on the #17 2-seater. He dove just as I got in range throwing off my aim. I fired a couple of bursts at him, clipping him with a few rounds, then "click,click" surprisingly my ammo had run dry. I cursed for having wasted so much on #14.

I broke off an signaled Hud and Fuches to attack. 17 was making for the drome and I hoped we could put him down before he got there. Hud and Fuches had trouble lining up on him though and could only get a burst or two in before he was over it.

I had thought the game was over now, he would land and nothing more could be done. 17 kept up though, circling the field while fuches and Hud tried to turn onto his rear. I had been circling the field keeping a lookout for hun scouts, but in hindsight I should of dove down and told them to break off. We were playing with fire and we got burned. Looking back down after a quick scan around me I saw that Hudson was no longer in the air. Did AA get him? or did he clip something and crash I can't say.

Fuches now made a run for it with that damn #17 now chasing him! I dove down on 17 hoping to scare him off which it did. Fuches and I then headed for home. We made one last sortie, but saw nothing.

I'll make sure to save back a couple of extra bursts especially for 17 next time.

Kills - claim #11 possible share with Hudson #10, claim a share of #14 with Hudson.

Flint (#3), Fuches(#8), and myself Hudson(#10) left our base flying spads and headed directly to the huns homes hoping to catch them before they had an opportunity to go on the offensive. We did not find a single hun. Quickly, we flew back to protect our bases. We were flying south when I was a belch of smoke over my left shoulder. I could not tell if it came from a hun plane or from Fuches. I signaled to turn around and soon Flint announced that he saw 4 enemy planes. We dove on a group of 3 hun planes. Fuches had the first kill with a headshot on number 13 I think. Flint and I were chasing another hun that was in bad shape so I pulled off to look for another target. 12 quickly came into view and after several rounds he burst into flames. Shortly after I had mechanical problems and after getting them fixed found the squad just in time to return for repairs.

After refueling, we headed to the huns side and saw a hun plane flying by itself. Flint and I placed rounds into #14 that finally landed. Fuches saw another plane that was running to a home drome. Flint started placing rounds into #17 and quickly ran out of ammo. Fuches and I started engaging over the hun drome. We were flying low to try to not get hit by AA. I was not low enough. AA hit my right wing. I was just enough to cause me to start to roll. I didn't have enough altitude to regain control and hit the ground and rolled. Plane didn't explode but the wings snapped right off. I knew better than to play with the hun on his terms.

One Kill, #13, VonSchtupp.

We took off from our airfield, three of us: #3, #10, and myself, #8. After attaining altitude our flight leader, #3, took us due east into hun territory to look for bombers. We couldn't spot the elusive hun, so we headed south for a bit, then again north. At our second pass south,, we spotted 3 huns low. We circled our planes to get into position and then started our attack. The attack on the mud was vicious. My first boom, I see pilot #13 and line him up in my sites and fire off one or two shots, bang a direct hit. I hear him scream his plane careens off. Dead, headshot. I then circle around to find some more huns and see #3 being chased, I position myself behind his adversary and fire a few shots, then 10 comes in to help I pull away to get a better shot and find myself under the gun as I circle around. In a few seconds it was over. All the hun were dead. We then circled to get alt and head back to base.

We took off our second time after refueling, minor repairs and restocking our ammo. My machine was running slow for some reason, and soon the other two in my flight moved out until they were specks. I noticed they dove down and I soon caught up to them as they were lacing a hun with lead, I gave what support I could but could not get a bead on the hun. Eventually the hun flamed and we were off in pursuit of another one. We tracked him down as he was heading home. A lone recon plane. #10 and I pursued as #3 stayed up to cap. We were close to an enemy base didn't need more baddies coming in. Both ten and myself fired a few shots in to the hun, and then I heard a thud as I was hit by some AA ground fire. Nothing serious, just enough for me to soil my rookie pants. I circled around to avoid the ground fire and looked at the scene. Ten was shooting at a hun, we were in visual of the enemy base...I could even see some mechanics laughing at us. I circled in for one more attempt at getting a bead on the hun. A few more tears of clot he and I approached learily. Then I see it happen, the hun slips past ten and ten follows but somehow didn't make the hangar. Ten is down. In flames. And the little recon plane that could is now on my tail, shooting. The AA shooting and a hun shooting. I pull out, trying to get some distance to come back. He is keeping up to me with a fire in his eyes. I see bullets hitting my wing. Then looking back I see number three diving down to straff the hun. The hun then returns to his base. Three signals me tse for more ammo. We return to base without incident.

After we reload, the two of us take off. Feeling the loss of Hudson, I would rather sit out and drink a pint or ten, and smoke a pack of these french cigarettes. But one more sortie. We head north to get alt and then slowly work our way south. The game is called and we return to base without incident. Both land successfully albeit a little acrobatically. Flint then buys me a beer in the mess tent, and I smoke a pack of french cigarettes.

Verreuckter Fuches,

Rowland (#14):

I took off at 9:00 with Vasconcells(#19) and Rucker(#16).We headed over the mud toward the Austrian base # $%. We were on a seek and destroy mission inside the enemies lines. The patrol of hand picked pilots scanned the sky constantly looking for EA. I was sure that we would run in to a recon patrol on this course. Once again I was wrong and we headed ###### on our next leg of the patrol.

It was not until 45 minutes in to the patrol that Vasconcells signaled that he had a "Vis"on a plane below us.I signaled "follow" and started a slow spiral down to the EA , looking to see if he had any friends in the area.Rucker went straight for the EA and Vasconcells stayed high to cover us. The EA was trying to run back to his base with Rucker in hot pursuit. Rucker was on his 6 firing when he developed engine trouble and was forced to RTB. I chased the EA for a short time but broke off the attack as we approached the enemy base , being low,inside the enemy lines and afraid the AA would get me or more EA would come running. Vasconcells was almost out of Vis range and I climbed up to rejoin him. Vasconcells and I continued on our patrol trying in vain to find Rucker.It was about 10:10 when we landed at base###. I was forced to leave the patrol at this time due to mechanically trouble( it was past my bed time :-( ).

Flew a combat air patrol with Rowland and Rucker. Back and forth and up and down. Spotted three unknown aircraft at various points one of whom was clearly an enemy. We pursued him eagerly, but he made it back to the protection of his anti-aircraft buddies at his base before we could overtake him. Rucker, full of optimism, fired at him several times at long distance, but apparently to no avail. Turning back, Rucker apparently had mechanical problems, and Rowland and I continued patrolling until petrol was nearly exhausted. We landed and called it a day.

[No report. One kill, but no details because no report.]

Hartney (#15):

Roberts, Dawson, and I took off at start time and headed for our targets. About halfway there, I had engine trouble and had to drop out. After my mechanics did their work, I experienced repeated mechanical failure trying to get back into the air, so I finally decided to wait for the boys to return before taking to the skies again, since I knew they would be back soon. Roberts and Dawson were soon back with fresh photographs. We had achieved our mission at that point, so Dawson called it a day, but Roberts and I decided to photograph a few more targets for good measure. We lifted off at around an hour after start time and headed east for the Austrian lines. Unfortunately, Roberts soon had to drop out due to engine problems. I continued on, and crossed into enemy territory. I passed not one hundred feet above a lone enemy ship heading north, though I could not tell if it was a pursuit ship or a 2-seater. I continued on to my target, a small Austrian town well behind the lines, got my photographs, and turned for home. My return flight was without incident, and I touched down some twenty minutes later and called it a day.

Fisrt sorty we all took off headding east for our targetted towns for photos. About 10 minutes into the flight our flight leader had engine trouble and returned to base for repairs. I took over the flight and continued east for a while when i signalled Dawson to take the lead to his target . Then after he had His target photos i lost sight of him ,so I contiued on to my target a town just north west of base # 19 . There flak was very heavy in that sector ,i could not wait to make my return tripe home . After I took the Pics I turned north farly slow to try to get out of the range of those aa batterys. Due there where a lot more over the bridges ,thought i was a gonner ,the flak was so thick you could almost walk on it . I procceded west for about 10 minute before i finnaly was out of there range ,then i turned south west and heading for the barn. Once I landed I found Maj. Hartney and Lt. Dawson waitting on the field for me.The fuel trucks must of heard me come in ,for they were just waitting for me to roll to a stop ,so they could get me ready for my next sorty.

Dawson come down with the flew so he was not able to make a secound sorty . Maj. Hartney and I took off on our secound sorty , heading east when I had some machanical trouble and returned to base( complette power failure) I re-enterd to have it happen again so I called it a nite 1 sorty with a picture

I took off on a Recon mission with Squad leader Hartney and Roberts. We gained altitude and eventually made it across NML to the Austrian targets. Unfortunately Hartney had engine trouble and had to RTB. Roberts and I continued to the target and took our pictures. I had to drop down some for a good shot at the target and lost Roberts but eventually we both made it back to base to find Hartney waiting for us.