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MFair, I also learn something new when I prepare the news.

Jasta 18
1 February 1917, over the Front

Two Albatros D.II's are flying side by side, bobbing slightly up and down, and front and back in relation to each other. The weather is good with some heavy clouds in the distance and above them. Visibility is better than what one would consider average. The whole scene would look serene if it weren't for the two large columns of black smoke behind them, where two enemy airplanes had just crashed. The two pilots in the biplanes looked at each other and even though their faces were bundled tight to fend off biting wind, they could each tell the other one was smiling. It was Offizierstellvertreter Aldi Schwarzkopf and Leutnant Walter von Bülow-Bothkamp and they had each bagged a Pup. No small feat in the death-traps they were flying at the present and to boot each one has witnessed the other's achievement.
It all started earlier this morning when the Staffel C.O. Oberleutnant Heino Grieffenhagen decided that Aldi will fly as his wingman. The mission objective was balloon defense north of their base at Halluin. Halfway to the balloon, as it now has become a habit, Grieffenhagen's machine started to cough and he had to leave formation to look after it. This left Aldi in lead and effective command of the flight. He had been over the balloon in question numerous times and was not afraid he'd get lost. Just in case, he looked around to make sure that he is where he thought he ought to be. He was reassured by the railway line below that led over a particular bridge, which was a well known navigation landmark. He looked back to check that von Bülow and Strähle were still in formation and led the Kette the rest of the way to the designated patrol area.
Once over the balloon all hell broke loose. 4 Sopwith Pups swooped down from the cloud layer above. One got on Strähle's tail, second went after von Bülow and Aldi got stuck with the remaining two. While jockeying for position, meaning diving in circles, Aldi could see that von Bülow was holding his own and was trading head-on passes with his opponent. Strähle wasn't so lucky. The Pup stuck to his tail and stayed there while the two of them maneuvered all over the sky. Aldi was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Any attempt at gaining advantage over one of the Sopwiths resulted in disadvantage to the other one. During one of those maneuvers Strähle's pursuer found himself in Aldi's sights. He squeezed the trigger and for one second a stream of bullets went through the Pup. This did the trick and Strähle was free of the chase and on the offensive. Von Bülow kept jousting with Pup without any of them gaining a clear advantage. Aldi ended up with one enemy behind and the other in front. He let the Spandaus do the talking again and the Pup in front was hit, he in turn was hit by the plane behind.



A violent maneuver later and both Pups were lost from sight. There was no sign of von Bülow nor of Strähle. A few desperate moments to regain visual contact. More unpredictable moves to confuse any potential stalkers. Searching. Searching. There! One Pup! The other one is nowhere to be found. "Let's take care of the immediate threat first and we'll worry about the other one later." Aldi was calculating his odds of survival. If the other Pup bugged out, then the odds have improved. If he is still somewhere around, hiding in the clouds, then the odds won't matter. The Pup definitely did not look comfortable after getting separated from the other machine and started moving toward the front lines. Aldi managed to get behind him and was slowly reducing the distance. Finally he was in range and started to pepper the British machine. He reduced the revs to minimum and was gliding behind his target. Just before getting too close he let loose another salvo and banked to make another run, but that was unnecessary.



As he turned he saw the Pup catch on fire. With a great plume of black smoke the crippled machine plunged downwards and into the ground just over the lines.
Aldi looked around and saw immediately von Bülow forcing down his opponent. The machine touched the ground, flipped over and exploded instantly. The 2 aviators saw each other, formed up and returned to base where Grieffenhagen with his dud engine and Strähle with his damaged bird were already waiting for them.