Too late to catch up on the latest posts tonight. But here's the next installment in Franz's memoirs...

The Holzhauer Papers
Part 6: 9-14 May 1917

On 9 May at dawn we patrolled along the lines near Reims. The French stayed away and by eight in the morning I was back in bed with no orders for the rest of the day. On getting up, I enjoyed an early lunch of cheese and bread with pickles in the Kasino before heading into Rethel with Wolff. Rittmeister von Brederlow did me the honour of sitting with me. He said he wanted to take a second patrol down to the front. Buckler and Schräder, our irrepressible hunters, were going, and he wanted to know if I was interested. But today I fought the urge. When one gets an Iron Cross 2nd Class it is convention to wear it on the first day, and after that one wears just the ribbon in a buttonhole. Today I wanted to wear that medal on my tunic and strut through town to show it off. True, the award was much more common now than it had been back in 1914 or even 1915, but for me it had significance. I knew how proud my parents would be to see me wear it, and I was off to get my picture taken! Our Staffelführer then announced to us (and later to the assembled group of all the pilots) that he had been posted to Idfleg [1]. Today was his last day with Jasta 17. His replacement would be at dinner, Hauptmann der Reserve Eberhard von Seel. The Hauptmann was coming to us from Bölke’s old Jasta 2. This was sobering. Von Brederlow had been good with me, and I hoped that von Seel would not be one of those typical stuck-up Prussian infantry soldiers. Still, I was off to town. I could worry about the new boss later.

Wolff and I had a wonderful time. My medal, however, went largely unnoticed. Iron Crosses, Wolff said, are like arseholes. Everyone has one. I bought a leather picture frame and left instructions with the photographer to send the finished photo to my parents when it was ready. We had a car at our disposal. Wolff drove like a professional racer. We passed a bottle of champagne back and forth as we thundered along the country lanes, slowing only when we met marching soldiers to avoid splashing mud on the poor fellows.

Back in the Kasino there was a small celebration for me after dinner and we were each introduced to Hauptmann von Seel. He is in his thirties, much older than most of us fliers except, of course, our old man and new officer, Wolff. I admire how Wolff is oblivious to this age difference and fits in with the rest of us who must seem like mere infants to him. Then, to end a wonderful day Hauptmann von Seel sent for my Werkmeister [2], Feldwebel Widmann. The Feldwebel had a surprise for me, I was told. He led me to a hangar and pointed out my new mount, a newly-arrived, factory-fresh 160 hp DIII! It was Christmas without the snow…

On 10 May I led a flight to St-Loup-en-Champagne to chase off some intruders that had been seen there. The new machine felt light and delicate compared to my old DII. Leutnant Sachsenberg, who flew with us that morning, warned me several times not to overstress the bird, for the narrow lower wing and V struts could deform and cause the machine to break up. I listened carefully. We spotted the French machines just south of St-Loup and began stalking them. They were higher than us, but we gained on them. Then they turned to give us a fight. This new DIII was more manoeuvrable than my old steed. In a minute I got close behind one of the Nieuports and chased him as he bobbed and jinked. I held my fire until within a few metres, and then I opened up, seeing my rounds rip into his fuselage and wings. The machine tumbled into a wood below. I did not recognise the location of the wood and could give only a rough direction and distance from St-Loup. Unfortunately, I lacked the witnesses for a confirmed victory.
Leutnant Gros led us the next day. We were patrolling the balloon line in the Reims sector. After nearly an hour in the area several Nieuports made a tentative attack, but we chased them off. I got some good hits on one, but Leutnant Schräder finished him off for the kill.

12 May 1917 saw another engagement with Nieuports, but this time they ran off over their lines.

On 13 May I led the early patrol again, escorting some DFWs to bomb the French field at Rosnay. This time the Nieuports in the area were more aggressive. We had a wonderful fight with much diving and zooming and spiralling of machines all over the sky. I followed one Frenchman down to 500 m. He tried to draw me over the airfield so that his friends on the ground could finish me off. I shouldn’t have done it but I followed him, zig-zagging to throw off the ground gunners’ aim. Then I hit the Nieuport with a good burst. Just as I closed in for the kill, another Albatros appeared directly in front of me, coming directly for me. I pushed the stick hard forward and ducked. There was a sharp bang. My machine shuddered, but the engine was still running. Or was that a new pinging sound? I couldn’t be sure. Everything looked intact, except for some torn linen between the ribs of my right upper wing. The other Albatros had run its wheels along the top of my machine. I looked behind and saw Leutnant Träger’s machine turning for home. The Frenchman was already a mere speck in the distance. I climbed to 1000 m to cross back over the lines and set course for home. Buckler, our Staffel’s Kanone, claimed a Nieuport this day. His score is now seven confirmed victories.

[Linked Image]
" I followed one Frenchman down to 500 m."

Hauptmann von Seel led us for the first time on 14 May. We were back over the balloon line, again ready for action. The French did not come out to play.

Notes:

[1] Inspektion der Fliegertruppen, Inspectorate of Aviation.

[2] Leading mechanic.
Attachments
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