1915 Fokker Scourge (British Ace Book 2) (25 page)

“That is a good thing surely?”

Their faces told me that they did not think so.

“It seems to me that we can use the extra altitude and speed to wait above the bombers and hit the enemy fighters when they try to attack and our greater endurance means that we can watch over them when they return home.”

Archie lit his pipe and sat on one of the seats. “You wouldn’t fly next to them then?”

“No.  We lose all surprise.  The enemy can see us and attack our blind spot. If we are above
the bombers we can see a greater distance.  We might even be able to hit them before they get close to the bombers.  That is where our speed comes in.”

“Suppose they come from the rear.  They have shown tha
t they can be cunning blighters.”

“We do not have to fly in the same direction.  We have greater speed we could zig zag across them.”

Archie smiled, “You know laddie, that just might work! Any more bright ideas?”

“I am going to try a formation with me in the middle and the others on either side of me.  It might be I need to use them individually.”

“Risky.  Are the two lads good enough for that?”

“I think so and if we have Lieutenant Hewitt’s flight with us they can fly the regular formation.”

“Well give it a go then.”

As I left the office a lorry pulled up.  I saw Sergeant Sharp jump down from the back. I saw him wince slightly as he landed.  “Charlie! Good to see you! All healed?”

“Getting there.”

“I saw your face then Charlie.  It still hurts?”

He nodded, “But it is getting better, sir.”

“Good. Listen we are taking the flight out tomorrow.  We will leave Hutton on the gun until we have completed that and then I’
ll take you up and we’ll see how you manage.  How’s that?”

I saw relief on his face, “That’s great sir.  I want to get up again but I didn’t want to let you down.”

“You won’t.  Come on and I’ll take you to the new quarters.”

He spread his arm.  “This is a bit better than tents eh sir?”

“It is certainly warmer.  Have you given any more thoughts to becoming a pilot?  This squadron will be your best chance.”

“Yes sir.  I have and I think I will
try the colonel’s test.  If you think you can teach me.”

I laughed, “It will not be a problem. When your leg is healed we will give it a go.
” We had reached the new barracks. “Here we are; the sergeants’ Shangri-La!”

I was tempted to stay and see how Charlie and Lumpy hit it off and then realised that they were grown men.  They
would work it out. I found Gordy with his pilots and their gunners.  They too were checking out their aeroplanes.  That was a good sign. An even better one was the fact that they were laughing and joking.

They snapped to attention as I approached. “As you were. Just to let you know that we will be escorting bombers tomorrow.  I intend to fly above them.  I am trying a new formation with my flight but you can use the normal line astern.  If mine works out then you can try it too.”

Gordy nodded.  “Any idea where we are off to?”

“The railway lines
just east of the front from what Captain Marshall told me.  It doesn’t really matter as we know it will be behind the enemy lines. You know what that means?”

Gordy nodded, “We will be closer to their airfields and they can get more aeroplanes to attack us in a shorter time.”

“Exactly.  I intend, if we are attacked, to buy the slower bombers time to get back. We know we can handle the fighters but they would be Fokker Fodder! If we have to we will use the defensive circle.”

“
Only the younger officers have tried that!”

There was an edge of criticism in Gordy’s voice. I understood it.  We would be gambling with an untried strategy. I shrugged, “If it looks like it isn’t working I will fire a Very
flare and it will be every man for himself.”

We were up before dawn.  The rendezvous with the bombers would be at
eight thirty but we needed to make sure that we were ready.  This was a new bomber and carried over two hundred and fifty pounds of bombs.  It was important to get things right.

Sergeant Sharp was at the aeroplane with Hutton when I arrived. “You could have had a lie in Charlie.”

He laughed, “I need to get back into the routine besides the nurses at the hospital took great delight at waking us at the very crack of dawn!”

“How is the bus?”

They both nodded and Lumpy tossed a Mills bomb in his hand.  “She’s ready to go and I have a couple of these.”

Charlie laughed, “They have their own chart in the sergeant’s mess sir.  Lumpy here is top.”

“A chart?”

“Yes sir.  How many enemy planes
each sergeant has downed.  I have a target when I rejoin you.”

I saw a flash of disappointment on Hutton’s face but he soon hid it as he busied himself inside the cockpit.  We took off into the rising sun.
When we finally reached our cruising altitude we went into our new formation. I realised that we looked like an elongated arrow.  I was the tip and the last Gunbus in Gordy’s flight was the tail.

We circled the rendezvous until the eight RE 7 bombers arrived.  They were single engine and a biplane. 
A little bigger than us, I saw that they only had one Lewis for defence. There was no gun for the pilot. I could see why they needed protection. The leading aeroplane waved and I waggled my wings and we followed them. It seemed ponderously slow although we were only flying at ten miles an hour slower than we normally did. We passed our lines and then No-Man’s Land. The German guns opened up at us when we crossed their lines.  The shell bursts looked perilously close to the bombers.  I would have flown at a higher altitude had I been their leader.

Once they reached their target they went into line astern and began their bombing run. I took my arrow in a large loop above them keeping a close watch to the east and the German airfields. I heard the crump of the bombs striking the ground and when I looked down I could see that the railway lines, the bridge and the road were wreathed in smoke and flames. It only took five or six minutes for the eight bombers to offload their cargo and then I saw them head west. I kept my fight above the burning bridge while we watched for the enemy.

The last bomber had just turned to follow his companions when the Fokkers appeared.  It was a squadron. It looked to me that they had taken off as quickly as they could for they were strung out in a ragged line.  We had an advantage.  For once we would outgun them.

Gordy would be playing follow my leader but I pointed forward to my two wingmen and we dived, head on
, towards the Fokkers. “Lumpy wait until you cannot miss.”

“Sir!”

I hoped that Holt and Carrick would have the nerve and hold fire too. The Eindecker was climbing at a slower rate than we were diving.  He would struggle to make the turn we had seen the others do.  In addition I had three more Gunbuses behind me.  I began a slow turn to starboard.  I wanted the Fokkers to face a wall of fire from all of the aeroplanes in my flight. Hutton opened fire a heartbeat after the German did.  The difference was that Hutton could continue to train his gun as we turned whereas the German was firing into empty air. Lumpy and Laithwaite were able to concentrate their fire and they struck the engine of the first Fokker.  It stopped and the stricken craft plummeted to the ground.

The next aeroplane climbing to meet us was hit by the combined fire of three aeroplanes and it too fell from the sky. We had now made our turn and were heading west. I led my aeroplanes down to a low altitude so that the Fokkers could not get below us. As I levelled out I said, “Lumpy get on the rear gun.”

I heard the sigh before the, “Yes sir!” He hated having to turn and then stand. If he had thought about it he would have realised that his low centre of gravity made him safer.

When he was in position and his face was just in front of me I shouted, “Can you see them?”

“Sir, they are chasing Lieutenant Hewitt’s flight but they are all strung out.”

I glanced at the ground below me.  We had passed the German lines.  The desultory crack of rifles and machine guns below us showed that the Germans were awake but, thankfully, not accurate. Once we had passed No-Man’s Land I breathed a sigh of relief. Two Fokkers had been destroyed but, more importantly, we had not, as yet, lost an aeroplane.

As we approached the field I saw that Major Leach had not been as fortunate. I counted but five aeroplanes and the cluster of people around two others suggested injuries and damage too.

I landed and taxied my flight to the opposite side of the field.  Since we had been bombed we had spread the aeroplanes out to minimise damage in case of an attack. I waited for the other pilots to join me. Laithwaite and Hutton were congratulating each other. “That’s at least half an aeroplane each.”

Gordy’s gunner joined in, “But what about the other? At least four of us got that one.”

Lumpy snorted, “That’s easy; a quarter of a kill each.”

I nodded to my two wingmen.  “Well done you two.  I should have warned you that I might turn and attack across their guns.”

Johnny nodded, “I thought it was risky but I had my eye on your sir and when I saw your wing dip a little I knew you were turning. That formation really works sir.”

“Yes, Johnny, but next time they might take off earlier and be waiting for us. They could meet us in a line of their own.  Then we might be in trouble.”

Gordy clapped me o
n the back; he was getting back to his old self. “That felt good. We caught them with their pants down there.”

“But they will be up and about the next time.  It will not be as easy.”

He nodded towards the other aeroplanes.  “It looks like the others were banged about a bit eh?”

“I know. Let’s make our report.  They won’t want the attention of our smiles and grins.” I pointed to the two sheet covered bodies. “They have lost men.”

The others heard my words and saw the bodies too.  The grins and smiles left their faces.  Our joy had been short lived.

We had just finished writing our report when the major came in.  His face told the story.  Captain Marshall asked the question which was on our minds.  “What happened, sir?”

“The RE 7 squadron managed to bomb well enough and then the Fokkers hit us.  They got my gunner before he got off a bullet. Then they got the second aeroplane in the line.  Stephenson didn’t stand a chance.  The bullets went through his gunner and hit him.  They crashed in No-Man’s Land. Then they got Lawson’s gunner and we got back here as soon as we could. Thomas did well and his men covered us but they were knocked about a bit too.”

He seemed to remember that we had been on a raid too. “How about you?  I saw six of you land.”

“The bombers did their job and we were jumped too but we hit them with my new formation.  We downed two and then headed back home. Hutton and Laithwaite are deadly with their guns.”

He smiled, “It seems we need to watch and learn. Charlie Sharp is back isn’t he?”

“Yes sir,” I said, warily.

“I’ll take Hutton from you and we will have to try to get another replacement.”

“But sir, I am not sure his leg is healed.”

“I’m sorry, Bill.  If the hospital released him then he is ready.  We can’t afford any passengers here.”

I found Sergeant Hutton and Sergeant Laithwaite in high spirits. “Sergeant Hutton, may I have a word?”

He beamed as Sergeant Laithwaite headed for the Sergeant’s Mess, “Yes sir, what can I do for you.”

“You could regard this as promotion, Lumpy, you are to be Major Leach’s gunner.  His gunner died today.”

To say his face fell would be the understatement of the year. He nodded and held out a hand.  “Can I just thank you
, sir for all that you have done for me.  I had never even flown before I became your gunner and now I am the top gunner in the squadron.  I owe it all to you.  I may be going to the senior pilot but I am not going to the best pilot.” He nodded, “And you and Charlie, well, you are a team.  I knew I was just filling in but it was worth every minute sir.”

“And Sergeant, I have learned much from you.”

He walked off slowly and then, as his natural happy nature took over, he began whistling and there was a bounce in his step once more. Charlie of course was delighted to be gunner again.  When I mentioned his leg he shook his head, “No sir, it is fine.  I must have landed heavily jumping out of the lorry. I am as right as rain today.”

“And a consummate liar.  You might want to have a look at your cockpit. Lumpy was a little larger than you and he took out some of your bullet proofing.”

“Righto sir.”

The message from headquarters was that the raid
s had been unqualified successes.  A handful of dead men and no bomber losses was their measure.  I am not sure that it was mine.  The colonel was also pleased. He had the major and me in his office the following day. “Archie here told me about your innovative formation.  Do you think we should all give it a go?”