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diff --git a/41159-0.txt b/41159-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..cc666e5 --- /dev/null +++ b/41159-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,4374 @@ +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 41159 *** + +THE RED BATTLE FLYER + +[Illustration: CAPTAIN BARON VON RICHTHOFEN] + + + + +THE RED BATTLE FLYER + +BY + +Captain Manfred Freiherr von Richthofen + + Translated by T. Ellis Barker, with a preface and + notes by C. G. Grey, editor of "The Aeroplane" + + NEW YORK + Robert M. McBride & Co. + 1918 + + + + + Translation + Copyright 1918 + By + ROBERT M. McBRIDE & COMPANY + + + _Printed in the United States of America._ + + + Published July, 1918 + + + + +CONTENTS + + + CHAPTER PAGE + PREFACE 1 + + I. MY FAMILY 19 + + II. THE OUTBREAK OF THE WAR 29 + + III. BOREDOM BEFORE VERDUN 52 + + IV. IN THE AIR 57 + + V. MY FIRST SOLO FLIGHT 82 + + VI. I FLY IN A THUNDERSTORM 92 + + VII. BOMBING IN RUSSIA 98 + + VIII. MY FIRST ENGLISH VICTIM 109 + + IX. I GET THE ORDRE POUR LE MÉRITE 127 + + X. A FLYING MAN'S ADVENTURE 145 + + XI. MY RECORD DAY 154 + + XII. SCHÄFER LANDS BETWEEN THE LINES 168 + + XIII. MY BROTHER 196 + + + + +LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS + + + FACING + PAGE + + CAPTAIN BARON VON RICHTHOFEN _Frontispiece_ + + THE FAMOUS RICHTHOFEN "CIRCUS" 64 + + THE FORTIETH RICHTHOFEN VICTIM 128 + + LIEUT. SCHÄFER SPEAKING WITH ANOTHER MEMBER OF THE SQUADRON 194 + + CAPTAIN RICHTHOFEN WITH HIS MASCOT DOG "MORITZ" 194 + + + + +PREFACE + + +SOME time ago a Naval Officer who was engaged on particularly hazardous +duty was discussing calmly the chances that he and his like had of +surviving the war, assuming that it continued for several more years and +that his particular branch of it increased its intensity. He wound up +his remarks by saying, "The chief reason why I particularly want to +survive the finish is that I'm so keen on comparing notes with our +opposite members in the German Navy." + +That is the answer to those who ask, as an important official gentleman +asked recently, why this English translation of Rittmeister von +Richthofen's book should be published. It gives our flying people an +opportunity of comparing notes with one of Germany's star-turn fighting +pilots, just as that excellent book by "Contact" gives the Germans the +chance of gathering the atmosphere of the Royal Flying Corps as it was +in 1916 and 1917. + +"The Red Battle-Flyer" has evidently been carefully censored by the +German authorities. Also it has possibly been touched up here and there +for propagandist purposes. Consequently, although the narrative as it +stands is extraordinarily interesting, the book as a whole is still more +interesting on account of what one reads between the lines, and of what +one can deduce from the general outlook of the writer. There is, +perhaps, little to learn of immediate topical interest, but there is +much that explains things which were rather difficult to understand in +the past, and the understanding of such points gives one a line of +reasoning which should be useful to our active-service aviators in the +future. + +When one makes due allowance for the propagandist nature of the book, +which gives one the general impression of the writing of a gentleman +prepared for publication by a hack journalist, one forms a distinctly +favorable mental picture of the young Rittmeister Baron von Richthofen. +Our old friend Froissart is credited with the statement that in his age +of chivalry it was always "impossible to inculcate into the German +knights the true spirit of knightliness." Which seems to indicate that +the practical German mind of those days could not understand the +whimsicalities of the Latin ideas of chivalry, which--for example--bade +a knight against whose shield an opponent "brake his spear" haul off out +of the fight till the lance-less enemy unsheathed his sword and "drave +into the combat" again. Probably the Hun of those days proceeded to +stick his opponent in the midriff--wherever it may be--and so finished +the fight. + +In the same true spirit of knightliness an Englishman knocks a man down +and then stands back so that he can get up and have another chance, +whereas a more practical person would take excellent care that his +opponent never got up till he had acknowledged himself beaten. It is all +a matter of the point of view, and largely no doubt a matter of +education. However, making due allowance for the point of view, one +finds surprisingly little Hunnishness in von Richthofen's manners or +methods as set forth in print. + +It is one of the accepted facts of the war that the German aviators have +displayed greater chivalry than any other branch of the German services. +It was a common occurrence for their pilots to fly over our lines in the +course of their business, and, by way of variety from that business, to +drop packets containing letters from captured British aviators, or the +personal belongings of the dead. One gathers that these acts of courtesy +have become less frequent of late, owing to the intensification of +aerial warfare, but it seems that captured and killed aviators still +receive the full courtesies of war from the German aviators, whatever +may be the fate of prisoners in other hands afterwards. + +It is not surprising therefore to find that, taking him all round, +Rittmeister von Richthofen conveys to one the general impression that, +_mutatis mutandis_, he is very like an English public school boy of +good family. His egotism, as one finds it in the book, is the egotism of +a young man who is frankly pleased with himself, but is more elated by +his good luck than by his cleverness. + +Taking him by and large, one rather likes von Richthofen, and one +fancies that most of the R.F.C. people who have fought him would be +quite pleased after the war to sit at table with him and compare notes +over the cigarettes and liquors, as my Naval friend wants to do with his +pre-war friends of the German Navy. And there are unhappily not too many +of our present enemies of whom one would like to express such an +opinion. + +When one comes to read into the book one begins to find many interesting +things about the German Army, and the war in general, as well as about +the German Feldfliegertruppen--or Flying Service. The German is not +really a skilful censor. Just as certain portraits painted by an artist +at Ruhleben conveyed by the expression of the faces a good deal that +Germany would like hidden, so von Richthofen's book, though carefully +censored, lets out quite a good deal of information. + +The first thing that strikes one is that Germany's standing army at the +beginning of the war was nothing like so perfect a fighting machine as +we in this country believed. Although, like all the people with any +sense in this country, the German Army knew that a war was coming, the +officers and men seem to have set about their work in a singularly +amateurish way, judging by the short section of the book devoted to the +opening of the war on the Russian Front. And one is pleased to find that +von Richthofen has the grace to laugh at himself and his +brother-officers for their mistakes. + +In some ways the soldiers of all nations resemble one another strongly. +For instance, one finds in this book the same contempt for what the +Germans picturesquely call a "base-hog," as the French have for the +"embusqué" and as the British front-line officer has for the young and +able-bodied officer who is "Something on the Staff." This obnoxious +breed is the same in all armies, and must be clearly distinguished from +the carefully trained and expensively educated General Staff Officer, +who is very much of a specialist and is the very brain of the Army. + +When we come to the purely aviatic portion of the book one finds more of +the real von Richthofen and less of the cavalry officer. His honesty +about his utter mental confusion the first time he went into the air +recalls General Brancker's famous remark in his lecture to the +Aeronautical Society when he said that no one ever sees anything at all +during his first hour in the air owing to the hopeless confusion in his +mind caused by the novel aspect of everything. Von Richthofen's +description of his experience is about the best thing that has been +written on the subject. + +An interesting bit of information is disclosed in his description of his +flight in a "Grossflugzeug," on September 1st, 1915. At that period +little was known about twin-engined aeroplanes. The Germans were known +to have tried them, but they were not a success. The only example known +to our people--though probably there were actually several different +machines--was commonly known in the R.F.C. as "Wong-wong," on account of +the curious noise made by the engines or air-screws when they got "out +of phase"--as an electrician might call it. This noise is now quite +familiar to the inhabitants of Southeastern England as the +characteristic note of the Gotha bombers. + +Von Richthofen's good judgment of fighting values, though he was then +only an observer, and a novice at that, is shown by his disapproval of +the twin-engined aeroplane as a fighting machine. It is also of interest +to learn that at that period the Germans had tried an auto-lock device +to hold the rudder of a twin-engined machine over to one side so that it +would fly straight if one engine went out of action, an ingenious idea +even if foredoomed to failure. + +It is encouraging to find that though these twin-engined machines were +in operation in September, 1915, the first bombing squadron so composed +only came into action against defenceless Bucharest a year later. This +shows that actually we in this country are not so very much slower in +producing our new ideas, for our big Handley Page twin-engined biplanes +first flew towards the end of 1915, and we began to use them regularly +early in 1917--only a little more than a year later. + +The similarity of aviators in all countries is shown by von Richthofen's +frank confession of blue funk when he made his first flight alone. That +first solo is always the most anxious time in a pilot's career. Another +touch of that nature which makes all aviators akin is seen in his +accounts of how he and other pupils under instruction used to fly off on +cross-country training trips and suffer from opportune forced landings +in the parks of their friends or in likely-looking estates. One imagined +that this manifestation of "wongling" was an essentially English trick, +and would not have been tolerated for a moment under the iron discipline +of the German Army. In the early days of the R.F.C. this looking for +opulent hosts used to be known sarcastically as "hunting for +Jew-palaces." + +The state of affairs on the Russian front is well shown in the brief +reference in the book. "Flying in the East is absolutely a holiday," +says the writer, who adds that there was no danger on the Russian front, +except the danger of being massacred by the Russians if brought down by +engine failure. From which one understands that the Russians did not +approve of making prisoners of enemy aviators. Their "Archies" were +apparently good, but too few to be useful, and their aviators +practically did not exist. Which is rather what one ventured to surmise +in print at the time, despite the magniloquent Russian communiqués. When +one thinks of all the good British and French aeroplanes and engines +which were sent to Russia one regrets the waste of material. + +On the subject of air fighting, von Richthofen is always worth studying +carefully. None will dispute his wisdom in laying stress on the +importance of calmness in an air fight. We have lost many good fighting +pilots through their getting excited and dashing headlong into an +unequal combat. He, or his editor, has been sufficiently skilful not to +give away his pet method of attack. However, one gathers that he +depended largely on his first rush for his results, rather than on a +prolonged series of manoeuvres. + +His dictum that "in air fighting results depend on ability and not on +trickery," rather bears out this impression. Nevertheless he +occasionally tells of a lengthy tussle with a particularly skilful +enemy. + +Such a story relates how that very gallant gentleman, Major Lanoe +Hawker, one of the best loved and admired of the R.F.C.'s many gallant +fighting leaders, fell. It would seem that Major Hawker's machine was +outclassed rather than that he was beaten by superior skill. One is glad +to find that von Richthofen pays a tribute to the bravery and ability of +his enemy, and it is perhaps some slight consolation to those of us who +knew Lanoe Hawker to think that he fell a victim to the Germans' best +man and not to a chance shot from an unworthy foe. + +It is rather curious that some time after emphasizing the fact that +trickery does not pay in air fighting, von Richthofen should show how +trickery does pay by describing his young brother Lothar's trick of +pretending to be shot and letting his machine fall apparently out of +control, so as to break off a fight with opponents who were above his +weight. One is inclined to wonder how many optimistic young air-fighters +have reported enemy machines as "driven down out of control," when in +reality the wily Hun has only been getting out of the way of harm. The +older hands in these days are not easily caught by such a trick, and the +High Command refuses to count any victims so claimed unless the +performance is verified by independent witnesses either on the ground or +aloft. + +Another point of interest in von Richthofen's fighting methods is that +he states, that as a rule, he opens fire at 50 yards. Distances are +hard to judge in the air. The pilot is more likely to underestimate them +than otherwise, just as one does in judging distances at sea. But von +Richthofen is probably as good a judge as any, and in this he seems to +be stating a plain fact. In these days 50 yards is fairly long range. +Some of our own crack fighters prefer 50 feet, if they can get into +their favorite positions. Anyhow he shows the unwisdom of opening fire +at 1,000 yards, as some inexperienced and excited machine-gunners are +rather apt to do. + +Von Richthofen's chaser squadron--or Jagdstaffel, as the Germans call +these formations--was the first to be known as a "circus." The famous +Boelcke squadron, although a fairly mobile body, the members of which +co-operated closely on occasion, never developed formation fighting to +the extent that von Richthofen did. + +His men, although, as the book shows, they went out periodically on +lone-hand ventures, generally flew in a body, numbering anywhere from +half a dozen to fifteen or so. Their leader chose to paint his little +Albatros a brilliant pillar-box red. The others painted their machines +according to their fancy. Some had yellow noses, blue bodies and green +wings. Some were pale blue underneath and black on top. Some were +painted in streaks, some with spots. In fact, they rang the changes on +the whole of the paint-box. + +They flew wonderfully, being all picked men, and in a fight they +performed in a manner which would have seemed impossible to the most +expert aerial acrobats. + +Also, the squadron was moved from place to place as a self-contained +unit, so that it appeared wherever the fighting was thickest, or +wherever British or French reconnaissance machines were busiest. It +would be operating at Verdun one week. The next week it would be north +of Arras. A few days later it would be down on the Somme. But as a rule +it specialized on the British front. Wherever it pitched its tents it +did its regular squadron performance, and followed it later in the day +with lone-hand raids, or "strafing" flight by two or three machines at +a time. + +When one considers the harlequin coloring of the machines, their +acrobatic flying and their "two shows a day" performances from their +one-week pitches, it follows logically that the humorists of the R.F.C. +simply had to call the squadron "von Richthofen's Traveling Circus." + +Since then the word has acquired a meaning of its own among flying men. +It connotes practically any special formation organized for the purpose +of hunting enemy aviators, and consisting of picked men under a +specially skilful leader. It need not necessarily be more mobile than +any other squadron, and it need not indulge in freak colorings, though +in the nature of its work, its flying must be acrobatic. The British +"circuses" are in these days superior to the German circuses, because +our machines are now at least as good as those of the Germans, and so +our men, who have always been of higher average quality than the German +aviators, have a fair chance of proving their worth. + +Of those of von Richthofen's circus mentioned in the book, Schäfer was +the first to be killed. Before the war he lived in London, to learn +English, working in an office in the city, when so inclined, but mostly +spending his time on the river, or in sport. Those who knew him say that +he was a pleasant lad and a good sportsman. + +Voss was the next to go, after what has been described by those who were +in it as one of the most gallant fights of the war. On a Fokker triplane +with a French le Rhone engine--evidently an experimental machine built +for quick manoeuvring--he fought single-handed a patrol of six of our +people, when he could have broken off the fight and have got away by +abandoning an inferior companion. He was a brave man and a most +brilliant pilot. His flying and shooting in his last fight are said to +have been marvelously clever. None admire his bravery more than those +who fought him. + +Others of the "circus" have fallen since then, and the present +"Richthofen Jagdstaffel" is probably constituted very differently from +that band of high-spirited desperadoes which was evolved from the +original Boelcke squadron, and helped to build up the fame of von +Richthofen. There is none of the old R.F.C. who would not cheerfully +kill what is left of the "circus," and there is probably none who would +not gladly shake hands with the survivors after peace is declared. They +are worthy enemies and brave men. + +This little book gives one a useful insight into the enemy's methods, +and more than a little respect for at any rate some of those whom we are +at present endeavoring to kill. + + C. G. GREY, + EDITOR, _The Aeroplane_. + + + + +I + +_My Family._ + + +THE members of my family--that of Richthofen--have taken no very great +part in wars until now. The Richthofens have always lived in the +country; indeed, there has scarcely been one of them without a landed +estate, and the few who did not live in the country have, as a rule, +entered the State service. My grandfather and all my ancestors before +him had estates about Breslau and Striegau. Only in the generation of my +grandfather it happened that the first Richthofen, his cousin, became a +General. + +My mother belongs to the family Von Schickfuss und Neudorf. Their +character resembles that of the Richthofen people. There were a few +soldiers in that family. All the rest were agrarians. The brother of my +great-grandfather Schickfuss fell in 1806. During the Revolution of 1848 +one of the finest castles of a Schickfuss was burnt down. The Schickfuss +have, as a rule, only become Captains of the Reserve. + +In the family Schickfuss and in the family Falckenhausen--my +grandmother's maiden name was Falckenhausen--there were two principal +hobbies: horse riding and game shooting. My mother's brother, Alexander +Schickfuss, has done a great deal of game shooting in Africa, Ceylon, +Norway and Hungary. + +My father is practically the first member of our branch of the family to +become a professional soldier. At an early age he entered the Corps of +Cadets and later joined the 12th Regiment of Uhlans. He was the most +conscientious soldier imaginable. He began to suffer from difficulty of +hearing and had to resign. He got ear trouble because he saved one of +his men from drowning and though he was wet through and through he +insisted upon continuing his duties as if nothing had happened, wet as +he was, without taking notice of the rigor of the weather. The present +generation of the Richthofens contains, of course, many more soldiers. +In war every able-bodied Richthofen is, of course, on active service. In +the very beginning of the present war I lost six cousins, and all were +in the cavalry. + +I was named after my uncle Manfred, who in peace time, was adjutant to +His Majesty and Commander of the Corps of the Guards. During the war he +has been Commander of a Corps of Cavalry. + +My father was in the 1st Regiment of Cuirassiers in Breslau when I was +born on the 2nd of May, 1892. We then lived at Kleinburg. I received +tuition privately until my ninth year. Then I went for a year to school +in Schweidnitz and then I became Cadet in Wahlstatt. The people of +Schweidnitz considered me as one of themselves. Having been prepared for +a military career as a Cadet, I entered the 1st Regiment of Uhlans. + +My own adventures and experiences will be found in this book. + +My brother, Lothar, is the other flying-man Richthofen. He wears the +_Ordre pour le Mérite_. My youngest brother is still in the Corps of +Cadets and he is waiting anxiously until he is old enough to go on +active service. My sister, like all the ladies of our family, is +occupied in nursing the wounded. + + + _My Life as a Cadet_ + +AS a little boy of eleven I entered the Cadet Corps. I was not +particularly eager to become a Cadet, but my father wished it. So my +wishes were not consulted. + +I found it difficult to bear the strict discipline and to keep order. I +did not care very much for the instruction I received. I never was good +at learning things. I did just enough work to pass. In my opinion it +would have been wrong to do more than was just sufficient, so I worked +as little as possible. The consequence was that my teachers did not +think overmuch of me. On the other hand, I was very fond of sport. +Particularly I liked gymnastics, football, and other outdoor amusements. +I could do all kinds of tricks on the horizontal bar. For this I +received various prizes from the Commander. + +I had a tremendous liking for all risky foolery. For instance, one fine +day, with my friend Frankenberg, I climbed the famous steeple of +Wahlstatt by means of the lightning conductor and tied my handkerchief +to the top. I remember exactly how difficult it was to negotiate the +gutters. Ten years later, when I visited my little brother at Wahlstatt, +I saw my handkerchief still tied up high in the air. + +My friend Frankenberg was the first victim of the war as far as I know. + +I liked very much better the Institution of Lichterfelde. I did not feel +so isolated from the world and began to live a little more like a human +being. + +My happiest reminiscences of Lichterfelde are those of the great sports +when my opponent was Prince Frederick Charles. The Prince gained many +first prizes against me both in running and football, as I had not +trained my body as perfectly as he had done. + + + _I Enter the Army. (Easter, 1911)_ + +OF course, I was very impatient to get into the Army. Immediately after +passing my examination I came forward and was placed in the 1st Regiment +of Uhlans, "Emperor Alexander III." I had selected that regiment. It was +garrisoned in my beloved Silesia and I had some acquaintances and +relations there, who advised me to join it. + +I had a colossal liking for the service with my regiment. It is the +finest thing for a young soldier to be a cavalry man. + +I can say only little about the time which I passed at the War Academy. +My experience there reminds me too much of the Corps of Cadets and +consequently my reminiscences are not over agreeable. + +I remember that once one of my teachers bought a very fat mare, an +amiable animal, whose only fault was that she was rather old. She was +supposed to be fifteen years old. She had rather stout legs, but she +jumped splendidly. I rode her frequently, and her name was Biffy. + +About a year later, when I joined the regiment, my Captain, von Tr----, +who was very fond of sport, told me that he had bought a funny little +mare, a fat beast, who jumped very nicely. We all were very interested +to make the acquaintance of the fat jumping horse who bore the strange +name Biffy. I had quite forgotten the old mare of my teacher at the War +Academy. One fine morning, the animal arrived and I was astonished to +find that the ancient Biffy was now standing as an eight-year-old in the +Captain's stable. In the meantime, she had changed her master +repeatedly, and had much risen in value. My teacher had bought her for +$375., as a fifteen-year-old, and von Tr---- had bought her a year +later, as an eight-year-old, for $850. She won no more prizes for +jumping, in spite of her renewed youth, but she changed her master once +more and was killed in action in the beginning of the war. + + + _I Become an Officer. (Autumn, 1912)_ + +AT last I was given the epaulettes. It was a glorious feeling, the +finest I have ever experienced when people called me Lieutenant. + +My father bought me a beautiful mare called Santuzza. It was a marvelous +animal, as hard as nails. She kept her place in the procession like a +lamb. In course of time I discovered that she possessed a great talent +for jumping and I made up my mind to train her. She jumped incredible +heights. + +In this enterprise I got much sympathy and co-operation from my comrade +von Wedel, who won many a prize with his charger, Fandango. + +We two trained our horses for a jumping competition and a steeplechase +in Breslau. Fandango did gloriously. Santuzza also did well by taking a +great deal of trouble. I hoped to achieve something with her. On the day +before she was to be put on the train I wished once more to jump all the +obstacles in our training ground. In doing so we slipped. Santuzza hurt +her shoulder and I broke my collar-bone. + +I expected that my dear fat mare, Santuzza, would also be a quick runner +and was extremely surprised when she was beaten by Wedel's thoroughbred. + +Another time I had the good fortune to ride a very fine horse at a +Sports Meeting at Breslau. My horse did extremely well and I had hopes +of succeeding. After a run of about half the course I approached the +last obstacle. At a long distance I saw that the obstacle in front was +bound to be something extraordinary because a great crowd was watching +near it. I said to myself: "Keep your spirits up. You are sure to get +into trouble." I approached the obstacle, going full speed. The people +about waved to me and shouted that I should not go so fast, but I +neither heard nor saw. My horse jumped over and on the other side there +was a steep slope with the river Weistritz in front. Before I could say +_knife_ the horse, having jumped, fell with a gigantic leap into the +river and horse and rider disappeared. Of course, I was thrown over the +head of the animal. Felix got out of the river on the one side and I on +the other. When I came back, the weighing people were surprised that I +had put on ten pounds instead of losing two pounds as usual. Happily no +one noticed that I was wet through and through. + +I had also a very good charger. The unfortunate beast had learned to do +everything--running, steeplechasing, jumping, army service. There was +nothing that the poor beast had not learned. Its name was Blume and I +had some pleasant successes with him. The last prize I got riding that +horse was when I rode for the Kaiser Prize in 1913. I was the only one +who got over the whole course without a single slip. In doing so I had +an experience which cannot easily be repeated. In galloping over a piece +of heath land, I suddenly stood on my head. The horse had stepped into a +rabbit hole and in my fall I broke my collar-bone. Notwithstanding the +breakage, I rode another forty miles without making a mistake and +arrived keeping good time. + + + + +II + +_The Outbreak of War_ + + +ALL the papers contained nothing but fantastic stories about the war. +However, for several months we had been accustomed to war talk. We had +so often packed our service trunks that the whole thing had become +tedious. No one believed any longer that there would be war. We, who +were close to the frontier, who were "the eyes of the Army," to use the +words of my Commander, believed least that there would be war. + +On the day before military preparations began we were sitting with the +people of the detached squadron at a distance of ten kilometres from the +frontier, in the officers' club. We were eating oysters, drinking +champagne and gambling a little. We were very merry. No one thought of +war. + +It is true that, some days before, Wedel's mother had startled us a +little. She had arrived from Pomerania in order to see her son before +the beginning of the war. As she found us in the pleasantest mood and as +she ascertained that we did not think of war, she felt morally compelled +to invite us to a very decent luncheon. + +We were extremely gay and noisy when suddenly the door opened. It +disclosed Count Kospoth, the Administrator of Ols. He looked like a +ghost. + +We greeted our old friend with a loud Hoorah! He explained to us the +reason of his arrival. He had come personally to the frontier in order +to convince himself whether the rumors of an impending world-war were +true. He assumed, quite correctly, that the best information could be +obtained at the frontier. He was not a little surprised when he saw our +peaceful assembly. We learned from him that all the bridges in Silesia +were being patrolled by the military and that steps were being taken to +fortify various positions. + +We convinced him quickly that the possibility of war was absolutely nil +and continued our festivity. + +On the next day we were ordered to take the field. + + + _We Cross the Frontier_ + +TO us cavalry men on the frontier the word "war" had nothing unfamiliar. +Everyone of us knew to the smallest detail what to do and what to leave +undone. At the same time, nobody had a very clear idea, what the first +thing would be. Every soldier was delighted to be able to show his +capacity and his personal value. + +We young cavalry Lieutenants had the most interesting task. We were to +study the ground, to work towards the rear of the enemy, and to destroy +important objects. All these tasks require real men. + +Having in my pocket my directions and having convinced myself of their +importance, through hard study during at least a year, I rode at the +head of a file of soldiers for the first time against the enemy at +twelve o'clock midnight. + +A river marks the frontier and I expected to be fired upon on reaching +it. To my astonishment I could pass over the bridge without an incident. +On the next morning, without having had any adventures, we reached the +church tower of the village of Kieltze, which was well known to us +through our frontier rides. + +Everything had happened without seeing anything of the enemy or rather +without being seen by him. The question now was what should I do in +order not to be noticed by the villagers? My first idea was to lock up +the "pope"[1]. We fetched him from his house, to his great surprise. I +locked him up among the bells in the church tower, took away the ladder +and left him sitting up above. I assured him that he would be executed +if the population should show any hostile inclinations. A sentinel +placed on the tower observed the neighborhood. + +I had to send reports every day by dispatch-riders. Very soon my small +troop was converted entirely into dispatch-riders and dissolved, so +that I had at last, as the only one remaining, to bring in my own +report. + +Up to the fifth night everything had been quiet. During that night the +sentinel came suddenly rushing to the church tower near which the horses +had been put. He called out, "The Cossacks are there!" The night was as +dark as pitch. It rained a little. No stars were visible. One couldn't +see a yard ahead. + +As a precaution we had previously breached the wall around the +churchyard. Through the breach we took the horses into the open. The +darkness was so great that we were in perfect security after having +advanced fifty yards. I myself went with the sentinel, carbine in hand, +to the place where he pretended he had seen Cossacks. + +Gliding along the churchyard wall I came to the street. When I got there +I experienced a queer feeling, for the street swarmed with Cossacks. I +looked over the wall, behind which the rascals had put the horses. Most +of them had lanterns, and they acted very uncautiously and were very +loud. I estimated that there were from twenty to thirty of them. One had +left his horse and gone to the Pope whom I had let off the day before. + +Immediately it flashed through my brain: "Of course we are betrayed!" +Therefore, we had to be doubly careful. I could not risk a fight because +I could not dispose of more than two carbines. Therefore, I resolved to +play at robber and police. + +After having rested a few hours, our visitors rode away again. + +On the next day I thought it wise to change our quarters. On the seventh +day I was again back in my garrison and everyone stared at me as if I +were a ghost. The staring was not due to my unshaved face, but because +there had been a rumor that Wedel and I had fallen at Kalisch. The place +where it had occurred, the time and all the circumstances of my death +had been reported with such a wealth of detail that the report had +spread throughout Silesia. My mother had already received visits of +condolence. The only thing that had been omitted was an announcement of +my death in the newspaper. + +An amusing incident happened about the same time. A veterinary surgeon +had been ordered to take ten Uhlans and to requisition horses on a farm. +The farm was situated about two miles from the road. He came back full +of excitement and reported to us: + +"I was riding over a stubble field, the field where the scarecrows are, +when I suddenly saw hostile infantry at a distance. Without a moment's +hesitation I drew my sword and ordered the Uhlans to attack them with +their lances. The men were delighted and at the fastest gallop they +rushed across the field. When we came near the enemy I discovered that +the hostile infantry consisted of some deer which were grazing in a +nearby meadow. At that distance I had mistaken them for soldiers, owing +to my shortsightedness." + +For a long time that dear gentleman had to suffer the pleasantries of +the rest of us because of his bold attack. + + + _To France_ + +WE were ordered to take the train in my garrison town. No one had any +idea in what direction we were to go. + +There were many rumors but most of the talk was very wild. However, in +this present case, we had the right idea: westward. + +A second-class compartment had been given to four of us. We had to take +in provisions for a long railway journey. Liquid refreshments, of +course, were not lacking. However, already on the first day we +discovered that a second-class compartment is altogether too narrow for +four war-like youths. Therefore, we resolved to distribute ourselves. I +arranged part of a luggage car and converted it into a bed-drawing room, +to my great advantage. I had light, air, and plenty of space. I procured +straw at one of the stations and put a tent cloth on top of it. In my +improvised sleeping-car I slept as well as I did in my four-poster in +Ostrowo. We traveled night and day, first through Silesia, and then +through Saxony, going westward all the time. Apparently we were going +in the direction of Metz. Even the train conductor did not know where he +was going to. At every station, even at stations where we did not stop, +there were huge crowds of men and women who bombarded us with cheers and +flowers. The German nation had been seized by a wild war enthusiasm. +That was evident. The Uhlans were particularly admired. The men in the +train who had passed through the station before us had probably reported +that we had met the enemy, and we had been at war only for a week. +Besides, my regiment had been mentioned in the first official +communiqué. The 1st Regiment of Uhlans and the 155th Regiment of +Infantry had taken Kalisch. We were therefore celebrated as heroes and +naturally felt like heroes. Wedel had found a Cossack sword which he +showed to admiring girls. He made a great impression with it. Of course +we asserted that blood was sticking to it and we invented hair-raising +tales about this peaceful sword of a police officer. We were very wild +and merry until we were disembarked from the train at Busendorf, near +Diedenhofen. + +A short time before the train arrived we were held up in a long tunnel. +It is uncomfortable enough to stop in a tunnel in peace time, but to +stop suddenly in war is still more uncomfortable. Some excited, +high-spirited fellow wanted to play a joke and fired a shot. Before long +there was general firing in the tunnel. It was surprising that no one +was hurt. It has never been found out how the general shooting was +brought about. + +At Busendorf we had to get out of the train. The heat was so great that +our horses almost collapsed. On the following day we marched unceasingly +northward in the direction of Luxemburg. In the meantime, I had +discovered that my brother had ridden in the same direction with a +cavalry division a week before. I discovered his spoor once more, but I +didn't see him until a year later. + +Arrived in Luxemburg no one knew what were our relations with the people +of that little State. When I saw a Luxemburg prisoner, he told me that +he would complain about me to the German Emperor if I did not set him +free immediately. I thought there was reason in what he said. So I let +him go. We passed through the town of Luxemburg and through Esch and we +approached the first fortified towns of Belgium. + +While advancing our infantry, and indeed, our whole division, manoeuvred +exactly as in peace time. All were extremely excited. It was a good +thing that we had to act exactly as we had done at manoeuvres, otherwise +we should certainly have done some wild things. To the right and to the +left of us, before and behind us, on every road, marched troops +belonging to different army corps. One had the feeling that everything +was in a great disorder. Suddenly, this unspeakable cuddle-muddle was +dissolved and became a most wonderfully arranged evolution. + +I was entirely ignorant about the activities of our flying men, and I +got tremendously excited whenever I saw an aviator. Of course I had not +the slightest idea whether it was a German airman, or an enemy. I had at +that time not even the knowledge that the German machines were marked +with crosses and the enemy machines with circles. The consequence was +that every aeroplane we saw was fired upon. Our old pilots are still +telling of their painful feelings while being shot at by friend and +enemy with perfect impartiality. + +We marched and marched, sending patrols far ahead, until we arrived at +Arlon. I had an uneasy feeling when crossing, for a second time, an +enemy frontier. Obscure reports of francs-tireurs, had already come to +my ears. + +I had been ordered to work in connection with my cavalry division, +acting as a connecting link. On that day I had ridden no less than +sixty-six miles[2] with my men. Not a horse failed us. That was a +splendid achievement. At Arlon I climbed the steeple in accordance with +the tactical principles which we had been taught in peace time. Of +course, I saw nothing, for the wicked enemy was still far away. + +At that time we were very harmless. For instance, I had my men outside +the town and had ridden alone on bicycle right through the town to the +church tower and ascended it. When I came down again I was surrounded by +a crowd of angry young men who made hostile eyes and who talked +threateningly in undertones. My bicycle had, of course, been punctured +and I had to go on foot for half an hour. This incident amused me. I +should have been delighted had it come to a fight. I felt absolutely +sure of myself with a pistol in my hand. + +Later on I heard that several days previously, the inhabitants had +behaved very seditiously towards our cavalry, and later on towards our +hospitals. It had therefore been found necessary to place quite a number +of these gentlemen against the wall. + +In the afternoon I reached the station to which I had been ordered, and +learned that close to Arlon my only cousin Richthofen had been killed +three days before. During the rest of the day I stayed with the Cavalry +Division. During the night a causeless alarm took place, and late at +night I reached my own regiment. + +That was a beautiful time. We cavalry men who had already been in touch +with the enemy and had seen something of war, were envied by the men of +the other armies. For me it was the most beautiful time during the whole +of the war. I would much like to pass again through the beginning of the +war. + + + _I Hear the Whistling of the First + Bullets. (21-22nd August, 1914)_ + +I HAD been ordered to find out the strength of the enemy occupying the +large forest near Virton. I started with fifteen Uhlans and said to +myself: "To-day I shall have the first fight with the enemy." But my +task was not easy. In so big a forest there may be lots of things hidden +which one can not see. + +I went to the top of a little hill. A few hundred paces in front of me +was a huge forest extending over many thousands of acres. It was a +beautiful August morning. The forest seemed so peaceful and still that I +almost forgot all my war-like ideas. + +We approached the margin of the forest. As we could not discover +anything suspicious with our field glasses we had to go near and find +out whether we should be fired upon. The men in front were swallowed up +by a forest lane. I followed and at my side was one of my best Uhlans. +At the entrance to the forest was a lonely forester's cottage. We rode +past it. + +The soil indicated that a short time previously considerable numbers of +hostile cavalry must have passed. I stopped my men, encouraged them by +addressing a few words to them, and felt sure that I could absolutely +rely upon everyone of my soldiers. Of course no one thought of anything +except of attacking the enemy. It lies in the instinct of every German +to rush at the enemy wherever he meets him, particularly if he meets +hostile cavalry. In my mind's eye I saw myself at the head of my little +troop sabering a hostile squadron, and was quite intoxicated with joyful +expectation. The eyes of my Uhlans sparkled. Thus we followed the spoor +at a rapid trot. After a sharp ride of an hour through the most +beautiful mountaindale the wood became thinner. We approached the exit. +I felt convinced that there we should meet the enemy. Therefore, +caution! To the right of our narrow path was a steep rocky wall many +yards high. To the left, was a narrow rivulet and at the further side a +meadow, fifty yards wide, surrounded by barbed wire. Suddenly, the trace +of horses' hooves disappeared over a bridge into the bushes. My leading +men stopped because the exit from the forest was blocked by a barricade. + +Immediately I recognized that I had fallen into a trap. I saw a movement +among the bushes behind the meadow at my left and noticed dismounted +hostile cavalry. I estimated that there were fully one hundred rifles. +In that direction nothing could be done. My path right ahead was cut by +the barricade. To the right were steep rocks. To the left the barbed +wire surrounded the meadow and prevented me attacking as I had intended. +Nothing was to be done except to go back. I knew that my dear Uhlans +would be willing to do everything except to run away from the enemy. +That spoilt our fun, for a second later we heard the first shot which +was followed by very intensive rifle fire from the wood. The distance +was from fifty to one hundred yards. I had told my men that they should +join me immediately when they saw me lifting up my hand. I felt sure we +had to go back. So I lifted my arm and beckoned my men to follow. +Possibly, they misunderstood my gesture. The cavalrymen who were +following me believed me in danger, and they came rushing along at a +great speed to help me to get away. As we were on a narrow forest path +one can imagine the confusion which followed. The horses of the two men +ahead rushed away in a panic because the noise of every shot was +increased tenfold by the narrowness of the hollow way. The last I saw +of them was as they leaped the barricade. I never heard anything of them +again. They were no doubt made prisoners. I myself turned my horse and +gave him the spurs, probably for the first time during his life. I had +the greatest difficulty to make the Uhlans who rushed towards me +understand that they should not advance any further, that we were to +turn round and get away. My orderly rode at my side. Suddenly his horse +was hit and fell. I jumped over them and horses were rolling all around +me. In short, it was a wild disorder. The last I saw of my servant, he +was lying under his horse, apparently not wounded, but pinned down by +the weight of the animal. The enemy had beautifully surprised us. He had +probably observed us from the very beginning and had intended to trap us +and to catch us unawares as is the character of the French. + +I was delighted when, two days later, I saw my servant standing before +me. He wore only one boot for he had left the other one under the body +of his horse. He told me how he had escaped. At least two squadrons of +French cuirassiers had issued from the forest in order to plunder the +fallen horses and the brave Uhlans. Not being wounded, he had jumped up, +climbed the rocks and had fallen down exhausted among the bushes. About +two hours later, when the enemy had again hidden himself, he had +continued his flight. So he had joined me after some days, but he could +tell me little about the fate of his comrades who had been left behind. + + + _A Ride With Loen_ + +THE battle of Virton was proceeding. My comrade Loen and I had once more +to ascertain what had become of the enemy. We rode after the enemy +during the whole of the day, reached him at last and were able to write +a very decent report. In the evening, the great question was: Shall we +go on riding, throughout the night in order to join our troops, or shall +we economize our strength and take a rest so that we shall be fresh the +next day? The splendid thing about cavalrymen on patrol is that they +are given complete liberty of action. + +We resolved to pass the night near the enemy and to ride on the next +morning. According to our strategical notions, the enemy was retiring +and we were following him. Consequently, we could pass the night with +fair security. + +Not far from the enemy there was a wonderful monastery with large +stables. So both Loen and I had quarters for ourselves and our men. Of +course, in the evening, when we entered our new domicile, the enemy was +so near that he could have shot us through the windows. + +The monks were extremely amiable. They gave us as much to eat and to +drink as we cared to have and we had a very good time. The saddles were +taken off the horses and they were very happy when for the first time in +three days and three nights, a dead weight of nearly three hundred +pounds was taken from their backs. We settled down as if we were on +manoeuvres and as if we were in the house of a delightful host and +friend. At the same time, it should be observed that three days later, +we hanged several of our hosts to the lanterns because they could not +overcome their desire to take a hand in the war. But that evening they +were really extremely amiable. We got into our nightshirts, jumped into +bed, posted a sentinel, and let the Lord look after us. + +In the middle of the night somebody suddenly flung open the door and +shouted: "Sir, the French are there!" I was too sleepy and too heavy to +be able to reply. Loen, who was similarly incapacitated, gave the most +intelligent answer: "How many are they?" The soldier stammered, full of +excitement, "We have shot dead two, but we cannot say how many there are +for it is pitch dark." I heard Loen reply, in a sleepy tone: "All right. +When more arrive call me again." Half a minute later both of us were +snoring again. + +The sun was already high in the horizon when we woke up from a +refreshing sleep the next morning. We took an ample breakfast and then +continued our journey. + +As a matter of fact, the French had passed by our castle during the +night and our sentinels had fired on them. As it was a very dark night +nothing further followed. + +Soon we passed through a pretty valley. We rode over the old battlefield +of our Division and discovered, to our surprise, that it was peopled not +with German soldiers, but with French Red Cross men. Here and there were +French soldiers. They looked as surprised at seeing us as we did at +seeing them. Nobody thought of shooting. We cleared out as rapidly as +possible and gradually it dawned upon us that our troops, instead of +advancing, had retired. Fortunately, the enemy had retired at the same +time in the opposite direction. Otherwise I should now be somewhere in +captivity. + +We passed through the village of Robelmont where, on the previous day, +we had seen our Infantry in occupation. We encountered one of the +inhabitants and asked him what had become of our soldiers. He looked +very happy and assured me that the Germans had departed. + +Late in the afternoon I reached my regiment and was quite satisfied with +the course of events during the last twenty-four hours. + +FOOTNOTES: + +[1] Russian priest. + +[2] This seems to be a translator's mistake for kilometres, which would +mean a little over 40 miles--in itself a sufficiently fine performance. + + + + +III + +_Boredom Before Verdun_ + + +I AM a restless spirit. Consequently my activity in front of Verdun can +only be described as boresome. At the beginning I was in the trenches at +a spot where nothing happened. Then I became a dispatch-bearer and hoped +to have some adventures. But there I was mistaken. The fighting men +immediately degraded me and considered me a Base-hog. I was not really +at the Base but I was not allowed to advance further than within 1500 +yards behind the front trenches. There, below the ground, I had a +bomb-proof, heated habitation. Now and then I had to go to the front +trenches. That meant great physical exertion, for one had to trudge +uphill and downhill, criss-cross, through an unending number of +trenches and mire-holes until at last one arrived at a place where men +were firing. After having paid a short visit to the fighting men, my +position seemed to me a very stupid one. + +At that time the digging business was beginning. It had not yet become +clear to us what it means to dig approaches and endless trenches. Of +course, we knew the names of the various ditches and holes through the +lessons which we had received at the War Academy. However, the digging +was considered to be the business of the military engineers. Other +troops were supposed not to take a hand in it. Here, near Combres, +everyone was digging industriously. Every soldier had a spade and a pick +and took all imaginable trouble in order to get as deeply into the +ground as possible. It was very strange that in many places the French +were only five yards ahead of us. One could hear them speak and see them +smoke cigarettes and now and then they threw us a piece of paper. We +conversed with them, but nevertheless, we tried to annoy them in every +possible way, especially with hand grenades. + +Five hundreds yards in front of us and five hundred yards behind the +trenches the dense forest of the Côte Lorraine had been cut down by the +vast number of shells and bullets which were fired unceasingly. It +seemed unbelievable that in front men could live. Nevertheless, the men +in the front trenches were not in as bad a position as the men at the +Base. + +After a morning visit to the front trenches, which usually took place at +the earliest hours of the day, the more tedious business began. I had to +attend to the telephone. + +On days when I was off duty I indulged in my favorite pastime, game +shooting. The forest of La Chaussee gave me ample opportunities. When +going for a ride I had noticed that there were wild pigs about and I +tried to find out where I could shoot them at night. Beautiful nights, +with a full moon and snow, came to my aid. With the assistance of my +servant I built a shelter seat in a tree, at a spot where the pigs +passed, and waited there at night. Thus I passed many a night sitting on +the branch of a tree and on the next morning found that I had become an +icicle. However, I got my reward. There was a sow which was particularly +interesting. Every night she swam across the lake, broke into a potato +field, always at the same spot, and then she swam back again. Of course +I very much wished to improve my acquaintance with the animal. So I took +a seat on the other shore of the lake. In accordance with our previous +arrangement, Auntie Pig appeared at midnight for her supper. I shot her +while she was still swimming and she would have been drowned had I not +succeeded at the last moment in seizing her by the leg. + +At another time, I was riding with my servant along a narrow path. +Suddenly I saw several wild pigs crossing it. Immediately I jumped from +the horse, grasped my servant's carbine and rushed several hundred yards +ahead. At the end of the procession came a mighty boar. I had never yet +seen such a beast and was surprised at its gigantic size. Now it +ornaments my room and reminds me of my encounter. + +In this manner I passed several months when, one fine day, our division +became busy. We intended a small attack. I was delighted, for now at +last I should be able to do something as a connecting link! But there +came another disappointment! I was given quite a different job and now I +had enough of it. I sent a letter to my Commanding General and evil +tongues report that I told him: "My dear Excellency! I have not gone to +war in order to collect cheese and eggs, but for another purpose." At +first, the people above wanted to snarl at me. But then they fulfilled +my wish. Thus I joined the Flying Service at the end of May, 1915. My +greatest wish was fulfilled. + + + + +IV + +_In the Air_ + + +THE next morning at seven o'clock I was to fly for the first time as an +observer!--I was naturally very excited, for I had no idea what it would +be like. Everyone whom I had asked about his feelings told me a +different tale. The night before, I went to bed earlier than usual in +order to be thoroughly refreshed the next morning. We drove over to the +flying ground, and I got into a flying machine for the first time. The +draught from the propeller was a beastly nuisance. I found it quite +impossible to make myself understood by the pilot. Everything was +carried away by the wind. If I took up a piece of paper it disappeared. +My safety helmet slid off. My muffler dropped off. My jacket was not +sufficiently buttoned. In short, I felt very uncomfortable. Before I +knew what was happening, the pilot went ahead at full speed and the +machine started rolling. We went faster and faster. I clutched the sides +of the car. Suddenly, the shaking was over, the machine was in the air +and the earth dropped away from under me. + +I had been told the name of the place to which we were to fly. I was to +direct my pilot. At first we flew right ahead, then my pilot turned to +the right, then to the left, but I had lost all sense of direction above +our own aerodrome. I had not the slightest notion where I was! I began +very cautiously to look over the side at the country. The men looked +ridiculously small. The houses seemed to come out of a child's toy box. +Everything seemed pretty. Cologne was in the background. The cathedral +looked like a little toy. It was a glorious feeling to be so high above +the earth, to be master of the air. I didn't care a bit where I was and +I felt extremely sad when my pilot thought it was time to go down +again. + +I should have liked best to start immediately on another flight. I have +never had any trouble in the air such as vertigo. The celebrated +American swings are to me disgusting. One does not feel secure in them, +but in a flying machine one possesses a feeling of complete security. +One sits in an aeroplane as in an easy chair. Vertigo is impossible. No +man exists who has been turned giddy by flying. At the same time, flying +affects one's nerves. When one races full speed through the air, and +particularly when one goes down again, when the aeroplane suddenly dips, +when the engine stops running, and when the tremendous noise is followed +by an equally tremendous silence, then I would frantically clutch the +sides and think that I was sure to fall to the ground. However, +everything happened in such a matter-of-fact and natural way, and the +landing, when we again touched terra firma was so simple, that I could +not have such a feeling as fear. I was full of enthusiasm and should +have liked to remain in an aeroplane all day long. I counted the hours +to the time when we should start out again. + + + _As an Observer with Mackensen_ + +ON the 10th of June, 1915 I came to Grossenhain. Thence I was to be sent +to the front. I was anxious to go forward as quickly as possible. I +feared that I might come too late, that the world-war might be over. I +should have had to spend three months to become a pilot. By the time the +three months had gone by, peace might have been concluded. Therefore, it +never occurred to me to become a pilot. I imagined that, owing to my +training as a cavalryman, I might do well as an observer. I was very +happy when, after a fortnight's flying experience, I was sent out, +especially as I was sent to the only spot where there was still a chance +of a war of movement. I was sent to Russia. + +Mackensen was advancing gloriously. He had broken through the Russian +position at Gorlice and I joined his army when we were taking Rawa +Ruska. I spent a day at the aviation base and then I was sent to the +celebrated 69th Squadron. Being quite a beginner I felt very foolish. My +pilot was a big gun, First Lieutenant Zeumer. He is now a cripple. Of +the other men of the Section, I am the only survivor. + +Now came my most beautiful time. Life in the Flying Corps is very much +like life in the cavalry. Every day, morning and afternoon, I had to fly +and to reconnoiter, and I have brought back valuable information many a +time. + + + _With Holck in Russia. (Summer, 1915)_ + +DURING June, July and August, 1915, I remained with the Flying Squadron +which participated in Mackensen's advance from Gorlice to Brest-Litovsk. +I had joined it as quite a juvenile observer and had not the slightest +idea of anything. + +As a cavalryman my business had consisted in reconnoitering. So the +Aeroplane Service as an observer was in my line and it amused me vastly +to take part in the gigantic reconnoitering flights which we undertook +nearly every day. + +For an observer it is important to find a pilot with a strong character. +One fine day we were told, "Count Holck will join us." Immediately I +thought, "That is the man I want." + +Holck made his appearance, not as one would imagine, in a 60 h. p. +Mercedes or in a first-class sleeping car. He came on foot. After +traveling by railway for days and days he had arrived in the vicinity of +Jaroslav. Here he got out of the train for there was once more an +unending stoppage. He told his servant to travel on with the luggage +while he would go on foot. He marched along and after an hour's walking +looked back, but the train did not follow him. So he walked and walked +and walked without being overtaken by the train until, after a +thirty-mile walk, he arrived in Rawa Ruska, his objective. Twenty-four +hours later his orderly appeared with the luggage. His thirty-mile walk +proved no difficulty to that sportsman. His body was so well trained +that he did not feel the tramp he had undertaken. + +Count Holck was not only a sportsman on land. Flying also was to him a +sport which gave him the greatest pleasure. He was a pilot of rare +talent and particularity, and that is, after all, the principal thing. He +towered head and shoulders above the enemy. + +We went on many a beautiful reconnoitering flight--I do not know how +far--into Russia. Although Holck was so young I had never a feeling of +insecurity with him. On the contrary he was always a support to me in +critical moments. When I looked around and saw his determined face I had +always twice as much courage as I had had before. + +My last flight with him nearly led to trouble. We had not had definite +orders to fly. The glorious thing in the flying service is that one +feels that one is a perfectly free man and one's own master as soon as +one is up in the air. + +[Illustration: THE FAMOUS RICHTHOFEN "CIRCUS"] + +We had to change our flying base and we were not quite certain in which +meadow we were to land. In order not to expose our machine to too much +risk in landing we flew in the direction of Brest-Litovsk. The Russians +were retiring everywhere. The whole countryside was burning. It was a +terribly beautiful picture. We intended to ascertain the direction of +the enemy columns, and in doing so flew over the burning town of +Wicznice. A gigantic smoke cloud, which went up to about 6,000 feet, +prevented us continuing our flight because we flew at an altitude of +only 4,500 feet in order to see better. For a moment Holck reflected. I +asked him what he intended to do and advised him to fly around the smoke +cloud which would have involved a round-about way of five minutes. Holck +did not intend to do this. On the contrary. The greater the danger was +the more the thing attracted him. Therefore straight through! I enjoyed +it, too, to be together with such a daring fellow. Our venturesomeness +nearly cost us dear. As soon as the tail-end of the machine had +disappeared in the smoke the aeroplane began to reel. I could not see a +thing for the smoke made my eyes water. The air was much warmer and +beneath me I saw nothing but a huge sea of fire. Suddenly the machine +lost its balance and fell, turning round and round. I managed to grasp a +stay and hung on to it. Otherwise I should have been thrown out of the +machine. The first thing I did was to look at Holck and immediately I +regained my courage for his face showed an iron confidence. The only +thought which I had was: "It is stupid, after all, to die so +unnecessarily a hero's death." + +Later on, I asked Holck what had been his thoughts at the moment. He +told me he had never experienced so unpleasant a feeling. + +We fell down to an altitude of 1500 feet above the burning town. Either +through the skill of my pilot or by a Higher Will, perhaps by both, we +suddenly dropped out of the smoke cloud. Our good Albatros found itself +again and once more flew straight ahead as if nothing had happened. + +We had now had enough of it and instead of going to a new base intended +to return to our old quarter as quickly as possible. After all, we were +still above the Russians and only at an altitude of 1500 feet. Five +minutes later I heard Holck, behind me, exclaiming: "The motor is giving +out." + +I must add that Holck had not as much knowledge of motors as he had of +horseflesh and I had not the slightest idea of mechanics. The only thing +which I knew was that we should have to land among the Russians if the +motor went on strike. So one peril had followed the other. + +I convinced myself that the Russians beneath us were still marching with +energy. I could see them quite clearly from our low altitude. Besides it +was not necessary to look, for the Russians shot at us with machine-guns +with the utmost diligence. The firing sounded like chestnuts roasting +near a fire. + +Presently the motor stopped running altogether, for it had been hit. So +we went lower and lower. We just managed to glide over a forest and +landed at last in an abandoned artillery position which, the evening +before, had still been occupied by Russians, as I had reported. + +I told Holck my impressions. We jumped out of our box and tried to rush +into the forest nearby, where we might have defended ourselves. I had +with me a pistol and six cartridges. Holck had nothing. + +When we had reached the wood we stopped and I saw with my glasses that a +soldier was running towards our aeroplane. I was horrified to see that +he wore not a spiked helmet but a cap. So I felt sure that it was a +Russian. When the man came nearer Holck shouted with joy, for he was a +Grenadier of the Prussian Guards. + +Our troops had once more stormed the position at the break of day and +had broken through into the enemy batteries. + +On that occasion Holck lost his little favorite, his doggie. He took the +little animal with him in every flight. The dog would lie always quietly +on Holck's fur in the fusilage. He was still with us when we were in the +forest. Soon after, when we had talked with the Guardsman, German troops +passed us. They were the staffs of the Guards and Prince Eitel Friedrich +with his Adjutants and his Orderly Officers. The Prince supplied us +with horses so that we two cavalrymen were sitting once more on +oat-driven motors. Unfortunately doggie was lost while we were riding. +Probably he followed other troops by mistake. + +Later in the evening we arrived in our old flying base on a cart. The +machine was smashed. + + + _Russia--Ostend (From the Two-Seater + to the Twin-Engined Fighter)_ + +THE German enterprise in Russia came gradually to a stop and suddenly I +was transferred to a large battle-plane at Ostend on the twenty-first of +August, 1915. There I met an old acquaintance, friend Zeumer. Besides I +was attracted by the tempting name "Large Battle-plane."[3] + +I had a very good time during this part of my service. I saw little of +the war but my experiences were invaluable to me, for I passed my +apprenticeship as a battle-flier. We flew a great deal, we had rarely a +fight in the air and we had no successes. We had seized a hotel on the +Ostend shore, and there we bathed every afternoon. Unfortunately the +only frequenters of the watering-place were soldiers. Wrapped up in our +many-colored bathing gowns we sat on the terraces of Ostend and drank +our coffee in the afternoon. + +One fine day we were sitting as usual on the shore drinking coffee. +Suddenly we heard bugles. We were told that an English squadron was +approaching. Of course we did not allow ourselves to be alarmed and to +be disturbed, but continued drinking our coffee. Suddenly somebody +called out: "There they are!" Indeed we could see on the horizon, though +not very distinctly, some smoking chimneys and later on could make out +ships. Immediately we fetched our telescopes and observed them. There +was indeed quite an imposing number of vessels. It was not quite clear +to us what they intended to do, but soon we were to know better. We +went up to the roof whence we could see more. Suddenly we heard a +whistling in the air; then there came a big bang and a shell hit that +part of the beach where a little before we had been bathing. I have +never rushed as rapidly into the hero's cellar as I did at that moment. +The English squadron shot perhaps three or four times at us and then it +began bombarding the harbor and railway station. Of course they hit +nothing but they gave a terrible fright to the Belgians. One shell fell +right in the beautiful Palace Hotel on the shore. That was the only +damage that was done. Happily they destroyed only English capital, for +it belonged to Englishmen. + +In the evening we flew again with energy. On one of our flights we had +gone very far across the sea with our battle-plane. It had two motors +and we were experimenting with a new steering gear which, we were told, +would enable us to fly in a straight line with only a single motor +working.[4] When we were fairly far out I saw beneath us, not on the +water but below the surface, a ship. It is a funny thing. If the sea is +quiet, one can look down from above to the bottom of the sea. Of course +it is not possible where the sea is twenty-five miles deep but one can +see clearly through several hundred yards of water. I had not made a +mistake in believing that the ship was traveling not on the surface but +below the surface. Yet it seemed at first that it was traveling above +water. I drew Zeumer's attention to my discovery and we went lower in +order to see more clearly. I am too little of a naval expert to say what +it was but it was clear to me that it was bound to be a submarine. But +of what nationality? That is a difficult question which in my opinion +can be solved only by a naval expert, and not always by him. One can +scarcely distinguish colors under water and there is no flag. Besides a +submarine does not carry such things. We had with us a couple of bombs +and I debated with myself whether I should throw them or not. The +submarine had not seen us for it was partly submerged. We might have +flown above it without danger and we might have waited until they found +it necessary to come to the surface for air. Then we could have dropped +our eggs. Herein lies, no doubt, a very critical point for our sister +arm. + +When we had fooled around the apparition beneath us for quite a while I +suddenly noticed that the water was gradually disappearing from our +cooling apparatus. I did not like that and I drew my colleague's +attention to the fact. He pulled a long face and hastened to get home. +However, we were approximately twelve miles from the shore and they had +to be flown over. The motor began running more slowly and I was quietly +preparing myself for a sudden cold immersion. But lo! and behold! we got +through! Our giant apple-barge[5] barged along with a single motor and +the new steering apparatus and we reached the shore and managed to land +in the harbor without any special difficulty. + +It is a good thing to be lucky. Had we not tried the new steering +apparatus on that day there would not have been any hope for us. We +should certainly have been drowned. + + + _A Drop of Blood for the Fatherland_ + +I HAVE never been really wounded. At the critical moment I have probably +bent my head or pulled in my chest. Often I have been surprised that +they did not hit me. Once a bullet went through both my furlined boots. +Another time a bullet went through my muffler. Another time one went +along my arm through the fur and the leather jacket; but I have never +been touched. + +One fine day we started with our large battle-plane in order to delight +the English with our bombs. We reached our object. The first bomb fell. +It is very interesting to ascertain the effect of a bomb. At least one +always likes to see it exploding. Unfortunately my large battle-plane, +which was well qualified for carrying bombs, had a stupid peculiarity +which prevented me from seeing the effect of a bomb-throw, for +immediately after the throw the machine came between my eye and the +object and covered it completely with its planes. This always made me +wild because one does not like to be deprived of one's amusement. If you +hear a bang down below and see the delightful grayish-whitish cloud of +the explosion in the neighborhood of the object aimed at, you are always +very pleased. Therefore I waved to friend Zeumer that he should bend a +little to the side. While waving to him I forgot that the infamous +object on which I was traveling, my apple-barge, had two propellers +which turned to the right and left of my observer-seat.[6] I meant to +show him where approximately the bomb had hit and bang! my finger was +caught! I was somewhat surprised when I discovered that my little +finger had been damaged. Zeumer did not notice anything. + +Having been hit on the hand I did not care to throw any more bombs. I +quickly got rid of the lot and we hurried home. My love for the large +battle-plane, which after all had not been very great, suffered +seriously in consequence of my experience. I had to sit quiet for seven +days and was debarred from flying. Only my beauty was slightly damaged, +but after all, I can say with pride that I also have been wounded in the +war. + + + _My First Fight in the + Air. (1st Sept., 1915)_ + +ZEUMER and I were very anxious to have a fight in the air. Of course we +flew our large battle-plane. The title of our barge alone gave us so +much courage that we thought it impossible for any opponent to escape +us. + +We flew every day from five to six hours without ever seeing an +Englishman. I became quite discouraged, but one fine morning we again +went out to hunt. Suddenly I discovered a Farman aeroplane which was +reconnoitering without taking notice of us. My heart beat furiously when +Zeumer flew towards it. I was curious to see what was going to happen. I +had never witnessed a fight in the air and had about as vague an idea of +it as it was possible to have. + +Before I knew what was happening both the Englishman and I rushed by one +another. I had fired four shots at most while the Englishman was +suddenly in our rear firing into us like anything. I must say I never +had any sense of danger because I had no idea how the final result of +such a fight would come about. We turned and turned around one another +until at last, to our great surprise the Englishman turned away from us +and flew off. I was greatly disappointed and so was my pilot. + +Both of us were in very bad spirits when we reached home. He reproached +me for having shot badly and I reproached him for not having enabled me +to shoot well. In short our aeroplanic relations, which previously had +been faultless, suffered severely. + +We looked at our machine and discovered that it had received quite a +respectable number of hits. + +On the same day we went on the chase for a second time but again we had +no success. I felt very sad. I had imagined that things would be very +different in a battle squadron. I had always believed that one shot +would cause the enemy to fall, but soon I became convinced that a flying +machine can stand a great deal of punishment. Finally I felt assured +that I should never bring down a hostile aeroplane, however much +shooting I did. + +We did not lack courage. Zeumer was a wonderful flier and I was quite a +good shot. We stood before a riddle. We were not the only ones to be +puzzled. Many are nowadays in the same position in which we were then. +After all the flying business must really be thoroughly understood. + + + _In the Champagne Battle_ + +OUR pleasant days at Ostend were soon past, for the Champagne battle +began and we flew to the front in order to take part in it in our large +battle-plane. Soon we discovered that our packing-case[7] was a +capacious aeroplane but that it could never be turned into a good +battle-plane. + +I flew once with Osteroth who had a smaller flier than the apple-barge. +About three miles behind the front we encountered a Farman Two-seater. +He allowed us to approach him and for the first time in my life I saw an +aerial opponent from quite close by. Osteroth flew with great skill side +by side with the enemy so that I could easily fire at him. Our opponent +probably did not notice us, for only when I had trouble with my gun did +he begin to shoot at us. When I had exhausted my supply of one hundred +bullets I thought I could not trust my eyes when I suddenly noticed that +my opponent was going down in curious spirals. I followed him with my +eyes and tapped Osteroth's head to draw his attention. Our opponent fell +and fell and dropped at last into a large crater. There he was, his +machine standing on its head, the tail pointing towards the sky. +According to the map he had fallen three miles behind the front. We had +therefore brought him down on enemy ground.[8] Otherwise I should have +one more victory to my credit. I was very proud of my success. After +all, the chief thing is to bring a fellow down. It does not matter at +all whether one is credited for it or not. + + + _How I Met Boelcke_ + +FRIEND Zeumer got a Fokker Monoplane. Therefore I had to sail through +the world alone. The Champagne battle was raging. The French flying men +were coming to the fore. We were to be combined in a battle squadron and +took train on the first of October, 1915. + +In the dining car, at the table next to me, was sitting a young and +insignificant-looking lieutenant. There was no reason to take any note +of him except for the fact that he was the only man who had succeeded +in shooting down a hostile flying man not once but four times. His name +had been mentioned in the dispatches. I thought a great deal of him +because of his experience. Although I had taken the greatest trouble, I +had not brought an enemy down up to that time. At least I had not been +credited with a success. + +I would have liked so much to find out how Lieutenant Boelcke managed +his business. So I asked him: "Tell me, how do you manage it?" He seemed +very amused and laughed, although I had asked him quite seriously. Then +he replied: "Well it is quite simple. I fly close to my man, aim well +and then of course he falls down." I shook my head and told him that I +did the same thing but my opponents unfortunately did not come down. The +difference between him and me was that he flew a Fokker and I a large +battle-plane. + +I took great trouble to get more closely acquainted with that nice +modest fellow whom I badly wanted to teach me his business. We often +played cards together, went for walks and I asked him questions. At last +I formed a resolution that I also would learn to fly a Fokker. Perhaps +then my chances would improve. + +My whole aim and ambition became now concentrated upon learning how to +manipulate the sticks myself. Hitherto I had been nothing but an +observer. Happily I soon found an opportunity to learn piloting on an +old machine in the Champagne. I threw myself into the work with body and +soul and after twenty-five training flights I stood before the +examination in flying alone. + +FOOTNOTES: + +[3] The Grossflugzeug, or "G" class of German aeroplane, later given up +as a flying machine owing to its slow speed and clumsiness in manoeuvre +and used in its later developments for night-bombing only. + +[4] This apparently refers to an auto-lock arrangement on the rudder-bar +to save the pilot from having the rudder against the engine all the +time. + +[5] A literal translation of the German slang, analogous more or less to +the British term box-kite. + +[6] From this disposition of the air-screws, and from the date of the +occurrence, one assumes that this was one of the very earliest +twin-engined Gothas, of the type which the R. F. C. nicknamed +"Wong-wong," because of the curious noise made by the engines or +air-screws when they ran out of step. + +[7] Still another example of slang, indicative of the clumsiness of the +Grossflugzeug in the air. + +[8] It was also the British custom to ignore--as part of the score--all +machines brought down in enemy territory. Later it became permissible to +count such victims if their destruction was verified by independent +witnesses. + + + + +V + +_My First Solo-Flight. (10th October, 1915)_ + + +THERE are some moments in one's life which tickle one's nerves +particularly and the first solo-flight is among them. + +One fine evening my teacher, Zeumer, told me: "Now go and fly by +yourself." I must say I felt like replying "I am afraid." But this is a +word which should never be used by a man who defends his country. +Therefore, whether I liked it or not, I had to make the best of it and +get into my machine. + +Zeumer explained to me once more every movement in theory. I scarcely +listened to his explanations for I was firmly convinced that I should +forget half of what he was telling me. + +I started the machine. The aeroplane went at the prescribed speed and I +could not help noticing that I was actually flying. After all I did not +feel timorous but rather elated. I did not care for anything. I should +not have been frightened no matter what happened. With contempt of death +I made a large curve to the left, stopped the machine near a tree, +exactly where I had been ordered to, and looked forward to see what +would happen. Now came the most difficult thing, the landing. I +remembered exactly what movements I had to make. I acted mechanically +and the machine moved quite differently from what I had expected. I lost +my balance, made some wrong movements, stood on my head and I succeeded +in converting my aeroplane into a battered school 'bus. I was very sad, +looked at the damage which I had done to the machine, which after all +was not very great, and had to suffer from other people's jokes. + +Two days later I went with passion at the flying and suddenly I could +handle the apparatus. + +A fortnight later I had to take my first examination. Herr von T---- was +my examiner. I described the figure eight several times, exactly as I +had been told to do, landed several times with success, in accordance +with orders received and felt very proud of my achievements. However, to +my great surprise I was told that I had not passed. There was nothing to +be done but to try once more to pass the initial examination. + + + _My Training Time at Döberitz_ + +IN order to pass my examinations I had to go to Berlin. I made use of +the opportunity to go to Berlin as observer in a giant plane.[9] I was +ordered to go by aeroplane to Döberitz near Berlin on the fifteenth of +November, 1915. In the beginning I took a great interest in the +giant-plane. But funnily enough the gigantic machine made it clear to me +that only the smallest aeroplane would be of any use for me in battle. A +big aerial barge is too clumsy for fighting. Agility is needed and, +after all, fighting is my business. + +The difference between a large battle-plane and a giant-plane is that a +giant-plane is considerably larger than a large battle-plane and that it +is more suitable for use as a bomb-carrier than as a fighter. + +I went through my examinations in Döberitz together with a dear fellow, +First Lieutenant von Lyncker. We got on very well with one another, had +the same inclinations and the same ideas as to our future activity. Our +aim was to fly Fokkers and to be included in a battle squadron on the +Western front. A year later we succeeded in working together for a short +time. A deadly bullet hit my dear friend when bringing down his third +aeroplane. + +We passed many merry hours in Döberitz. One of the things which we had +to do was to land in strange quarters. I used the opportunity to combine +the necessary with the agreeable. My favorable landing place outside of +our aerodrome was the Buchow Estate where I was well known. I was there +invited to shoot wild pigs. The matter could be combined only with +difficulty with the service, for on fine evenings I wished both to fly +and to shoot pigs. So I arranged for a place of landing in the +neighborhood of Buchow whence I could easily reach my friends. + +I took with me a second pilot, who served as an observer, and sent him +back in the evening. During the night I shot pigs and on the next +morning was fetched by my pilot. + +If I had not been fetched with the aeroplane I should have been in a +hole for I should have had to march on foot a distance of about six +miles. So I required a man who would fetch me in any weather. It is not +easy to find a man who will fetch you under any circumstances. + +Once, when I had passed the night trying to shoot pigs, a tremendous +snowfall set in. One could not see fifty yards ahead. My pilot was to +fetch me at eight sharp. I hoped that for once he would not come. But +suddenly I heard a humming noise--one could not see a thing--and five +minutes later my beloved bird was squatting before me on the ground. +Unfortunately some of his bones had got bent. + + + _I Become a Pilot_ + +ON Christmas Day, 1915, I passed my third examination. In connection +with it I flew to Schwerin, where the Fokker works are situated, and had +a look at them. As observer I took with me my mechanic, and from +Schwerin I flew with him to Breslau, from Breslau to Schweidnitz, from +thence to Luben and then returned to Berlin. During my tour I landed in +lots of different places in between, visiting relatives and friends. +Being a trained observer, I did not find it difficult to find my way. + +In March, 1916, I joined the Second Battle Squadron before Verdun and +learned air-fighting as a pilot. I learned how to handle a fighting +aeroplane. I flew then a two-seater. + +In the official communiqué of the twenty-sixth of April, 1916, I am +referred to for the first time, although my name is not mentioned. Only +my deeds appear in it. I had had built into my machine a machine gun, +which I had arranged very much in the way in which it is done in the +Nieuport machines.[10] I was very proud of my idea. People laughed at +the way I had fitted it up because the whole thing looked very +primitive. Of course I swore by my new arrangement and very soon I had +an opportunity of ascertaining its practical value. + +I encountered a hostile Nieuport machine which was apparently guided by +a man who also was a beginner, for he acted extremely foolishly. When I +flew towards him he ran away. Apparently he had trouble with his gun. I +had no idea of fighting him but thought: "What will happen if I now +start shooting?" I flew after him, approached him as closely as possible +and then began firing a short series of well-aimed shots with my machine +gun. The Nieuport reared up in the air and turned over and over. + +At first both my observer and I believed that this was one of the +numerous tricks which French fliers habitually indulge in. However, his +tricks did not cease. Turning over and over, the machine went lower and +lower. At last my observer patted me on the head and called out to me: +"I congratulate you. He is falling." As a matter of fact he fell into a +forest behind Fort Douaumont and disappeared among the trees. It became +clear to me that I had shot him down, but on the other side of the +Front. I flew home and reported merely: "I had an aerial fight and have +shot down a Nieuport." The next day I read of my action in the official +communiqué. Of course I was very proud of my success, but that Nieuport +does not figure among the fifty-two aeroplanes which I have brought +down.[11] + +The communiqué of the 26th of April stated: "Two hostile flying machines +have been shot down by aerial fighting above Fleury, south and west of +Douaumont." + + + _Holck's Death. (30th of April, 1916)_ + +AS a young pilot I once flew over Fort Douaumont at a moment when it was +exposed to a violent drum-fire. I noticed that a German Fokker was +attacking three Caudron machines. It was my misfortune that a strong +west wind was blowing. That was not favorable to me. The Fokker was +driven over the town of Verdun in the course of the fight. I drew the +attention of my observer to the struggle. He thought that the German +fighting man must be a very smart fellow. We wondered whether it could +be Boelcke and intended to inquire when we came down. Suddenly, I saw to +my horror that the German machine, which previously had attacked, had +fallen back upon the defensive. The strength of the French fighting men +had been increased to at least ten and their combined assaults forced +the German machine to go lower and lower. + +I could not fly to the German's aid. I was too far away from the battle. +Besides, my heavy machine could not overcome the strong wind against +me. The Fokker fought with despair. His opponents had rushed him down to +an altitude of only about eighteen hundred feet. Suddenly, he was once +more attacked by his opponents and he disappeared, plunging into a small +cloud. I breathed more easily, for in my opinion the cloud had saved +him. + +When I arrived at the aerodrome, I reported what I had seen and was told +that the Fokker man was Count Holck, my old comrade in the Eastern +Theater of war. + +Count Holck had dropped straight down, shot through the head. His death +deeply affected me for he was my model. I tried to imitate his energy +and he was a man among men also as a character. + +FOOTNOTES: + +[9] Possibly a very early example of the Riesenflugzeug type, which is +the next biggest thing to the Grossflugzeug type, which includes the +Gothas, A. E. G.'s, Friedrichshafens, and other of the twin-engined +types. + +[10] It is not clear whether this refers to a gun pointing upwards, as +guns at that time were commonly fitted on the upper plane of the +Nieuport, or whether the gun fired through the air-screw. Probably the +latter fitting is meant. Later on one reads that he was then flying an +Albatros, so it may have been a top gun. + +[11] Note.--This book was written after Captain von Richthofen had +brought down fifty-two aeroplanes. At the time of his death he was +officially credited with eighty victories. + + + + +VI + +_I Fly In a Thunderstorm_ + + +OUR activity before Verdun was disturbed in the summer of 1916 by +frequent thunderstorms. Nothing is more disagreeable for flying men than +to have to go through a thunderstorm. In the Battle of the Somme a whole +English flying squadron came down behind our lines and became prisoners +of war because they had been surprised by a thunderstorm.[12] + +I had never yet made an attempt to get through thunder clouds but I +could not suppress my desire to make the experiment. During the whole +day thunder was in the air. From my base at Mont I had flown over to +the fortress of Metz, nearby, in order to look after various things. +During my return journey I had an adventure. + +I was at the aerodrome of Metz and intended to return to my own +quarters. When I pulled my machine out of the hangar the first signs of +an approaching thunderstorm became noticeable. Clouds which looked like +a gigantic pitch-black wall approached from the north. Old experienced +pilots urged me not to fly. However, I had promised to return and I +should have considered myself a coward if I had failed to come back +because of a silly thunderstorm. Therefore I meant to try. + +When I started the rain began falling. I had to throw away my goggles, +otherwise I should not have seen anything. The trouble was that I had to +travel over the mountains of the Moselle where the thunderstorm was just +raging. I said to myself that probably I should be lucky and get through +and rapidly approached the black cloud which reached down to the earth. +I flew at the lowest possible altitude. I was compelled absolutely to +leap over houses and trees with my machine. Very soon I knew no longer +where I was. The gale seized my machine as if it were a piece of paper +and drove it along. My heart sank within me. I could not land among the +hills. I was compelled to go on. + +I was surrounded by an inky blackness. Beneath me the trees bent down in +the gale. Suddenly I saw right in front of me a wooded height. I could +not avoid it. My Albatros managed to take it. I was able to fly only in +a straight line. Therefore I had to take every obstacle that I +encountered. My flight became a jumping competition purely and simply. I +had to jump over trees, villages, spires and steeples, for I had to keep +within a few yards of the ground, otherwise I should have seen nothing +at all. The lightning was playing around me. At that time I did not yet +know that lightning cannot touch flying machines. I felt certain of my +death for it seemed to me inevitable that the gale would throw me at +any moment into a village or a forest. Had the motor stopped working I +should have been done for. + +Suddenly I saw that on the horizon the darkness had become less thick. +Over there the thunderstorm had passed. I would be saved if I were able +to get so far. Concentrating all my energy I steered towards the light. + +Suddenly I got out of the thunder-cloud. The rain was still falling in +torrents. Still, I felt saved. + +In pouring rain I landed at my aerodrome. Everyone was waiting for me, +for Metz had reported my start and had told them that I had been +swallowed up by a thunder cloud. + +I shall never again fly through a thunderstorm unless the Fatherland +should demand this. + +Now, when I look back, I realize that it was all very beautiful. +Notwithstanding the danger during my flight, I experienced glorious +moments which I would not care to have missed. + + + _My First Time In a Fokker_ + +FROM the beginning of my career as a pilot I had only a single ambition, +the ambition to fly in a single-seater battle-plane. After worrying my +commander for a long time I at last obtained permission to mount a +Fokker. The revolving motor was a novelty to me. Besides, it was a +strange feeling to be quite alone during the flight. + +The Fokker belonged jointly to a friend of mine who has died long ago +and to myself. I flew in the morning and he in the afternoon. Both he +and I were afraid that the other fellow would smash the box. On the +second day we flew towards the enemy. When I flew in the morning no +Frenchman was to be seen. In the afternoon it was his turn. He started +but did not return. There was no news from him. + +Late in the evening the infantry reported an aerial battle between a +Nieuport and a German Fokker, in the course of which the German machine +had apparently landed at the Mort Homme. Evidently the occupant was +friend Reimann for all the other flying men had returned. We regretted +the fate of our brave comrade. Suddenly, in the middle of the night, we +heard over the telephone that a German flying officer had made an +unexpected appearance in the front trenches at the Mort Homme. It +appeared that this was Reimann. His motor had been smashed by a shot. He +had been forced to land. As he was not able to reach our own lines he +had come to the ground in No Man's Land. He had rapidly set fire to the +machine and had then quickly hidden himself in a mine crater. During the +night he had slunk into our trenches. Thus ended our joint enterprise +with a Fokker. + +A few days later I was given another Fokker. This time I felt under a +moral obligation to attend to its destruction myself. I was flying for +the third time. When starting, the motor suddenly stopped working. I had +to land right away in a field and in a moment the beautiful machine was +converted into a mass of scrap metal. It was a miracle that I was not +hurt. + +FOOTNOTE: + +[12] Probably this means a patrol of one or two flights--of four +machines each. One does not recall a whole squadron disappearing at +once, though one or two squadrons had their whole personnel renewed one +or two at a time in the course of a month or so. + + + + +VII + +_Bombing In Russia_ + + +IN June we were suddenly ordered to entrain. No one knew where we were +going, but we had an idea and we were not over much surprised when our +Commander told us that we were going to Russia. We had traveled through +the whole of Germany with our perambulating hotel which consisted of +dining and sleeping cars, and arrived at last at Kovel. There we +remained in our railway cars. There are many advantages in dwelling in a +train. One is always ready to travel on and need not change one's +quarters.[13] + +In the heat of the Russian summer a sleeping car is the most horrible +instrument of martyrdom imaginable. Therefore, I agreed with some +friends of mine, Gerstenberg and Scheele, to take quarters in the +forest near by. We erected a tent and lived like gypsies. We had a +lovely time. + +In Russia our battle squadron did a great deal of bomb throwing. Our +occupation consisted of annoying the Russians. We dropped our eggs on +their finest railway establishments. One day our whole squadron went out +to bomb a very important railway station. The place was called +Manjewicze and was situated about twenty miles behind the Front. That +was not very far. The Russians had planned an attack and the station was +absolutely crammed with colossal trains. Trains stood close to one +another. Miles of rails were covered with them. One could easily see +that from above. There was an object for bombing that was worth while. + +One can become enthusiastic over anything. For a time I was delighted +with bomb throwing. It gave me a tremendous pleasure to bomb those +fellows from above. Frequently I took part in two expeditions on a +single day. + +On the day mentioned our object was Manjewicze. Everything was ready. +The aeroplanes were ready to start. Every pilot tried his motor, for it +is a painful thing to be forced to land against one's will on the wrong +side of the Front line, especially in Russia. The Russians hated the +flyers. If they caught a flying man they would certainly kill him. That +is the only risk one ran in Russia for the Russians had no aviators, or +practically none. If a Russian flying man turned up he was sure to have +bad luck and would be shot down. The anti-aircraft guns used by Russia +were sometimes quite good, but they were too few in number. Compared +with flying in the West, flying in the East is absolutely a holiday. + +The aeroplanes rolled heavily to the starting point. They carried bombs +to the very limit of their capacity. Sometimes I dragged three hundred +pounds of bombs with a normal C-machine.[14] Besides, I had with me a +very heavy observer who apparently had not suffered in any way from the +food scarcity.[15] I had also with me a couple of machine guns. I was +never able to make proper use of them in Russia. It is a pity that my +collection of trophies contains not a single Russian. + +Flying with a heavy machine which is carrying a great dead weight is no +fun, especially during the mid-day summer heat in Russia. The barges +sway in a very disagreeable manner. Of course, heavily laden though they +are, they do not fall down. The 150 h. p. motors prevent it.[16] At the +same time it is no pleasant sensation to carry such a large quantity of +explosives and benzine. + +At last we get into a quiet atmosphere. Now comes the enjoyment of +bombing. It is splendid to be able to fly in a straight line and to +have a definite object and definite orders. After having thrown one's +bombs one has the feeling that he has achieved something, while +frequently, after searching for an enemy to give battle to, one comes +home with a sense of failure at not having brought a hostile machine to +the ground. Then a man is apt to say to himself, "You have acted +stupidly." + +It gave me a good deal of pleasure to throw bombs. After a while my +observer learned how to fly perpendicularly over the objects to be +bombed and to make use of the right moment for laying his egg with the +assistance of his aiming telescope. + +The run to Manjewicze is very pleasant and I have made it repeatedly. We +passed over gigantic forests which were probably inhabited by elks and +lynxes. But the villages looked miserable. The only substantial village +in the whole neighborhood was Manjewicze. It was surrounded by +innumerable tents, and countless barracks had been run up near the +railway station. We could not make out the Red Cross. + +Another flying squadron had visited the place before us. That could be +told by the smoking houses and barracks. They had not done badly. The +exit of the station had obviously been blocked by a lucky hit. The +engine was still steaming. The engine driver had probably dived into a +shelter. On the other side of the station an engine was just coming out. +Of course I felt tempted to hit it. We flew towards the engine and +dropped a bomb a few hundred yards in front of it. We had the desired +result. The engine stopped. We turned and continued throwing bomb after +bomb on the station, carefully taking aim through our aiming telescope. +We had plenty of time for nobody interfered with us. It is true that an +enemy aerodrome was in the neighborhood but there was no trace of +hostile pilots. A few anti-aircraft guns were busy, but they shot not in +our direction but in another one. We reserved a bomb hoping to make +particularly good use of it on our way home. + +Suddenly we noticed an enemy flying machine starting from its hangar. +The question was whether it would attack us. I did not believe in an +attack. It was more likely that the flying man was seeking security in +the air, for when bombing machines are about, the air is the safest +place. + +We went home by roundabout ways and looked for camps. It was +particularly amusing to pepper the gentlemen down below with machine +guns. Half savage tribes from Asia are even more startled when fired at +from above than are cultured Englishmen. It is particularly interesting +to shoot at hostile cavalry. An aerial attack upsets them completely. +Suddenly the lot of them rush away in all directions of the compass. I +should not like to be the Commander of a Squadron of Cossacks which has +been fired at with machine guns from aeroplanes.[17] + +By and by we could recognize the German lines. We had to dispose of our +last bomb and we resolved to make a present of it to a Russian +observation balloon, to the only observation balloon they possessed. We +could quite comfortably descend to within a few hundred yards of the +ground in order to attack it. At first the Russians began to haul it in +very rapidly. When the bomb had been dropped the hauling stopped. I did +not believe that I had hit it. I rather imagined that the Russians had +left their chief in the air and had run away. At last we reached our +front and our trenches and were surprised to find when we got home that +we had been shot at from below. At least one of the planes had a hole in +it. + +Another time and in the same neighborhood we were ordered to meet an +attack of the Russians who intended to cross the river Stokhod. We came +to the danger spot laden with bombs and carrying a large number of +cartridges for our machine guns. On arrival at the Stokhod, we were +surprised to see that hostile cavalry was already crossing. They were +passing over a single bridge. Immediately it was clear to us that one +might do a tremendous lot of harm to the enemy by hitting the bridge. + +Dense masses of men were crossing. We went as low as possible and could +clearly see the hostile cavalry crossing by way of the bridge with great +rapidity. The first bomb fell near the bridge. The second and third +followed immediately. They created a tremendous disorder. The bridge had +not been hit. Nevertheless traffic across it had completely ceased. Men +and animals were rushing away in all directions. We had thrown only +three bombs but the success had been excellent. Besides, a whole +squadron of aeroplanes was following us. Lastly, we could do other +things. My observer fired energetically into the crowd down below with +his machine gun and we enjoyed it tremendously. Of course, I cannot say +what real success we had. The Russians have not told us. Still I +imagined that I alone had caused the Russian attack to fail. Perhaps +the official account of the Russian War Office will give me details +after the war. + + + _At Last!_ + +THE August sun was almost unbearably hot on the sandy flying ground at +Kovel. While we were chatting among ourselves one of my comrades said: +"To-day the great Boelcke arrives on a visit to us, or rather to his +brother!" In the evening the great man came to hand. He was vastly +admired by all and he told us many interesting things about his journey +to Turkey. He was just returning from Turkey and was on the way to +Headquarters. He imagined that he would go to the Somme to continue his +work. He was to organize a fighting squadron. He was empowered to select +from the flying corps those men who seemed to him particularly qualified +for his purpose. + +I did not dare to ask him to be taken on. I did not feel bored by the +fighting in Russia. On the contrary, we made extensive and interesting +flights. We bombed the Russians at their stations. Still, the idea of +fighting again on the Western Front attracted me. There is nothing +finer for a young cavalry officer than the chase of the air. + +The next morning Boelcke was to leave us. Quite early somebody knocked +at my door and before me stood the great man with the _Ordre pour le +Mérite_. I knew him, as I have previously mentioned, but still I had +never imagined that he came to look me up in order to ask me to become +his pupil. I almost fell upon his neck when he inquired whether I cared +to go with him to the Somme. + +Three days later I sat in the railway train and traveled through the +whole of Germany straight away to the new field of my activity. At last +my greatest wish was fulfilled. From now onwards began the finest time +of my life. + +At that time I did not dare to hope that I should be as successful as I +have been. When I left my quarters in the East a good friend of mine +called out after me: "See that you do not come back without the _Ordre +pour le Mérite_." + +FOOTNOTES: + +[13] This is the first reference to the regular "Traveling Circus" idea, +in which the whole squadron works as a self-contained unit, with a +special train to move its material, stores, spares, and mechanics, from +place to place, and also provides living accommodations for the pilots. + +[14] The German C-type machines are the two-seater reconnaissance types. +The D-type are the single-seater fighters or "chaser" machines. The +G-type are the big three-seater bombers. + +[15] It is interesting to find a German joking about food scarcity in +1916, exactly as people in England joke about it in 1918. One is able +thus to form some idea of the comparative states of the two countries, +and to judge how Germany would have fared if the British blockage had +been rigidly enforced at the beginning of the war. + +[16] It was 150 horsepower in 1916. By the beginning of 1918 all modern +German C-type machines had 260 h.p., and by April, 1918, German biplanes +with 500 h.p. in one engine were beginning to appear. In consequence the +extreme height (or "ceiling") of a C-type machine had risen from 12,000 +feet to 20,000 feet. + +[17] Attacks on troops on roads by low-flying aeroplanes were not +regularly organized acts of war in those days, though such attacks had +been made by R. N. A. S. pilots in Belgium in 1914. It is curious that +despite the observed effects of the R. N. A. S. attacks, and the +experiences of such men as von Richthofen, neither the British nor the +German aeronautical authorities ever took the trouble to devote +attention to this new method of war. The racial similarity of the two +belligerents is marked in this as in other matters. + + + + +VIII + +_My First English Victim. (17th September, 1915)_[18] + + +WE were all at the Butts trying our machine guns. On the previous day we +had received our new aeroplanes and the next morning Boelcke was to fly +with us. We were all beginners. None of us had had a success so far. +Consequently everything that Boelcke told us was to us gospel truth. +Every day, during the last few days, he had, as he said, shot one or two +Englishmen for breakfast. + +The next morning, the seventeenth of September, was a gloriously fine +day. It was therefore only to be expected that the English would be very +active. Before we started Boelcke repeated to us his instructions and +for the first time we flew as a squadron commanded by the great man whom +we followed blindly. + +We had just arrived at the Front when we recognized a hostile flying +squadron that was proceeding in the direction of Cambrai. Boelcke was of +course the first to see it, for he saw a great deal more than ordinary +mortals. Soon we understood the position and everyone of us strove to +follow Boelcke closely. It was clear to all of us that we should pass +our first examination under the eyes of our beloved leader. + +Slowly we approached the hostile squadron. It could not escape us. We +had intercepted it, for we were between the Front and our opponents. If +they wished to go back they had to pass us. We counted the hostile +machines. They were seven in number. We were only five. All the +Englishmen flew large bomb-carrying two-seaters. In a few seconds the +dance would begin. + +Boelcke had come very near the first English machine but he did not yet +shoot. I followed. Close to me were my comrades. The Englishman nearest +to me was traveling in a large boat painted with dark colors. I did not +reflect very long but took my aim and shot. He also fired and so did I, +and both of us missed our aim. A struggle began and the great point for +me was to get to the rear of the fellow because I could only shoot +forward with my gun. He was differently placed for his machine gun was +movable. It could fire in all directions. + +Apparently he was no beginner, for he knew exactly that his last hour +had arrived at the moment when I got at the back of him. At that time I +had not yet the conviction "He must fall!" which I have now on such +occasions, but on the contrary, I was curious to see whether he would +fall. There is a great difference between the two feelings. When one has +shot down one's first, second or third opponent, then one begins to find +out how the trick is done. + +My Englishman twisted and turned, going criss-cross. I did not think for +a moment that the hostile squadron contained other Englishmen who +conceivably might come to the aid of their comrade. I was animated by a +single thought: "The man in front of me must come down, whatever +happens." At last a favorable moment arrived. My opponent had apparently +lost sight of me. Instead of twisting and turning he flew straight +along. In a fraction of a second I was at his back with my excellent +machine. I give a short series of shots with my machine gun. I had gone +so close that I was afraid I might dash into the Englishman. Suddenly, I +nearly yelled with joy for the propeller of the enemy machine had +stopped turning. I had shot his engine to pieces; the enemy was +compelled to land, for it was impossible for him to reach his own lines. +The English machine was curiously swinging to and fro. Probably +something had happened to the pilot. The observer was no longer visible. +His machine gun was apparently deserted. Obviously I had hit the +observer and he had fallen from his seat. + +The Englishman landed close to the flying ground of one of our +squadrons. I was so excited that I landed also and my eagerness was so +great that I nearly smashed up my machine. The English flying machine +and my own stood close together. I rushed to the English machine and saw +that a lot of soldiers were running towards my enemy. When I arrived I +discovered that my assumption had been correct. I had shot the engine to +pieces and both the pilot and observer were severely wounded. The +observer died at once and the pilot while being transported to the +nearest dressing station. I honored the fallen enemy by placing a stone +on his beautiful grave. + +When I came home Boelcke and my other comrades were already at +breakfast. They were surprised that I had not turned up. I reported +proudly that I had shot down an Englishman. All were full of joy for I +was not the only victor. As usual, Boelcke had shot down an opponent for +breakfast and every one of the other men also had downed an enemy for +the first time. + +I would mention that since that time no English squadron ventured as far +as Cambrai as long as Boelcke's squadron was there.[19] + + + _The Battle of the Somme_ + +DURING my whole life I have not found a happier hunting ground than in +the course of the Somme Battle. In the morning, as soon as I had got up, +the first Englishmen arrived, and the last did not disappear until long +after sunset. Boelcke once said that this was the El Dorado of the +flying men. + +There was a time when, within two months, Boelcke's bag of machines +increased from twenty to forty. We beginners had not at that time the +experience of our master and we were quite satisfied when we did not get +a hiding. It was an exciting period. Every time we went up we had a +fight. Frequently we fought really big battles in the air. There were +sometimes from forty to sixty English machines, but unfortunately the +Germans were often in the minority. With them quality was more important +than quantity. + +Still the Englishman is a smart fellow. That we must allow. Sometimes +the English came down to a very low altitude and visited Boelcke in his +quarters, upon which they threw their bombs. They absolutely challenged +us to battle and never refused fighting. + +We had a delightful time with our chasing squadron. The spirit of our +leader animated all his pupils. We trusted him blindly. There was no +possibility that one of us would be left behind. Such a thought was +incomprehensible to us. Animated by that spirit we gaily diminished the +number of our enemies. + +On the day when Boelcke fell the squadron had brought down forty +opponents. By now the number has been increased by more than a hundred. +Boelcke's spirit lives still among his capable successors. + + + _Boelcke's Death. (28th October, 1916)_ + +ONE day we were flying, once more guided by Boelcke against the enemy. +We always had a wonderful feeling of security when he was with us. After +all he was the one and only. The weather was very gusty and there were +many clouds. There were no aeroplanes about except fighting ones. + +From a long distance we saw two impertinent Englishmen in the air who +actually seemed to enjoy the terrible weather. We were six and they were +two. If they had been twenty and if Boelcke had given us the signal to +attack we should not have been at all surprised. + +The struggle began in the usual way. Boelcke tackled the one and I the +other. I had to let go because one of the German machines got in my way. +I looked around and noticed Boelcke settling his victim about two +hundred yards away from me. + +It was the usual thing. Boelcke would shoot down his opponent and I had +to look on. Close to Boelcke flew a good friend of his. It was an +interesting struggle. Both men were shooting. It was probable that the +Englishman would fall at any moment. Suddenly I noticed an unnatural +movement of the two German flying machines. Immediately I thought: +Collision. I had not yet seen a collision in the air. I had imagined +that it would look quite different. In reality, what happened was not a +collision. The two machines merely touched one another. However, if two +machines go at the tremendous pace of flying machines, the slightest +contact has the effect of a violent concussion. + +Boelcke drew away from his victim and descended in large curves. He did +not seem to be falling, but when I saw him descending below me I noticed +that part of his planes had broken off. I could not see what happened +afterwards, but in the clouds he lost an entire plane. Now his machine +was no longer steerable. It fell accompanied all the time by Boelcke's +faithful friend. + +When we reached home we found the report "Boelcke is dead!" had already +arrived. We could scarcely realize it. + +The greatest pain was, of course, felt by the man who had the misfortune +to be involved in the accident. + +It is a strange thing that everybody who met Boelcke imagined that he +alone was his true friend. I have made the acquaintance of about forty +men, each of whom imagined that he alone was Boelcke's intimate. Each +imagined that he had the monopoly of Boelcke's affections. Men whose +names were unknown to Boelcke believed that he was particularly fond of +them. This is a curious phenomenon which I have never noticed in anyone +else. Boelcke had not a personal enemy. He was equally polite to +everybody, making no differences. + +The only one who was perhaps more intimate with him than the others was +the very man who had the misfortune to be in the accident which caused +his death. + +Nothing happens without God's will. That is the only consolation which +any of us can put to our souls during this war. + + + _My Eighth Victim_ + +IN Boelcke's time eight was quite a respectable number. Those who hear +nowadays of the colossal bags made by certain aviators must feel +convinced that it has become easier to shoot down a machine. I can +assure those who hold that opinion that the flying business is becoming +more difficult from month to month and even from week to week. Of +course, with the increasing number of aeroplanes one gains increased +opportunities for shooting down one's enemies, but at the same time, the +possibility of being shot down one's self increases. The armament of our +enemies is steadily improving and their number is increasing.[20] When +Immelmann shot down his first victim he had the good fortune to find an +opponent who carried not even a machine gun. Such little innocents one +finds nowadays only at the training ground for beginners. + +On the ninth of November, 1916, I flew towards the enemy with my little +comrade Immelmann,[21] who then was eighteen years old. We both were in +Boelcke's squadron of chasing aeroplanes. We had previously met one +another and had got on very well. Comradeship is a most important thing. +We went to work. I had already bagged seven enemies and Immelmann five. +At that time this was quite a lot. + +Soon after our arrival at the front we saw a squadron of bombing +aeroplanes. They were coming along with impertinent assurance. They +arrived in enormous numbers as was usual during the Somme Battle. I +think there were about forty or fifty machines approaching. I cannot +give the exact number. They had selected an object for their bombs not +far from our aerodrome. I reached them when they had almost attained +their objective. I approached the last machine. My first few shots +incapacitated the hostile machine gunner. Possibly they had tickled the +pilot, too. At any rate he resolved to land with his bombs. I fired a +few more shots to accelerate his progress downwards. He fell close to +our flying ground at Lagnicourt. + +While I was fighting my opponent, Immelmann had tackled another +Englishman and had brought him down in the same locality. Both of us +flew quickly home in order to have a look at the machines we had downed. +We jumped into a motor car, drove in the direction where our victims lay +and had to run along a distance through the fields. It was very hot, +therefore I unbuttoned all my garments even the collar and the shirt. I +took off my jacket, left my cap in the car but took with me a big stick. +My boots were miry up to the knees. I looked like a tramp. I arrived in +the vicinity of my victim. In the meantime, a lot of people had of +course gathered around. + +At one spot there was a group of officers. I approached them, greeted +them, and asked the first one whom I met whether he could tell me +anything about the aspect of the aerial battle. It is always +interesting to find out how a fight in the air looks to the people down +below. I was told that the English machines had thrown bombs and that +the aeroplane that had come down was still carrying its bombs. + +The officer who gave me this information took my arm, went with me to +the other officers, asked my name and introduced me to them. I did not +like it, for my attire was rather disarranged. On the other hand, all +the officers looked as spic and span as on parade. I was introduced to a +personage who impressed me rather strangely. I noticed a General's +trousers, an Order at the neck, an unusually youthful face and +undefinable epaulettes. In short, the personage seemed extraordinary to +me. During our conversation I buttoned my trousers and collar and +adopted a somewhat military attitude. + +I had no idea who the officer was. I took my leave and went home again. +In the evening the telephone rang and I was told that the undefinable +somebody with whom I had been talking had been His Royal Highness, the +Grand-Duke of Saxe-Coburg Gotha. + +I was ordered to go to him. It was known that the English had intended +to throw bombs on his headquarters. Apparently I had helped to keep the +aggressors away from him. Therefore I was given the Saxe-Coburg Gotha +medal for bravery. + +I always enjoy this adventure when I look at the medal. + + + _Major Hawker_ + +I WAS extremely proud when, one fine day, I was informed that the airman +whom I had brought down on the twenty-third of November, 1916, was the +English Immelmann. + +In view of the character of our fight it was clear to me that I had been +tackling a flying champion. + +One day I was blithely flying to give chase when I noticed three +Englishmen who also had apparently gone a-hunting. I noticed that they +were ogling me and as I felt much inclination to have a fight I did not +want to disappoint them. + +I was flying at a lower altitude. Consequently I had to wait until one +of my English friends tried to drop on me. After a short while on the +three came sailing along and attempted to tackle me in the rear. After +firing five shots he had to stop for I had swerved in a sharp curve. + +The Englishman tried to catch me up in the rear while I tried to get +behind him. So we circled round and round like madmen after one another +at an altitude of about 10,000 feet. + +First we circled twenty times to the left, and then thirty times to the +right. Each tried to get behind and above the other. + +Soon I discovered that I was not meeting a beginner. He had not the +slightest intention of breaking off the fight. He was traveling in a +machine which turned beautifully.[22] However, my own was better at +rising than his, and I succeeded at last in getting above and beyond my +English waltzing partner. + +When we had got down to about 6,000 feet without having achieved +anything in particular, my opponent ought to have discovered that it was +time for him to take his leave. The wind was favorable to me for it +drove us more and more towards the German position. At last we were +above Bapaume, about half a mile behind the German front. The +impertinent fellow was full of cheek and when we had got down to about +3,000 feet he merrily waved to me as if he would say, "Well, how do you +do?" + +The circles which we made around one another were so narrow that their +diameter was probably no more than 250 or 300 feet. I had time to take a +good look at my opponent. I looked down into his carriage and could see +every movement of his head. If he had not had his cap on I would have +noticed what kind of a face he was making. + +My Englishman was a good sportsman, but by and by the thing became a +little too hot for him. He had to decide whether he would land on German +ground or whether he would fly back to the English lines. Of course he +tried the latter, after having endeavored in vain to escape me by +loopings and such like tricks. At that time his first bullets were +flying around me, for hitherto neither of us had been able to do any +shooting. + +When he had come down to about three hundred feet he tried to escape by +flying in a zig-zag course during which, as is well known, it is +difficult for an observer to shoot. That was my most favorable moment. I +followed him at an altitude of from two hundred and fifty feet to one +hundred and fifty feet, firing all the time. The Englishman could not +help falling. But the jamming of my gun nearly robbed me of my success. + +My opponent fell, shot through the head, one hundred and fifty feet +behind our line. His machine gun was dug out of the ground and it +ornaments the entrance of my dwelling.[23] + +FOOTNOTES: + +[18] This locates almost exactly the date of the formation of the first +Boelcke Circus. + +[19] Cambrai at that time was a long way behind the front, and Bapaume +was a more important mark for the British squadrons. So it may not have +been worth while for squadrons to go so far afield as Cambrai. Single +machines on long reconnaissance visited Cambrai regularly. + +[20] This testimony to the improvement in the aerial equipment of the +British Army is well worthy of note. + +[21] This is evidently a junior Immelmann of Boelcke's squadron, and not +the famous Immelmann, who was already dead before the Boelcke squadron +came into existence. + +[22] Major Hawker was flying a de Havilland II with a 100 h.p. +Monosoupape Gnome engine, a species of "box-kite" single-seater biplane, +albeit very fast and handy. + +[23] One gathers that this account is substantially correct. The other +two British machines who were with Major Hawker became involved with von +Richthofen's four followers and with five other German chasers which +came into the fight from a higher altitude. These two, after a busy +time, fought their way out, while Major Hawker was fighting von +Richthofen. The only flaw in the story is that in fact one of the upper +German machines dived onto Major Hawker, who, apparently, in avoiding +it, came into action with von Richthofen. + + + + +IX + +_I Get the Ordre Pour le Mérite_ + + +I HAD brought down my sixteenth victim, and I had come to the head of +the list of all the flying chasers. I had obtained the aim which I had +set myself. In the previous year my friend Lynker, with whom I was +training, had asked me: "What is your object? What will you obtain by +flying?" I replied, jokingly, "I would like to be the first of the +chasers. That must be very fine." That I should succeed in this I did +not believe myself. Other people also did not expect my success. Boelcke +is supposed to have said, not to me personally--I have only heard the +report--when asked: "Which of the fellows is likely to become a good +chaser?"--"That is the man!" pointing his finger in my direction. + +[Illustration: THE FORTIETH RICHTHOFEN VICTIM] + +Boelcke and Immelmann were given the _Ordre pour le Mérite_ when they +had brought down their eighth aeroplane. I had downed twice that number. +The question was, what would happen to me? I was very curious. It was +rumored that I was to be given command of a chasing squadron. + +One fine day a telegram arrived, which stated: "Lieutenant von +Richthofen is appointed Commander of the Eleventh Chasing Squadron." + +I must say I was annoyed. I had learnt to work so well with my comrades +of Boelcke's Squadron and now I had to begin all over again working hand +in hand with different people. It was a beastly nuisance. Besides I +should have preferred the _Ordre pour le Mérite_. + +Two days later, when we were sitting sociably together, we men of +Boelcke's Squadron, celebrating my departure, a telegram from +Headquarters arrived. It stated that His Majesty had graciously +condescended to give me the _Ordre pour le Mérite_. Of course my joy was +tremendous. + +I had never imagined that it would be so delightful to command a chasing +squadron. Even in my dreams I had not imagined that there would ever be +a Richthofen's squadron of aeroplanes. + + + _Le Petit Rouge_ + +IT occurred to me to have my packing case painted all over in staring +red. The result was that everyone got to know my red bird. My opponents +also seemed to have heard of the color transformation. + +During a fight on quite a different section of the Front I had the good +fortune to shoot into a Vickers' two-seater which peacefully +photographed the German artillery position. My friend, the photographer, +had not the time to defend himself. He had to make haste to get down +upon firm ground for his machine began to give suspicious indications of +fire. When we airmen notice that phenomenon in an enemy plane, we say: +"He stinks!" As it turned out it was really so. When the machine was +coming to earth it burst into flames. + +I felt some human pity for my opponent and had resolved not to cause him +to fall down but merely to compel him to land. I did so particularly +because I had the impression that my opponent was wounded for he did not +fire a single shot. + +When I had got down to an altitude of about fifteen hundred feet engine +trouble compelled me to land without making any curves. The result was +very comical. My enemy with his burning machine landed smoothly while I, +his victor, came down next to him in the barbed wire of our trenches and +my machine overturned.[24] + +The two Englishmen who were not a little surprised at my collapse, +greeted me like sportsmen. As mentioned before, they had not fired a +shot and they could not understand why I had landed so clumsily. They +were the first two Englishmen whom I had brought down alive. +Consequently, it gave me particular pleasure to talk to them. I asked +them whether they had previously seen my machine in the air, and one of +them replied, "Oh, yes. I know your machine very well. We call it 'Le +Petit Rouge'." + + + _English and French Flying. + (February, 1917)_ + +I WAS trying to compete with Boelcke's squadron. Every evening we +compared our bags. However, Boelcke's pupils are smart rascals. I cannot +get ahead of them. The utmost one can do is to draw level with them. The +Boelcke section has an advantage over my squadron of one hundred +aeroplanes downed. I must allow them to retain it. Everything depends on +whether we have for opponents those French tricksters or those daring +rascals, the English. I prefer the English. Frequently their daring can +only be described as stupidity. In their eyes it may be pluck and +daring. + +The great thing in air fighting is that the decisive factor does not lie +in trick flying but solely in the personal ability and energy of the +aviator. A flying man may be able to loop and do all the stunts +imaginable and yet he may not succeed in shooting down a single enemy. +In my opinion the aggressive spirit is everything and that spirit is +very strong in us Germans. Hence we shall always retain the domination +of the air.[25] + +The French have a different character. They like to put traps and to +attack their opponents unawares. That cannot easily be done in the air. +Only a beginner can be caught and one cannot set traps because an +aeroplane cannot hide itself. The invisible aeroplane has not yet been +discovered. Sometimes, however, the Gaelic blood asserts itself. The +Frenchmen will then attack. But the French attacking spirit is like +bottled lemonade. It lacks tenacity. + +The Englishmen, on the other hand, one notices that they are of Germanic +blood. Sportsmen easily take to flying, and Englishmen see in flying +nothing but a sport. They take a perfect delight in looping the loop, +flying on their back, and indulging in other stunts for the benefit of +our soldiers in the trenches. All these tricks may impress people who +attend a Sports Meeting, but the public at the battle-front is not as +appreciative of these things. It demands higher qualifications than +trick flying. Therefore, the blood of English pilots will have to flow +in streams. + + + _I Am Shot Down. + (Middle of March, 1917)_ + +I HAVE had an experience which might perhaps be described as being shot +down. At the same time, I call shot down only when one falls down. +To-day I got into trouble but I escaped with a whole skin. + +I was flying with the squadron and noticed an opponent who also was +flying in a squadron. It happened above the German artillery position in +the neighborhood of Lens. I had to fly quite a distance to get there. It +tickles ones nerves to fly towards the enemy, especially when one can +see him from a long distance and when several minutes must elapse +before one can start fighting. I imagine that at such a moment my face +turns a little pale, but unfortunately I have never had a mirror with +me. I like that feeling for it is a wonderful nerve stimulant. One +observes the enemy from afar. One has recognized that his squadron is +really an enemy formation. One counts the number of the hostile machines +and considers whether the conditions are favorable or unfavorable. A +factor of enormous importance is whether the wind forces me away from or +towards our Front. For instance, I once shot down an Englishman. I fired +the fatal shot above the English position. However, the wind was so +strong that his machine came down close to the German captive balloons. + +We Germans had five machines. Our opponents were three times as +numerous. The English flew about like midges. It is not easy to disperse +a swarm of machines which fly together in good order. It is impossible +for a single machine to do it. It is extremely difficult for several +aeroplanes, particularly if the difference in number is as great as it +was in this case. However, one feels such a superiority over the enemy +that one does not doubt of success for a moment. + +The aggressive spirit, the offensive, is the chief thing everywhere in +war, and the air is no exception. However, the enemy had the same idea. +I noticed that at once. As soon as they observed us they turned round +and attacked us. Now we five had to look sharp. If one of them should +fall there might be a lot of trouble for all of us. We went closer +together and allowed the foreign gentlemen to approach us. + +I watched whether one of the fellows would hurriedly take leave of his +colleagues. There! One of them is stupid enough to depart alone. I can +reach him and I say to myself, "That man is lost." Shouting aloud, I am +after him. I have come up to him or at least am getting very near him. +He starts shooting prematurely, which shows that he is nervous. So I say +to myself, "Go on shooting. You won't hit me." He shot with a kind of +ammunition which ignites. So I could see his shots passing me. I felt as +if I were sitting in front of a gigantic watering pot. The sensation +was not pleasant. Still, the English usually shoot with their beastly +stuff, and so we must try and get accustomed to it.[26] One can get +accustomed to anything. At the moment I think I laughed aloud. But soon +I got a lesson. When I had approached the Englishman quite closely, when +I had come to a distance of about three hundred feet, I got ready for +firing, aimed and gave a few trial shots. The machine guns were in +order. The decision would be there before long. In my mind's eye I saw +my enemy dropping. + +My former excitement was gone. In such a position one thinks quite +calmly and collectedly and weighs the probabilities of hitting and of +being hit. Altogether the fight itself is the least exciting part of the +business as a rule. He who gets excited in fighting is sure to make +mistakes. He will never get his enemy down. Besides calmness is, after +all, a matter of habit. At any rate in this case I did not make a +mistake. I approached my man up to fifty yards. Then I fired some well +aimed shots and thought that I was bound to be successful. That was my +idea. But suddenly I heard a tremendous bang, when I had scarcely fired +ten cartridges. Presently again something hit my machine. It became +clear to me that I had been hit or rather my machine. At the same time I +noticed a fearful benzine stench and I observed that the motor was +running slack. The Englishman noticed it, too, for he started shooting +with redoubled energy while I had to stop it. + +I went right down. Instinctively I switched off the engine and indeed it +was high time to do this. When a pilot's benzine tank has been +perforated, and when the infernal liquid is squirting around his legs, +the danger of fire is very great. In front is an explosion engine of +more than 150 h. p. which is red hot. If a single drop of benzine +should fall on it the whole machine would be in flames.[27] + +I left in the air a thin white cloud. I knew its meaning from my +enemies. Its appearance is the first sign of a coming explosion. I was +at an altitude of nine thousand feet and had to travel a long distance +to get down. By the kindness of Providence my engine stopped running. I +have no idea with what rapidity I went downward. At any rate the speed +was so great that I could not put my head out of the machine without +being pressed back by the rush of air. + +Soon I lost sight of my enemy. I had only time to see what my four +comrades were doing while I was dropping to the ground. They were still +fighting. Their machine-guns and those of their opponents could be +heard. Suddenly I notice a rocket. Is it a signal of the enemy? No, it +cannot be. The light is too great for a rocket. Evidently a machine is +on fire. What machine? The burning machine looks exactly as if it were +one of our own. No! Praise the Lord, it is one of the enemy's! Who can +have shot him down? Immediately afterwards a second machine drops out +and falls perpendicularly to the ground, turning, turning, turning +exactly as I did, but suddenly it recovers its balance. It flies +straight towards me. It also is an Albatros. No doubt it had the same +experience as I had. + +I had fallen to an altitude of perhaps one thousand feet and had to look +out for a landing. Now such a sudden landing usually leads to breakages +and as these are occasionally serious it was time to look out. I found a +meadow. It was not very large but it just sufficed if I used due +caution. Besides it was favorably situated on the high road near +Hénin-Liétard. There I meant to land. + +Everything went as desired and my first thought was, "What has become of +the other fellow." He landed a few kilometers from the spot where I had +come to the ground. + +I had ample time to inspect the damage. My machine had been hit a number +of times. The shot which caused me to give up the fight had gone through +both benzine tanks. I had not a drop of benzine left and the engine +itself had also been damaged by shots. It was a pity for it had worked +so well. + +I let my legs dangle out of the machine and probably made a very silly +face. In a moment I was surrounded by a large crowd of soldiers. Then +came an officer. He was quite out of breath. He was terribly excited! No +doubt something fearful had happened to him. He rushed towards me, +gasped for air and asked: "I hope that nothing has happened to you. I +have followed the whole affair and am terribly excited! Good Lord, it +looked awful!" I assured him that I felt quite well, jumped down from +the side of my machine and introduced myself to him. Of course he did +not understand a particle of my name. However, he invited me to go in +his motor car to Hénin-Liétard where he was quartered. He was an +Engineer Officer. + +We were sitting in the motor and were commencing our ride. My host was +still extraordinarily excited. Suddenly he jumped up and asked: "Good +Lord, but where is your chauffeur?" At first I did not quite understand +what he meant. Probably I looked puzzled. Then it dawned upon me that he +thought that I was the observer of a two-seater and that he asked after +the fate of my pilot. I pulled myself together and said in the dryest +tones: "I always drive myself." Of course the word "drive" is absolutely +taboo among the flying men. + +An aviator does not drive, he flies. In the eyes of the kind gentleman I +had obviously lost caste when he discovered that I "drove" my own +aeroplane. The conversation began to slacken. + +We arrived in his quarters. I was still dressed in my dirty and oily +leather jacket and had round my neck a thick wrap. On our journey he had +of course asked me a tremendous number of questions. Altogether he was +far more excited than I was. + +When we got to his diggings he forced me to lie down on the sofa, or at +least he tried to force me because, he argued, I was bound to be +terribly done up through my fight. I assured him that this was not my +first aerial battle but he did not, apparently, give me much credence. +Probably I did not look very martial. + +After we had been talking for some time he asked me of course the +celebrated question: "Have you ever brought down a machine?" As I said +before he had probably not understood my name. So I answered +nonchalantly: "Oh, yes! I have done so now and then." He replied: +"Indeed! Perhaps you have shot down two?" I answered: "No. Not two but +twenty-four." He smiled, repeated his question and gave me to understand +that, when he was speaking about shooting down an aeroplane, he meant +not shooting _at_ an aeroplane but shooting _into_ an aeroplane in such +a manner that it would fall to the ground and remain there. I +immediately assured him that I entirely shared his conception of the +meaning of the words "shooting down." + +Now I had completely lost caste with him. He was convinced that I was a +fearful liar. He left me sitting where I was and told me that a meal +would be served in an hour. If I liked I could join in. I accepted his +invitation and slept soundly for an hour. Then we went to the Officers' +Club. Arrived at the club I was glad to find that I was wearing the +_Ordre pour le Mérite_. + +Unfortunately I had no uniform jacket underneath my greasy leather coat +but only a waistcoat. I apologized for being so badly dressed. Suddenly +my good chief discovered on me the _Ordre pour le Mérite_. He was +speechless with surprise and assured me that he did not know my name. I +gave him my name once more. Now it seemed to dawn upon him that he had +heard my name before. He feasted me with oysters and champagne and I did +gloriously until at last my orderly arrived and fetched me with my car. +I learned from him that comrade Lubbert had once more justified his +nickname. He was generally called "The bullet-catcher" for his machine +suffered badly in every fight. Once it was hit sixty-four times. Yet he +had not been wounded. This time he had received a glancing shot on the +chest and he was by this time in hospital. I flew his machine to port. +Unfortunately this excellent officer, who promised to become another +Boelcke, died a few weeks later--a hero's death for the Fatherland. + +In the evening I could assure my kind host of Hénin-Liétard that I had +increased my "bag" to twenty-five. + +FOOTNOTES: + +[24] This incident confirms the impression that the small Albatros +biplanes are difficult to land except in a properly prepared aerodrome. + +[25] Except when faced by pilots in approximately equal numbers and +equally mounted. It is interesting here to recall the dictum of General +von Hoppner, the chief of the German Flying Service, who said that the +English are dangerous opponents and show by their fighting spirit that +they are of Germanic race. It will be noticed that von Richthofen +repeats the sentiment later on. + +[26] The reference is to what are called "tracer" bullets. The hind end +of the bullet contains a phosphorous mixture which leaves a trail of +smoke and so indicates to the gunner where his bullets are going. If +such a bullet penetrates a petrol tank or passes through escaping +petrol--due to a perforated tank or a cut petrol-pipe--it sets the +petrol on fire, but the prime reason is to trace the course of the shot. +The Germans use similar bullets as largely as do the Allies. + +[27] This is a mistaken idea, common to many pilots who are not motor +engineers. Fire in such cases is caused by petrol or petrol vapor being +set alight by a spark from the magneto, which because the air-screw is +still revolving continues to generate sparks internally even when +switched off. A mere red-hot pipe in an engine would not cause petrol +fire. + + + + +X + +_A Flying-Man's Adventure. (End of March, 1917)_ + + +THE name "Siegfried position" is probably known to every young man in +Germany. During the time when we withdrew towards the Siegfried line the +activity in the air was of course very great. We allowed our enemies to +occupy the territory which we had evacuated but we did not allow them to +occupy the air as well. The chaser squadron which Boelcke had trained +looked after the English flying men. The English had hitherto fought a +war of position in the air and they ventured to abandon it for a war of +movement only with the utmost caution. + +That was the time when Prince Frederick Charles gave his life for the +Fatherland. + +In the course of a hunting expedition of the Boelcke Chaser Squadron, +Lieutenant Voss[28] had defeated an Englishman in an aerial duel. He was +forced to go down to the ground and landed in neutral territory between +the lines, in No Man's Land. In this particular case we had abandoned a +stretch of territory but the enemy had not yet occupied it. Only English +and German patrols were about in the unoccupied zone. The English flying +machine was standing between the two lines. Our good Englishman probably +believed that the ground was already in English possession and he was +justified in thinking so. + +Lieutenant Voss was of a different opinion. Without a moment's +hesitation he landed close to his victim. With great rapidity he +transferred the Englishman's machine-guns and other useful things to +his own aeroplane, took a match and in a few minutes the English machine +stood in flames. Then he waved smilingly from his victorious aeroplane +to the English who were rushing along from all sides and was off. + + + _My First Double Event_ + +THE second of April, 1917, was a very warm day for my Squadron. From my +quarters I could clearly hear the drum-fire of the guns which was again +particularly violent. + +I was still in bed when my orderly rushed into the room and exclaimed: +"Sir, the English are here!" Sleepy as I was, I looked out of the window +and, really, there were my dear friends circling over the flying ground. +I jumped out of my bed and into my clothes in a jiffy. My Red Bird had +been pulled out and was ready for starting. My mechanics knew that I +should probably not allow such a favorable moment to go by unutilized. +Everything was ready. I snatched up my furs and then went off. + +I was the last to start. My comrades were much nearer to the enemy. I +feared that my prey would escape me, that I should have to look on from +a distance while the others were fighting. Suddenly one of the +impertinent fellows tried to drop down upon me. I allowed him to come +near and then we started a merry quadrille. Sometimes my opponent flew +on his back and sometimes he did other tricks. He had a double-seated +chaser. I was his master and very soon I recognized that he could not +escape me. + +During an interval in the fighting I convinced myself that we were +alone. It followed that the victory would accrue to him who was calmest, +who shot best and who had the clearest brain in a moment of danger. +After a short time I got him beneath me without seriously hurting him +with my gun. We were at least two kilometers from the front. I thought +he intended to land but there I had made a mistake. Suddenly, when he +was only a few yards above the ground, he once more went off on a +straight course. He tried to escape me. That was too bad. I attacked +him again and I went so low that I feared I should touch the roofs of +the houses of the village beneath me. The Englishman defended himself up +to the last moment. At the very end I felt that my engine had been hit. +Still I did not let go. He had to fall. He rushed at full speed right +into a block of houses. + +There was little left to be done. This was once more a case of splendid +daring. He defended himself to the last. However, in my opinion he +showed more foolhardiness than courage. This was one of the cases where +one must differentiate between energy and idiocy. He had to come down in +any case but he paid for his stupidity with his life. + +I was delighted with the performance of my red machine during its +morning work and returned to our quarters. My comrades were still in the +air and they were very surprised, when, as we met at breakfast, I told +them that I had scored my thirty-second machine. + +A very young Lieutenant had "bagged" his first aeroplane. We were all +very merry and prepared everything for further battles. + +I then went and groomed myself. I had not had time to do it previously. +I was visited by a dear friend, Lieutenant Voss of Boelcke's Squadron. +We chatted. Voss had downed on the previous day his twenty-third +machine. He was next to me on the list and is at present my most +redoubtable competitor. + +When he started to fly home I offered to accompany him part of the way. +We went on a roundabout way over the Fronts. The weather had turned so +bad that we could not hope to find any more game. + +Beneath us there were dense clouds. Voss did not know the country and he +began to feel uncomfortable. When we passed above Arras I met my brother +who also is in my squadron and who had lost his way. He joined us. Of +course he recognized me at once by the color of my machine. + +Suddenly we saw a squadron approaching from the other side. Immediately +the thought occurred to me: "Now comes number thirty-three." Although +there were nine Englishmen and although they were on their own +territory they preferred to avoid battle. I thought that perhaps it +would be better for me to re-paint my machine. Nevertheless we caught +them up. The important thing in aeroplanes is that they are speedy. + +I was nearest to the enemy and attacked the man to the rear. To my +greatest delight I noticed that he accepted battle and my pleasure was +increased when I discovered that his comrades deserted him. So I had +once more a single fight. + +It was a fight similar to the one which I had had in the morning. My +opponent did not make matters easy for me. He knew the fighting business +and it was particularly awkward for me that he was a good shot. To my +great regret that was quite clear to me. + +A favorable wind came to my aid. It drove both of us into the German +lines.[29] My opponent discovered that the matter was not so simple as +he had imagined. So he plunged and disappeared in a cloud. He had nearly +saved himself. + +I plunged after him and dropped out of the cloud and, as luck would have +it, found myself close behind him. I fired and he fired without any +tangible result. At last I hit him. I noticed a ribbon of white benzine +vapor. He had to land for his engine had come to a stop. + +He was a stubborn fellow. He was bound to recognize that he had lost the +game. If he continued shooting I could kill him, for meanwhile we had +dropped to an altitude of about nine hundred feet. However, the +Englishman defended himself exactly as did his countryman in the +morning. He fought until he landed. When he had come to the ground I +flew over him at an altitude of about thirty feet in order to ascertain +whether I had killed him or not. What did the rascal do? He took his +machine-gun and shot holes into my machine. + +Afterwards Voss told me if that had happened to him he would have shot +the airman on the ground. As a matter of fact I ought to have done so +for he had not surrendered. He was one of the few fortunate fellows who +escaped with their lives. + +I felt very merry, flew home and celebrated my thirty-third aeroplane. + +FOOTNOTES: + +[28] Voss was afterwards shot in a fight by the late Lieut. Rhys-Davids, +D. C. O., M. C. In this fight, which is said to have been one of the +most gallant actions in the war, Voss was flying a Fokker triplane with +a French le Rhone engine, taken out of a captured machine. He was +attacked by six British S. E.'s, all faster than he was. His solitary +companion, on an Albatros, was shot down at the first onset, but Voss, +instead of getting away, as he could have done, stayed and fought the +crowd. His manoeuvering and shooting are said to have been wonderful. +Every British machine was hit, but none was brought down, and Voss +himself finally fell to a direct attack by Rhys-Davids. + +[29] It is well to note how often von Richthofen refers to the wind +being in his favor. A west wind means that while the machines are +fighting they are driven steadily over the German lines. Then, if the +British machine happens to be inferior in speed or manoeuverability to +the German, and is forced down low, the pilot has the choice only of +fighting to a finish and being killed, or of landing and being made +prisoner. The prevalence of west winds has, for this reason, cost the R. +F. C. a very great number of casualties in killed and missing, who, if +the fight had occurred over territory held by the British, would merely +have landed till the attacking machine had taken itself off. For similar +reasons, the fact that the R. F. C. has always been on the offensive, +and so has always been flying over the German lines has caused many +casualties. Under all the circumstances it is surprising that the R. F. +C. casualties have not been a great deal heavier. + + + + +XI + +_My Record-Day_ + + +THE weather was glorious. We were ready for starting. I had as a visitor +a gentleman who had never seen a fight in the air or anything resembling +it and he had just assured me that it would tremendously interest him to +witness an aerial battle. + +We climbed into our machines and laughed heartily at our visitor's +eagerness. Friend Schäfer[30] thought that we might give him some fun. +We placed him before a telescope and off we went. + +The day began well. We had scarcely flown to an altitude of six thousand +feet when an English squadron of five machines was seen coming our way. +We attacked them by a rush as if we were cavalry and the hostile +squadron lay destroyed on the ground. None of our men was even wounded. +Of our enemies three had plunged to the ground and two had come down in +flames. + +The good fellow down below was not a little surprised. He had imagined +that the affair would look quite different, that it would be far more +dramatic. He thought the whole encounter had looked quite harmless until +suddenly some machines came falling down looking like rockets. I have +gradually become accustomed to seeing machines falling down, but I must +say it impressed me very deeply when I saw the first Englishman fall and +I have often seen the event again in my dreams. + +As the day had begun so propitiously we sat down and had a decent +breakfast. All of us were as hungry as wolves. In the meantime our +machines were again made ready for starting. Fresh cartridges were got +and then we went off again. + +In the evening we could send off the proud report: "Six German machines +have destroyed thirteen hostile aeroplanes."[31] + +Boelcke's Squadron had only once been able to make a similar report. At +that time we had shot down eight machines. To-day one of us had brought +low four of his opponents. The hero was a Lieutenant Wolff, a +delicate-looking little fellow in whom nobody could have suspected a +redoubtable hero. My brother had destroyed two, Schäfer two, Festner two +and I three. + +We went to bed in the evening tremendously proud but also terribly +tired. On the following day we read with noisy approval about our deeds +of the previous day in the official communiqué. On the next day we +downed eight hostile machines. + +A very amusing thing occurred. One of the Englishmen whom we had shot +down and whom we had made a prisoner was talking with us. Of course he +inquired after the Red Aeroplane. It is not unknown even among the +troops in the trenches and is called by them "le diable rouge." In the +Squadron to which he belonged there was a rumor that the Red Machine was +occupied by a girl, by a kind of Jeanne d'Arc. He was intensely +surprised when I assured him that the supposed girl was standing in +front of him. He did not intend to make a joke. He was actually +convinced that only a girl could sit in the extravagantly painted +machine. + + + _"Moritz"_ + +THE most beautiful being in all creation is the genuine Danish hound, my +little lap-dog, my Moritz. I bought him in Ostend from a brave Belgian +for five marks. His mother was a beautiful animal and one of his fathers +also was pure-bred. I am convinced of that. I could select one of the +litter and I chose the prettiest. Zeumer took another puppy and called +it Max. + +Max came to a sudden end. He was run over by a motor car. Moritz +flourished exceedingly. He slept with me in my bed and received a most +excellent education. He never left me while I was in Ostend and obtained +my entire affection. Month by month Moritz grew, and gradually my tender +little lap-dog became a colossal, big beast. + +Once I even took him with me. He was my first observer. He behaved very +sensibly. He seemed much interested in everything and looked at the +world from above. Only my mechanics were dissatisfied when they had to +clean the machine. Afterwards Moritz was very merry. + +Moritz is more than a year old and he is still as child-like as if he +were still in his teens. He is very fond of playing billiards. In doing +this he has destroyed many billiard balls and particularly many a +billiard cloth. He has a great passion for the chase. My mechanics are +highly satisfied with his sporting inclinations for he has caught for +them many a nice hare. I do not much approve of his hunting +proclivities. Consequently he gets a whacking if I catch him at it. + +He has a silly peculiarity. He likes to accompany the flying machines +at the start. Frequently the normal death of a flying-man's dog is death +from the propeller. One day he rushed in front of a flying-machine which +had been started. The aeroplane caught him up and a beautiful propeller +was smashed to bits. Moritz howled terribly and a measure which I had +hitherto omitted was taken. I had always refused to have his ears cut. +One of his ears was cut off by the propeller. A long ear and a short ear +do not go well together. + +Moritz has taken a very sensible view of the world-war and of our +enemies. When in the summer of 1916 he saw for the first time Russian +natives--the train had stopped and Moritz was being taken for a walk--he +chased the Russian crowd with loud barking. He has no great opinion of +Frenchmen although he is, after all, a Belgian. Once, when I had settled +in new quarters, I ordered the people to clean the house. When I came +back in the evening nothing had been done. I got angry and asked the +Frenchman to come and see me. When he opened the door Moritz greeted him +rather brusquely. Immediately I understood why no cleaning had been +done. + + + _The English Attack Our Aerodrome_ + +NIGHTS in which the full moon is shining are most suitable for night +flying. + +During the full moon nights of the month of April our English friends +were particularly industrious. This was during the Battle of Arras. +Probably they had found out that we had comfortably installed ourselves +on a beautiful large flying ground at Douai. + +One night when we were in the Officers' Mess the telephone started +ringing and we were told: "The English are coming." There was a great +hullabaloo. We had bomb-proof shelters. They had been got ready by our +excellent Simon. Simon is our architect, surveyor and builder. + +We dived down into shelter and we heard actually, at first a very gentle +humming and then the noise of engines. The searchlights had apparently +got notice at the same time as we, for they started getting ready. + +The nearest enemy was still too far away to be attacked. We were +colossally merry. The only thing we feared was that the English would +not succeed in finding our aerodrome. To find some fixed spot at night +is by no means easy. It was particularly difficult to find us because +our aerodrome was not situated on an important highway or near water or +a railway, by which one can be guided during one's flight at night.[32] +The Englishmen were apparently flying at a great altitude. At first they +circled around our entire establishment. We began to think that they had +given up and were looking for another objective. Suddenly we noticed +that the nearest one had switched off his engine. So he was coming +lower. Wolff said: "Now the matter is becoming serious." + +We had two carbines and began shooting at the Englishman. We could not +see him. Still the noise of our shooting was a sedative to our nerves. + +Suddenly he was taken up by the searchlights. There was shouting all +over the flying ground. Our friend was sitting in a prehistoric packing +case.[33] We could clearly recognize the type. He was half a mile away +from us and was flying straight towards us. + +He went lower and lower. At last he had come down to an altitude of +about three hundred feet. Then he started his engine again and came +straight towards the spot where we were standing. + +Wolff thought that he took an interest in the other side of our +establishment and before long the first bomb fell and it was followed by +a number of other missiles. + +Our friend amused us with very pretty fireworks. They could have +frightened only a coward. Broadly speaking, I find that bomb-throwing +at night has only a moral effect. Those who are easily frightened are +strongly affected when bombs fall at night. The others don't care. + +We were much amused at the Englishman's performance and thought the +English would come quite often on a visit. The flying piano dropped its +bombs at last from an altitude of one hundred and fifty feet. That was +rather impertinent for in a moonlit night I think I can hit a wild pig +at one hundred and fifty feet with a rifle. Why then should I not +succeed in hitting the Englishman? It would have been a novelty to down +an English airman from the ground. + +From above I had already had the honor of downing a number of +Englishmen, but I had never tried to tackle an aviator from below. + +When the Englishman had gone we went back to mess and discussed among +ourselves how we should receive the English should they pay us another +visit on the following night. In the course of the next day our +orderlies and other fellows were made to work with great energy. They +had to ram into the ground piles which were to be used as a foundation +for machine guns during the coming night. + +We went to the butts and tried the English machine guns which we had +taken from the enemy, arranged the sights for night shooting and were +very curious as to what was going to happen. I will not betray the +number of our machine guns. Anyhow, they were to be sufficient for the +purpose. Every one of my officers was armed with one. + +We were again sitting at mess. Of course we were discussing the problem +of night fliers. Suddenly an orderly rushed in shouting: "They are +there! They are there!" and disappeared in the next bomb-proof in his +scanty attire. We all rushed to our machine guns. Some of the men who +were known to be good shots, had also been given a machine gun. All the +rest were provided with carbines. The whole squadron was armed to the +teeth to give a warm reception to our kindly visitors. + +The first Englishman arrived, exactly as on the previous evening, at a +very great altitude. He went then down to one hundred and fifty feet and +to our greatest joy began making for the place where our barracks were. +He got into the glare of the searchlight. + +When he was only three hundred yards away someone fired the first shot +and all the rest of us joined in. A rush of cavalry or of storming +troops could not have been met more efficiently than the attack of that +single impertinent individual flying at one hundred and fifty feet. + +Quick firing from many guns received him. Of course he could not hear +the noise of the machine guns. The roar of his motor prevented that. +However, he must have seen the flashes of our guns. Therefore I thought +it tremendously plucky that our man did not swerve, but continued going +straight ahead in accordance with his plan.[34] + +At the moment he was perpendicularly above us we jumped quickly into our +bomb-proof. It would have been too silly for flying men to die by a +rotten bomb. + +As soon as he had passed over our heads we rushed out again and fired +after him with our machine guns and rifles. + +Friend Schäfer asserted that he had hit the man. Schäfer is quite a good +shot. Still, in this case I did not believe him. Besides, everyone of us +had as good a chance at making a hit as he had. + +We had achieved something, for the enemy had dropped his bombs rather +aimlessly owing to our shooting. One of them, it is true, had exploded +only a few yards from the "petit rouge," but had not hurt him. + +During the night the fun recommenced several times. I was already in +bed, fast asleep, when I heard in a dream anti-aircraft firing. I woke +up and discovered that the dream was reality. One of the Englishmen flew +at so low an altitude over my habitation that in my fright I pulled the +blanket over my head. The next moment I heard an incredible bang just +outside my window. The panes had fallen a victim to the bomb. I rushed +out of my room in my shirt in order to fire a few shots after him. They +were firing from everywhere. Unfortunately, I had overslept my +opportunity. + +The next morning we were extremely surprised and delighted to discover +that we had shot down from the ground no fewer than three Englishmen. +They had landed not far from our aerodrome and had been made prisoners. + +As a rule we had hit the engines and had forced the airmen to come down +on our side of the Front. After all, Schäfer was possibly right in his +assertion. At any rate, we were very well satisfied with our success. +The English were distinctly less satisfied for they preferred avoiding +our base. It was a pity that they gave us a wide berth, for they gave us +lots of fun. Let us hope that they come back to us next month. + +FOOTNOTES: + +[30] Schäfer was also shot by Lieut. Rhys-Davids, R. F. C., later in +1917. + +[31] It is possible that the figures are correct. Early in 1917, before +the advent of the British fighters and de Havillands in quantities, the +R. F. C. was having a very bad time. On April 7, for example, it was +reported in the G. H. Q. Communiqué that twenty-eight English machines +were missing. + +[32] This might be a useful hint to some people who like to build repair +depots, or big bombing aerodromes, right alongside the sea a few miles +behind the firing line, so that they may be easily located after the +shortest possible flight by the most inexperienced bombing pilot. + +[33] One assumes that the reference is to the ancient F. E. 2b. "pusher" +biplane, which, though produced in 1915, was still used for night +bombing up till well on in 1918. + +[34] This description is typical of what these extraordinary +night-flying pilots do with their ancient "flying pianos" night after +night, when the weather is reasonable. Von Richthofen's generous +admiration is thoroughly well deserved. + + + + +XII + +_Schäfer Lands Between the Lines_ + + +WE went on a shooting expedition on the twentieth of April. We came home +very late and lost Schäfer on the way. + +Of course everyone hoped that he would come to hand before dark. It +struck nine, it struck ten, but no Schäfer was visible. His benzine +could not last so long. Consequently, he had landed somewhere, for no +one was willing to admit that he had been shot down. No one dared to +mention the possibility. Still, everyone was afraid for him. + +The ubiquitous telephone was set in motion in order to find out whether +a flying man had come down anywhere. Nobody could give us information. +No Division and no Brigade had seen anything of him. We felt very +uncomfortable. At last we went to bed. All of us were perfectly +convinced that he would turn up in the end. + +At two o'clock, after midnight, I was suddenly awakened. The telephone +orderly, beaming with pleasure, reported to me: "Schäfer is in the +Village of Y. and would like to be fetched home." + +The next morning when we were sitting at breakfast the door opened and +my dear pilot stood before me. His clothes were as filthy as those of an +infantryman who has fought at Arras for a fortnight. He was greeted with +a general Hurrah! Schäfer was tremendously happy and elated and +tremendously excited about his adventure. When he had finished his +breakfast he told us the following tale: + +"I was flying along the front intending to return home. Suddenly I +noticed far below me something that looked like an infantry flier. I +attacked him, shot him down, and meant to fly back. However, the English +in the trenches did not mean me to get away and started peppering me +like anything. My salvation lay in the rapidity of my machine, for +those rascals, of course, would forget that they had to aim far in front +of me if they wished to hit me. + +"I was at an altitude of perhaps six hundred feet. Suddenly, I heard a +smash and my engine stopped running. There was nothing to do but to +land. I asked myself whether I should be able to get away from the +English position. It seemed very questionable. The English noticed my +predicament and started shooting like mad. + +"As my engine was no longer running I could hear every single shot. The +position became awkward. I came down and landed. Before my machine had +come to a standstill they squirted upon me heaps of bullets from machine +guns in the hedge of the village of Monchy near Arras. My machine became +splashed with bullets. + +"I jumped out of it and down into the first shell hole. Squatting there +I reflected and tried to realize exactly where I was. Gradually it +became clear to me that I had landed outside the English lines, but +cursedly near them. Happily it was rather late in the evening and that +was my salvation. + +"Before long the first shell came along. Of course they were gas shells +and I had no mask with me. My eyes started watering like anything. +Before darkness set in the English ascertained the distance of the spot +where I had landed with machine guns. Part of them aimed at my machine +and part at my shell crater. The bullets constantly hit its rim. + +"In order to quiet my nerves I lit a cigarette. Then I took off my heavy +fur coat and prepared everything for a leap and a run. Every minute +seemed to me an hour. + +"Gradually it became dark, but only very gradually. Around me I heard +partridges giving a concert. As an experienced shot I recognized from +their voices that they felt quite happy and contented, that there was no +danger of my being surprised in my hiding place. + +"At last it became quite dark. Suddenly and quite close to me a couple +of partridges flew up. A second couple followed. It was obvious that +danger was approaching. No doubt a patrol was on the way to wish me a +happy evening. + +"I had no time to lose. Now or never. First I crept very cautiously on +my chest from shell hole to shell hole. After creeping industriously for +about an hour and a half I noticed I was nearing humans. Were they +English or were they Germans? They came nearer and I could almost have +fallen round their necks, when I discovered our own musketeers. They +were a German patrol who were nosing about in No Man's Land. + +"One of the men conducted me to the Commander of his Company. I was told +that in the evening I had landed about fifty yards in front of the enemy +lines and that our infantry had given me up for lost. I had a good +supper and then I started on my way home. Behind me there was far more +shooting than in front of me. Every path, every trench, every bush, +every hollow, was under enemy fire. The English attacked on the next +morning, and consequently, they had to begin their artillery preparation +the evening before. So I had chosen an unfavorable day for my +enterprise. I reached the first telephone only at two o'clock in the +morning when I 'phoned to the Squadron." + +We were all very happy to have our Schäfer again with us. He went to +bed. Any other man would have taken a rest from flying for twenty-four +hours. But on the afternoon of this very day friend Schäfer attacked a +low flying B. E. above Monchy. + + + _The Anti-Richthofen Squadron_ + +THE English had hit upon a splendid joke. They intended to catch me or +to bring me down. For that purpose they had actually organized a special +squadron which flew about in that part which we frequented as a rule. We +discovered its particular aim by the fact that its aggressive activity +was principally directed against our red machines. + +I would say that all the machines of the squadron had been painted red +because our English friends had by-and-by perceived that I was sitting +in a blood-red band-box. Suddenly there were quite a lot of red +machines and the English opened their eyes wide when one fine day they +saw a dozen red barges steaming along instead of a single one. Our new +trick did not prevent them from making an attempt at attacking us. I +preferred their new tactics. It is better that one's customers come to +one's shop than to have to look for them abroad. + +We flew to the front hoping to find our enemy. After about twenty +minutes the first arrived and attacked us. That had not happened to us +for a long time. The English had abandoned their celebrated offensive +tactics to some extent. They had found them somewhat too expensive. + +Our aggressors were three Spad one-seater machines. Their occupants +thought themselves very superior to us because of the excellence of +their apparatus. Wolff, my brother and I, were flying together. We were +three against three. That was as it ought to be. + +Immediately at the beginning of the encounter the aggressive became a +defensive. Our superiority became clear. I tackled my opponent and +could see how my brother and Wolff handled each his own enemy. The usual +waltzing began. We were circling around one another. A favorable wind +came to our aid. It drove us, fighting, away from the front in the +direction of Germany. + +My man was the first who fell down. I suppose I had smashed up his +engine. At any rate, he made up his mind to land. I no longer gave +pardon to him. Therefore, I attacked him a second time and the +consequence was that his whole machine went to pieces. His planes +dropped off like pieces of paper and the body of the machine fell like a +stone, burning fiercely. It dropped into a morass. It was impossible to +dig it out and I have never discovered the name of my opponent. He had +disappeared. Only the end of the tail was visible and marked the place +where he had dug his own grave. + +Simultaneously with me, Wolff and my brother had attacked their +opponents and had forced them to land not far from my victim. + +We were very happy and flew home and hoped that the anti-Richthofen +Squadron would often return to the fray.[35] + + + _We Are Visited By My Father_ + +MY father had announced that he would visit his two sons on the +twenty-ninth of April. My father is commander of a little town in the +vicinity of Lille. Therefore he does not live very far away from us. I +have occasionally seen him on my flights. + +He intended to arrive by train at nine o'clock. At half past nine he +came to our aerodrome. We just happened to have returned from an +expedition. My brother was the first to climb out of his machine, and he +greeted the old gentleman with the words: "Good day, Father. I have just +shot down an Englishman." Immediately after, I also climbed out of my +machine and greeted him "Good day, Father, I have just shot down an +Englishman." The old gentleman felt very happy and he was delighted. +That was obvious. He is not one of those fathers who are afraid for +their sons. I think he would like best to get into a machine himself and +help us shoot. We breakfasted with him and then we went flying again. + +In the meantime, an aerial fight took place above our aerodrome. My +father looked on and was greatly interested. We did not take a hand in +the fight for we were standing on the ground and looked on ourselves. + +An English squadron had broken through and was being attacked above our +aerodrome by some of our own reconnoitering aeroplanes. Suddenly one of +the machines started turning over and over. Then it recovered itself and +came gliding down normally. We saw, with regret this time, that it was a +German machine. + +The Englishman flew on. The German aeroplane had apparently been +damaged. It was quite correctly handled. It came down and tried to land +on our flying ground. The room was rather narrow for the large machine. +Besides, the ground was unfamiliar to the pilot. Hence, the landing was +not quite smooth. We ran towards the aeroplane and discovered with +regret that one of the occupants of the machine, the machine gunner, had +been killed. The spectacle was new to my father. It made him serious. + +The day promised to be a favorable one for us. The weather was +wonderfully clear. The anti-aircraft guns were constantly audible. +Obviously, there was much aircraft about. + +Towards mid-day we flew once more. This time, I was again lucky and shot +down my second Englishman of the day. The Governor recovered his good +spirits. + +After the mid-day dinner I slept a little. I was again quite fresh. +Wolff had fought the enemy in the meantime with his group of machines +and had himself bagged an enemy. Schäfer also had eaten one. In the +afternoon my brother and I accompanied by Schäfer, Festner and +Allmenröder flew twice more. + +The first afternoon flight was a failure. The second was all the better. +Soon after we had come to the front a hostile squadron met us. +Unfortunately they occupied a higher altitude so we could not do +anything. We tried to climb to their level but did not succeed. We had +to let them go.[36] + +We flew along the front. My brother was next to me, in front of the +others. Suddenly I noticed two hostile artillery fliers approaching our +front in the most impertinent and provocative manner. I waved to my +brother and he understood my meaning. We flew side by side increasing +our speed. Each of us felt certain that he was superior to the enemy. It +was a great thing that we could absolutely rely on one another and that +was the principal thing. One has to know one's flying partner. + +My brother was the first to approach his enemy. He attacked the first +and I took care of the second. At the last moment I quickly looked round +in order to feel sure that there was no third aeroplane about. We were +alone and could see eye to eye. Soon I had got on the favorable side of +my opponent. A short spell of quick firing and the enemy machine went to +pieces. I never had a more rapid success. + +While I was still looking where my enemy's fragments were falling, I +noticed my brother. He was scarcely five hundred yards away from me and +was still fighting his opponent. + +I had time to study the struggle and must say that I myself could not +have done any better than he did. He had rushed his man and both were +turning around one another. Suddenly, the enemy machine reared. That is +a certain indication of a hit. Probably the pilot was shot in the head. +The machine fell and the planes of the enemy apparatus went to pieces. +They fell quite close to my victim. I flew towards my brother and we +congratulated one another by waving. We were highly satisfied with our +performance and flew off. It is a splendid thing when one can fly +together with one's brother and do so well. + +In the meantime, the other fellows of the squadron had drawn near and +were watching the spectacle of the fight of the two brothers. Of course +they could not help us, for only one man can shoot down an opponent. If +one airman has tackled his enemy the others cannot assist. They can only +look on and protect his back. Otherwise, he might be attacked in the +rear. + +We flew on and went to a higher altitude, for there was apparently a +meeting somewhere in the air for the members of the Anti-Richthofen +Club. They could recognize us from far away. In the powerful sunlight, +the beautiful red color of our machines could be seen at a long +distance. + +We closed our ranks for we knew that our English friends pursued the +same business as we. Unfortunately, they were again too high. So we had +to wait for their attack. The celebrated triplanes and Spads were +perfectly new machines. However, the quality of the box matters little. +Success depends upon the man who sits in it. The English airmen played a +cautious game but would not bite. We offered to fight them, either on +one side of the front or on the other. But they said: No, thank you. +What is the good of bringing out a squadron against us and then turning +tail?[37] + +At last, one of the men plucked up courage and dropped down upon our +rear machine. Naturally battle was accepted although our position was +unfavorable. If you wish to do business you must, after all, adapt +yourself to the desires of your customers. Therefore we all turned +round. The Englishman noticed what was going on and got away. The battle +had begun. + +Another Englishman tried a similar trick on me and I greeted him at once +with quick fire from my two machine guns. He tried to escape me by +dropping down. That was fatal to him. When he got beneath me I remained +on top of him. Everything in the air that is beneath me, especially if +it is a one-seater, a chaser, is lost, for it cannot shoot to the rear. + +My opponent had a very good and very fast machine. However, he did not +succeed in reaching the English lines. I began to fire at him when we +were above Lens. I started shooting when I was much too far away. That +was merely a trick of mine. I did not mean so much to hit him as to +frighten him, and I succeeded in catching him. He began flying curves +and this enabled me to draw near. I tried the same manoeuver a second +and a third time. Everytime my foolish friend started making his curves +I gradually edged quite close to him. + +I approached him almost to touching distance. I aimed very carefully. I +waited a moment and when I was at most at a distance of fifty yards from +him I started with both the machine guns at the same time. I heard a +slight hissing noise, a certain sign that the benzine tanks had been +hit. Then I saw a bright flame and my lord disappeared below. + +This was the fourth victim of the day. My brother had bagged two. +Apparently, we had invited our father to a treat. His joy was +wonderful. + +I had invited several gentlemen for the evening. Among these was my dear +Wedel who happened to be in the neighborhood. We had a great treat. The +two brothers had bagged six Englishmen in a single day. That is a whole +flying squadron.[38] + +I believe the English cease to feel any sympathy for us.[39] + + + _I Fly Home_ + +I HAD shot down fifty aeroplanes. That was a good number but I would +have preferred fifty-two. So I went up one day and had another two, +although it was against orders. + +As a matter of fact I had been allowed to bag only forty-one. Anyone +will be able to guess why the number was fixed at forty-one. Just for +that reason I wanted to avoid that figure. I am not out for breaking +records. Besides, generally speaking, we of the Flying Corps do not +think of records at all. We merely think of our duty. Boelcke might have +shot down a hundred aeroplanes but for his accident, and many others of +our dear dead comrades might have vastly increased their bag but for +their sudden death. Still, it is some fun to have downed half a hundred +aeroplanes. After all, I had succeeded in obtaining permission to bring +down fifty machines before going on leave. + +I hope that I may live to celebrate a second lot of fifty. + +In the evening of that particular day the telephone bell was ringing. +Headquarters wished to speak to me. It seemed to me the height of fun to +be connected with the holy of holies. + +Over the wire they gave me the cheerful news that His Majesty had +expressed the wish to make my personal acquaintance and had fixed the +date for me. I had to make an appearance on the second of May. The +notification reached me on the thirtieth of April at nine o'clock in the +evening. I should not have been able to fulfil the wish of our +All-Highest War-Lord by taking the train. I therefore thought I would +travel by air, especially as that mode of locomotion is far pleasanter. +I started the next morning, not in my single-seater "le petit rouge" but +in a big fat double-seater. + +I took a seat at the rear, not at the sticks. The man who had to do the +flying was Lieut. Krefft, one of the officers of my squadron. He was +just going on furlough to recover his strength, so that it suited him +admirably to act as my pilot. He reached home more quickly traveling by +air and he preferred the trip by aeroplane. + +I started on the journey rather hastily. The only luggage which I took +with me was my tooth-brush. Therefore, I had to dress for the journey in +the clothes in which I was to appear at Headquarters. Now, a soldier +does not carry with him many beautiful uniforms when he goes to war and +the scarcity of nice clothes is particularly great in the case of such +a poor front hog as myself. + +My brother undertook the command of the aeroplane squadron in my +absence. I took leave with a few words for I hoped soon to recommence my +work among those dear fellows. + +The flight went via Namur, Liège, Aix la Chapelle and Cologne. It was +lovely for once to sail through the air without any thoughts of war. The +weather was wonderful. We had rarely had such a perfect time. Probably +the men at the front would be extremely busy. + +Soon our own captive balloons were lost to sight. The thunder of the +Battle of Arras was only heard in the distance. Beneath us all was +peace. We saw steamers on the rivers and fast trains on the railways. We +easily overtook everything below. The wind was in our favor. The earth +seemed as flat as a threshing floor. The beautiful mountains of the +Meuse were not recognizable as mountains. One could not even trace them +by their shadows, for the sun was right above us. We only knew that +they were there and with a little imagination we could hide ourselves in +the cool glades of that delightful country. + +It had become late. Clouds were gathering below and hid from us the +earth. We flew on, taking our direction by means of the sun and the +compass. The vicinity of Holland was disagreeable to us. We decided to +go lower in order to find out where we were. We went beneath the cloud +and discovered that we were above Namur. + +We then went on to Aix la Chapelle. We left that town to our left and +about mid-day we reached Cologne. We both were in high spirits. We had +before us a long leave of absence. The weather was beautiful. We had +succeeded in all our undertakings. We had reached Cologne. We could be +certain to get to Headquarters in time, whatever might happen. + +Our coming had been announced in Cologne by telegram. People were +looking out for us. On the previous day the newspapers had reported my +fifty-second aerial victory. One can imagine what kind of a reception +they had prepared for us. + +Having been flying for three hours I had a slight headache. Therefore, I +thought I would take forty winks, before going to Headquarters. From +Cologne we flew along the Rhine for some distance. I knew the country +well. I had often journeyed that way by steamer, by motor car, and by +railway, and now I was traveling by aeroplane. It is difficult to say +which of these is the most pleasant form of locomotion. Of course, one +can see the details of the landscape better from the steamer. However, +the commanding view one gets from an aeroplane has also its attractions. +The Rhine is a very beautiful river, from above as well as from any +other viewpoint. + +We flew rather low in order not to lose the sensation that we were +traveling among mountains, for after all the most beautiful part of the +Rhine are the tree clad hills and castles. Of course we could not make +out individual houses. It is a pity that one cannot fly slowly and +quickly. If it had been possible I would have flown quite slowly. + +The beautiful views which we saw vanished only too quickly. +Nevertheless, when one flies high in the air one never has the sensation +that one is proceeding at a fast pace. If you are sitting in a motor car +or in a fast train you have the impression of tremendous speed. On the +other hand, you seem to be advancing slowly when you fly in an aeroplane +at a considerable speed. You notice the celerity of your progress only +when you have not looked out of your machine for four or five minutes +and then try to find out where you are. Then the aspect of the country +appears suddenly completely changed. The terrain which you passed over a +little while ago looks quite different under a different angle, and you +do not recognize the scenery you have passed. Herein lies the reason +that an airman can easily lose his way if he forgets for a moment to +examine the territory. + +In the afternoon we arrived at Headquarters and were cordially received +by some comrades with whom I was acquainted and who worked at the +holiest of holies. I absolutely pitied those poor ink-spillers. They get +only half the fun in war. + +First of all I went to the General commanding the Air Forces. + +On the next morning came the great moment when I was to meet Hindenburg +and Ludendorf. I had to wait for quite a while. + +I should find it difficult to describe my encounter with these Generals. +I saw Hindenburg first and then Ludendorf. + +It is a weird feeling to be in the room where the fate of the world is +decided. I was quite glad when I was again outside the holiest of holies +and when I had been commanded to lunch with His Majesty. The day was the +day of my birth and somebody had apparently told His Majesty. He +congratulated me in the first place on my success, and in the second, on +my twenty-fifth birthday. At the same time he handed me a small birthday +present. + +Formerly I would never have believed it possible that on my twenty-fifth +birthday I would be sitting at the right of General Field Marshal von +Hindenburg and that I would be mentioned by him in a speech. + +On the day following I was to take mid-day dinner with Her Majesty. And +so I went to Homburg. Her Majesty also gave me a birthday present and I +had the great pleasure to show her how to start an aeroplane. In the +evening I was again invited by General Field Marshal von Hindenburg. The +day following I flew to Freiburg to do some shooting. At Freiburg I made +use of the flying machine which was going to Berlin by air. In Nuremberg +I replenished my tanks with benzine. A thunderstorm was coming on. I was +in a great hurry to get to Berlin. Various more or less interesting +things awaited me there. So I flew on, the thunderstorm notwithstanding. +I enjoyed the clouds and the beastly weather. The rain fell in streams. +Sometimes it hailed. Afterwards the propeller had the most extraordinary +aspect. The hail stones had damaged it considerably. The blades looked +like saws. + +Unfortunately I enjoyed the bad weather so much that I quite forgot to +look about me. When I remembered that one has to look out it was too +late. I had no longer any idea where I was. That was a nice position to +be in! I had lost my way in my own country! My people at home would +laugh when they knew it! However, there it was and couldn't be helped. I +had no idea where I was. Owing to a powerful wind I had been driven out +of my course and off my map. Guided by sun and compass I tried to get +the direction of Berlin. + +Towns, villages, hills and forests were slipping away below me. I did +not recognize a thing. I tried in vain to compare the picture beneath my +map. Everything was different. I found it impossible to recognize the +country. Later on I discovered the impossibility of finding my way for I +was flying about sixty miles outside my map. + +After having flown for a couple of hours my guide and I resolved to land +somewhere in the open. That is always unpleasant. One cannot tell how +the surface of the ground is in reality. If one of the wheels gets into +a hole one's box is converted into matchwood. + +[Illustration: LIEUT. SCHÄFER SPEAKING WITH ANOTHER MEMBER OF THE +SQUADRON] + +[Illustration: CAPTAIN RICHTHOFEN WITH HIS MASCOT DOG "MORITZ"] + +We tried to read the name written upon a station, but of course that was +impossible, it was too small. So we had to land. We did it with a heavy +heart for nothing else could be done. We looked for a meadow which +appeared suitable from above and tried our luck. Close inspection +unfortunately showed that the meadow was not as pleasant as it seemed. +The fact was obviously proved by the slightly bent frame of our machine. +We had made ourselves gloriously ridiculous. We had first lost our way +and then smashed the machine. So we had to continue our journey with the +commonplace conveyance, by railway train. Slowly but surely, we reached +Berlin. We had landed in the neighborhood of Leipzig. If we had not +landed so stupidly, we would certainly have reached Berlin. But +sometimes you make a mistake whatever you do. + +Some days later I arrived in Schweidnitz, my own town. Although I got +there at seven o'clock in the morning, there was a large crowd at +the station. I was very cordially received. In the afternoon various +demonstrations took place to honor me, among others, one of the local +Boy Scouts. + +It became clear to me that the people at home took a vivid interest in +their fighting soldiers after all. + +FOOTNOTES: + +[35] One can find no trace of any deliberate attempt to organize an +anti-Richthofen Circus in the R. F. C., and therefore one assumes that +these were merely three gallant lads on new type Spads who went out +deliberately on their own account to look for trouble, and found more +than they expected. + +[36] This appears to be the first admission that the newer British +machines could out-climb the famous Albatros chasers. + +[37] The probability is that the British machines being high up, and +watching the sky all round, did not notice the little red machines +against the dark ground below them for some time. + +[38] A whole squadron is eighteen machines, divided into three "flights" +of six machines each. The word squadron does not, apparently, translate +exactly into German. + +[39] Nevertheless, some months after this, a young British pilot was +being entertained one evening by his squadron in celebration of his +having been awarded the D. S. O., and when called upon for a speech +proposed the health of von Richthofen. And the squadron duly honored the +toast. + + + + +XIII + +_My Brother_ + + +I HAD not yet passed eight days of my leave when I received the +telegram: "Lothar is wounded but not mortally." That was all. Inquiries +showed that he had been very rash. He flew against the enemy, together +with Allmenröder. Beneath him and a good distance on the other side of +the front, he saw in the air a lonely Englishman crawling about. He was +one of those hostile infantry fliers who make themselves particularly +disagreeable to our troops. We molest them a great deal. Whether they +really achieve anything in crawling along the ground is very +problematical.[40] + +My brother was at an altitude of about six thousand feet, while the +Englishman was at about three thousand feet. He quietly approached the +Englishman, prepared to plunge and in a few seconds was upon him. The +Englishman thought he would avoid a duel and he disappeared likewise by +a plunge. My brother, without hesitation, plunged after. He didn't care +at all whether he was on one side of the front or the other. He was +animated by a single thought: I must down that fellow. That is, of +course, the correct way of managing things. Now and then I myself have +acted that way. However, if my brother does not have at least one +success on every flight he gets tired of the whole thing. + +Only a little above the ground my brother obtained a favorable position +towards the English flier and could shoot into his shop windows. The +Englishman fell. There was nothing more to be done. + +After such a struggle, especially at a low altitude, in the course of +which one has so often been twisting and turning, and circling to the +right and to the left, the average mortal has no longer the slightest +notion of his position. On that day it happened that the air was +somewhat misty. The weather was particularly unfavorable. My brother +quickly took his bearings and discovered only then that he was a long +distance behind the front. He was behind the ridge of Vimy. The top of +that hill is about three hundred feet higher than the country around. My +brother, so the observers on the ground reported, had disappeared behind +the Vimy height. + +It is not a particularly pleasant feeling to fly home over enemy +country. One is shot at and cannot shoot back. It is true, however, that +a hit is rare. My brother approached the line. At a low altitude one can +hear every shot that is fired, and firing sounds then very much like the +noise made by chestnuts which are being roasted. Suddenly, he felt that +he had been hit. That was queer to him. + +My brother is one of those men who cannot see their own blood. If +somebody else was bleeding it would not impress him very greatly, but +the sight of his own blood upsets him. He felt his blood running down +his right leg in a warm stream. At the same time, he noticed a pain in +his hip. Below the shooting continued. It followed that he was still +over hostile ground. + +At last the firing gradually ceased. He had crossed the front. Now he +must be nimble for his strength was rapidly ebbing away. He saw a wood +and next to the wood a meadow. Straight for the meadow he flew and +mechanically, almost unconsciously, he switched off the engine. At the +same moment he lost consciousness. + +My brother was in a single-seater. No one could help him. It is a +miracle that he came to the ground, for no flying machine lands or +starts automatically. There is a rumor that they have at Cologne an old +Taube which will start by itself as soon as the pilot takes his seat, +which makes the regulation curve and which lands again after exactly +five minutes.[41] Many men pretend to have seen that miraculous machine. +I have not seen it. But still I am convinced that the tale is true. +Now, my brother was not in such a miraculous automatic machine. +Nevertheless he had not hurt himself in landing. He recovered +consciousness only in hospital, and was sent to Douai. + +It is a curious feeling to see one's brother fighting with an +Englishman. Once I saw that Lothar, who was lagging behind the squadron, +was being attacked by an English aviator. It would have been easy for +him to avoid battle. He need only plunge. But he would not do that. That +would not even occur to him. He does not know how to run away. Happily I +had observed what was going on and was looking for my chance. + +I noticed that the Englishman went for my brother and shot at him. My +brother tried to reach the Englishman's altitude disregarding the shots. +Suddenly his machine turned a somersault and plunged perpendicularly, +turning round and round. It was not an intended plunge, but a regular +fall. That is not a nice thing to look at, especially if the falling +airman is one's own brother. Gradually I had to accustom myself to that +sight for it was one of my brother's tricks. As soon as he felt sure +that the Englishman was his superior he acted as if he had been shot. + +The Englishman rushed after him. My brother recovered his balance and in +a moment had got above his enemy. The hostile aeroplane could not +equally quickly get ready for what was to come. My brother caught it at +a favorable angle and a few seconds after it went down in flames. When a +machine is burning all is lost for it falls to the ground burning. + +Once I was on the ground next to a benzine tank. It contained one +hundred litres of benzine which exploded and burnt. The heat was so +great that I could not bear to be within ten yards of it. One can +therefore imagine what it means if a tank containing a large quantity of +this devilish liquid explodes a few inches in front of one while the +blast from the propeller blows the flame into one's face. I believe a +man must lose consciousness at the very first moment. + +Sometimes miracles do happen. For instance, I once saw an English +aeroplane falling down in flames. The flames burst out only at an +altitude of fifteen hundred feet. The whole machine was burning. When we +had flown home we were told that one of the occupants of the machine had +jumped from an altitude of one hundred and fifty feet. It was the +observer. One hundred and fifty feet is the height of a good sized +steeple. Supposing somebody should jump from its top to the ground, what +would be his condition? Most men would break their bones in jumping from +a first floor window. At any rate, this good fellow jumped from a +burning machine at an altitude of one hundred and fifty feet, from a +machine which had been burning for over a minute, and nothing happened +to him except a simple fracture of the leg. Soon after his adventure he +made a statement from which it appears that his nerve had not +suffered.[42] + +Another time, I shot down an Englishman. The pilot had been fatally +wounded in the head. The machine fell perpendicularly to earth from an +altitude of nine thousand feet. Some time later I came gliding down and +saw on the ground nothing but a heap of twisted debris. To my surprise I +was told that the observer had only damaged his skull and that his +condition was not dangerous. Some people have luck indeed. + +Once upon a time, Boelcke shot down a Nieuport machine. I was present. +The aeroplane fell like a stone. When we inspected it we found that it +had been driven up to the middle into the loamy soil. The occupant had +been shot in the abdomen and had lost consciousness and had wrenched his +arm out of its socket on striking the ground. He did not die of his +fall. + +On the other hand, it has happened that a good friend of mine in landing +had a slight accident. One of the wheels of his machine got into a +rabbit hole. The aeroplane was traveling at no speed and quite slowly +went on its head. It seemed to reflect whether it should fall to the one +side or to the other, turned over and the poor fellow's back was +broken. + +My brother Lothar is Lieutenant in the 4th Dragoons. Before the war he +was at the War Academy. He was made an officer at the outbreak and began +the war as a cavalry man exactly as I did. I know nothing about his +actions for he never speaks of himself. However, I have been told the +following story: + +In the winter of 1914 Lothar's regiment was on the Warthe. The Russians +were on the other side of the river. Nobody knew whether they intended +to stay there or to go back. The water was frozen partly along the +shore. So it was difficult to ride through the river. There were, of +course, no bridges, for the Russians had destroyed them. So my brother +swam across, ascertained the position of the Russians and swam back +again. He did that during a severe Russian winter when the thermometer +was very low. After a few minutes his clothes were frozen solid. Yet he +asserted that he had felt quite warm notwithstanding. He kept on his +horse all day long until he got to his quarters in the evening, yet he +did not catch a chill. + +In winter, 1915, he followed my urgent advice and went into the flying +service. He also became an observer and became a pilot only a year +later. Acting as an observer is certainly not a bad training, +particularly for a chasing airman. In March, 1917, he passed his third +examination and came at once to my squadron. + +When he arrived he was a very young and innocent pilot who never thought +of looping and such like tricks. He was quite satisfied if he succeeded +in starting his machine and in landing successfully. A fortnight later I +took him with me against the enemy for the first time. I asked him to +fly close behind me in order that he might see exactly how the fighting +was done. + +After the third flight with him I suddenly noticed he parted company +with me. He rushed at an Englishman and killed him. My heart leapt with +joy when I saw it. The event proved once more that there is no art in +shooting down an aeroplane. The thing is done by the personality or by +the fighting determination of the airman.[43] I am not a Pegoud and I do +not wish to be a Pegoud. I am only a soldier who does his duty. + +Four weeks later my brother had shot down a total of twenty Englishmen. +His record as a flier is probably unique. It has probably not happened +in any other case that a pilot, a fortnight after his third examination, +has shot down his first enemy and that he has shot down twenty during +the first four weeks of his fighting life. + +My brother's twenty-second opponent was the celebrated Captain Ball. He +was by far the best English flier. Major Hawker, who in his time was as +renowned as Captain Ball, I had pressed to my bosom some months +previously. It was a particular pleasure to me that it fell to my +brother to settle England's second flying champion. + +Captain Ball flew a triplane and encountered my brother flying by +himself at the Front. Each tried to catch the other. Neither gave his +opponent a chance. Every encounter was a short one. They were constantly +dashing at one another. Neither succeeded in getting behind the other. +Suddenly both resolved to fire a few well aimed shots during the few +moments of the encounter. Both rushed at one another, and fired. Both +had before them their engine. The probability of a hit was very small +for their speed was twice as great as normally. It was improbable that +either should succeed. My brother, who was a little lower, had pulled +his machine around too hard and the result was that it overturned. For a +moment his aeroplane became unsteerable. But presently he recovered +control and found out that his opponent had smashed both his benzine +tanks. Therefore, he had to stop the engine and land quickly. Otherwise, +his machine might burst into flames. + +His next idea was: What has become of my opponent? At the moment when +his machine turned its somersault he had seen that the enemy's machine +was rearing up in the air and had also turned a somersault. He therefore +could not be very far. His whole thought was: Is he above me or beneath +me? He was not above but he saw the triplane falling down in a series of +somersaults. It fell, fell, fell until it came to the ground where it +was smashed to pieces. This happened on German territory. Both opponents +had hit one another with their machine guns. My brother's machine had +had both benzine tanks smashed and at the same moment Captain Ball had +been shot through the head. He carried with him some photographs and +cuttings from the newspapers of his town where he had been greatly +feted. In Boelcke's time Captain Ball destroyed thirty-six German +machines. He, too, had found his master. Was it by chance that a +prominent man such as he also should die an ordinary soldier's +death?[44] + +Captain Ball was certainly the commander of the Anti-Richthofen +Squadron. I believe that the Englishmen will now give up their attempt +to catch me. I should regret it, for in that case, I should miss many +opportunities to make myself beloved by them. + +Had my brother not been wounded on the fifth of May he would probably on +my return from furlough, also have been given a leave of absence with +fifty-two hostile machines to his credit. + +My father discriminates between a sportsman and a butcher. The former +shoots for fun. When I have shot down an Englishman my hunting passion +is satisfied for a quarter of an hour. Therefore I do not succeed in +shooting two Englishmen in succession. If one of them comes down I have +the feeling of complete satisfaction. Only much, much later I have +overcome my instinct and have become a butcher. + +My brother is differently constituted. I had an opportunity of observing +him when he was shooting down his fourth and fifth opponents. We were +attacking in a squadron. I started the dance. I had settled my opponent +very quickly. When I looked around I noticed my brother rushing after an +English machine which was bursting into flames, and exploded. Next to it +was another Englishman. My brother, though following number one, +immediately directed his machine gun against number two, although his +first opponent was still in the air and had not yet fallen. His second +victim also fell after a short struggle. + +When we met at home he asked me proudly, "How many have you shot down?" +I said quite modestly, "One." He turned his back upon me and said, "I +did two." Thereupon I sent him forward to make inquiries. He was to find +out the names of his victims, etc. He returned late in the afternoon +having been able to find only a single Englishman. + +He had looked carelessly, as is usual amongst such butchers. Only on the +following day I received a report as to the place where the second had +come down. + +We all had seen his fall. + + + _I Shoot a Bison_ + +WHEN visiting Headquarters I met the Prince von Pless. He permitted me +to shoot a bison on his estate. The bison has died out. On the whole +earth there are only two spots where bisons may be found. These are the +Pless Estate and in the Bialowicz estate of the ex-Czar. The Bialowicz +forest has, of course, suffered terribly through the war. Many a +magnificent bison which ought to have been shot either by the Czar or by +some other monarch has been eaten by German musketeers. + +Through the kindness of the Prince I was permitted to shoot so rare an +animal. In a few decades none will be left. + +I arrived at Pless on the afternoon of the twenty-sixth of May and had +to start immediately from the station if I wished to kill a bull the +same evening. We drove along the celebrated road, through the giant +preserves of the Prince, which has been frequented by many crowned +heads. After about an hour, we got out and had to walk half an hour to +come to the shooting place. The drivers had already been placed in +position. The signal was given to them and they began the drive. + +I stood at an elevated spot which had been occupied, according to the +head forester, by His Majesty, who from thence had shot many a bison. We +waited some considerable time. Suddenly I saw among the timber a +gigantic black monster, rolling along. It came straight in my direction. +I noticed it before the head forester had. I got ready for firing and +must say that I felt somewhat feverish. + +It was a mighty bull. When he was at a distance of two hundred yards +there was still some hope for him. I thought it was too far for a shot. +Of course I could have hit the monster because it was impossible to miss +such a huge beast. However, it would have been unpleasant to search for +him. Besides it would have been ridiculous had I missed him, so I +thought I would wait until he came nearer. + +Probably he noticed the drivers for he suddenly turned and came rushing +towards me at a sharp angle and at a speed which seemed to me +incredible. It was a bad position for a shot, and in a moment he +disappeared behind a group of stout trees. + +I heard him snorting and stamping. I lost sight of him. I have no idea +whether he smelt me or not. At any rate, he had disappeared. I caught +another glimpse of him at a long distance and he was gone. + +I do not know whether it was the unaccustomed aspect of the animal or +whether something else affected me. At any rate, at the moment when the +bull came near I had the same feeling, the same feverishness which +seizes me when I am sitting in my aeroplane and notice an Englishman at +so great a distance that I have to fly perhaps five minutes in order to +get near him. The only difference is that the Englishman defends +himself. Possibly, different feelings would have moved me had I been +standing on level ground and not on an elevated position. + +Before long, a second bison came near. He was also a huge fellow. He +made it easier for me to fire my shot. At a distance of eighty yards I +fired at him but I had missed my opportunity to shoot him in the +shoulder. A month before, Hindenburg had told me when talking of bison: +"You must take a lot of cartridges with you. I have spent on such a +fellow half a dozen for he does not die easily. His heart lies so deep +that one misses it as a rule." That was really so. Although I knew +exactly where the bison's heart was I had missed it. I fired a second +shot and a third. Hit for the third time the bull stopped perhaps fifty +yards from me. + +Five minutes later the beast was dead. The shooting was finished. All +three bullets had hit him close above the heart. + +We drove now, past the beautiful hunting box of the Prince through the +forest, in which the guests of Prince Pless shoot every year, deer, and +other animals. Then we looked at the interior of the house in Promnitz. +It is situated on a peninsula. It commands beautiful views and for +three miles around there is no human being. One has no longer the +feeling that one is in a preserve of the ordinary kind when one visits +the estate of Prince Pless, for the preserve extends to a million acres. +It contains glorious stags which have never been seen by man. No +forester knows them. Occasionally they are shot. One can tramp about for +weeks without seeing a bison. During certain times of the year it is +impossible to find one. They like quietude and they can hide themselves +in the gigantic forests and tangled woods. We saw many beautiful deer. + +After about two hours we arrived at Pless, just before it became dark. + + + _Infantry Fliers, Artillery Fliers + and Reconnoitering Machines_ + +HAD I not become a professional chaser I should have turned an infantry +flier. After all, it must be a very satisfactory feeling to be able to +aid those troops whose work is hardest. The infantry flier can do a +great deal to assist the man on foot. For that reason his is a very +grateful task.[45] + +In the course of the Battle of Arras I observed many of these splendid +fellows. They flew in any weather and at any time at a low altitude over +the enemy and tried to act as connecting links with our hard-pressed +troops. I can understand that one can fight with enthusiasm when one is +given such a task. I dare say many an airman has shouted Hurrah! when, +after an assault he saw the hostile masses stream back or when our smart +infantry leaped from the trenches and fought the aggressors eye to eye. +Many a time, after a chasing expedition, I have fired my remaining +cartridges into the enemy trenches. Although I may have done little +practical good, such firing affects the enemy's morale. + +I have also been an artillery flier. In my time it was a novelty to +regulate the firing of one's own artillery by wireless telegraphy. To do +this well an airman requires special talent. I could not do the work for +long. I prefer fighting. Very likely, artillery officers make the best +artillery fliers. At least, they have the necessary knowledge of the arm +which they serve. + +I have done a lot of reconnoitering by aeroplane, particularly in Russia +during the war of movement. Then I acted once more as a cavalryman. The +only difference was that I rode a Pegasus made of steel. My days spent +with friend Holck among the Russians were among the finest in my life. + +In the Western theater the eye of the reconnaissance flier sees things +which are very different from those to which the cavalrymen get +accustomed. Villages and towns, railways and roads seem lifeless and +dead. Yet there is a colossal traffic going on all the time, but it is +hidden from the flying men with great skill. Only a wonderfully trained +practised and observant eye can see anything definite when one is +traveling at a great height and at a terrific speed. I have excellent +eyes but it seems doubtful to me whether there is anyone who can see +anything definite when he looks down upon a road from an altitude of +fifteen thousand feet. As the eye is an imperfect object for observation +one replaces it by the photographic apparatus. Everything that seems +important to one must be photographed. Besides, one must photograph +those things which one is told to photograph. If one comes home and if +the plates have gone wrong, the whole flight has been for nothing. + +It often happens to flying men who do reconnoitering that they get +involved in a fight. However, their task is more important than +fighting. Frequently a photographic plate is more valuable than the +shooting down of a squadron. Hence the flying photographer should, as a +rule, not take a hand in fighting. + +Nowadays it is a difficult task to reconnoiter efficiently in the +West.[46] + + + _The German Flying Machines_ + +IN the course of the War the German flying machines have experienced +great changes. That is probably generally known. There is a colossal +difference between a giant plane and a chaser plane. + +The chaser plane is small, fast, quick at turning. It carries nothing +apart from the pilot except machine guns and cartridges. + +The giant plane is a colossus. Its only duty is to carry as much weight +as possible and it is able to do this owing to the huge surface of its +planes. It is worth while to look at the gigantic English plane which +landed smoothly on the German side of the front.[47] The giant plane can +carry an unbelievable weight. It will easily fly away dragging from +three to five tons. Its benzine tanks look as large as railroad cars. In +going about in such a colossus one has no longer the sensation that one +is flying. One is driving. In going about in a giant plane the direction +depends no longer on one's instinct but on the technical instruments +which one carries. + +A giant plane has a huge number of horse powers. I do not know exactly +how many, but they are many thousand. The greater the horse power is, +the better. It seems not impossible that the day may come when a whole +division will be transported in such a thing. In its body one can go for +a walk. In one of its corners there is an indescribable something. It +contains an apparatus for wireless telephony by means of which one can +converse with the people down below. In another corner are hanging the +most attractive liver sausages which one can imagine. They are the +famous bombs which cause such a fright to the good people down below. At +every corner is a gun. The whole thing is a flying fortress, and the +planes with their stays and supports look like arcades. I have never +been able to feel enthusiasm for these giant barges. I find them +horrible, unsportsmanlike, boring and clumsy. I rather like a machine of +the type of "le petit rouge." + +If one is in a small chaser-plane it is quite immaterial whether one +flies on one's back, whether one flies up or down, stands on one's head, +etc. One can play any tricks one likes, for in such a machine one can +fly like a bird. The only difference is that one does not fly with +wings, as does the bird albatros. The thing is, after all, merely a +flying engine. I think things will come to this, that we shall be able +to buy a flying suit for half-a-crown. One gets into it. On the one end +there is a little engine, and a little propeller. You stick your arms +into planes and your legs into the tail. Then you will do a few leaps in +order to start and away you will go up into the air like a bird. + +My dear reader, I hear you laughing at my story. But we do not know yet +whether our children will laugh at it. Everyone would have laughed fifty +years ago if somebody had spoken about flying above Berlin. I remember +the sensation which was caused, when, in 1910, Zeppelin came for the +first time to Berlin. Now no Berlin street man looks up into the air +when an airship is coming along. + +Besides giant planes and little chaser-planes, there are innumerable +other types of flying machines and they are of all sizes. Inventiveness +has not yet come to an end. Who can tell what machine we shall employ a +year hence in order to perforate the atmosphere? + + +THE END + +FOOTNOTES: + +[40] Probably the fighting to the east of Amiens in March and April, +1918, has demonstrated to the German Army at large that quite a great +deal is achieved by this "crawling along the ground." The use of +aeroplanes against infantry and cavalry has been developed very greatly +since von Richthofen wrote his notes in 1917. + +[41] Curiously enough there is a very similar legend concerning an aged +school machine at one of the British flying schools. + +[42] On two or three occasions pilots have gallantly stuck to their +controls and have managed to land safely in blazing machines from fully +1,000 feet. There is a general opinion that it is possible to fit a +parachute so that in the event of an aeroplane catching fire the pilot +and passenger can quit it at once and descend safely. + +[43] This may be the propagandist editor at work, or it may be a +deliberate attempt to mislead, because, as a matter of fact, a man +cannot survive long as a fighting pilot unless he is a perfect master of +his machine. + +[44] There is some curious error here, for Captain Ball was not flying a +triplane at the time of his death. It seems probable that someone else +shot Captain Ball on the same day, and that, as the younger von +Richthofen was disabled, and so could not go and identify the wreckage +of Captain Ball's machine, the credit was given to von Richthofen in +default of anyone else making a claim. + +[45] This was evidently written some time after von Richthofen's +previous disparaging note on Infantry Contact fliers. + +[46] This is really a high testimony to the effective work of the R. F. +C. + +[47] A Handley Page which landed near Laon early in 1917. + + * * * * * + +Transcriber's Notes: + +Text uses both giant plane and giant-plane. This was retained. +Frequently, the commas in the original text were moved up half-way to +land at the middle of the line instead of the bottom of the line. These +were all moved down. + +Page v, "SHAFER" changed to "SCHÄFER". Word "the" also added to match +actual title of chapter. (SCHÄFER LANDS BETWEEN THE LINES) + +Page vii, "SHAFER" changed to "SCHÄFER" (LIEUT. SCHÄFER SPEAKING WITH) + +Page 5, "Feldfliegartruppen" changed to "Feldfliegertruppen" (the German +Feldfliegertruppen) + +Page 8, extra single quotation mark removed from the front of +("Wong-wong,") + +Page 12, "Richtofen" changed to "Richthofen" (fighting, von Richthofen +should) + +Page 19, comma added (first Richthofen, his cousin) + +Page 20, "Shickfuss" changed to "Schickfuss" (great-grandfather +Schickfuss fell) + +Page 28, period changed to a comma (the breakage, I rode) + +Page 37, "communique" changed to "communiqué" (first official +communiqué.) + +Page 38, "prisoner. He told" changed to "prisoner, he told". + +Page 42, the text for the sub-chapter has 1915 in the date. As two +chapters away he is in June 1915, this "21-22nd August, 1915" has been +changed to "21-22nd August, 1914". + +Page 58, repeated word "a" removed from text. Original read (like a a +little toy) + +Page 63, "particulary" changed to "particularity" (talent and particularity) + +Page 68, repeated line "gradually to a stop and suddenly I was" was +deleted. The original read: + + THE German enterprise in Russia came + gradually to a stop and suddenly I was + gradually to a stop and suddenly I was + transferred to a large battle-plane at Ostend + +Page 68, footnote, "Grossfleugzeug" changed to "Grossflugzeug" (The +Grossflugzeug, or "G" class) + +Page 69, "siezed" changed to "seized" (seized a hotel on the) + +Page 70-71, a line from page 45 "imagine the confusion which followed. +The" was placed at the bottom of page 70. It was removed. The original +read: + + only a single motor working.[A] When we + imagine the confusion which followed. The + were fairly far out I saw beneath us, not + +Page 72, "we" changed to "they" (waited until they found it) + +Page 73, footnote, "analagous" changed to "analogous" (German slang, +analogous more) + +Page 79, footnote, "Grossfleugzeug" changed to "Grossflugzeug" (the +Grossflugzeug in the air) + +Page 84, footnote, "Riesenfleugzeug" changed to "Riesenflugzeug" +(example of the Riesenflugzeug) + +Page 84, footnote, "Grossfleugzeug" changed to "Grossflugzeug" (to the +Grossflugzeug type) + +Page 85, "Doberitz" changed to "Döberitz" (my examinations in Döberitz) + +Page 87, "communique" changed to "communiqué" (official communiqué of) + +Page 100, footnote, "reconnaisance" changed to "reconnaissance" (the +two-seater reconnaissance) + +Page 101, "communique" changed to "communiqué" (communiqué. Of course) + +Page 113, "everyone" changed to "every one" (and every one of the) + +Page 114, footnote, "reconnaisance" changed to "reconnaissance" (on long +reconnaissance) + +Page 127, chapter title, "Merite" changed to "Mérite" (Pour le Mérite) + +Page 128, "Immelman" changed to "Immelmann" (Boelcke and Immelmann were +given) + +Page 135, "wont" changed to "won't" (You won't hit me) + +Page 140, "Henin-Lietard" changed to "Hénin-Liétard" (road near +Hénin-Liétard) + +Page 140, "Henin-Lietard" changed to "Hénin-Liétard" (motor car to +Hénin-Liétard) + +Page 146, footnote, "cut" changed to "but" (was hit, but none was) + +Page 147, footote, "Schafer" changed to "Schäfer" (Schäfer was also shot +by) + +Page 154, word "air" added to text after comparison to a different +edition of the same book (a fight in the air) + +Page 156, "communique" changed to "communiqué" (official communiqué. On) + +Page 156, footnote, "Havilands" changed to "Havillands" (fighters and de +Havillands) + +Page 156, footnote, "Communique" changed to "Communiqué" (the G. H. Q. +Communiqué) + +Page 159, four lines of repeated text were removed. Original read: + + which had been started. The aeroplane + caught him up and a beautiful propeller + was smashed to bits. Moritz howled + terribly and a measure which I had hitherto + omitted was taken. I had always + The aeroplane caught him up and a beautiful + propeller was smashed to bits. Moritz + howled terribly and a measure which I had + hitherto omitted was taken. I had always + refused to have his ears cut. One of his + +Page 164, "Everyone" changed to "Every one" (Every one of my officers) + +Page 167, "Schafer" changed to "Schäfer" (After all, Schäfer was) + +Page 168, chapter title, "Schafer" changed to "Schäfer" (Schäfer Lands +Between the Lines) + +Page 195, illustration caption, "SCHAFER" changed to "SCHÄFER" (LIEUT. +SCHÄFER SPEAKING WITH) + +Page 209, "latter" changed to "former" (The former shoots for) + +Page 213, "Englihman" changed to "Englishman" (notice an Englishman). + +Page 216, "Reconnoitring" changed to "Reconnoitering" (and Reconnoitering Machines) + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Red Battle Flyer, by +Capt. Manfred Freiherr von Richthofen + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 41159 *** |