1916 Angels over the Somme (British Ace Book 3) Page 8

  It was a pleasant late afternoon and most of the pilots and sergeants had eschewed the messes and were lounging on the grass. When I came out most of them stood.

  “Can I have your attention please?” They looked at me expectantly. “The Colonel has had a heart attack and Doctor Brennan has taken him to the base hospital. He looks as though he will survive.” There was a cheer which I allowed to subside, “However he will not be returning in the near future. We will carry on as normal in his absence.”

  There was another cheer.

  “Major Archibald would like to see Lieutenant Sharp, Thomas and Hewitt in the office now please.”

  I smiled as I saw the confused looks on their faces. Sharp looked like a naughty boy who has been sent to the Headmaster. I let them all wonder what this was about.

  I tapped on the Colonel’s door, “Come!” We entered. “Sit, down. Get a chair from Randolph’s office if there aren’t enough.”

  I sat down and waited for Archie to begin. “I have just been on the telephone and spoken with Brigadier General Trenchard. He sends his commiserations to Colonel Pemberton-Smythe. He has confirmed me as commander of this squadron.”

  “Well done, Archie!”

  “Thank you, Bill. It seems the reputation of 41 Squadron means that they do not wish to rock the boat. They are also keen to build on our success. The general is sending someone tomorrow to chat to me about operational procedures for the rest of the offensive. We are getting another eight pilots and Gunbuses by the end of the week.”

  Everyone looked pleased at that. “Now that will mean some reorganisation. Lieutenants Hewitt and Thomas, you have both been promoted to Captain.” He must have seen my expression. “It was the general, Bill. He thought we needed more officers of the rank of Captain if we were to have more aeroplanes.”

  “Don’t get me wrong sir, I am delighted.”

  I could see that Charlie looked confused. Archie soon put him out of his misery. “Lieutenant Sharp you will be the new Flight Commander for A Flight. You are now First Lieutenant. Better get the other pip on your shoulder. Eventually you will be promoted to captain.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  “Don’t thank me, it was Captain Harsker’s suggestion.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  “You deserve it Charlie.”

  “I will continue to fly but my second in command will be Bill here. Until we hear from this base wallah tomorrow we will assume we carry on the same as before.”

  “You realise, Major, that you will not be able to fly tomorrow. You will have to meet this colonel.”

  “Dammit, Randolph, you are right. Well, Bill, it looks like you lead tomorrow. Well you chaps had better go and tell your men. Oh Charlie, Lieutenant Holt will be joining A Flight. You had better tell him.”

  “Sir.”

  It was a hectic hour I spent with the Major and Captain Marshall. I had far more to think about than I had when I had taken off that morning. Our mission the next day was another bomb run, escorting the new Martinsyde bomber. It was, at least, faster than the BE 2. This time, however, we would be flying further. Our target was the marshalling yards around Bapuame. It was deemed to be more cost effective than trying to bomb the road crossings.

  That evening at dinner, we talked shop. I made sure I was sat with the other Flight Commanders. “It should be easier tomorrow. The Martinsyde can get out of there quicker than a BE 2.”

  Charlie looked as though he wanted to say something but couldn’t. “Come on Charlie, spit it out.”

  “Well sir, it’s just that we will be travelling further over enemy lines. They will jump us and with their increased speed then we might struggle.”

  “A good point. How about this, we use the stack system. If we keep one aeroplane as low to the ground as the pilot can manage then the Hun can’t come from underneath us. Well not without risking a crash.”

  Ted stubbed out his cigarette and said, “That takes good and steady flying. Who do we get to do that?”

  “Why us, of course! If our flights are stacked up in front of us then they will have to take us on first. We are the best four pilots in the squadrons and I know that our gunners are red hot. The advantage we have is that we will be flying over flat ground and most of the trees have gone.”

  “We still have ground fire to contend with.”

  “I know Ted but I want every aeroplane to carry a couple of Mills bombs. Make sure they have long fuses for when we drop them over the German lines. If the leading aeroplanes drop them then by the time we four are over the gunners they should be keeping their heads down.”

  They seemed happy enough but I now began to have serious doubts. In my head it had seemed like a workable plan but when I gave it voice it didn’t.

  You would have thought that the promotion had been given to Sergeant Hutton from his walk to the aeroplane. He just said to me, “No more’n you deserve, sir. Now we’ll show them!”

  “Let’s just do what we always do Lumpy and try to get through the day.”

  “You’ll see, sir.”

  I was at the rendezvous early. I needed to make sure that everyone was in position. Charlie had a great deal of responsibility. He had four aeroplanes under his command. I hoped he would not become daunted by the task.

  The Martinsyde Elephant was a fine aeroplane but there was no gunner. The pilot had a machine gun just behind his right shoulder. I could see why they needed an escort. They might be faster than we were but they were even more vulnerable to an attack from the rear.

  We took up our positions. I was to the south and Gordy took the north. He would have more aeroplanes at his disposal but I would have the more experienced pilots. I knew that Charlie was extremely nervous. I saw him constantly looking around at his new charges. In contrast Lumpy was humming and singing all the time. My elevation to second in command appeared to have had an effect on him.

  The Germans had positioned more anti-aircraft guns behind their lines and they put up a fierce barrage. One of the bombers exploded, I suspect the bombs themselves were hit, while a second was forced to turn back when it suffered a major hit to its wing. The closer we got to the railway the worse it was. The Martinsydes were flying as high as they dared but it must have been terrifying for the pilots to endure that wall of steel through which they flew.

  The marshalling yards were a bigger target than the crossroads and they went in three lines to maximise their effect and minimise their time over the target. Even so when Lumpy spotted the Fokker biplanes I knew that this time would not be as easy as the first escort duty.

  “Arm your weapon. We’ll take them on now rather than waiting for them to get here.” I signalled to Ted who flew his flight next to mine.

  “Sir, it looks like there are two squadrons of them!”

  I was going to have a baptism of fire. Young Dunston would have to fend for himself. We would have no time to watch over the combat virgin. This time the Germans had come prepared. They were higher than we were and they were in four arrows. We were outnumbered. What we would not do was flinch. We would meet them head on. I cocked my Lewis. Idly I thought that I might ask the armourer to fit a second Lewis for me. I was not sure how it would affect the weight but the firepower would give us a distinct advantage.

  We were approaching each other at a combined speed of over a hundred and ninety miles an hour. They were much faster because we were climbing and they were diving. They also had the sun behind them; so much for ‘Bill’s Bullshit’.

  I intended to go directly at one of the tips of their wings. I would play a game of dare to see who blinked first. “Ready Lumpy!”

  “Aye sir, piece of…this won’t be a problem. These Fokkers have a bloody big engine in front of them.”

  Although the huge engine gave them some protection from bullets it also restricted their view. Hutton had perfected a technique of aiming for the propeller. It had worked with the Eindecker and appeared to work with its twin winged bigger brother.

 
; The German opened fire and his bullets were very close. I heard one of the wires on the wings twang as it was severed. We could cope with one or two such blows. Lumpy waited. Which way would the German bank? Would he come straight at us?

  As soon as Sergeant Hutton opened fire I knew the pilot was doomed. The bullets smashed into the propeller and the engine. I saw oil pouring from the engine and into the face of the pilot. He lost the game of dare and he banked to the right. Lumpy kept firing and the pilot fell dead.

  We continued to climb and Lumpy finished firing the magazine at the next aeroplane. I had no targets and I held my fire. As soon as I was above the Fokkers I banked to my right. I could hear Carrick and Dunston behind me as their gunners fired on both sides. Lumpy had reloaded by the time we finished our turn. The greater speed of the Germans had allowed me to come on their tail. I had height, I had the sun and I had the undefended rear of the Fokker. I waited until I could see the middle of the fuselage and then I let rip. Lumpy was finishing off one of the German Fokkers to the side and when I hit the pilot both aeroplanes began their dive of death.

  We were going slower than the Fokkers but they were weaving through the air trying to catch the Martinsydes. The bombers were not making it easy. They were jinking from side to side. I still had plenty of ammunition. We were slowly closing with one of the Fokkers when I felt the thud of bullets to our rear.

  “Sergeant, there is someone on our tail!”

  He stood and hauled himself to grab the rear Lewis. He wisely said not a word but began firing short bursts. I could feel the bullets hitting us but the Gunbus kept flying. “Got him! Mr Carrick is helping Mr Dunston.” He shouted, “There are three Fokkers around him.”

  “Get back on the front gun.” I let the Fokker I was chasing go and, as Hutton sat down again, I banked to the right. I saw the German Hutton had hit. It was heading for the railway line. It would be like a German bomb! I saw smoke coming from Dunston’s aeroplane. Carrick was fighting magnificently. He and his gunner were doing all that they could to help the inexperienced pilot.

  The three Fokkers were so intent on killing Dunston that they did not notice my stealthy approach from below. As Hutton fired almost vertically I emptied my magazine at a second Fokker. Hutton’s target peeled off damaged and I saw the pilot of the one I had struck holding his arm as smoke poured from his engine. The two gunners on Carrick and Dunston’s Gunbuses fired simultaneously and the Fokker almost disintegrated in mid air.

  I waved and ordered them west. We were low on fuel and ammunition. There was little point in pushing our luck. The skies seemed remarkably empty. I saw dogfights in the distance and, far ahead, the fleeing Elephants. I waved Dunston to the front. He had a damaged aeroplane and Carrick and I flew in tandem. Without being told Lumpy got on the rear Lewis and changed the magazine. He shouted, “Nice flying sir!”

  I glanced over the side and saw some of the damaged aeroplanes. I did not see any Gunbuses but I knew that the aerial battle had ranged over a large area. I realised that we had been in the air for longer than usual when I tapped the fuel gauge. We would be flying on fumes once again. I had known the risk I was running when I had elected to bank and then dive on the Germans. It was the best manoeuvre to use but it used fuel at a prodigious rate.

  I breathed a sigh of relief as we passed over our front lines. If we ran out of fuel then we would, at least, be able to land. The ambulances, medical staff and mechanics gathered around the aeroplanes which had landed told me that we had suffered damage but it looked as though we had not lost any aeroplanes.

  I did not jump out immediately but I sat there with my eyes closed. I held my hands to stop them shaking. This was the first time that I had led the whole squadron and it had been nerve wracking. I had had to trust to men like Charlie and Gordy to follow my orders even when out of sight.

  “Having a snooze, Bill?”

  I opened my eyes with a start and saw Lord Burscough and Archie staring at me with amusement on their faces. I clambered out. “Er no sir… it’s just…”

  Colonel Burscough put his arm around my shoulders. “It’s just that having the command of a squadron takes it out of one. I know, as does Major Leach here.” As we walked towards the Headquarters he waved his arm around the field. “You did well today. They are all down.”

  “But we lost some of the Martinsyde Elephants and there is damage to our aeroplanes. I nearly lost young Dunston today.”

  Lord Burscough laughed. “You were always the same Bill; always seeking perfection. Other squadrons are regularly coming back with four and five aeroplanes missing. Another Gunbus squadron had the same job as you yesterday and lost four Gunbuses and had another four badly damaged.”

  We had reached the office and we entered, “Get us some coffee, Flight.”

  “Sir.”

  We sat down and Lord Burscough continued, “It is the main reason I am here. I am sad that the Colonel had a heart attack. He was a fine old warrior.” The ‘was’ sounded ominous. “However the Brass is not as stupid as some people think; at least not General Henderson and General Trenchard. They are trying to build on success. 41 Squadron is successful. There are only a handful of pilots who have more kills to their name than you and you have the lowest turnover of pilots.” I began to speak and he held up his hand. “It is not perfect but this squadron has the right idea. That is why we want to increase the size of the squadron. You chaps have wrested control of the skies over the Somme from the Germans. Do not let them take it back!”

  “Coffee sir.”

  The orderly poured the coffee and then backed out of the room. I sipped the hot steaming drink and realised how much I had been waiting for this.

  Major Leach went to the cupboard and brought out a bottle of blended whisky. “A freshener sir?”

  Lord Burscough nodded. Archie poured a generous slug into each of our cups. “Good coffee.” He looked at both of us seriously. “The information you send back is scrutinised back at Headquarters. We do have some fairly bright Intelligence officers. We also have information from Berlin. The Germans lost Max Immelmann recently but they have another star now, Boelke. He seems a clever chap and we know that he is reorganising his squadrons, Jastas they call them. Make no mistake, the Germans do not like to lose and they will come back stronger. I am here to tell you not to get complacent.”

  Archie shook his head, “With respect sir, I don’t think it is in the lads’ nature to get complacent. They are a good bunch here.”

  “I know but don’t let up on the Hun. You have your sword in his back. Keep it there!”

  Archie laughed, “Aye sir, a nice metaphor!”

  Captain Marshall put his head around the door. “Sir, I have the reports in.”

  Archie looked at Lord Burscough who nodded, “That’s fine Archie. I have just about finished. I’ll have a chat here to Bill.” When he had gone he tapped my medals. “Congratulations on your medals. Lady Burscough told me about it.” He sipped his coffee and a mischievous look came into his eyes. “She also told me of the pretty little nurse. She seemed to think that wedding bells would be in the offing.”

  I shook my head, “Not while the war is on. She deserves a nice wedding not something we do quickly because I happen to have a leave. Besides I want her to meet mum and dad first.”

  “I can see that but don’t wait too long Bill. Grasp happiness while you can. Remember the Marne and Le Cateau; we lost too many friends during the race to the sea.” He finished his coffee. “You are very highly thought of, you know, Bill. The General wants to give you your own squadron.”

  I shook my head, “Not yet sir. Today showed me that I still have much to learn.”

  He nodded, “That is probably a good thing. Besides we have some new aeroplanes we are just developing. Nippy little single seater fighters. Far faster than the Gunbus.”

  “I don’t know sir. I quite like the old Gunbus.”

  “This is a fast moving war and we have to move with it. Still they are some months o
ff production yet. Let’s get to the end of this offensive and see.” He stood and shook my hand. “Lady Mary and I are proud of you, Bill.”

  “Thank you sir.”

  “Oh, by the way, your Alice is doing well in London. She has a real future there.”

  “I was grateful to her ladyship for showing interest.”

  “Don’t be silly. Your family is almost part of our family,” He suddenly looked sad, “although by the time this war ends those happy days may never return. The world is changing. There are more men like John and Tom now who want a change in the order of things.”

  “Not me sir.”

  “I know, Bill, I know.”

  Chapter 8

  Mine was the last report to come in. Archie took his lordship back to his car and I sat with Randolph who took note while I spoke. I thought back to the days of our dreaded temporary commander, Major Hamilton-Grant. We would have to sit and write out a lengthy report each day. It wasted time and was inefficient. This was a better method.

  “Do you know what happened to Dunston then?”

  I shook my head. “I was whisked away before I could find out. I’ll have a chat later on but he did well just to survive. It was brutal out there.”

  Randolph held up his report. “It looks like there were two squadrons. The buff coloured ones and a pale blue one. The ones with pale blue apparently had differently coloured wheels. I presume they denoted the flights.”

  “It would help if we knew where their home fields were.”

  “You are right. That would give us an idea of their range. Their endurance, according to the Intelligence papers Colonel Burscough brought, is about an hour thirty.”

  I did the calculation in my head. “That means that they could fly for about seventy miles from their airfield.”

  “They are hanging around the combats for a long time Bill. I would think that they may be no more than thirty miles from the front.”

  I stood and went to the map. “We have to assume that these two squadrons will be close together. I would put them somewhere here, east of Bapuame.”