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Original text
from the Boelcke Field Reports in BLACK
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Additional
text which had been omitted in the Field Reports in BLUE
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Comments
by the author in
GREEN
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4. July, 1916
Now I was occupied in S. to
establish everything needed for my squadron. Because all of the
authorities supported me well I had soon gathered all of my stuff and
everybody could move on June 30. Now imagine my bad luck: Right on that
day I had to vanish from the picture! And this happened as follows:
There was nothing doing around in the air space before Verdun. The
clientele was much intimidated. On that one day as we were a little more
busy I had flown already twice in the morning, then I was sitting around
on the airfield, feeling bored. Suddenly I heard machine gun fire in the
air and I could watch how a German double-decker had been attacked by a
Nieuwport. Soon after that, the German landed on my field, reporting
breathlessly:
"The sparks are flying at the front! Six Americans are up. I saw
the American flag clearly on the fuselage. The chaps had been very
fresh, coming to the front and over here".
Well, I didn't imagine it was really that dangerous so I started to
welcome the six Americans for my part. This they could require - This
courtesy required! I actually met them above the Mass bow. Quite fresh
they flew back and forth in tight formation. I approached them,
welcoming the first one with my machine gun. Apparently that one was
still quite a greener. Soon and without any difficulty I came into his
neck to a good distance of about 100m from where I could give him a
working over. Because he was quite in the clouds, flying almost straight
ahead, I warranted the hope that I could finish him off soon. But luck
was ungracious to me! I had my machine for the first time after it had
returned from the factory and got stoppages after twenty cartridges on
the left, and after fifty cartridges on the right, that I tried to
eliminate in vain. While I still floundered with my machine guns, the
other five Americans had approached. Because I couldn't shoot anymore I
preferred to flee because the complete horde was after me (I couldn't
defend myself anyway), accelerating my flight by dropping my machine
over the left wing. A few hundred meters below I took the machine back
into normal position again but the swarm tried to get after me so I did
the same maneuver again. At eight hundred meters I took the machine back
up again to fly back home, not amused but unshot. I only saw that the
Americans flew barrage at the front. (The success was the following:
On the other day the British radio service announced: "Yesterday
Adjutant Ribière shot down the famous captain Boelcke in an air fight
over Verdun". In the meantime I relieved him from his error.)
On this day yet another nice flight happened. The whole French
artillery position near B. and west of Verdun had to be photographed by
an artillery observation squadron. For this, Hauptmann V. wanted
to go over with his squadron. He asked me to escort him for protection
together with two more Fokkers. I went over with the squadron and
because I kept close I was immediately at the place as two French
fighter aircraft attacked. The first one didn't even get close. The
second one dove onto the double-decker that had been occupied by Hauptmann
V. Because this one actually observed downwards with binoculars he
didn't see the Frenchman at all. Also the pilot saw the opponent only in
the very last moment, doing such a steep turn that V. almost tumbled out
of the coach. I came to aid the double-decker and went after the
Frenchman who could suddenly run very fast. I barely got him in my
sights, he always jumbled around, me behind. At eighteen hundred meters
I gave him a decent salvo again before I let him go. He did nothing to
my squadron anymore. Because one of my ignition wires had been ripped
off, the engine didn't run properly anymore, so I flew back home again
after that. Calmly the squadron could make all of its photographs, being
very satisfied with the success. The machine that I attacked had first
been reported to have crashed but afterwards it was said that it
straightened up again and continued flying.
Then came the very sad fall of Immelmann. One evening it was suddenly
said that he had crashed. At first I took it just for one of the well
known rumors but sadly the message had been confirmed in the evening by
the Stabsoffizier and it was said that Immelmann will be
transferred back to Dresden. I then asked for permission to fly to D.
for the transfer.
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