Now, events come so fast I cannot keep up with them by writing.
On the 11th we had a little gathering that kept me up later than
usual, so I did not feel like getting up in the morning. But, as the
weather was good, I strolled out to the field and went up about nine
o'clock. I flew over to Lille to lie in wait for any hostile aircraft.
At first, I had no luck at all. Finally I saw bombs bursting near
Ypres. I flew so far I could see the ocean, but am sorry to say I
could not find any enemy 'plane. On my way back, I saw two Englishmen,
west of Lille, and attacked the nearer one. He did not appreciate the
attention, but turned and ran. Just above the trenches I came within
gunshot of him. We greeted each other with our machine guns, and he
elected to land. I let him go to get at the second of the pair, and
spoil his visit, also. Thanks to my good machine, I gradually caught
up with him, as he flew toward the east, north of Lille. When I was
still four or five hundred meters away from him, he seemed to have
seen all he wanted, for he turned to fly west. Then I went for him. I
kept behind him till I was near enough. The Englishman seemed to be an
old hand at this game, for he let me come on without firing a shot. He
didn't shoot until after I started. I flew squarely behind him, and
had all the time in the world to aim, because he did not vary a hair
from his straight course. He twice reloaded his gun. Suddenly, after
only a short while, he fell. I was sure I had hit the pilot. At 800
meters, his machine righted itself, but then dove on, head-foremost,
till it landed in a garden in M., northeast of S. The country is very
rough there, so I went back to our landing-place and reported by
telephone. To my surprise, I heard that at the time Immelmann had shot
down an Englishman near P. I had to laugh.
The greatest surprise came in the evening. We were just at dinner
when I was called to the 'phone. At the other end was the
Commander-in-Chief's Adjutant, who congratulated me for receiving
the order _Pour le mérite._ I thought he was joking. But he told me
that Immelmann and I had both received this honor at the telegraphic
order of the Kaiser. My surprise and joy were great. I went in and
said nothing, but sent Captain K. to the 'phone, and he received
the news and broke it to all. First, everyone was surprised, then
highly pleased. On the same evening I received several messages of
congratulation, and the next day, January 13th, had nothing to do
all day but receive other such messages.
Everybody seemed elated. One old chap would not let me go, and I
didn't escape till I promised to visit him. From all comers I received
messages: by telephone and telegraph. The King of Bavaria, who
happened to be in Lille with the Bavarian Crown Prince, invited me to
dinner for the 14th of January.
Now comes the best of all. On the 14th, that is, yesterday, it was
ideal weather for flying. So I went up at nine o'clock to look around.
As it was getting cloudy near Lille, I changed my course to take me
south of Arras. I was up hardly an hour, when I saw the smoke of
bursting bombs near P. I flew in that direction, but the Englishman
who was dropping the bombs saw me and started for home. I soon
overtook him.
When he saw I intended to attack him, he suddenly turned and attacked
me. Now, there started the hardest fight I have as yet been in. The
Englishman continually tried to attack me from behind, and I tried to
do the same to him. We circled 'round and 'round each other. I had
taken my experience of December 28th to heart (that was the time I had
used up all my ammunition), so I only fired when I could get my sights
on him. In this way, we circled around, I often not firing a shot for
several minutes. This merry-go-round was immaterial to me, since we
were over our lines. But I watched him, for I felt that sooner or
later he would make a dash for home. I noticed that while circling
around he continually tried to edge over toward his own lines, which
were not far away. I waited my chance, and was able to get at him in
real style, shooting his engine to pieces. This I noticed when he
glided toward his own lines, leaving a tail of smoke behind him. I had
to stop him in his attempt to reach safety, so, in spite of his
wrecked motor, I had to attack him again. About 200 meters inside our
positions I overtook him, and fired both my guns at him at close range
(I no longer needed to save my cartridges). At the moment when I
caught up to him, we passed over our trenches and I turned back. I
could not determine what had become of him, for I had to save myself
now. I flew back, and as I had little fuel left, I landed near the
village of F. Here I was received by the Division Staff and was told
what had become of the Englishman. To my joy, I learned that,
immediately after I had left him, he had come to earth near the
English positions. The trenches are only a hundred meters apart at
this place. One of the passengers, the pilot, it seems, jumped out and
ran to the English trenches. He seems to have escaped, in spite of the
fact that our infantry fired at him. Our field artillery quickly
opened fire on his machine, and among the first shots one struck it
and set it afire. The other aviator, probably the pilot, who was
either dead or severely wounded, was burned up with the machine.
Nothing but the skeleton of the airplane remains. As my helpers did
not come till late, I rode to D. in the Division automobile, because
I had to be with the King of Bavaria at 5:30. From D. I went directly
on to Lille. King and Crown Prince both conversed with me for quite a
while, and they were especially pleased at my most recent success.
Once home, I began to see the black side of being a hero. Everyone
congratulates you. All ask you questions. I shall soon be forced to
carry a printed interrogation sheet with me with answers all filled
out. I was particularly pleased by my ninth success, because it
followed so close on the _Pour le mérite_.