In the meantime, I have made my total twenty-five.
Number 21 I tackled single-handed. The fight with this Vickers biplane
did not take very long. I attacked him at an angle from behind (the
best; to get him from directly behind is not so good, since the motor
acts as a protection). In vain he tried to get out of this poor
position; I did not give him the chance. I came so close to him that
my machine was smutted by the ensuing explosion of his 'plane. He
fell, twisting like a boomerang. The observer fell out of the machine
before it struck.
Number 22 was quite bold; with his companions, he was sailing over our
front, attacking our machines. This was too bad for him as well as one
of his friends, who was shot down by two Rumplers. Number 22 fell in
exactly the same way as 21 fell the day before, only he landed within
his own lines.
Number 23 was a hard one. I had headed off the squadron he was with
and picked the second one. He started to get away. The third attacked
Lieutenant R., and was soon engaged by Lieutenants B. and R., but,
nevertheless, escaped within his own lines. My opponent pretended to
fall after the first shots. I knew this trick, and followed him
closely. He really was trying to escape to his own lines. He did not
succeed. At M. he fell. His wings broke off and the machine broke into
pieces. As he lies so far behind our front I did not get a chance to
inspect the wreck. Once, however, I flew over it at a very low
altitude.
After a short while I saw several Englishmen circling over P. When I
got nearer, they wanted to attack me. As I was lower, I paid no
attention to them, but turned away. As they saw I would not fight, one
of them attacked another German machine. I could not allow this to go
on. I attacked him and he soon had to suffer for it. I shot up his
gasoline and oil tanks and wounded him in the right thigh. He landed
and was captured. That was Number 24.
Number 25 had to wait till the next day. A fleet of seven Englishmen
passed over our field. Behind them I rose and cut off their retreat.
At P. I got near them. I was the lower and, therefore, almost
defenseless. This they took advantage of, and attacked me. Nerve! But
I soon turned the tables and got my sights on one of them. I got nice
and close to him, and let him have about 500 shots at forty meters.
Then he had enough. Lieutenant von R. fired a few more shots at him,
but he was finished without them. At H. he fell in a forest and was
completely wrecked.
Things are very lively here. The Englishmen always appear in swarms. I
regret I did not have enough machines for all my men. Yesterday the
first consignment arrived. The other half will come very soon. They
shot down two Englishmen yesterday, and there won't be many Englishmen
left in a little while.
Yesterday, my officer for special service arrived; he will relieve me
of a lot of work. Nevertheless, my time is well occupied, even when
not flying. There is a lot to do if one has to make a division out of
practically nothing. But it pleases me to see things gradually work
out as I plan them.
_LATER_
In the meantime, things have changed considerably. Two of my men and I
got into an English squadron and had a thorough housecleaning. Each of
us brought down an Englishman. We are getting along fine; since last
night five Englishmen. I shot down the leader, which I recognized
by little flags on one of the planes. He landed at E. and set his
machine afire. His observer was slightly wounded. When I arrived in an
auto they had both been taken away. He had landed because I had shot
his engine to pieces.