1915 Fokker Scourge (British Ace Book 2) (31 page)

“Don’t worry sir.  I can fight my own battles.”
And I could but it had annoyed me that Hamilton-Grant was still oozing poison about me.

Charlie did, of course, pass with flying colours. I was with the colonel when he spoke with him.  “Of course Sergeant Sharp, until we get another aeroplane and gunner you will continue to be Captain Harsker’s gunner.”

“That is fine by me sir.”

Gordy and Ted had heard of the insults sent to us by Major Hamilton-Grant.  All three of us were aware that the Lieutenant had just been the mouthpiece.

“I can’t understand how he was appointed to run a training school.”

Ted said, “Then you are as daft as a brush Gordy. It is obvious.  He gets fewer pilots killed in England than he would over here running a squadron.”

We had little time to dwell on the new batch of officers and the obnoxious Garrington-Jones in particular.
The Germans launched a raid on Hulluch close to Loos. They used gas.  Although the raid failed we were told to find the gas and destroy it.

“I want the four flights each to take one sector.  Use cameras to photograph the ground but your eyes will tell you more.”

Gordy asked, “Captain Marshall, what are we looking for?”

“Gas
cylinders.  They will want them kept away from other soldiers as they leak but there will be some sort of fence around them.  They might even be in a tent but they will be within five miles of the German front lines. When you return, if you have not found anything, we will analyse the photographs and see if we can spot anything.”

Charlie had used a camera before and was quite happy about it.  “Might take a couple of snaps of the bus for after the war eh sir?”

He had grown in confidence since his flying test.  “Just use the camera to find this damned gas.” I growled

As soon as I said
‘
gas
’ his face fell.  He had suffered during the first gas attack the previous year and the memory was still a little raw. We only had one camera per flight and I took Freddy and Johnny to one side. “Use your observers to look for anything which looks out of place. I don’t think that they will have hidden it from the air.  We have not been behind their lines for some time.”

“What about Fokkers?”

“I think that we will be safe today but when we return to destroy the gas, that will be a different matter.”

We flew over the area where the gas had been used.  It was not far from Loos and I began to worry about Albert again. Then I realised that there were thousands of me
n in the area and only a few hundred had been affected. We took photographs of every odd looking structure and large tent but I saw nothing that resembled gas cylinders. We returned disappointed.

The photographs from all four flights had been developed by lunchtime.  We were eating in the mess when an excited Randolph raced in.  He proffered a photograph.  “Here! Here is the gas!”

Archie and I joined him at a spare table. “You can see here, just four miles from the front there is this tent which is large enough to hold the gas and it is well away from their soldiers.  There is a barbed wire fence around it too.”

Archie sai
d, doubtfully, “But it could be ammunition or anything.”

It was on the tip of my tongue to say that if we could destroy ammunition then that would be as useful but I saw that Captain Marshall had not finished. “You are correct Major but,”
he took out a magnifying glass, “if you look here you will see four cylinders which have, somehow, become loose and rolled from the tent.”

He was right.  The cylinders were quite clear.  Of course they could contain anything but it was more than likely that it would be the gas.

Archie banged the table, “Right, get the bombs fitted.  We’ll go now!”

“Why not wait until the morning sir?”

“Because, Randolph, the buggers may well move it or the Fokkers might be waiting.  This is our chance to catch them with their trousers down!”

The armourers and mechanics were well versed in fitting the four bomb racks and the bombs. “I’ll go in first and drop my eggs. The two new lads can keep th
eir bombs until we need them.” I saw the disappointment on the faces of the young pilots. Then C Flight, D Flight and finally Captain Harsker with B Flight.  If the four flight commanders can’t destroy the tent then the others can have a go. We will start with B Flight, D, C and then the rest of A Flight.”

“And if we do destroy it?”

“Then we drop our eggs on another target.  So keep your eyes open for something suitable.”

“Major, we have hit gas
from the air last year.  It might be as well for all the other aeroplanes to fly at higher altitude when the strike aeroplane goes in. And I think we need gas masks too.”

“Right Captain, you have done this sort of thing before.
I’ll take your advice.”

We took off after making sure that we had all taken a gas mask each.  I did not want to use one for it made visibility poor but it might become necessary.
We rarely flew in the afternoon and I hoped that would mean we could arrive unnoticed.

Archie led and as eleven of us circled
above he dived in to attack. The bombs landed around the tent but did not destroy it.  The Hun had placed some anti aircraft guns there.  They had not been there in the morning and they began to pepper the sky with shells. Gordy dropped down and his bombs went even closer.  I suspect he might have hit it had it not been for the ferocious fire of the German flak. When Ted went in I was preparing Charlie to go next.  Ted waited longer than the other two and all four bombs caused direct hits.

“Come on Ted, get out of there.” We watched as Ted climbed desperately to out run the
gas, smoke and flames which were rising.  He was a canny flier and he flew towards the wind so that the smoke and gas was carried away from him.

We reformed our four flights and followed Major Leach north. He was looking for a target. I saw him point and his two young pilots dived to attack the road which had a line of vehicles on it. Their bombs fell fifty yards from the road. While A Flight circled above Gordy waved for his flight to attack.  They dropped their bombs closer but they merely destroyed a field of new sown grain. Ted’s flight was keen to emulate their commander and they hit the middle of the convoy.

Then it was our turn.  We had three aeroplanes and I banked around to make a run down the road as opposed to across it as the others had tried.  It meant that they could bring all their guns to fire but it also allowed us to have the best chance of hitting them.

“Keep your head down
, Charlie, I am going to use my gun.”

“Righto sir. I began to fire short burst and then Charlie dropped the bombs.  H
e dropped his to the right and I knew that Laithwaite would drop his to the left.  That would leave Johnny’s gunner to choose which vehicles were the best target. We were low enough to see the faces of the Germans.  My bullets had carved a line of dead Germans and when the bombs went off it was like flying through hell.  I pulled the nose up and saw Sharp throw one last Mills bomb for good luck.

As I banked I looked over my left shoulder and saw that both my wingmen were safe and half of the convoy had been destroyed. I tucked in behind Ted’s flight and we headed home.

The first we knew of the Fokkers was when they fired, prematurely, as they dived to attack us. “Charlie, rear gun!” The sound of the gun had alerted the others and I saw Archie’s nose begin to turn to port. I prayed that the young pilots would not panic.  Archie was trying our defensive circle.  Head on we would have been able to fight them but they were coming from our most vulnerable position. I thought we were going to make it but one of the aeroplanes following the Major suddenly left formation and began to dive towards the west.  Luckily Gordy was the next aeroplane and he retained the formation. When Archie tucked in behind Lieutenant Holt I breathed a sigh of relief.

The eleven gunners were able to pick their targets and, as the Fokkers tried to get underneath our formation, two or three Lewis guns would make it too hot for them.  Gradually the major edged us further and further west. It was hardly rapid progress but, as we were just five miles behind the enemy lines we soon found ourselves over No-Man’s Land. The Fokkers must have run out of ammunition or become frustrated. As we neared our lines they sped east
, many of them with wings and fuselage riddled with bullet holes.  It was a stalemate but our two bombing raids meant that we felt we were the victor.

When we landed we saw the single forlorn looking aeroplane of Lieutenant Garrington-Jones. I could see Senior Flight Sergeant Lowery inspecting the bus.  The colonel would have wondered why one aeroplane arrived back alone. The lieutenant, if he did but know it, was in
serious trouble.

As soon as we had landed I went to see Johnny.  His Gunbus had been the last in line and I knew that he was more likely to have damage. I found him and his gunner inspecting the tail. He turned as I approached, “We were lucky sir, they just chipped a little from the propeller but they nicked one of the cables leading to the rudder.” We could see that it was frayed where the bullets had struck it.  Had it been severed then he would not have been able to stay in the circle.

“You were lucky but at least we know that the circle works.”

Freddy had joined us, “Yes sir but that idiot over there nearly ruined the plan.  If Harry Burrell, Major Leach’s other new pilot, had followed him then the Fokkers would have been inside the circle.”

I smiled at Freddy, he had grown immeasurably.  “Criticising keen young pilots?  Are you becoming a cynic Mr Carrick?”

“No sir, I just recognise stupidity.  It is one of the many things I have learned from your sir.”

“Then there is hope, young man!”

The colonel waited until Archie had made his report before he sent for the young lieutenant. It was a very red faced and angry officer who stamped down the stairs from the office. He glowered at everyone.  I went in to speak with the
Colonel and the Major.

Archie was lighting his pipe.  He chuckled, “I take it yon lieutenant left in a tantrum?”

“Yes sir, his toys are well and truly out of the perambulator.”

“Aye I thought he might.  He took the dressing down and the warning the colonel here gave him but I could see that he was not happy.”

“Warn Sharp that he may well be needed for flying duties soon.  I warned the lieutenant that any more such acts of disobedience would lead to his suspension as a pilot.”

“But sir, that would leave me without a gunner.”

Archie laughed as he blew out a cloud of blue smoke, “No laddie, you can have Lumpy as promised and we will take a leaf out of your book.  Mr Garrington-Jones can have a spell as a gunner.  Let’s see if that teaches him humility.”

“You don’t think he will learn his lesson do you sir?”

The colonel shook his head sadly, “No Captain Harsker.  I am afraid I recognise the type.  I went to school with them and he is cut from the same cloth as Major Hamilton-Grant.  He is privileged and no one has ever said no to him.  He probably played cricket and rugby for his school, rowed at Henley and was told that he was God’s gift to the world. Had the war not come along he would have had rapid promotions and ended up an ambassador somewhere or perhaps a Member of Parliament.  This war has little good to be said for it but it has, at least, levelled the playing field.  Men like yourself and Archie have more chance of being rewarded than in the years before the war.  Yes, I am afraid that our young lieutenant will think he can continue to disobey and his good looks and name will excuse him.”

I kept the confidence of my commander’s words.  It would not help anyone to
know what went on behind our closed doors.

Our little foray behind the lines had, however stirred the hornets’ nest. We now had telephone communication with the front line and we were told, the next day that there was a formation of German aeroplanes heading west. It did not take a genius to work out they were coming to bomb us.  The message had not specified the types of aeroplane but we knew that it
was likely to be Fokkers and AEG G1 bombers.

We raced to our aeroplanes. Archie shouted, as we ran, “Four flights in arrow formation. Ted
, you go after the bombers we’ll take the Fokkers.” We all waved our acknowledgement.

I decided to tell Charlie the good news when we landed.  I did not want him distracted.

The disadvantage we had was that we were still climbing when we came across the enemy formation. The Fokkers would be able to dive and then turn to attack our rear. The advantage we had was that we would have to climb through their bombers and our bullets would aid Ted.

As we climbed Charlie sprayed the first bomber with a short burst.  He hit it but I was unable to see the damage.  I was too concerned with the twelve Fokkers which dived towards us.  With D Flight busy with the bombers we would be outnumbered.  I had taken the precaution of having a spare magazine between my knees.  When I ran out I wanted a fast reload. Charlie emptied his first magazine at the Fokker who came directly towards us.  As he reloaded I fired a burst.  I was unlucky.  The bullets struck his propeller and then
pinged off the top of the engine. The noise did, however, distract him and he banked up and to the right. He would not do a turn and end up behind me.