Hawks on the Hunt, or The German Media Chimes In ;)
From the Berliner Illustrierte Zeitung, late 1917:
Once again, an aerial assault on our brave footsoldiers of the Fatherland has been defeated, thanks to the courage of our bold flyers of Jagdgeschwader 1! Like hawks on the hunt, these bold warriors of the sky fall on their prey swiftly and remorselessly, striking down the English bombers before they could rain destruction upon the sons and brothers of Germany.
Following a brief lull in the aerial war due to harsh winter storms, the Allies launched an attack by their bomber squadrons two days ago. Waves of DH4s and the newer Breguet 14s advanced inexorably toward German-held territory, their droning engines echoing across the horizons.
Answering this challenge was a trio of pilots led by Jasta 10's newly-promoted commander, Hauptmann Karl Von Klepperman. If there is a word this reporter would use that describes this pilot, it is "Jager" (hunter). While some pilots are known for their fierceness, and others for their unpredictability, Von Klepperman--affectionately known to his comrades as "Kleppi"--is a patient, precise bird of prey in the air, scientifically stalking the enemy with the same careful methods he learned as a boy hunting deer, boar and bear in the Bavarian Alps. Our reporter received the singular honor of an exclusive interview with this admirable officer, and we shall pass on the details of this thrilling battle exactly as he described it to our magazine.
As a pair of enemy bombers and our fighters made contact over No Man's Land, Klepperman directed his flight to concentrate fire on the closest foe. His first shots, unfortunately, jammed before he could do much damage. Other pilots would lose their nerve or panic facing an enemy aircraft head on with disabled weapons, but Klepperman's resolve and trust in his fellow flyers never wavered. He calmly cleared his guns as his wingmen provided covering fire, guessing that the enemy would not have the will to continue a head-to-head engagement. His instincts, as they often are, proved correct--the bombers lost their nerve, turning into each other to avoid the fire and inadvertently spoiling each other's attacks on our lads!
Klepperman's wingmen turned to the left and right and began making wide, banking maneuvers to come around and re-engage the enemy. Having cleared his guns, Klepperman then performed an Immelman to engage one of the targets from behind. "I always stay calm and attack from as close a distance as possible," he said. "As in hunting in the forest, a sure shot is always better than a wild one." Following his own rule, he closed, firing steadily. The bomber, too slow to escape, took another hit, then a third...and then fell in flames!
Klepperman gives as much credit to the plane he flies as to his own skill. "The Pfalz suits a patient hunter like myself," he said. "She is steady, reliable and sturdy. Yes, she is not as fast as the Albatros, nor as maneuverable as the Fokker--but I can turn tightly, fly without fear of mishap, and exchange fire with the confidence my scout can take the punishment. It is everything I seek in an aircraft."
Klepperman's wingman took a few more shots at the surviving bomber, but with his comrade lost, the Englishman chose retreat over continuing the mission.
Our stalwart pilots returned home, escorted by the cheers and gratitude of their fellows on the ground. It is this courage that shall ensure victory for our country in this great struggle!
(Game Notes: Whew! I'd like to take a break now, please. I think this was the last of the missions from the past few weeks I haven't written up yet. At DaveZee's request, I decided to make this one a tribute to the leading ace pilot of our current campaign, Karl Von Klepperman, with 7 confirmed kills so far. And as we've had some French reporters bolstering the other side, I decided to give the German media a few innings.Also, I had to reconstruct a lot of this from DaveZee's description, as I was stuck on the other side of the board chasing the second bomber for most of the match, so any errors can be attributed to the author.)
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Originally Posted by DaveZee
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