89 – Episode 89 Air Battle of the British Mainland (2)
The two-week long air raids of Gotha bombers had a serious psychological impact on British society. As we faced attacks from the German military from the sky following U-boats, the question of ‘is this okay?’ Was strongly raised in British society.
First of all, the commander has changed.
Major-General Hugh Montagu Trenchard was inaugurated as Supreme Commander of the Royal Flying Corps. General Trenchard was a pilot with flight skills and a high understanding of aircraft.
“Since interception is virtually impossible, we need to strike from the point of origin in the area where enemy aircraft are sortieing.”
In the first place, it was difficult to spot the Gota bomber, and even if they tried to intercept it, the altitude was too high.
Even if all the conditions were met, it was not easy for an interceptor to launch a sortie at the moment when the bomber was pouring down bombs and running away.
So, General Trenchard’s proposal to attack the base from which enemy bombers would launch attracted the interest of the British government.
“But does our air force have bombers that good?”
To bomb across the English Channel, a bomber with a long range was needed. Considering the operational time, there were not many aircraft that could achieve that level of performance.
There were 80 Short bombers and 20 Handley Page bombers.
The number of bombers was greater than that of Germany, but the bomb load was poor.
The Short Bomber weighed only 51kg and the Handley Page weighed 910kg, but they were few in number.
At most, it was about 22 tons of explosives.
“The quantity is small, but wouldn’t it be okay to accumulate the number of bombings?”
“That’s true too.”
At least we had to prevent German bombers from launching a sortie in the English Channel.
Once the British government agreed to the proposal, General Trenchard advanced preparations.
A large air force was moved to Kent across the English Channel.
“If the bombing starts, Jerry won’t just sit by and watch. They are lying in ambush in the strait and will attempt to attack. “We must never give up the bombers.”
It would have been nice if the Royal Flying Corps could fly at high altitudes like the Gotha bombers, but the cheap short bombers couldn’t do that. British bombers, with a maximum altitude of only 1,980m to 2,600m, had to be hit by fighter planes if they aimed from above.
Fighter pilots also understood that bombers were the core of operations.
However, the problem was that it was not easy to cover low-altitude bombers.
If the altitude was too high, it would take a long time to defend against an attack, and if the altitude was low, it would be difficult to block enemy planes attacking from above.
Any mission is difficult, but bomber cover had a different level of difficulty.
Fighter pilots studied formations in their own way and devised defensive tactics that applied existing tactics.
On June 15, 1917, the British Royal Flying Corps, having completed its preparations, launched its first offensive.
It was the day the German Army Air Corps returned from its 14th bombing of London, so the pilots’ enthusiasm was higher than ever.
“Wipe it all away!”
As soon as the sortie order was given, the planes waiting for takeoff flew up the runway one after another.
British fighter planes also joined in the first attack. Although it was unlikely that German fighters would respond to an attack they had never experienced, it was decided to go together in order to gain experience.
Lieutenant Owen Baldwin felt his heart swell again as he looked at the array of British aircraft filling the sky.
Even if it leaked roughly, it looked like it was in the 200s.
The only country capable of launching an air force of this size is the British Empire.
There is no way that an empire that rules the sky and the sea would bow to the barbarians that only rule the land.
Baldwin raised his nose high and gained altitude.
The British air force crossed the English Channel with a roar.
In less than 30 minutes, land spread out in the distance.
Baldwin had the rear gunner borrow the summary map and terrain he had received before the sortie.
The gunner said after looking at the map for a while.
“Look, I can see Boulogne.”
“It’s closer than I thought.”
I guess that’s why the Germans are bombing London so easily.
Now it was time for them to taste bitterness.
Baldwin clenched his fists as he watched the bombers rushing toward Boulogne.
*
aaaeang.
Not long after the base was put on alert, a sortie order was given to the German fighter planes.
It was news that British bombers were attacking Boulogne again.
“It’s not even funny. “I can’t believe the navy guys found British pirate planes again.”
“Thanks to you, I have less work to do. Let’s go.”
Manfred rushed to the fighter plane, leading the grumbling Bölke. Most of the German Albatros D.III fighter planes were painted in plain colors, but Mannfred’s aircraft was painted especially red.
Other pilots thought he was crazy when they saw it, but Manfred considered his striking paint job a symbol and identity. In a battlefield where it was impossible to even introduce who was who, the best way to make a name for yourself was to stand out.
What stood out on the battlefield was the act of inviting death, but for Manfred, who dreams of becoming a ‘knight’ of the sky, it was a risk he could take.
As soon as the takeoff command was given, Manfred and Bölke’s aircraft rose into the sky.
Other German fighter bases were unprepared, and the number of German aircraft sortied was less than 20.
Bölke sent a signal with his hand.
“Let’s increase altitude?”
Manfred looked at the sky.
The time was just entering the afternoon.
The enemy planes that go up to high altitude and lie in ambush and then return make a surprise attack. Following Boelke’s maxim that if you attack with your back to the sun, you will always win, there has been no failure.
“That wouldn’t be bad.”
Manfred raised his nose.
As the flight commanders raised their noses, German fighters followed suit and increased their altitude.
The albatross, which can climb up to a maximum altitude of 5,000m, was a natural predator suited to hunting down British bombers flying at low altitudes.
The question was whether it would be possible to meet the prey.
Human eyes were the only means of finding enemies in the vast sky.
The German pilots opened their eyes wide and looked around. Because the attack had to be discovered first, the ranks were spread out very widely.
“What do you see?”
When Manfred waved his wings to signal, he responded that it was not Bölke.
“I’m going crazy.”
Is this a waste of money again?
Manfred regained his appetite and grabbed his telescope.
The moment I was about to scan the sky again, a faint British aircraft was spotted in the distance.
“I found it.”
When Manfred’s red albatross broke its nose, everyone wanted to know something.
“I found it.”
When Manfred waved his wings to signal, the German planes began to move in unison.
The German planes, which began chasing their prey at breakneck speed, soon discovered the British air force withdrawing in a pitch black group.
“Wow.”
Even Manfred, who had fought numerous battles in the sky, could not help but be overwhelmed by the sight before his eyes.
At least 100 units.
If you catch a lot, you can count up to 150 enemy planes, filling your field of vision.
Half of the formation was at low altitude, but the other half was at high altitude.
It was clearly a position with a counterattack in mind.
“That’s too much for a fighter plane that’s only in its 20s.”
He said that, but his body was moving.
The red albatross swooped down towards the British Air Corps like an eagle snatching its chick.
From Noble mtl dot com
“Let’s chase after him.”
Boelke and the rest of the German planes also began to dive.
The British air force was late to notice their approach.
The reason was the sun.
The tactics of the German planes that stayed in the sunlight and then popped out could only be described as clever.
Belatedly, the British planes tried to react, but the red albatross had already jumped into the middle of the line.
“One.”
As the Red Albatross’ machine guns opened fire, a short bomber fell, emitting black smoke.
As the British fighter planes rushed in, Manfred turned in a large circle.
It was clearly an act of offering oneself up as bait.
The British thought he was crazy, but that wasn’t the case.
Boelke was coming down from above, targeting them.
“50 Rounds is enough.”
As Bölke’s machine gun opened fire, one of the British fighter planes fell, vomiting smoke.
German and British flags were frantically intertwined in a fierce battle.
The aces of both countries showed off all their skills, from the Immelmann turn to the yo-yo maneuver.
It was a splendid battleground that was nothing short of a contest of technology, but there were limitations to the British aircraft.
It was difficult for British fighters to leave their formation to defend against friendly bombers.
German fighters repeatedly hit and run like wolves attacking a flock of sheep with hunting dogs. There were German planes that fell in the process, but the British side, which stuck to its formation, suffered greater losses.
Even when he was attacked by an enemy plane, Bölke was not fazed at all and attacked the enemy he saw in front of him and persistently knocked him down.
Fighter pilots were also inspired by the fighting spirit of the aces.
Whenever the opportunity appeared, they fiercely fought for position, trying to catch each other’s tail in order to bite the enemy plane.
“Those friends are also persistent.”
After fighting for a while, Manfred soon realized that his fuel was running out. The defense of the British planes was that desperate.
If we had enough fuel, we would have had an opportunity, but now it was time to go back.
As the Red Albatross withdrew from the battlefield, the German planes that had been biting the British flags like wolves began to retreat from the battlefield like the ebb.
The outcome of the air battle over the English Channel was not so fatal to the Royal Flying Corps.
Although Britain suffered more losses, the number of German planes was so small that the damage it could inflict was limited.
However, if this battle continued, the British bombers would have difficulty sustaining losses.
In the end, on July 1, the Royal Flying Corps officially abandoned the Boulogne air raid operation.
This was tantamount to allowing air raids on the British mainland to continue.
It was a desperate moment for a new aircraft to intercept the Gota bomber.