1915 Fokker Scourge (British Ace Book 2) Read Online Free PDF Page A

vary the altitude.”
    Ted was back to being grumpy again, “What if we are attacked?”
    Gordy snorted, “I, for one, am not leaving any of you in the shit! I will help anyone who is attacked.”
    I shook my head, “This one will court martial you Gordy. He is itching to find an excuse.  You know that.”
    He shrugged, “I think a court martial might be just the thing. Do you think that people like General Henderson would approve of his tactics and his orders?”
    We had met the General who we knew approved of the colonel’s methods.  “You may be right but you need to be careful Gordy.  This is war time. They use the death penalty.”
    With that sobering thought we prepared our aeroplanes for our first flight over the battlefield.

Chapter 3
    Even though it was summer there was little sign of green growth.  From the air the battlefield looked brown and was riddled with the black scars of trenches lined with faded sandbags and the sparkling savage teeth of the barbed wire.  Once the autumn rains began it would become brown and rusted but for now it still looked like new metal. As we flew over the British trenches we saw the arms waving.  I think we brought relief from the monotony of trench life. Once we had crossed No-Man’s Land the air cracked and crackled with gunfire as they tried to shoot us down. Despite our standing orders I took the Gunbus up a couple of hundred feet.  It made the chance of us being hit less.
    “They are a bit keen eh sir?”
    “They certainly are Charlie.  I think we will come in higher tomorrow.”
    “Isn’t that against orders sir?”
    “Oh yes!”
    We reached the end of our outward leg and we headed south. I would vary this for, if we flew north to south each day , there would be German aircraft waiting to pounce. I dropped to the correct altitude briefly.  “Sharp, keep your eye out for signs of artillery and roads.”
    The railways had been shelled and bombed so much that the roads, this close to the front, were the only viable means of bringing up men and supplies. As we neared the trenches again I lifted the nose and began to climb. If you flew in a straight line at the same height then the gunners had more chance of hitting you. I went up and down as I flew the western leg of our patrol.
    When we landed I was relieved. Leaving Sharp to check on the aeroplane with the mechanics I walked down the line of aeroplanes. There were just three without any damage; mine, Gordy’s and Ted’s.  The others all had holes somewhere on the aeroplanes. When I came to Lieutenant Cole’s I saw that he had a hole in his wing the size of a football. “You were lucky to get down, Lieutenant Cole.”
    “I know.  Is the fire always this bad?”
    I nodded.  “And now that they know we are in the sector I would expect some German aeroplanes too.”
    As I passed the major’s aircraft which had bullet holes along the wing he looked up from his inspection. “It looks as though you were luck y Lieutenant Harsker.”
    Keeping a straight face I said, “Yes sir. It must be that rabbit’s foot I carry.”
    When I handed my report to Captain Marshall he said, quietly, “Watch yourself, Bill.  He has his eye on you.”
    “Thank you , sir.  I will.”
    He smiled, “ Us old ones are fewer in number, we have to stick together.”
    At breakfast, the next day, you could sense the nervousness amongst the young pilots in the officer’s mess. One or two of them ate a little of their breakfast and then raced out side to bring it back up. The major’s orders had put the young pilots in danger. The altitude was too low to be safe from ground fire.  Hundreds of German rifles firing in the air had a good chance of hitting something.  The anti-aircraft guns, too, would be able to have more chance of striking if the aeroplanes flew at the same height.
    “I am going to see the Major.”
    Gordy snorted, “He won’t listen to you Bill. He has fixed ideas.  Someone will have to die first.”
    I