To the Last Man - Jeff Shaara [69]
“Certainly, we all are, sir. Some say he is the enemy’s finest fighter.”
“In fact, Lieutenant, some say that he is the enemy’s equivalent of Oswald Boelcke.”
The name dug into him, and Richthofen nodded, said quietly, “I have heard something of that, yes.”
“Lieutenant, you still do not understand, do you? Your victim today, the DH-Two you brought down, according to the infantry, the pilot was killed instantly. That pilot was Major Lanoe Hawker.”
AT THE END OF MAY 1916, THE GERMAN NAVY HAD SAILED FROM ITS ports along the North Sea to confront a mighty British fleet, resulting in what was now known as the Battle of Jutland. Nearly three hundred warships had engaged in a confusing series of attacks and retreats, made worse by poor weather and sloppy seamanship on both sides. The results had slightly favored the Germans, but both sides were severely crippled, so much so that the German fleet returned to its ports and, except for the widespread submarine patrols, abdicated control over the North Sea to the British navy. The British had responded by securing a blockade of Germany’s seacoast. The German High Command was very much aware that the German people were beginning to feel the shortages that resulted. As supplies of meat and grain and fuel began to diminish, loud voices emerged, first in the cities, young Germans who saw the kaiser and his ministers as corrupt relics of the past, who viewed the war as reckless and destructive to the working people of Germany. Many of these voices began to speak of a new order, recited the writings of a man named Karl Marx, took their energy from similar unrest that was spreading throughout Russia. To a military command whose hands were fully occupied with maintaining a war on several fronts, a collapse in German morale had to be avoided at all costs. The German people needed a fresh burst of hope: if not great victories, then, of course, great heroes. A handsome young flying ace fit the role perfectly. Richthofen’s victory over the celebrated Lanoe Hawker was trumpeted throughout Germany. With the High Command’s blessing, the German people had their new hero.
Richthofen continued to improve as a fighter, and, so, continued to destroy enemy planes. As a quiet winter settled over the shell-shocked ground of the Western Front, the planes still flew, the duels and raids continued. Within weeks after the death of Hawker, Richthofen was surprised to receive another order from Air Service headquarters in Cologne. He had not only achieved the success required for his Order Pour le Mérite, but his sixteenth kill elevated him above every other surviving German pilot. The rewards came quickly. Lieutenant Manfred von Richthofen was ordered out of Squadron Boelcke and was given a command of his own.
ON OCTOBER 15, THE LONG-AWAITED BOMBING RAID OVER THE Mauser Works had finally been launched. Of the dozens of bombers participating, only a fraction actually found their targets, and the minor damage they inflicted on the armament factory caused a work stoppage of less than three days. Even with the protection of two dozen fighter escorts, including four from the American Escadrille, ten French and British bombers had been shot down by German fighters. Despite the extreme attention to the planning and execution, the raid had been a miserable failure. Most of the blame lay with the bombers themselves. The primary lesson learned was that in a daylight raid, there was no perfect solution to the vulnerability of the slow and clumsy planes, especially as they bore their heavy payloads. While the French and British were embroiled in the controversy, passing blame back and forth, the Americans were occupied with another calamity of their own.
Three days before the raid, Norman Prince had crashed his Nieuport, tangling with electrical wires as he approached the airfield. His injuries were severe, and, like Clyde Balsley, he was confined for what could be a lengthy stay in the hospital. The conflicts