Day ‘X’
Event ID: 438
Categories:
20 March 1918
Source ID: 58
“At dusk on 20 March, the aircraft of the fighter squadrons appeared high above Awoingt, landed and were hurriedly pushed into the tents, unseen, unheard and unsuspected by the English. During the night, the Rittmeister asked his squadron leaders to join him. He has been holding the order from the commander of the II Army air force for days. The order is clear, energetic and confident. It reads:
Until the start of the battle, the fighter squadrons had to ensure the concealment of the deployment in addition to protecting the reconnaissance aircraft. At the start of the battle, their activity shifts across the battlefield into the enemy to such an extent that the enemy air reconnaissance (aeroplanes and tethered balloons) is suppressed and their own reconnaissance has free observation at the height from which they can observe with their eyes.
Trust in their fighter pilots is the basis for this. The fighter pilots, in turn, are allowed to participate in the task of taking away the enemy’s freedom of action.
The fighter area is organised with the above-mentioned orders. On the first day of the battle, it is particularly important to fight the area between Villers, Guislein, Nurlu and Bellincourt, Roisel completely free of the enemy. North and south hunting areas overlap strongly in this area.
Fighter flights outside the area directly above the battlefield are prohibited. When pursuing enemy squadrons that break through, it must be borne in mind that the battlefield must not be denuded of fighter aircraft.
In accordance with the above orders, the deployment of the fighter pilots is regulated by Rittmeister Freiherr v. Richthofen and Oberleutnant Kohze.
From dawn until 9.45 a.m. only weaker fighter forces are to be developed, from 9.50 a.m. until 1.00 noon stronger deployment must be ensured. In the period from dawn to 9.45 a.m., it is important to create a clear path for our surveillance planes and to prevent enemy reconnaissance planes from pushing forward over our front to reconnoitre our artillery and the massed attack divisions. The enemy must be blind for 3 hours from the time of the storm so that he cannot take any countermeasures.
The activity of our airmen must give the infantry and artillery absolute confidence of victory.
Fighter squadron Loewenhardt attacks the tethered balloons between 9.45 and 10.00 in the morning. The attacks are to be repeated during the course of the day.
The commander of Jagdgeschwader I did not need to add much to this order. It was completely in line with his own view. And his squadron leaders know him well enough to know what this view is. Ran! it is called, Ran! The short, cold, hard attack word of the Prussian army.”
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