1/9/1916
My first combat mission today, mein gott what am I excited, finally to fight the treacherous English.
The commander told me that there was a baloonz out there that needz to be destroyed.
Von Richtoffen, told me to be Very carefull az the Balloon are heavy protected by machinegewehren.
Its a very shiny day, the sky is clear, a perfect day to fly.
The Albatros ist eine wonderbarre aircraft, its very fast und very manouverable. when I left the ground I become onez with the Aircraft.
I see my 2 air kameraden behindz me also taking off. and now we are off to the front, which isnt far away.
soon when I'm about 2000 meterz high I see the battlefield right open in front of me eyes..unbelievable what the Mensch can do with the earth when trying to cut eachothers throats.
The sound of the howitzers, explosion and the sight of the front makes me feel a part of something great for germany up here in the sky.
Now I'm concentrating, looking around for the balloon.
I notice I get fired at...by the english anti air guns...how pethathic..what do they think?
In the far distance I spot ze Airbaloon....I start to speed up my aircraft to come in fast and to try to get him on surprise and avoid the machine gun fire.
when I was close, I thought it was time to pull the trigger...
A Victory for Germany! it exploded right in front of my sights!
but I had to keep myself cool...I was beeing shot by Machine gun fire...
and bad luck striked my aircraft a small leak in my benzin tank...verdammt!
I looked at my front..and was going to get to our side...if I have to crashland it better be german ground.
I took a last peek on my back and saw the baloon burning on the ground.
I also saw my Kameraden flying just behind me, good...now back to our airbase.
but at the sudden I get shot, I looked around a French airmen!
Scheisse! I breaked off...and still he was behind me , my kameraden didnt do nothing! die schweine!
something wet splattered my face...benzin! the fuel tank was completly shot up with holes! where to land I thought...where to land!
not on the frontline! but I saw no other choise.....my fuel gauge was dropping down very fast....
the french airmen broke of as he saw me go down....now I had to concentrate myself on the landing...almost no benzin left......
I jumped out of my machine...
I looked around....and thank god..I saw a group of german soldiers scouting around and saw me landing, I shooked their handsm greeted them and asked them to blow my aircraft up..they tossed a handgranate in my aircraft and it blew to bits. the scouts took me back to the forwards bases, and I got a ride from a truck back to my airbase where I reported
I told them the mission was completed and that the balloon was destroyed.
but they denied me my score....
I told them about my 2 kameraden, and demanded a replacement of those two schweine! I am prepared to jump in to help anyone..and I expect the same from them! they took this in consideration...also they told me 1 of them was shot down and still was missing. but for now I need something to eat and drink.
Ende.
Wilhemus Josephus.