Since returning to action Oswald Boelcke has shown no signs of slowing down. This morning he shot down two British aircraft.
The first was a Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter (A897) from 70 Squadron with 2nd Lieutentant John Hugh Gale and Sapper JM Strathy. They were on reconnaissance near Baupame when Boelcke and his squadron attacked.
“Number 23 was a hard one. I had headed off the squadron he was with and picked the second one. He started to get away. The third attacked Lieutenant R., and was soon engaged by Lieutenants B. and R., but, nevertheless, escaped within his own lines. My opponent pretended to fall after the first shots. I knew this trick, and followed him closely. He really was trying to escape to his own lines. He did not succeed. At M. he fell. His wings broke off and the machine broke into pieces. As he lies so far behind our front I did not get a chance to inspect the wreck. Once, however, I flew over it at a very low altitude.”
Both Gale and Strathy were killed in the crash.
A little later he came across 2nd Lieutentant John Victor Bowring from 24 Squadron in his DH2 (7873).
“After a short while I saw several Englishmen circling over P. When I got nearer, they wanted to attack me. As I was lower, I paid no attention to them, but turned away. As they saw I would not fight, one of them attacked another German machine. I could not allow this to go on. I attacked him and he soon had to suffer for it. I shot up his gasoline and oil tanks and wounded him in the right thigh. He landed and was captured. That was number 24. “
airwar19141918 