WAR

no. 20 squadron rfc was a two-seater fighter squadron stationed at Ste-Marie-
Cappel. It had come to France in January 1916, the first squadron equipped with
the F.E.2b. In 1917 the squadron was flying the F.E.2d, the "Fee," that great
wooden birdcage whose gunner had to stand on his seat in order to fire back
over the top wing and the pusher engine.
About ten o'clock in the morning on July 6, 1917, six Fees took off for an
offensive patrol between Ypres and Armentieres. The job was simple: look for
trouble, pick a fight. Offensive patrol.
At about the same time, Collishaw took off from Droglandt leading Reid,
Page, Alexander, Sharman, and Fitzgibbon on an offensive patrol. The six triplanes
shaped up over the field
and headed east to the Ypres-Armentieres line.
At Jasta 11 near Courtrai a report came in
from the Flugmeldedienst shortly
after 10 o'clock. The Rittmeister noted the co-ordinates and took off with seven
of his men to intercept the Fees. About 10:30 they spotted the big two-seaters
and circled around to get into a position between them and the British lines.
At a spot over the Lys at Deulemont, south-southeast of Ypres, they attacked.
As they did so, another Jasta appeared and joined in the attack. The Fees formed
a defensive circle as best they could and tried to work toward their lines. One,
then another, went down to forced-landings in German-held territory.
The six Triplanes led by Collishaw tore into the scrap.
The Record of Combats of the Air Historical Branch of the Air Ministry
supplies the following extract: "Collishaw shot down one red Albatros whose
pilot appeared to be hit. In the general engagement . . . Collishaw attacked many
other Albatros (scouts) and he succeeded in shooting down five of them out of
control, but he could not watch for any final results because of counterattacks
made on him. Flight Sub-Lieutenants Fitzgibbon and Alexander fired on aircraft
attacking Collishaw, and Collishaw saw an Albatros fall
as the result of an assault
by one of his
Flight."
The fight lasted for the extraordinary length of time of 40 minutes.
One Fee, piloted by Captain D. C. Cunnell (who was killed a few days later)
with gunner Lieutenant A. E. Woodbridge (who survived the
war and was killed
in a civil flying accident), was attacked head-on by a red Albatros. The red
machine came on at top speed, opening fire at close range, while Woodbridge, in
his own words, fired "a steady stream of lead" at it. At the last second the red
Albatros nosed down and passed under the Fee, not breaking away, but seeming
to fall out of control.
It was out of control, and it fell a long way before the wounded pilot, temporarily
blinded and paralyzed, regained his faculties and the control of his
machine. Only the "thick von Richthofen skull," the Rittmeister later wrote his
mother, saved him from winning the last award, the Wooden Cross. He had
landed right-side up, tearing down a few telephone wires, but not minding that
at such a time. Then he had passed out.
For the next three weeks, von Richthofen led
the circus from Saint Nicholas
Hospital in
Courtrai.
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