[R Gannon]

Udet's 20th lufsteige came on 18 Feb 18 - another Sopwth-1 jenseits.

Unlike his 18th & 19th jenseits claims this has some meat on it.
A Flight of 10 Naval engaged 5 Alb scouts - Udets states he shot his opponent down from below sparking a hot 5 minute dogfight. His victim was N6347 which crashed a W/O in British lines (just inside) the badly wounded pilot FSL Burr dying of wounds on 22 Feb 18. In return FSL Manuel & FSL Hall both claimed to have crashed Alb scouts.

9 Mar 18 - Udet has a zlg claim for a Camel - w of Houthem 1040GT - this would match a combat of 70 Sqn who claimed one in flames, two crashed & two OOC for no loss! Well nothing worth raising a casualty report. As I understand it the 70 SRB was lost, which might confirm one of their number might have made a forced landing.

Claims 15 to 20 were all 'jenseits' claims - Allied planes who seemingly went down over British side following fights close to German front lines - Udets seven claims demonstrate that 'Jenseits' claims were no more reliable in regards 'hard kills' than British claims - the vast bulk of which were made over German aircraft over (often well over) German lines. Undoubtedly made in good faith by both sides, but due to various fog of war issues, often times did not result in 'hard kills'. Or as in case of vic #16 saw more than one pilot receive credit for one actual loss.

18 Mar 18 saw Js 37 involved in the great air battle over Le Chateau; the 9 2-seaters pursued by Udet being 5 Naval's hard pressed DH4's - Udet being shot down by one of them - his raidiator shot through.

Following this fight Udet was posted in to command Jasta 11 as of 25 Mar 18. His later books would claim that he flew his first patrol on 27 Mar 18 along side MvR resulting in his 21st luftseige - however MvR's CR for 26 Mar shows Udet was part of this earlier mission. On 27 Mar, Udet would claim a RE8 which he would claim broke up but only loss loc & time frame was a 42 Sqn RE8 which FTL, moreover there are two other good claims by Js 6 & Js 49 which might also fit this loss. Other details of his later accounting of this fight also fit into the realm of gloss.

Vic # 22 was secured on 28 Mar 18 when Udet led Js 11 on his own. Along with scouts from Js 4, Js 5 & Js 56 they decended on 9 Camels of 43 Sqn engaged, like the rest of RFC that day, on low bombing mission. Udet & Gussmann together engaged C8224 one of five Camels that failed to return. As is well known Udet was un-nerved by the encounter - Massdorp continually flew at Udet head on. Interestingly the 43 Sqn pilots would claim 5 EA in return - all Alb scouts - no note of Tripes!!! von der Osten SF of Js 4 was pilot of one of them.

Vic # 23 - again a low flying Camel of 43 Sqn - C8247. The low bombing patrol recording that they were attacked by 7 EA (Triplanes & scouts). Indeed they would claim four of them - one being awarded to Lewis - Udet's victim.

A consistant ear problem saw Udet hospitalised and ultimately posted out of Js 11.

Cheers Russ