Hi Russ,
Thanks for supplying all this great information.
As for Udet practicing "scientific fighting", what's wrong with that? Sounds very much like what McCudden and other greats have promoted. Inflict the greatest damage possible on the enemy, while exposing yourself and your Staffel comrades to the least amount of risk.
American ace
Ken Porter put it rather more bluntly: "If you found yourself in a fair fight, you f%#*ed up."
As for Udet's 10th victory, this was definitely 2/Lt. Robert Edward Taylor of 41 Sqdn in D.H.5 A 4905. Udet took several photos of the wreckage (the rudder and serial number are completely visible), and collected He also took one of Taylor's ID discs and his map and a small silver pocket mirror. Before anyone condemns him for souvenir taking, let me say this was pretty endemic to pilots on both sides. In the 1930's a Canadian journalist interviewed Udet, specifically asking about Roberts. Udet offered to return the identity disc, map and pocket mirror to Roberts' family (he also sent them photos of the wrecked DH 5), for "I shall be glad to return these articles to his relatives, for whom the possession of these must be of far greater value than to me." I don't know if that offer was ever taken up by Roberts' family.
In Volume 18 No. 3 (2003) of
Over the Front we published a very detailed biography of Roberts by esteemed Canadian historian Stew Taylor, with Udet's own account of the dogfight from his combat report, etc, as well as photos from both sides of the lines. Since you're boycotting OtF, here's what Udet's combat report said about this combat:
"At 7:30 AM while flying Albatros D.V 4476/17 at a height of approximately 8500 feet, I sighted a British one-seater in the middle of a group of three enemy planes about one mile south of Izel. The sun was directly behind me. The enemy planes apparently did not see me at all. I attacked suddenly, holding my fire until within easy range. After almost the first burst, I saw that I had made a hit and that the plane was out of control. A moment later he crashed, striking near the road to Vitry.
"I circled twice over the wreckage but could see no movement. I was then forced to retire as the other two planes had maneuvered into position above me and were about to attack. Subsequently I learned that the pilot of the plane I had engaged was named Taylor and that he was a Lt. of the RFC. He had been instantly killed by a bullet through the heart. His machine was a de Havilland A9409 equipped with one Maxim Gun."
Udet was contacted by the Roberts family through the Directorate of Graves Registration and Enquiries in Berlin in 1931. In a reponse Udet added further information:
"Lt. Taylor and two comrades were each flying a DH5 one-seater...on patrol duty on the morning of the 17.9.17, about 7 o'clock, in the area east of Baileul, Gresnes, Fresnoy (all places west of Douai).
"I...was observing these three enemy pilots for some time (note: Stew Taylor says there were five DH5's led by Capt. G.H. Hall)....On reaching about 3,000 meters, I attacked these aeroplanes which were flying at about 2,700 meters. I attacked, contrary to the usual practice, from the front and flew with great speed at the nearest DH5 which broke (up) under my fire and dropped 900 meters south of Izel, on the west of the road leading to Vitry. A further D.H.5 was shot by Uffz. Liebert (Jasta 30) about 10 minutes later (D.H. 5 A9410, Lt. G.C. Holman, KIA)."
Greg