DH-9, No. 99 Squadron 9/26/18

[ChuckB7]

Posted an earlier version of this painting a few months ago, and have finally got it near enough to finished to post a final. I've reworked it enough that this may just have to do. If I do any more scraping and repainting I'm sure I'll hole the linen! The painting is 24x30, oil on linen, and depicts DH-9 a/c of No. 99 Squadron on September 26, 1918 at approx. 1700-1730 hours, fighting their way back to the lines after bombing the railway at Metz. The two DH-9's in the painting (B9347 "T", with Flight Leader Capt. Welchman, and observer 2Lt. Swann, and D3213 "K" with pilot 2Lt. Gillett and observer 2Lt. Crossley) were shot down, but the crews survived and became POW's. Capt. Welchman was wounded during the fight and later succombed to his wounds. No. 99 was attacked by elements of Jasta 4 and Jasta 77B, with Jasta 4 attacking from the port side and Jasta 77B attacking from below and above. Photos exist showing D3213 in German hands, and Gillett and Crossley standing next to their a/c flanked by Jasta 4 pilots Ltn. Richard Kraut (who claimed one a/c shot down) and Ltn. Schilbilsky. Ernst Udet was also in this fight, claiming two DH bombers, so I've included Udet's "LO!" and Kraut's "RK" Fokker DVII's in the background having just attacked from the left and coming back around for another pass. I've also included a Pfalz DXII bearing Jasta 77B colors of blue tail and nose, and while at least four Jasta 77B pilots have been identified as having been in this fight, with some claiming victories, there is no photographic reference for any of their a/c, so I've left the DXII "generic". As for Jasta 4 participants, this was Kraut's only victory in the war, and Udet was shot in the thigh by one of No. 99's gunners, which effectively ended his active participation in the remaining months of the war. Of the six DH-9's which bombed Metz this day, only two made it back to Allied lines. Due to this massive loss of crew and a/c, No. 99 was out of the war for most of October. Thanks to GregVan for his generous help with details on Jasta 77B.
Chuck