Victory 21

"(probably) Capt. George Cyril Bailey DSO (WIA); 2/Lt. George William Betts Hampton (unhurt).aircraft actually returned to base safely. Combat Report: 1645 hrs, BE two-seater. Station, 1.500 metres south-west of Mazingarbe. No details, as plane landed on enemy's side. About 1645 I attacked with my Staffel of five planes, artillery flyers, at low altitude near Lens. Whilst my gentlemen attacked a second BE, I attacked the one flying nearest to me. After the first 100 shots the observer stopped shooting. The plane began to smoke and twisted in uncontrolled curves to the right. As this result was not satisfactory to me, especially over the enemy's line, I shot at the falling plane until the left part of the wings came off. As the wind was blowing at a velocity of 20 yards a second, I had been drifting far over to the enemy's side. Therefore, I could observe that the enemy plane touched the ground south-west of Mazingarbe. I could see a heavy cloud of smoke in the snow arising from where the plane was lying. As it was foggy and already rather dark, I have no witnesses either from the air or from the ground. Weather: fine, misty later."