The German Imperial Air Force was established in early 1907, and over the next year, the structure and organization gradually took shape, using fighter jets sold by China for training. As with tanks, the development of German aircraft also encountered a certain embarrassment, and the military hoped to have a domestic fighter comparable to the Chinese aircraft, but the technical departments and military factories were slow to deliver such aircraft.

Aircraft materials, structures, engines, etc. were all major problems restricting German aircraft manufacturing, but fortunately, the secret cooperation with China helped a lot, and the Germans finally made a breakthrough in aircraft engines, and on this basis, the first fighter was delivered at the end of 1907. The fighter designed by the Dutchman Fokker was named the "Fokker E" type, and its performance was close to half that of the Chinese aircraft, which basically satisfied the military.

So an order for 100 Fokker E fighters was sent to the Fokker Aircraft Factory, which the military intended to use to train pilots, and more advanced aircraft were also in full swing. In July 1908, the Fokker factory designed a fighter called the "Fokker EII", which was so pleased with the military that it sent a large number of orders.

The engine power of the Fokker EII was increased to 150 horsepower, a machine gun was installed in the nose, and a firing coordinator was installed. By the time of the outbreak of the war, the Luftwaffe had accepted 550 fighters of this type, which became the main model of the Luftwaffe.

In addition, the Hanover Aircraft Company designed a tactical bomber that could support battlefield positional operations, which was named "CL-3". Take open arms under the wings, corrugated metal skin, and the cockpit is placed under armor protection. Due to the lack of engine power, the CL-3 did not have a metal fuselage, and the range, bomb load, and altitude of this bomber were not satisfactory. However, until the advent of the new bomber, the Luftwaffe could only use this bomber.

By the outbreak of war, the Luftwaffe was armed with 100 CL-3 bombers, but the Junkers were designing a new long-range bomber that was said to be ready to leave the airfield by the end of 1910, which was good news.

Compared with the previous life, the role of the airship in this time and space has not been widely valued by all countries, although the Chinese airship has also appeared in the war and civil aviation, and has achieved good results, but the next dazzling aircraft, tanks and other new weapons have made countries not focus on the airship, or the focus is different between countries.

Britain, for example, used airships as the main force of bombing, and disdained bombers, and at the beginning of the war Britain did not even have a single bomber, but twenty large airships. When the expeditionary fleet went to China, the formation of the fleet in the first battle was disrupted by the Chinese airships, which taught the British a profound lesson, so Britain increased its investment in airships, but did not pay much attention to bombers.

At this time, at a military airport east of Belgium and in Germany, ground crews were nervously checking and loading machine gun ammunition for the aircraft. The pilots of the 5th Group of the 3rd Fighter Wing of the German Air Force were walking out of the briefing room, fully dressed and walking to their respective planes.

A thick woolen coat was wrapped around the commander of the fifth squadron, Polke, who told the pilots tactical points as he walked, and although he had said it countless times before, Polk felt that he had to say it again before the battle. The Huaguo instructor said it well: grinding the gun in battle, and it is light if you are not happy!

Yes, Polk, like the army officers, went to China for training, and it was not short, as long as a year and two months. In the 5th Fighter Squadron, there is another one who also went to China for training, and that is the deputy captain of the squadron, Second Lieutenant Yin Maiman. After returning home, the two served as instructors in the Air Force, and it can be said that most of the pilots of the 5th Squadron were their students, and Polk also had a lot of confidence in his students.

There was only one exception, and that was the pilot Manfred Albrecht von Richthofen, who had been plugged in a month earlier, and listen, with the word "von", this handsome boy of only eighteen years old was of extraordinary origin. In fact, Richthofen was a descendant of the Prussian aristocracy, but his aristocratic father, Major Richthofen, wanted his son to serve in the army, so he studied at the junior military school from an early age, and because of his equestrian talent, he also entered the 1st Lancer Regiment.

However, Richthofen keenly felt that the cavalry of this era had become outdated, and the heavy machine guns equipped with infantry in the theater had become a nightmare for the cavalry, and the number of cavalry in the German army was decreasing, so Richthofen chose another path, that is, to join the air force.

So he came from an aristocratic background and was assigned to the 5th Fighter Squadron, the most elite in the Air Force, led by the best pilot, Polk. Despite his reluctance, Polke dutifully taught Richthofen, but in less than a month of training, Richthofen could not know how far Richthofen would go.

"Don't worry, you can also see Richthofen's performance this month, he was born to fly, and his talent is better than everyone in our squadron, including you and me." Yin Maiman seemed to see his partner's uneasiness, and walked over to speak.

"I'm not worried about his abilities, but about such a genius falling early in the war. You know, the pilots of our squadron have more than 60 disappearance flight experience, but Richthofen did not, he only took off for training three times in total, and such a rookie is the most prone to accidents in war - this is what our Huaguo instructor Bai Zhai said. ”

"Hehe, I really miss the days in China, where we went from a rookie who didn't dare to get on the plane to an elite in the mouth of the instructor. I don't know when I'll be able to see Instructor Bai Zhai again, and I don't know if I'll be able to see him alive. Yin Maiman sighed a little, and Polk stopped talking, yes, his life may not continue, why are you worried so much? Do your best!

Just simple combat patrols, the 5th Squadron will take the form of a two-plane formation, with 36 aircraft flying over Belgian territory in search of a possible enemy and providing a basis for subsequent bomber bombing.

Two-plane formation is a fighter flight mode taught by Huaguo instructors, in battle, if the local plane dives to attack, and the enemy aircraft takes the opportunity to track, the local aircraft will be in a disadvantageous situation, so it is very important to have a wingman who can cover. This, combined with the fact that the planes were in contact with each other via radio intercom, gave Polk ample conditions to develop operational tactics.

Walter's secret cooperation was fruitful, including radio talkers, and the Fokker EII fighter they flew also benefited from the cooperation. According to intelligence, German planes had higher ceilings and faster speeds, so the simple tactics of gaining superiority at high altitudes, communicating with each other by radio, and diving to attack enemy planes were developed by Polke and quickly spread to all fighter pilots in the Air Force.

"Richthofen, I'm simulating a dive attack now, you have to cover my back and flanks, and then I'll pull up the altitude and cover you to continue the simulated attack...... See what I'm saying? Polk assigned the task of simulating training through the walkie-talkie, and he personally served as Richthofen's captain so that he could survive the war and grow up quickly.

Richthofen heard the voice of the long machine coming from the headphones and immediately replied: "Richthofen understands, long machine, I will follow you!" Long machine, I'm following you! ”

Polk nodded, this young man from an aristocratic background has been modest and cautious since he came to the fighter unit, which is in line with the qualities that every child of this age should have: he is obedient and willing to obey the various flying tasks assigned by his superiors.

Thinking of this, Polk began to push his own aircraft control stick, and the high-altitude nimble Fokker EII fighter immediately responded, the horizontal scale showed that the plane was diving, and the speedometer also showed that the plane began to slowly increase speed. The roar of the engine is intoxicating, and this machine is made for war.

Richthofen saw the long plane start to dive, so he was about to follow it down to perform the dive attack simulation that he had trained many times, but he saw some shadows not far below, so he didn't immediately make a technical move: "Long plane! At a height of about 7000 meters in front of you, there is something! ”

"French planes!" Immediately a message came from the long plane: "Keep your flight altitude!" Keep your flight altitude! I'm climbing! We'll talk about it after the high-altitude position is restored! The rest of the fighters seize the powerful altitude and prepare to dive for an attack! ”

The distance between the two sides is getting closer, and Richthofen also sees the true number of the other side, which is a full 20 French fighters, and his own side has a numerical advantage!

As the long plane gave the order, the German plane began its own dive, the engine roared louder and louder, and the speed of the plane reached a shocking number. Polk and Richthofen's planes were like two falcons soaring down in the sky, approaching their targets at great speed with the sound of whirring air.

The French fighter pilots also saw the German planes from a distance, and in the absence of altitude superiority, the French planes scattered in all directions, trying to evade the attack of the German planes by circling and subsequently finding a favorable position for attack. However, the French aircraft did not break through the technical difficulties of the firing coordinator, and the pilot behind the pilot on the twin-engine fighter returned fire through a machine gun, which was more than a step weaker than the Fokker fighter. (To be continued.) )