KEKs & Fokkerstffels – The Early German Fighter Units in 1914-1915
From Ch 7 – KEK Nord (Bapaume/Bertincourt)
This unit was also knownas Kampfeinsitzer Kommando B and Abwehrkommando Nord (AKN), and originated from FFA 32.Amongst its members were Hans Bethge, Franz Diemer, Winand Grafe, Heino Grieffenhagen and/or Lt rittm Karl von Grieffenhagen, Erich Hahn, Wolfgang Heinemann, Otto Hohne, Hans von Keudell, Gustav Paschau, leopold Reimann, Oskar Rouselle, Otto Schmedes and Martin Zander.
Grafe claimed two Victories with KEK Nord, but they remain a mystery as no dates have been discovered to authenticate them. A number of aircraft and their pilots from FFA 1b were ordered to Fokker-AKN. These pilots were Lt Franz Zeno Diemer, Sgt Max Miiller, Lt.d.R. Erich Scheuermann, sw. Karl Ehrnthaler and Lt Friedrich Behl. They flew Pfalz E.I 201/15 and
220/15, and Fokker E.III 414/15 and 211/16.
011 25 September 1915, the Battle of Loos commenced. On the first day of this bloody battle, 2Lt Jonathan Noel Clulow Washington, Manchester Regiment, and his observer, 2Lt Maurice Wyvil Greenhow, from No. 8 Squadron RFC were flying BE2c 4301 in the area. They had left at 07.11
hours and were part of a force of fourteen aircraft of the 3rd Wing that were to attack the railway line between Douai and Valenciennes. This raid was quite successful, as the railway line, a turntable and a rail truck were hit. On their return, they were shot down by Zander and another Fokker pilot in the vicinity of Metz-en-Couture. Washington became a prisoner of war but had been badly wounded and died seven days later. Greenhow survived the war and was repatriated Via Holland on 10 April 1918.
At this time, it is clear that Zander was with FFA 9, and it was more than likely that Lerche was his observer. His first two Victories are often said to have been scored With KEK Nord or Bertincourt, but this is not the case. The date of his second Victory is also open to debate. Records suggest that his first kill Was credited on 11 October 1915 as a BEZC, 2047, at Villeret. However, others believe that this kill was recorded in December 1915, but again no further details have survived.
No. 8 Squadron suffered a damaged aircraft on the same raid when BE2c 1723, with pilot 2Lt D. A. Glen and observer 2Lt D. C. Rutter, was damaged in combat, but the crew made it across the lines and neither was wounded. Glen would later be shot down by Gustav Leffers on 29 December 1915.
On 1 1 October, Zander shot down a BE2c, 2047, of No. 8 Squadron RFC, and its two crew members, 2Lts A. J. Birkin and B. O. Wilkin, were both taken as prisoners of war. The combat took place in the area of Villeret and the crew were listed as missing in action.
Leffers joined the unit on 5 November with its first Fokker EIII, 86/15 ,which he crashed upon landing at the aerodrome. Six days later, he received Fokker EII 84/15, and when he returned to the unit he discovered that Von Althaus was temporarily posted there. The unit would have at least one fighter plane for protection.
On 14 November, Behl and Scheuermann were listed as using Pfalz 201/15, they used the same fighter, which was not uncommon. among lesser pilots—and Diemer received Pfalz E 208/15 the same day.
A one-seater unit was formed in the new hangars at Vélu-Bertincourt Aerodrome on 17November, starting. with two pilots and other personnel. In his book Germany’s Fir-st Air Force 191 4-1918, Peter Kilduff writes:
As soon as the first double sheds are completed at the new airfield in Bertincourt, expected to take- place on Wednesday 17 November 1915, the abteilung (FFA 32) intends to transfer both Fokker Kampfflugzeuge and attendant personnel and material there.
The two pilots in question are Leffers and von Althaus, who were there temporarily before leaving for KEK Vaux on 21 November. On 5 December, Leffers took off alone from the Vélu side at 12.50 hours, flying Fokker E.III 84/15, as he had been alerted to enemy aircraft by anti-aircraft fire, an often used visual reference for an alert on enemy aircraft by the watch tower of most aerodromes. His opponent, BE2C 2049 of No. 13 Squadron RFC, was part of a photo reconnaissance patrol to Bellenglise. Leffers selected his target at around 14.00 hours in the area between Achiet-le-Grand and Bapaume. The aircraft was crewed by Lt Arthur Howe Browne and 1AM William Henry Cox. It is said that the observer had quite a spirited fight with the Eindecker until his pilot was mortally wounded, resulting in the plane diving to the ground out of control, the crash also killing Cox. Both men are buried at Achiet-le-Grand.
On 14 December 1915, Lt.d.R. Erich Scheuermann (FFA 1b) was involved in an aerial clash with four British fighjgprs, probably from No. 16 Squadron.
It was clearly a difficult fight to Win, and Scheuermann was badly wounded. Despite breaking his right leg and sustaining a wound to the chest, he managed to make a forced landing at Péronne. Capt. Boddam-Whetham and 2Lt Catherall reported that they had been in combat with four Fokker and three Albatros aircraft near Douai. They mentioned that one Fokker appeared to be hit but recovered.
Diemer received another fighter, Fokker E 220/15, on the 22nd of the month. One week later, Leffers scored his second victory at 12.00 hours near Marquion in the company of an unknown Fokker pilot. It was against BE2c 2039 of No. 8 Squadron on a reconnaissance mission. 2Lt D. Alec Glen was killed, while Sgt E. Jones became a prisoner of war. In the same fight was another BE2c, 4087, with Lt William Sholto Douglas and Lt Child, who reported an attack by three Fokkers.