The remarkable defeat of six Albatros fighters in World War One by a few RE.8 observation aircraft (October FlyPast) recalls a parallel event from two years earlier in 1915. Duncan Grinnell-Milne describes in his book Wind in the Wires how he and his observer/ gunner in a BE.2c shot down an Albatros two-seater and then fought off four more.rnThis was in part a tribute to the observer's skill and vigour in manipulating their only weapon, which was hidden amongst the centre section struts in the front cockpit. The spike-mounted Lewis gun had to be re-positioned during combat in any of a number of sockets around the cockpit depending on the enemy location.
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