"Rat-a-tat-tat!" The German pilots skillfully unleashed the full potential of their aircraft, relentlessly pursuing the French planes.
One F2 fighter locked onto a French Farman F.20 and immediately opened fire, unleashing a barrage of bullets into the tail of the French aircraft. The wooden structure proved incredibly fragile, and the tail was instantly shredded. Soon after, the French plane, engulfed in thick smoke, plummeted to the ground, claiming the lives of both pilots.
"Oh God! Why are the German planes so fast? They are far quicker than ours," a French pilot exclaimed in terror.
"Yes! These planes seem far more advanced than those we faced last year," the observer and gunner in the front seat concurred.
Though still F2 fighters, the German aircraft were undergoing continuous improvements. Their aerodynamic designs were being optimized, and engines updated, granting them greater speed and maneuverability. As a result, the planes equipped by the Anglo-French forces were increasingly outpaced by their German counterparts.
"Oh God! There's a German plane above us!" the observer shouted in panic.
The pilot quickly looked up and spotted a German plane diving towards them. He immediately maneuvered to escape, but it was too late; the German aircraft had already opened fire.
"Rat-a-tat-tat!" The German machine guns began to rattle, and bullets struck the cockpit of the French plane. In this era, planes lacked glass cockpits, leaving the pilots exposed.
The bullets swiftly dispatched the French pilot and observer. Without a pilot, the aircraft nosedived, crashing into the ground and erupting into a fireball.
Faced with the onslaught from the Germans, the French planes were utterly defenseless. The aerial battle had devolved into a one-sided affair, with French aircraft falling from the sky like burning phoenixes.
In contrast, while the Germans also suffered losses, they were relatively minor. For every ten French planes shot down, only a single German fighter fell. This casualty ratio was undeniably severe.
The pilots on both sides watching from the ground were left aghast. Typically, these well-uniformed aviators, enjoying generous salaries and the finest provisions, were the objects of envy. Yet now, they realized their lofty status was fragile; once downed, they faced certain death.
Of course, the notion of complete obliteration primarily referred to the French pilots, as German aviators, if not killed outright in combat, could choose to parachute to safety. Compared to their aircraft, these pilots were the true treasure.
However, since the fighting occurred over Anglo-French territory, any parachuting German pilots risked landing in enemy hands. Hence, many chose to remain with their planes until reaching the Marne's northern bank before ejecting, ensuring their safety. After all, there were instances in previous battles where downed pilots were captured and brutally mistreated by the enemy.
Despite some inevitable casualties among downed pilots, overall, German losses were considerably lower than those of the French.
As the French forces witnessed their aircraft being shot down one after another, their morale plummeted.
Marshal Joffre, the French commander, observed the aerial carnage. Yet as more French planes fell, his expression darkened ominously.
"Oh God! Is our aircraft performance truly so inferior to the Germans?" Marshal Joffre could hardly believe the outcome. He had deployed over a hundred fighters to ensure victory, yet the Germans, with fewer than half that number, inflicted such heavy losses—this was an outcome he had never anticipated.
"Marshal, the performance of the German planes is indeed superior. However, Farman is already developing the updated Farman F.30 fighter; soon, we will possess aircraft that rival the Germans," a French air force general stated.
"The Farman F.30? What good is that? I need aircraft that can compete with the Germans now!" Marshal Joffre thundered, inciting a palpable silence among the assembled generals. Clearly, the current battle's outcome left them deeply ashamed. Yet, they had no other options; their aircraft performance was severely lacking, and their pilots' skills fell short as well. This dismal situation was unavoidable.
"Order the mobilization of more planes to the front; we must defeat the Germans!" Marshal Joffre commanded.
This was his only recourse; if performance was inadequate, they could only compensate with sheer numbers. He had seen that German planes could indeed be brought down, suggesting that, given the right opportunity, they could also strike down the enemy.
"Yes, Marshal!"
The aerial skirmish soon drew to a close. The German 41st Fighter Squadron, suffering the loss of five aircraft, had shot down over seventy French planes. The remaining French aircraft, sensing impending doom, fled the scene. Had they not retreated, the German air force's tally would have been even greater.
Nevertheless, the French did not concede defeat easily. On the afternoon of March 31, multiple fierce engagements erupted in the airspace over the Marne's southern bank. The French deployed numerous fighters, attempting to thwart the German bombardment of their defensive lines.
During this intense afternoon of aerial combat, the Germans lost over fifty aircraft, while the French losses soared, with preliminary estimates exceeding six hundred planes. For the recently established French Air Force, this was undoubtedly a devastating blow.