Night-flying ferry pilot Leutnant Kati Otersdorf "DIE Fledermaus"
KATI OTERSDORF SERVED IN THE GREAT WAR AS A GERMAN FRONT LINE NURSE. SHE FAMOUSLY TENDED MANFRED VON RICHTHOFEN, THE "RED BARON", FOLLOWING A NEAR-FATAL HEAD WOUND IN 1917.
SPECULATION HAS BEEN RIFE FOR A CENTURY AS TO WHETHER THEY WERE LOVERS BUT OTHER THAN A PHOTO OF THE TWO OF THEM, TAKEN DURING HIS CONVALESCENCE, SHE HAS NO KNOWN HISTORY...
1919... HEARTBROKEN AFTER THE BARON’S DEATH AND REPULSED BY AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURER ANTONY FOKKER’S AMOROUS ADVANCES SHE APPLIES TO GERMANY’S AIR KORPS LEADERS (IDFLIEG) FOR TRANSFER TO THE FLIEGERTRUPPE AND DEMANDS A MEETING WITH HIGH COMMAND. AFTER 4 YEARS OF WAR, EXPERIENCED FLYERS ARE FEW AND THEIR INFLUENCE AND EXAMPLE IS VITAL AT THE VARIOUS WAR FRONTS. INNOVATIVE NEW AIRCRAFT, BUILT IN THE HASTILY EXCAVATED UNDERGROUND FACTORIES OF THE FORESTED HEARTLANDS OF BAVARIA, MUST BE DELIVERED TO FRONTLINE FIGHTING JASTAS AT NIGHT TO AVOID DETECTION BY ROAMING BOLSHEVIK FIGHTERS. KATI SUGGESTS A NEW CONCEPT, DESIGNED TO KEEP THE FEW REMAINING TRAINED COMBAT PILOTS AT THE FRONT - A SQUADRON OF FEMALE NIGHT-FLYING FERRY PILOTS. HER ENTHUSIASM AND PERSISTENCE IS REWARDED. SHE IS ACCEPTED FOR PILOT TRAINING AND GIVEN COMMAND OF THE NEW, TOP SECRET “NACHTFLIEGER KORPS”. SHE HAS MANFRED'S UHLAN CAVALRY TUNIC ALTERED TO FIT HER... MANY SERVICEMEN’S WIDOWS, WIVES AND SWEETHEARTS SOON APPLY TO JOIN HER, ANXIOUS TO STEM THE “RED TIDE” OF BOLSHEVISM THREATENING TO THROW GERMANY INTO FURTHER TURMOIL AS A CIVIL WAR THREATENS TO SPREAD THROUGH EUROPE AND BEYOND. FAST-TRACKED SPECIAL FLIGHT TRAINING IS ARRANGED WITH EXPERIMENTAL NEW EQUIPMENT DEVELOPED AS A PRIORITY. INNOVATIONS SUCH AS ANTENNAE IN THEIR FLYING HELMETS, WHICH DETECT THE ENGINE PITCH OF THE ENEMY’S AIRCRAFT, LIQUID OXYGEN BREATHING APPARATUS AND NIGHT VISION GOGGLES ALLOW THEM TO OPERATE AT NIGHT AND AT HIGH ALTITUDE. KATI PROVES TO BE A NATURAL PILOT AND INSPIRATIONAL LEADER. ONCE DELIVERED TO THE FIGHTING JASTAS, THE NEW, HIGH PERFORMANCE FIGHTERS, AIDED BY THE NEW FLEET OF RE-FUELLING ZEPPELINS THAT ROAM THE UPPER ATMOSPHERE, ENABLE THE HARD-PRESSED PILOTS TO STAY IN COMBAT LONGER AND FIGHT AROUND THE CLOCK.FLYING FULLY ARMED, POWERFUL NEW AIRCRAFT, KATI AND HER PILOTS SOON FIND THE TEMPTATION TO ENTER COMBAT, THOUGH FORBIDDEN, IRRESISTIBLE AND THEY START TO AMASS SECRET SCORES OF VICTORIES AGAINST NIGHT ROAMING “RED” FIGHTERS, BOMBERS, SUPPLY TRAINS AND GROUND TROOPS. AT FIRST ONLY FRONT LINE AIRFIELD MECHANICS, NOTICING THE DEPLETED AMMUNITION AND OCCASIONAL BATTLE DAMAGE EVIDENT ON THEIR NEW CHARGES, ARE AWARE OF THE PROWESS OF THESE AFFECTIONATELY DUBBED “FLEDERMAUSEN” AND THEIR EXPLOITS SOON BECOME WHISPERED AMONG THE AWESTRUCK AND INSPIRED FLIEGERTRUPPE. THE RUMOURS EVENTUALLY COME TO THE ATTENTION OF KATI’S MASTERS. FAR FROM COURT-MARTIALLING THESE NEW “ACES” THE PROPAGANDA VALUE OF THIS NEW DEVELOPMENT BECOMES VERY OBVIOUS, THE LEGEND OF “DIE FLEDERMAUSEN” IS BORN.
ON HEARING OF THESE SUCCESSES THE EXHAUSTED AND DEMORALISED REMNANTS OF THE FATHERLAND'S AIR KORPS, ARMIES, NAVY AND DISILLUSIONED PUBLIC ALIKE IDOLISE KATI AND HER PILOTS. SHE IS DECORATED WITH GERMANY’S HIGHEST HONOUR, THE “POUR LE MÉRITE” OR “BLUE MAX”. STORYBOOKS AND SIGNED PHOTO PORTRAITS ARE SOON ENTHUSIASTICALLY COLLECTED BY AN INVIGORATED PUBLIC, HUNGRY FOR NEW HEROES AND A NEW POLITICAL WILL TO UNITE THEM. THE BOLSHEVIKS PUT A BOUNTY ON THEIR HEADS, SUCH IS THEIR IMPACT ON MORALE.
KATI HAS HONOURED THE MEMORY OF HER BELOVED MANFRED BUT HER LOYALTY AND COMMITMENT TO THE FATHERLAND IS SOON TO BE CHALLENGED...