Richthofen lifted the nose of his aircraft to gain altitude. At 3900 meters, he was startled by the sight he saw—a sky filled with black dots of approaching planes.
They came from the east, west, and south, encircling like an army surrounding an enemy.
They were as dense as swarms of bees, counting at least three to four hundred aircraft, too far away to tell if they were "Camels" or "Snipes."
Richthofen judged that both models were likely present, as the French Army didn't have that many "Snipes."
The enemy planes were around 5000 meters high and using cloud cover, making them unseen by the German fighters.
Richthofen realized the seriousness of the situation and understood the enemy's strategy.
The enemy encircled from three sides to compress the space of the German squadron, driving them into a corner with firepower.
Once successful, the German fighters would be crammed together, making even a minor evasive action risk a collision with their own aircraft.
