aces: Captain Keith Muspratt in SE5a A8944, designated H; Lieutenant Arthur Rhys-Davids in SE5a number B525, lettered I. Three other pilots were also attached to B Flight for this sortie—Lieutenants V. P. Cronyn in SE5a A4563, as well as R. W. Young, and Charles Jeffs. Also mustering for patrol was the Squadron's 'C' Flight, led by Captain Geoffrey Hilton Bowman. His SE5a was followed by Lieutenant Reginald Hoidge in SE5a B506, lettered J. A third ace, Lieutenant Richard Maybery in SE5a B1 designated K, was also in 'C' Flight. Lieutenants E. A. Taylor and S. J. Gardiner filled out the flight's roster. Both flights of 56 Squadron took off from their side of the trench lines at 1700 hours. They climbed into a sky overhung with a 300-meter-thick (1,000 feet) cloud ceiling at altitude, and crossed the lines over Bixschoote at . McCudden later noted there were lower scattered layered skeins of clouds, but horizontal visibility was fair. On the other hand, he saw ground visibility was veiled by haze. He also noted friendly aircraft swarming to the North as his flight approached the Battle of Passchendaele. At this time there were elements of at least eight different Royal Flying Corps squadrons waging its offensive campaign over this battlefield area. There was also considerable enemy air activity to the east, where German jagdstaffeln waited for "the customers to come into the shop". The overcast conditions compressed aerial activity to lower levels instead of allowing its usual altitude range to about . German anti-aircraft fire was noted as heavy and accurate, as 'B' and 'C' Flights diverged onto separate patrol routes at Houthoulst Forest. As 'B' Flight's patrol continued, McCudden swooped on a German DFW and shot it down at 18:00 hours; Rhys-Davids giving it a parting burst of machine-gun fire as it fell past him earthbound. On the German side of the lines, Voss had changed clothing. He wore a colourful civilian silk dress shirt beneath his unbuttoned knee-length brown leather coat. His polished brown boots shone from below the coat's hem. His Pour le Mérite was at his throat. He was to lead one of the two scheduled afternoon patrols. Leutnant Gustav Bellen was his righthand wingman; Leutnant Friedrich Rüdenberg had Voss's other side. After takeoff at 18:05 hours, Voss, with his new Fokker Triplane, advanced its throttle and soon outdistanced his two wingmen flying slower Pfalz D.IIIs. A