Ten German Roland C-11 bombers crossed British lines over Belgium on July 1, 1916, headed for another crippling raid on an Allied city. Second Lt. J.C. Simpson attacked the German formation single handedly, but in a matter of minutes he was shot down. Soon afterward, Maj. L.W.B. Rees, his commander, spotted the same group. Mistaking the C-11s for British planes, Rees flew over to join them, unaware they had just killed one of his own men.

The planes Rees mistook for friends were the most unusual bombers ever seen up to that time. Eschewing the typical wires, struts, and square corners, the Roland C-11 was lighter, stronger, and faster than its prototype. And its top wing was flush with the top of the fuselage! C-11 pilots poked out of their cockpits by only a few inches. The plane had two large side windows that were probably the first escape hatches in aviation history. When one German official saw its painted mouth, he said it looked like a whale. From then on, the C-11 was known as “der Walfische.”

Rees was almost on top of the ten Walfische when he realized they were less than friendly. He attacked, hitting two whales. While the rest scattered, three Walfische kept going. Rees was wounded and his rudder was partly shot off, but he kept firing until he was within ten yards of the rear Walfische. The leader of the group then gave up and turned for home. Rees kept after him until all his ammunition was gone, then returned to base. For single-handedly upsetting a raid of ten German bombers, Rees received the Victoria Cross. It was a good day’s harpooning.