Hans was resting in his bunk after a long day's work. Over the past week, he had been an instrumental part of the war effort against Japan. By now, he had shot down a total of 50 Japanese aircraft and was considered Germany's premier fighter ace.
Following his initial victory, the crew of the SMS Osterreich had painted Hans' plane crimson, with the fore end of the plane being painted in a white and black checkered pattern, along with a matching spiral propellor.
Obviously, the pattern was not designed to blend in with the landscape which Hans flew over, and instead was a statement about his identity as the greatest fighter pilot in the world. The fighting had been intense for the first week, as the Japanese forces came from the Philippines in larger numbers to contest the German invasion of Borneo.
