Scenario D1 ( The Malta Alternative) The first bombing of Hal Far Aerodrome.
Air supremacy Malta?
After a tiring and rather boring flight, Peter and Ginger finally put down at Hal Far aerodrome.
Whilst Peter walked over to the Duty Office to report their arrival and the fact that Flt. Lt. Ronnie Sanderson had been delayed in Alexandria due to sand in his carburetor, Ginger busied himself by arranging for the ground crew to get the pair of Hurricanes serviced and refueled ready for the next leg of their journey.
On entering the office Peter was immediately referred to Squadron Leader Martin's room. knocking on the door he received an immediate request to enter. Martin waved him to a chair and invited him to sit down.
"Do have a snifter " he said as he pushed a decanter across the desk, whilst reaching for the phone with his other hand.
"Orderly room! Yes! Put me through to Kalafrana would you. Air Commodore Kyte's Office. No I'll wait.
Do have another Smythe. You must be parched after that trek.
Yes ! O.K. (click) Yes sir Martin here. Did you manage to have a talk to Air Vice Marshall Maynard about you know what. Yes, good. Well he's here now with me in my office. Right sir. That is good news. Thank you sir. I'll sort things out this end right away. Goodbye."
Turning to Bouncer-Smythe he started to explain the mysterious phone conversation.
" Now then Peter, there has been a slight change of plan for yourself and young Blaney. After a conversation with the G.O.C. and on Air Commodore Kyte's recommendation, we are going to post you two to 216 here at Hal Far.
G.O.C. Gibraltar has given his blessing, and is allowing us to keep the Hurries that you have just ferried in so that we can bolster up the Gloucesters a bit.
They have been holding the fort alone for nearly two weeks now and are rather fagged. They are just returning from a sortie as we speak."
As if to support the C.O's words, the sound of Aero engines became audible through the open window above the whirr of the ceiling fan.
Martin and Peter strolled out onto the balcony and watched the three Gladiators turn in on their final approach and then land on the airstrip.
They were immediately handled into the space in front of the hangers as riggers and armourers swarmed all over them to effect a speedy turnaround.
At the end of the row sat the two Hurricanes. Gingers was all ready re armed and refuelled, whilst the browser was just about to start on Nigel's machine when the Claxon went, followed within seconds by the phone in the C.O's office.
Martin returned from his office within seconds. Turning to Peter with a frown on his face he said, " Caught with our pants down this time old chap. We have incoming bandits heading this way and it will be at least half an hour before the Gladiators will be ready to take off."
Peter replied immediately. "Don't worry sir. Ginger is already in the cockpit, and I'll be after him as soon as they have finished refuelling my Hurry. if the Aeronautica were expecting to duel with only your Gladiators, they are in for a rude awakening." Even as he spoke they both heard the unmistakable sound of a Merlin engine being started up.
Within minutes Ginger was in the air and climbing as if the very Devil was on his heels.
Not a second too soon for even as he reached operational height he saw two JU87b Stukas approaching the field from the South east.
Executing a sliding turn Ginger raced back across the airfield to intercept the two Italians who were circling to obtain an advantageous position from which to mount their attack.
Both Stukas banked at height, turning towards the hangers.
As they did so The Hurricane erupted from the end of the Drome like an express train from a tunnel, whilst Nigel was just getting into his cockpit, it had all happened so fast.
Exchanging fire with the oncoming Stuka, Ginger was dismayed to hear bullets hitting his engine, which stuttered and lost power. such was the robustness of the Rolls Royce engine, that it did not die on him but continued to run albeit on reduced power.
Diving onto the oncoming machines Ginger punched his way through them as they converged on him, trading shots as he did so.
It was at that moment that the lone AA battery on the airfield opened its account, missing one of the Italians by a hairs breadth.
Using his power dive to help him pull off an Immelmann, and knowing that the ailing engine would not be able to repeat the feat Ginger put himself squarely on the tail of the Stukas. "It's do or die" he said to himself, " and preferably Do, rather than the other thing".
Opening up on the nearest machine, he was astounded to find its rear gunner returning an accurate fire which starred his windshield.
He did, however, spook the pilot causing him to veer right across the path of his Wingman almost colliding with him in the process, just as Peter started to get airborne way below him.
Ginger took the opportunity to put a few more rounds into the retreating machine.
This bravado did leave him at the mercy of both tail gunners, who bracketed him with a burst of their own, fortunately doing little damage to the robust frame of the Hurricane.
With one of the Stukas clear of the melee it was the turn of the AA to get in another shot, but once again it went wide, as the Italian banked towards the hangers once more.
At this very moment his compatriot stooped on the first hanger in the row.
With an ascending wine rising to a crescendo, he let his payload go, missing the hanger, but totally destroying the Gladiator parked in front of it.
As his air brakes stopped his downward rush, he copped a packet from Ginger in hot pursuit, whilst his wingman was attempting the same tactic on the hangers opposite.
The wingman's accuracy was much better and the bomb penetrated the hanger roof in a spectacular fashion, the explosion flashing out of the hanger doors and igniting boxes of ammunition piled just outside.
The ammunition boxes, in turn exploded, sending bullets spraying all over the apron in front of the hangers, making ground crew dive for cover and badly damaging the aircraft standing in front of the doors.
As both Stukas zoomed upward again, Ginger switched his attention to the other machine which was closer to his own altitude, and hosed it with 303 for its audacity. in consequence of which both the pilot and gunner were hit by well aimed rounds.
Giving the wounded pilot no respite Ginger continued to spray bullets into the machine, next damaging the steering.
The Italian's wingman made an attempt to distract Ginger, but being still below him failed to make any impact on the pursuit.
His rear gunner who was in no way wounded did take a parting shot at Peter, who having Immelmanned, was at last climbing rapidly to join the party.
This was of no help to the other Stuka, for with Ginger still glued to its tail had taken too much damage. with a trail of glycol emitting from its cooling system, it nosed down and crash landed just west of the rearmost hanger.
The remaining Stuka, striving to climb above the devastation that it had wreaked, now decided to make a run for safety.
As it slowly gained altitude the two more nimble hurricanes gave chase.
For the second time that day, a British fighter roared along the line of hangers, although this time it was Ginger accompanying Peter and striving to keep pace as his Merlin continued to struggle on.
Although it avoided another burst of flack, the Stuka was no match for Peter's Hurricane.
Gradually closing the distance, he tried a long shot to no avail.
In the next few seconds he was scoring hits, however.
Drawing ever closer, but careful to keep in the Stuka's blind spot he started to get in some telling shots.
The Stuka dared not turn for fear of coming within range of the trailing Ginger, and so put his nose down.
All was to no avail, for with another sustained burst Peter wrote off the Italians engine, and his only option at that low altitude was to pancake his machine into the scrub-land below.
On their return landing at the Hal Far Drome, the damage wrought by the two Stukas became only too apparent to Ginger and Peter.
" Truly caught with our pants down this time old chap" Ginger remarked to Peter as they shrugged off their chutes and padded toward the Mess.
Half way across the tarmac they heard the hum of the approaching aero engine of another Hurricane, and by the time it came to a halt, they had walked back to greet the third member of their flight.
Stepping from the wing amidst the devastation, Ronnie Sanderson greeted the two with the immortal words." Did I miss anything then chaps".
Both pilots threw their helmets at him.
Alone in his smoke blackened office, Squadron Leader Martin took out his pipe, filled it with a quid of St. Bruno, struck a match and lit up. Reclining in his chair he took a long draw, and despite all the chaos on the airfield, said to himself in a rather self satisfied voice. "That makes it three then!"
The Butcher's bill.
261 Sq. Hal Far.
Flt. Lt. Patrick Blaney. RTB. One kill.
Flt. Lt. Peter Bouncer-Smythe. RTB. One kill.
Losses:- One aircraft hanger destroyed.
One Gloucester Gladiator destroyed on the ground.
One Gloucester Gladiator seriously damaged on the ground.
Regio Aeronautica.
Two JU 87b Stuka dive bombers crash landed, Both crews captured and hospitalized.
Rob.
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Those Italians were damn lucky to get away with 2 good Critical hit cards.
Originally Posted by tikkifriend
not those rescuers of the road 
:
Yes how did I miss this one earlier as well???
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