The Kindness of Strangers WW2 Solo Campaign: Chapter 9 - Last Stand

[Blackronin]

June 9, 1940

"You've never finish the story of that mission in the P-40's, Joachim." "I did so." "No you didn't! We scrambled for an interception and you didn't have the time to finish the tale." "You're right, Kyte! Where was I, when we were interrupted?" "You had left your wingman... ah... the Polish one... dealing with the last Messerschmitt and you went on..." "Andrzej! Yes! That was the last time I saw him... Well. Earlier that day we've received a radio request from a major to guard the skies above a small settlement. The French and British armies were going to try a last push and a battery of guns was in a strategic position and they needed air support against Luftwaffe attacks. That air support ended being... me." "Outch!" "Not only I was already damaged as my ammunition was running awfully low..."

I was the first to reach him. "Monsieur! Monsieur!" I said, "Vous êtes bien?" He smiled. "Aide moi, s'il vous plait", he said, "Help me to get out of here, please. I don't think it will burn, but we never know." I helped him to get out of the plane. "Merci bien", he said but I relied. "Non, non, Monsieur. C'est moi qui doit dire merci."



As soon as our guns start to pound the German positions, they arrived. Two twin engine fighter bombers. The air support we asked for was absent - as if we expected anything else from high command. And we had no anti aircraft guns. Now only an immense amount of luck could help us. "Keep firing", I said, "we'll do everything we can". Then we heard the sound of one engine above our heads and the French roundels appeared in the wings of a fighter type I've had never seen.

He waved his wings above us, reassuring and went straight against the German fighter bomber. A roar of applause raised from the boys and the firing of our artillery guns restarted at double rate.



"What sorts of plane is that?" I asked following it with my binoculars but nobody answered me.



It closed very quickly and soon it was at firing distance.



The forward German me-110 fired heavily at him.



But the French fighter answered in kind.



Then he cut between the German planes, terribly near.



The German gunner fired against him. It was all very fast and still I could appreciate the fine flying of the three planes.



The French pilot was a veteran. He fired perfectly against the second German fighter bomber.



And I understood that the leading German plane didn't had bombs with him. He was escorting the second one and that's why the French pilot went against the second one.



Now both gunners were firing against the French fighter.



But he seemed unconcerned with it and fired again against the second German fighter bomber. And probably wounded it a lot for he dropped its bombs away from the target.



Both German planes turned hard to manoeuvre away from the French, forgetting completely our pieces of artillery. We had been spared by the goddess of luck!



Right above us, we saw the French fighter taking damage from the German gunner. But he pressed on.



And with a short burst he hit heavily the twin engine plane.



Amidst our applause the German plane went down crashing in the open fields.



Our savior kept turning.



But a vengeful shot from the parting plane's rear gunner hit the French fighter...



As the German plane departed, we saw the French fighter glide down to the ground. Without a thought I start running in his direction.



I was the first to arrive. I helped him out of the plane. He was a Polish pilot. We took him to headquarters and everyone saluted him as he passed by. When our ammunition was exhausted we left the guns and retreated to Dunkirk. General Simenon told me later that he sent the Polish pilot to "Angleterre". We'll make our final stand, he told me, but we need all pilots to keep the Island safe...

Scenario Briefing

1.One P-40 intercepts two Me-110.
2. Pilot Officer Joachim Franciszek is an ace with 11 kills (3 official in France) and the Ace ability: Perfect Aim.
3. The P-40 has 5 damage and it will draw one less Orange damage chit at close range (low ammo).
4. Using the Advanced Solo Charts.
5. Using the Reverse Manoeuvre Rules and Tables for AI planes:

Reverse Manoeuvres

Immelmann - Fast straight - Reverse - Fast straight (Can't fire after the Reverse manoeuvre)
Half-loop - Fast straight - Reverse - Stall (Can't fire after the Reverse manoeuvre)
Split-S - Stall - Reverse - Fast straight (Can't fire after the Reverse manoeuvre)
Looping - Fast straight - Reverse - Stall - Reverse - Fast Straight (Can't fire after the 1st Reverse, the Stall and the 2nd Reverse manoeuvre)
Inverted Looping - Stall - Reverse - Fast Straight- Reverse - Stall (Can't fire after the 1st Reverse, the Fast Straight and the 2nd Reverse manoeuvre)

Each time a AI plane rolls to make a Reverse manoeuvre roll it the following Table:

Up or Down Table
1-4 - Reverse manoeuvre going up
5-6 - Reverse manoeuvre going down

Then place a fast straight or a stall. Then when the next manoeuvre is due roll again:

Reverse manoeuvre going up Table
1-2 - Immelmann
3-5 - Half-loop
6 - Looping

Reverse manoeuvre going down Table
1-5 - Split-S
6 - Inverted Looping

[Flying Officer Kyte]

Well that ties things up nicely Joaquim.
England beckons!
Rob.

[Blackronin]

And that's the last day in France.

[Flying Officer Kyte]

And that's the last day in France.

And your timeline is almost in line with Malta now ! and my Uncle says they are ducedly short of Hurricanes and Stringbags as usual. I don't know what they are doing with them!
Kyte.

[Blackronin]

I'm almost arriving to Malta. One more mission in the Atlantic and I'm good to go.

[Flying Officer Kyte]

I'm almost arriving to Malta. One more mission in the Atlantic and I'm good to go.

It will be good to have you on side Joaquim.
Kyte.