Balloon Busting; Bring a Friend
Date: June 7th, 1916
Torrential rain has grounded everything, apart from the clouds. There is a mad scramble to get everything under cover and dry, especially the ammunition stores. The atmosphere in the mess is as solemn and overcast as the weather, word has come down that the Germans have taken Vaux Fort and captured Commandant Raynal.
I can’t believe how wet it is, even my tea tastes wetter and the mud, the bloody mud is everywhere. Here’s hoping there is a break in the weather tomorrow.
Date: June 8th, 1916
We woke up to a wet drizzle and heavy clouds lazily rolling over the sky a quick breakfast and the planes are prepped and ready. Some idiot had forgotten to fasten the canvas cockpit cover down and the seat is soaked through, someone will get a knuckle sandwich when I return.
Today we are balloon hunting again, the German offensives is gaining ground and no matter what spin command put on it, from the air you can see the land they have taken. Our job is to harass the observation balloons and disrupt their artillery fire and if we can destroy the balloon and crew.
I’m eager to have another go after my success on the 6th, but I learned a lot and I won’t be getting so close this time and I’ll be wingman for Horace again seen as they have fixed his crate. Mine however is pretty banged up after an undercarriage strut collapsed on landing and I will be going up in a SPAD XIII.
Time: 05:00
Aircraft: SPAD XIII 26
Weather: Light drizzle with heavy showers expected, Heavy cloud cover and a light westerly wind.
We head directly to our lines staying below the cloud coverage as command also want a information on how far the Germans have pushed in to no-man’s land. Reconnaissance planes have been assigned to go up but with the weather as it is they want as much information as they can.
Horace is at 5 o’clock and it’s my job to flush out any AA positions or intercept any enemy patrols that might be in the area, although we don’t expect anything in this weather.
We are almost over No-Man’s land when a lumbering cloud parts to reveal the enemy observation balloon, it nose slowly lifting up out of the clouds like the bow of a ship. The basket is still in cloud cover and Horace chops the air signaling the attack.
Cocking my Vickers I pushed the throttle forward and accelerated straight for the lumbering balloon with Horace hot on my 6 maybe we can get a few rounds in before anyone knows we are here!
Having learnt my lesson I let the plane drift over to the port side allowing me a clear shot of the balloon as well as giving ‘Old Horace’ room to let lose some fireworks.
Just as I get in range the basket breaks through the clouds and the observers frantically start gesticulating to the ground crews, I can’t help but think they are trying to flap away! The antics suddenly stop as I let loose at long range and I watch as ragged holes patter across the side of the balloon.
Suddenly the balloon lurches and it looks like they are trying to get the balloon back down as quickly as possible.
We’ll see about that and the Vickers chatters in to life again. Then suddenly nothing! Damn it, the rain must have got in the bloody thing!
As I zip down the side of the balloon I hear the Fizzing Roar as Horace lets loose his rockets, no time to think I must clear that bloody gun!
I duck under the balloon and suddenly my blood freezes, I spot two Enemy Aircraft ascending to our altitude and you can’t miss them! A bright red Fokker DR.1 and from this distance something that looks like an Albatros D.VA.
Passing at eye level to the balloon I can see one of the observers signaling the German planes and they suddenly change course, heading directly towards us. Suddenly there is a thud and I see Horace’s rocket bounce off the balloon and tumble earth bound, duds!
Damn this infernal rain!
I hear the sound of machine gun fire long and loud as Horace vents his frustration in to the balloon and I pray to god he has spotted those two bearing down on us.
Ducking under the tail of the balloon and its obvious they hadn’t seen me, the rockets must have drawn their attention and both of them are heading to intercept Horace.
I must clear that gun!
Swinging out behind the pair of Germans I clearly identify the lead plane as an Albatros, just as its guns roar in to life and just as quickly stop. It looks like the Germans are on equal footing when it comes to this bloody rain.
The Fokker drifts wide and opens up on Horace again to be swiftly silenced as his guns also jam up.
Finally I clear the jam and cock a fresh round in to the Vickers, lifting my head in a silent pray of thanks I Make a wide lazy turn as Horace performs an impressive Immelman lining him back up with the balloon and as soon as he’s leveled out his machine gun roars in to life again, he’s oblivious to the Albatros bearing down on him.
Everything is happening so fast Horace flies through a storm of bullets and opens up again on the balloon.
Da-da-da-da- KABOOOOOOOOOOM -WHOOOOOSH!
With a perfect view of the fight I watch the balloon vaporized and consumed by its own life giving fuel, Horace, the DR.1 and the Albatros disappear from view as a wall of flame and smoke engulf them all, throwing out debris and noise leaving a thick acrid smoke rolling in on itself in the sky.
I see Horace bust out like a cork from a bottle and look on with a big grin on my face, time to head home Horace old boy!
Suddenly the machine guns on the Albatros chatter to life again and Horace’s Nieuport 16 suddenly flips over, a wings folds inwards and tears free and suddenly he’s gone, swallowed by a cloud pure as freshly fallen snow.
My god, what do I do? Drop below the cloud and look for a parachute? Stand and Fight? Or head for home?
The commander’s voice rings in my ears “we need information on the German offensive! Make sure you make it back boys!”
I break sharply to my port and head directly towards our on lines; I know the Albatros won’t be able to catch me in time but that Fokker Dr.1 has other plans for me!
It’s now a race and the German intends to win.
As he banks around I try and put as much distance between myself and his plane, and I push the engine to its limits and he does likewise. I make a sharp bank to port and it’s enough for him to close the distance, machine gun springing to life and I little roundels pockmark the port wing and then I’m home free over our lines and spotting a cloud bank below me I drop down out of view of the Dr.1.
Debriefing:
Today I was playing my 7 year old son, whom flew on behalf of the Entente, while I was representing Central Powers. Before the game I sat him down and gave him a mission brief, telling him to focus on the balloon and to ignore enemy aircraft until the primary object was achieved. Then if he wanted he could stick around and fight or escape off his edge of the field.
The constant gun jams played perfectly well in to the current weather we are having here in Yokohama as yesterday rainy season was officially announced with torrential rain all day yesterday and a drizzle all day today and according to records France at the start of June was especially wet.
My sons moral took a beating when both his rockets turned out to be duds, but we both had a good laugh when both my DR.1 and Albatros jammed on the same firing phase.
He was getting a little bit worried when his rounds were producing a lot of ‘zero’ damage and at one point he was at a loss of what to do when choosing maneuver cards and a reminder of his mission got him back on track only to see me draw an explosion card on the next firing stage.
The look of pure joy was priceless when he realised he had done it, only to be wiped away when he realised that he still had to maneuver cards to play which took him further away from his edge.
However, when he saw that I too was locked in and my moves were planned around his Nieuport 16 ‘C’ that no longer existed, he quickly formulated an exit plan. He was very worried when my DR.1 caught him , yet totally elated when he drew a zero damage card!
Another great game that turned a wet Sunday afternoon in to something we will probably talk about for the rest of the week, oh and the two goals he score at his football match that morning.
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Another cracker of a game James & I reckon your son is now completely "hooked" on the game & he will learn fast to become a top pilot.
Originally Posted by Skafloc
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