Early Doors prequel 2: Let the hunt begin.
(FarEast - Central Powers) Early Doors prequel 2: Let the hunt begin.
If there was one thing Obltn. Jacob Von Machin hated more than paper work it was playing nanny to the new recruits, still he was happy to put the paperwork aside for the day and take up the young Ltn. Werner Taube on a sightseeing tour of the lines.
Even more so as they had just received the new Eindeckers and he were eager to get more flying time in before the weather turned foul and it was a good opportunity to get a proper evaluation of the skill and ability of this young pilot.
Ltn. Taube was like all the others, young and full of bravado and he would fit in perfectly well with all the others here. His family name was a misfortune and a cause of constant friendly jibes and horseplay in the mess as he quite frankly resemble a rather over fed pigeon.
Von Machin had to suppress his laughter as Ltn. Taube walked out in to the airfield followed by a few choice remarks from the rest of the boys about Ltn. Taube’s size and there only being two wings on his Eindeckers. He liked Taube, he took it all in his stride and flapped his arms like a bird when they shouted what he would do if the wings snapped off.
But Von Machin was all seriousness when it came to running the show and the heckling and horseplay ended as soon as Ltn. Taube saluted his Oberleutnant.
08:33
Von Machin was enjoying putting Taube through his paces and was watching him execute several impressing maneuvers over the front lines; he hoped that it would also serve as some enjoyment to his brothers on the ground.
As Ltn. Taube leveled out he caught the glint off to his left at the same altitude as himself and decided to take a closer look.
He couldn’t make out what the machine was, it looked like one of his own squadron, but he knew that they were the only two up that morning. Maybe it was a pilot from another squadron lost and looking for a familiar landmark to get him home? He’d be a liar if he said he hadn’t been in the same situation himself once or twice, so he decided to see if he could be of some assistance.
The words of Vzfw. Krähe came flooding back to him as he spotted the roundels of a French aircraft “Watch out for Eagles little Taube!”
They merged so quickly that Taube almost lost control of his airplane as he tried to avoid colliding head on with the crazy Frenchman. “Gott verdammt, wie er es wagen!”
Mean while Von Machin was having a good laugh at the two rookies almost killing themselves, “Are they blind? We have enough to worry about with the enemy let alone trying to kill each other in reckless games of chicken” and he made a note to himself to not only reprimand Ltn. Taube once they got back to the Aerodrome but also the reckless pilot from the other Squadron.
As he looked across at the other airplane something didn’t add up, the shape of the tail was all wrong! As the plane banked to the right his suspicions were justified as the roundels of the Armée de l'Air emerged like accusing blood shot eyes and by the way the pilot had played chicken with Ltn. Taube and hadn’t even flinch when they merged could only mean one thing, that this pilot knew his business and that business was death.
Von Machin banked hard over, it seemed the Frenchman had not seen him and as his plane leveled out the enemy plane crept in too his gun sight.
“CLICK!”
He didn’t even curse when he realized his guns had jammed, it was such a common occurrence that he worried when the guns didn’t jam and he went about clearing the gun methodically as clockwork, all the while watching the other planes circling each other.
Ltn. Taube was pulling back on the yoke with all his might but try as he may he just couldn’t get the Frenchman in his sights, just when he thought he’d have him the Frenchman would slide out of view again or abruptly swing the opposite direction.
The Frenchman was sliding back in to his view again when fire leaped out from the front of the aircraft, Taube felt the Eindeckers twitch as the bullets struck his plane and he quickly scanned his wings for damage all the time hearing a deep boom, boom, boom noise.
He couldn’t work out where the noise was coming from and then he suddenly realized it was the sound of his own heart pounding in his ears where he had been holding his breath.
Sucking in a lung full of cold air he swung his plane yet again towards the enemy.
Von Machin looked on horrified as Taube and the Frenchman turned once again in to each other, careening towards each other at incredible speed he was a helpless spectator in this deadly game of chicken.
As the two planes became one, Von Machin let out a whoop of joy as Ltn. Taube’s wheels bounced off the wing of the Frenchman leaving two black marks across the wing. It was incredible how they had avoided each other and would make a fine story in the mess tonight over Champagne.
As Taube looked over his shoulder a shouted out a stream of obscenities at the Frenchman he didn’t see Von Machin right in front of him and it was only by Von Machin’s skill as a pilot that he didn’t fly straight in to him. God, they would probably line him up against a wall and shoot him if he downed his own Oberleutnant.
He’d worry about that later; he wanted that Frenchman so bad he could taste it.
The Frenchman was good and seemed to be enjoying the game he played with Taube but Von Machin had decided enough was enough and as the Frenchman banked round to meet his aggressors yet again he drifted straight in to his gun sights.
Von Machin let off a volley of machine gun fire.
And although he could see the tracer reach out towards the Frenchman it seemed that not one found their mark. Not wanting to play chicken with this madman Von Machin turned outward as the Frenchman barreled on straight ahead.
“Du bist so berechenbar!” he shouted.
As Von Machin’s Eindecker swopped over to starboard, Ltn. Taube let out a cry of alarm as the Frenchman’s aircraft loomed large on his left side spitting fire and death. He tried to crouch as low as he could within the cockpit but his size made that impossible and he felt stupid for trying.
As the rounds struck him side on his engine coughed several times and a thick putrid smoke bellowed from the plane.
Once again the planes started to circle each other and as the Frenchman passed Ltn, Taube noticed that fluttering from the side of the Frenchman’s plane was a Union Jack! It wasn’t a crazy Frenchman but a Mad Englishman, and he chuckled as he threw the Englishman a salute, which was promptly returned.
Von Machin watched as the enemy circled around again and pulled his hard to starboard, just as he predicted the Frenchman circled around again straight in to his sights. Simultaneously both guns barked at each other and Von Machin was satisfied to see he had hit his mark, oblivious to the patter of bullets hitting his own plane.
As they sped towards each other a lick of flame emerged from the Frenchman’s cowling, which suddenly became a wild blaze as it took hold and started to consume the plane.
Von Machin flipped the plane over in what had recently been named the “Immelmann” turn; he chuckled and wondered if there would ever be a maneuver named after him?
It was too late!
How was he supposed to know that Von Machin was going to flip his plane over and position himself on the wing of the Englishman? He prayed to god that his aim was true as he watched his tracer rounds arc out and strike at the enemy plane.
As he leveled out Von Machin grinned with satisfaction at his own excellence, just off to his port wing was the Frenchman he looked across as his adversaries blazing plane and saw the horror on the young pilots face as the flames reached out and licked around the cockpit.
There was no honor in this fight anymore and he repeatedly stabbed his finger down hoping the Frenchman would understand that he was being told to land. To his relief he saw the pilot nod the affirmative, smile and throw a stiff salute at him.
As Von Machin raised his own hand to salute the enemy the sky lit up as the plane exploded beside him, throwing out a ball of fire and heat that washed over him and threw his plane over to the side.
The flight home was uneventful and Von Machin’s mood was subdued as he remembered the look of relief on the pilots face only to be washed out in a ball of flame. He hoped that when his time came he to would be oblivious to it as well, but for now he would be haunted at night by yet another ghost of his imagination and memory.
That night in the mess Von Machin listened with keen interest to Ltn. Werner’s version of events and was intrigued when he learnt that the pilot was not a Frenchman after all but an Englishman, they both agreed that he was flying a new machine and they decided to send a sketch of plane to command.
In honor of the enemy they toasted him as well as Taube’s new nickname!
Butchers Tally
Obltn. Jacob Von Machin: RTB/1 kill. (Although Ltn. Taube dealt out a lot of punishment it was Von Machin’s accurate fire that caused the Englishman’s Morane Saulnier to catch fire and finally explode.)
Ltn. Werner Taube: RTB and was awarded a new nickname Ltn. Werner “springenden” Taube or the "Bouncing" Pigeon.
Daniel Fowler: KIA (rolled 2*d6 and got 4 – 3 for explosion)
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Originally Posted by flash
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