“That paintwork is still wet Gresham, the flys will stick to it when you take off and weigh you down” the CO remarked with a smile as he and Jonty strolled across the grassy airstrip.
“Yes sir, but I couldn’t go up in her with that terrible French livery could I ?”
The CO turned to the young lieutenant . “Be thankful you have the chance to fly this crate. Those old pusher jobbies are going out of date pretty fast, and the 52nd are lucky to get anything new these days.”
“Yes sir” replied Gresham replied
“ Oh and by the way I intend all the Bulldogs tails to be red in future so bare that in mind. Like the wine eh” He smiled again “So young and so full of enthusiasm these boys “he mused
Now haven’t you a sortie to fly?
“Balloon sir”
“Hadron is a good pilot, you might out rank him but you could learn a lot from him. Father was a mechanic with a flying club before the war. They taught young Hadron how to fly Lot of talent there. Well good hunting Gresham”
The 2 planes swung left heading to the balloons sector. Hadron was the first to spot it, hanging lazily in the cloudy sky. With the basket shrouded by cloud the balloons observers failed to see the approaching British planes. Waiting till the last possible moment Hadron and Gresham open up. Hadrons gun immediately jams and Jonty’s bullet seem to pass through the fabric cause no damage. The observer quickly fires off a flare to summon the Roland patrolling to the South of the balloon and the ground crew make a dash to the winches. Gresham peels off left to cover Hadron from the enemy biplane, as he flies the Neuiport under the blimp .
The Roland, crewed by Immelman and Kahle swings left to confront the British planes. Hadron, his guns free immels back onto the balloon and Jonty flicks his Morane left, firing a short burst at the blimp (0,3) before turning back on the Roland.
Another short burst and smoke belches out of the Germans engine cowling (2+smoke),
but Immelman gets off a short range burst raking the cockpit of the Morane before a round traps in the firing mechanism. (1+gj,3+pilot) Jonty feels a sharp blow to his left arm and a searing pain before he blacks out..
Stuck in a right hand turn Kahle aims to finish the British plane off, but fortune was smiling that day on young Gresham and the curses of the German observer could be heard in the balloons basket (0,0+gj)
Hadron, after another run at the target to no visible effect turns away and dives to get a better line of fire on his prey.
Gresham, after what feels to be several minutes, comes round and steadies his plane. Looking around he spots the Roland heading towards the Neuiport. and summoning up all his strength he turns to follow him.
With the engine no longer smoking Immelman looks around for the stricken Morane and its pilot. Seeing him he begins to loop around behind him.
The balloon is proving to be a difficult target. Hadrons successive runs had scored very little damage and he signals Gresham for help attacking the blimp. Gresham flips his plane over and bears down on the target .A few rounds from Hadron look to penetrate as the Nuieport passes through the clouds on a hard turn.
Jonty can see the Roland to his left as it tries to follow Hadrons plane and as Hadron emerges from his cloud cover he opens up on the balloon. Fabric and ropes split as the guns rake the basket and lower half of the balloon. Jonty sees a man stumble and tip over the side of the basket , plummeting to the earth below with out the billow of an open parachute (5+pilot,2)
Putting his plane into a split S he catches the Bi plane as it turns away from the blimp and watches a flicker of flame ignite the remnants of the oil around its engine (2+fire). Immelmans angry response from the Spandaus fly harmlessly passed the smaller RFC plane.
But Hadron had no time to pull up from the ever growing silhouette of German canvas ahead of him. At the last second he pushes hard on the rudder and points his stick downward. The plane lurches and dives right, its wings snapping at the ropes securing the balloon, but both come out the other side unscathed (0 for each on a C deck)
Along burst from Gresham at the bag only causes a small tear , but a jammed gun.
The Roland, forced to weave about the sky means the RFC can swarm their target.
After manoeuvring their planes they attack.Hadron finishes off the second observer (3+pilot,1) and the Morane claims some more cables and fabric (3) but at short range Greshams bullets hit the oxygen tanks in the basket and a sheet of flame engulfs the limp balloon (XP,2)
Pulling away from the falling blimp Gresham is confronted by Immelman, whose accurate aim tears huge strips of fabric of the Moranes newly painted wings,
A quick squeeze of the trigger and the Germans rudder jams but with both planes closing fast on each other Gresham throws his plane starboard to avoid a collision with his larger foe.
Hadron follows his no1 past the dazed Roland cr”ew. An AAMG fires off a few rounds but by them tBulldogs are heading for home, mission accomplished.
Result
RFC
Lt Gresham WIA/RTB 1 kill (balloon)
Sgt Hadron RTB.
Germans
Immellman and Kahle Roland CII RTB
Balloon BBQ
Nothing like a balloon mission to get the brain thinking . It was down to level 3 when it was popped , mainly due to drawing 8 0 cards and the poor ald Morane is in a bit of a mess, the ground crew will be working overtime .
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