Kapitanleutnant von Kleinhaus paced the inclined deck of the control cabin his face drawn, his eyes red rimmed. It had been a fraught outing, they had set out with such high hopes and enthusiasm but now his beautiful Zeppelin had been ravaged by the Englanders flak batteries and the inclement weather had driven them off course.
They'd make landfall on the Belgian coast, if they were lucky, just before daybreak.
His chief engineer had reported that she would hold together - just - but the front gas cells were no longer providing lift - hence the inclined control cabin deck; they were dumping water ballast in an attempt to trim the ship. Other gas cells throughout the leviathan had also been badly damaged and they could no longer maintain the high altitudes that would keep them safe from the enemy, von Kleinhaus knew that when the light came then so would the birds of prey... and so they did.
As they approached the search area Lt Stan Still in his new Nieport 16 scout waved cheerio to his wingman 2Lt Tim Burr and climbed above him. Tim was loaded with incendiary ammunition and had the unenviable task of taking on the Zeppelin reportedly coming over the Belgian coast at Koksjide near Niewpoort.
They spotted it at some distance, an enormous cigar shaped craft, nose down and low in the sky, and flew steadily toward it.
As they got closer Stan saw an enemy scout closing from the east, he waggled his wings, wished his fellow well and turned towards it. Tim glanced nervously as his flight leader peeled off toward the incoming Eindecker and turned left toward his own target.
Stan dropped his nose slightly and met his enemy head on as he, in turn, rose to meet him - rounds passed between his wings as his own stitched across the Eindeckers wing, staggering it in the air with the impact
Tim closes with the monstrous airship and opens up at long range but with little apparent affect - rounds pepper his aircraft as the gunners respond
Making himself as small as possible behind his engine he continues pumping his incendiaries into the mighty beast as rounds rattle through his airframe - flame - is that flame flickering across the skin ?
Flak reaches out for Obltn Kunz - close but not close enough
His wingman Ltn Klaiber joins the fray
Tim presses home his attack, leaning on the trigger and emptying the last of his ammunition into the infernal machine - more flame - black rimmed holes begin to open in the side of the beast even as more rounds slam through his scout
As Tim wheels his scout away a close range parting shot from the rear gondola rips through his aircraft and a dull whoompf spells the end
The controls go slack and the frail bi-plane rolls over into its death dive trailing flame and smoke in its wake
Stan sees his fellows fate from a distance and is caught out by the new arrival as he pulls out of an immelman turn
AA makes things hot for Kunz and shrapnel pierces his aircraft
Stan makes a bee line for the Zep, nearly catching out Kunz' Fokker as it tries to avoid the flak
Stan is given a warm welcome by the Zep gunners
he opens up but with ball ammo his chances of inflicting meaningful damage are slim
his gun jams on the final round; the return fire is catastrophic
and his scout succumbs to the onslaught
Von Kleinhaus smiles grimly as the second scout is dispatched by his gunners, his Chief Engineer reports the fires under control but the first crack of AA nearby he knows is the knell of doom for his beloved Zeppelin...
Kunz has a 'moment' and collides with the Zeppelin but damage is minimal and he survives the experience.
The mighty Zeppelin limps on into a barrage of AA that tears through its beaten frame; groaning like a mortally wounded beast it crumples to the ground and its destruction just past the town of Veurne
Butchers Tally:
2Lt Tim Burr SD FLM FT / 0 kills (Flown by me)
Rolled 2 - 2 FLM = 0 KIA
Lt Stan Still SD FT / 0 kills (AI flown throughout)
Rolled 3 -1 SD = 2 KIA
Ltn Klaiber / RTB / 0 kills (AI)
Obltn Kunz / RTB / 0 kills (AI)
Zeppelin / SD by AA batteries / 2 kills (AI)
The row of damage cards below the management card are the final AA hits !
So there it is - a pretty miserable end to an encounter with a Zeppelin, two aircraft and two pilots lost.... bugger !
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