Mission 8: What lurks above...
High in the heavens, two Se5as flew over German lines on an advanced patrol. Their engines hummed powerfully, instilling their pilots with confidence and their enemies with fear. Not far behind droned a Sopwith Camel, looking to join in on whatever scrap the Se5as drummed up. Together, the three aircraft traversed the hostile sky, waiting to drop on hapless Central stragglers.
Allied Se5a pilot Joseph Montgomery adjusted his goggles and tightened his scarf. It was always cold at high altitudes, but now frigid northern breezes had begun to herald the approach of Autumn. And up above the clouds the frigid breeze became an icy, cloud-moving blast. Joseph's breath turned to misty vapor as soon as it left his mouth.
Yet despite the frigid atmosphere, the skies thousands of feet above the land had an unmistakable beauty. Gazing at the surreal surroundings of crystalline sky above and glowing clouds below, Joseph felt somehow that he was not within the bonds of earth any longer, and had wandered by some miracle into the dwelling place of God.
The discordant sound of engines brought Joseph back to the present. He by now was used to the familiar, reassuring hum of his Se5a's engine; but this engine sounded entirely different. An intimidating, rapidly-pulsating growl assaulted his ears. He had never heard anything like it. Joseph whipped around in his seat. Out of the corner of his eye he could see his wingman frantically pointing up. Then he saw them. Two fighters close enough to see the bold German crosses on the undersides of their wings. But he hadn't ever seen this type of plane before! Blunt noses, rectangular wings and straight lines typified their airframes. As they dove in toward him, Joseph almost thought he could see the grins on the enemy pilot's faces.
Joseph yanked his craft into a hard reversal; his wingman followed suit. The opposing aircraft hurtled through the freezing sky head-to-head. It was time to find out just how good these new enemies really were.
Mission briefing
Central units involved:
2 Fokker DVIIs (pilots Otto Engels, Adolf Rosenthal)
1 AA emplacement
Allied units involved:
2 Se5as (pilots Joseph Montgomery, Jackson Black)
1 Sopwith Camel (pilot Lionel Forester)
Joining us today were cousins Wyatt and Riley along with brother Shaw. Wyatt flew Joseph Montgomery's plane, Riley flew Jackson Black's and Shaw flew Otto Engels'. I flew Adolf Rosenthal's and Greyson flew Lionel Forester's. This worked out really well as each player had to control only his own plane.
The mission started as a flight of 2 experimental DVII prototypes bounced the 2 Se5as. Once Lionel noticed the fight, he rushed to help as well.
The Fokkers cometh...
The enemy planes screamed in, machine guns chattering. They closed the distance faster than Joseph thought possible. Quickly, he put his sights on the leading one and squeezed the trigger. Only a burst came out before his guns jammed with an empty click. Joseph feverishly hit his vickers and lewis guns, trying to clear them in time to make another shot. Before he knew it though, the enemy planes were gone. Blazes! Those devils were fast!
But what the enemies did next stunned Joseph. They pulled up into a vertical stall and - literally hanging on their propellors - drifted into a firing solution on him. It all seemed to be in slow motion, but it was very real. Joseph's heart sank and a sick feeling started in his gut. Bullets hammered into his plane. Pain streaked through his body. He'd been shot!
Joseph's world grayed. The bullets continued to punch holes in his plane but he didn't care anymore. It wouldn't be long now anyways. Suddenly he heard another engine - a loud avenging roar! His wingman had returned to save him. Machine guns fired and Joseph's tormentors shied away in fright. Joseph exhaled shakily. Maybe he'd make it through this after all.
By now our fight had become a full-blown furball. AA fire damaged Lionel's Camel fairly badly, but amazingly no special damages were drawn. (This wouldn't last long however as he would soon be wounded.) Joseph Montgomery was also wounded and his remaining damage points were ever-decreasing. However his wingman, Jackson Black, had little or no damage. Otto Engels' DVII was damaged with the rudder jammed and over half it's damage points gone. Adolf Rosenthal had made it through almost entirely unscathed though.
Jackson was not about to let Otto's DVII go though. He fired round after round into it until it finally fell to pieces in mid air.
The fight ended quickly after that. Jackson went head on with Adolf and while both sustained damage, Adolf was knocked from the sky; heat from his engine ignited the DVII's ammunition. The ensuing explosion destroyed the guns and engine, effectively finishing his fight.
Debriefing:
Central test pilot Otto Engels is shot down by Se5a piloted by Jackson Black; KIA.
Central test pilot Adolf Rosenthal is shot down by Se5a piloted by Jackson Black; WIA.
Allied pilot Joseph Montgomery is wounded in action but returns to base; WIA.
Allied pilot Jackson black shoots down 2 Fokker DVIIs piloted by Otto Engels and Adolf Rosenthal; 2 kill confirmations requested; RTB.
Allied pilot Lionel Forester is wounded in action by defending AA fire but returns to base; WIA.
Adolf Rosenthal survives to tell the manufacturers at Fokker about the engine heat igniting his ammunition. This defect is soon corrected and the Fokker DVII rolls into mass production.
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