OTTED Mission 7 - Flash New Wings Over The Trenches - July 7th 1916
There was high excitement amongst the squadron members when the new Nieuport 17 began to arrive, each flight had to wait patiently for their first allocation. Shortly after arrival all 'planes were serviced and fitted with Foster Mounts for their over wing Lewis Guns that would make them much easier to reload - no more standing up to take a bow at the Hun anymore !
As newly promoted to Lieutenant and flight leader Phil MacRevis had his pick of the latest batch - of course he took the Silver one "so as to be easier seen by the rest of his flight" he explained to anyone who would listen and believe such guff !
He took the silver one because it looked good of course.
Late on the morning of the Friday the 7th the time had finally come, MacRevis took a flight comprising 2Lt Ben Downe (marked A) and 2Lt Claude Back towards the lines for flight testing & familiarisation
Unbeknownst to them a Hun formation was doing the exact same thing, a known quantity - an E.III piloted by Ltn Gustav Klaiber was in formation with two new kites to the the German pilots, a blue Halberstadt D.II piloted by Vzfwbl Hermann Bona and a rather gaudily painted Nieport 17 piloted by their flight leader Obltn Paul Kunz,
MacRevis spotted them at some distance and could only initially see the two biplanes as they masked the very familiar lines of the Eindecker. He mistakenly took them for French types or another RFC unit as the Hun scouts in that area were all monoplanes. As they crossed their lines he was slightly perturbed to see ground troops firing at them from their own lines !
When he looked forward again he saw the other flight turn onto an intercept course and also saw the flash of the Balkan Cross on their wings- Huns !
More rifle fire lofted toward them from their trench lines - 'don't they know who we are?' thought MacRevis. He pushed that thought aside as he lined up on the blue job heading his way 'hmm, not seen one of these before' he mused as he thumbed the trigger, watching in satisfaction as holes appeared in his enemy, gritting his teeth as some appeared in his.
Mac saw Ben open up and swap a short burst with the Eindecker but it seemed to have little affect
Seeing an opportunity Mac hauled his kite to the left and sends a burst around the Eindeckers cockpit, the pilot visibly stiffens in his seat - a hit !
As they pass each other by the red Nieuport turns in to cover his comrade his rounds whipping around Downes kite A second squirt follows the first but to no obvious affect
Downe climbs high - rounds clatter through his wings as the red Nieuport tries to cut him off - a burst passing between Kunz' wings alerts him that he too is at risk as MacRevis looses off the last of his first drum at him.
(There should be +1 on these I's - doh!)
Downe rolls out of the Hammerhead as Kunz flashes past below (Didn't allow a shot here though the temptation was great) before he escapes past the Halb as it bores in
Claude Back, meanwhile, puts some rounds into the recovering Eindecker but his gun jams
After much manoeuvring Klaiber's Eindecker gets caught between two fires as Downe and Back pounce - Downes' rounds find the mark and the Eindecker belches smoke. as they part company both Brits reload
Bona in the Halb has some luck of his own and gets some rounds into MacRevis' Nieuport - the luck turns bad as his gun jams for a second time - Verdammt !!
Coming out of an Immelmann MacRevis hauls his Nieuport round and cuts off the Huns Nieuport - shots go in but no damage seems to result
Mac has better luck with his next burst
Downe latches onto Klaiber's Eindecker again - and empties his gun into it
Back swoops past Downe to intercept the Halb but comes off somewhat second best in the exchange !
Mac intercepts the Halb next, scoring with his shots but again his gun jams just as it runs dry
Gun reloaded Downe gets back to work on the Eindecker that is now running for home... You can run... but you can't hide... the final hammer blows fall
The red Nieuport intercepts MacRevis, rounds clattering through his nose causes his kite to smoke, Mac presses on and gets another burst at the Halb but his gun jams again !
Kunz gets at MacRevis again and again but without too much success the second time
Kunz follows the silver Nieuport round ... his close range burst is devastating ...
And MacRevis heads for the deck trailing smoke and flame as his victor passes Downe arriving too late to save his flight leader
Back pulls a split Rs, Bona meets him head on and they exchange lead again - this time both score hits on their opponents engine
Kunz sets his sights on the Nieuport that passed him, and as he bores in he sees it immel toward him.
Downes aircraft shudders as Kunz rakes it with his MG08 - his own gun jams as he tries to respond they flash past eachother - When they pass Kunz sees that Downes gun has been pulled off the top wing and knows it has jammed or run out of ammo
As Bonas Halberstadt and Backs Nieuport exit the battle space Kunz circles right catching Downe with a burst then his gun jams too !
Downe circles back as Kunz dives out of his hammerhead
Mirroring eachother they Immel back for another pass
Downe catches Kunz with a deflection shot as he passes out of his arc - the N.17 staggers slightly as the rounds rip through the nose ...
(only much later I noticed this was an A card but would have made little difference to the outcome)
Downe whips round onto its tail and his next burst knocks the staggering Nieuport from the sky...
Now all he has to do is get back over the lines without getting shot to bits !
Butchers Tally:
2Lt Ben Downe / RTB / 2 Kills
The 1's should both have a +1(he also picked up L&R RD as he passed back over the lines !)
2Lt Claude Back / RTB (eng) / 0 kills
Lt Phil MacRevis / SD FLM ET / 0 kills
Rolled 6 -2FLM = 4 Severely Injured - Skip 1D6 Scenarios; rolled 4.
E&E: Rolled 6 -1FLM -1BEL -1WIA = 3 Captured and escaped! - Skip 1D3 Scenarios, rolled 6 = 3. Total skips 7 !
Vzfwbl Hermann Bona / RTB (eng) / 0 kills
Obtn Paul Kunz / SD EXP / 1 Kill
Rolled 9 -3EXP =6 - Injured - Skip 1D3 Scenarios; Rolled 5 = skip 3
Ltn Gustav Klaiber / SD FT / 0 kills
Rolled 7 -1SD -1WIA = 5 - Injured - Skip 1D3 Scenarios; Rolled 2 = skip 1
I didn't include any ground fire pics other than the first - Klaiber was shot at once, Back took several shots from his own side but no damage, Downe collected rudder damage on the way home from the Hun Trenches.
It was a long fight with five AI planes (and the ed 1 I chart not being up to snuff) and finishing with two AI planes - I left out a lot of positional pics so it may seem a little disconnected but I hope you think it was worth the effort.
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That was brave Dave flying 6 Aircraft plus the trench fire to control. So Well Done mate. 
They'll all be back though, some quicker than others, and we have not seen the last of that captured N.17, the remains of it have been whisked away by the Huns already and they have been picking over what was left of Phils kite !
Click..! 
Originally Posted by flash
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