Mission 19: Ring of Fire
The drone of approaching aircraft mixed with the wail of the air raid siren electrified the area around the German ammunition factory. The facilities resembled an anthill that had just been kicked over as workers and civilians hurried to safety and anti-aircraft teams rushed to their battle stations.
One of many in the throng, Wachtmeister Hans Schmidt ran like he never run before to the hill on the northeast side of the factory where his gun was positioned. His gun crew of two was already waiting beside the big 37 mm artillery piece. Still huffing from the run, Schmidt nonetheless wasted no time.
“Achtung!” he barked. “Unteroffizier Hidel, man the crank! Unteroffizier Geiger, load shells! Schnell!” Geiger jerked as if he had been slapped, and not bothering to waste time on a salute, sprinted off to get a clip of 37 mm shells, while Hidel took up the ready position by the crank. Hidel did not forget to salute.
Geiger returned, carrying the clip and quickly inserted into the top of the gun. Hidel turned the crank, feeding the shells one at a time into the five barrels. As each barrel was loaded, the barrels would rotate to allow an empty one to be loaded. With every crank, the shell in the bottom barrel would be fired and when that barrel rotated, the spent shell would be ejected out the bottom of the gun.
The projectiles fired did not explode; this gun was built to fire flaming flares in quick succession. Often, the shells were fired so quickly in succession that a myth amongst Allied pilots spread that the shells were roped together. It was the Hotchkiss 37 mm revolving cannon, or “lichtspucker” (light-spitter) as the Germans called it. To the Allies, it was known and feared by a different name: the “flaming onion”. Shells from the lichtspucker rarely hit, but when they did, they had the potential to set an entire aircraft on fire!
Schmidt stood by the lichtspucker, scanning the sky with his binoculars. All about the factory, other officers were doing the same. With a roar, two Fokkers zoomed overhead to engage the incoming raiders. All the men cheered at this unexpected aid, shaking their fists at the sky. Yet the bombers did not turn away. They were determined to carry through. Very well then, Wachmeister Schmidt thought, If it is a fight they want, then we shall give it to them.
“Hidel!” Schmidt motioned at the leading bomber and tersely gave out a set of coordinates.
“Feuer!”
Mission briefing:
Central units involved:
2 Fokker D.VIIs (pilots George Steinbecker, Lothor Rudolfs)
3 AAA emplacements
Allied units involved:
2 Bristol F2Bs – payload 6 bombs each – (pilot Roger Hopkins, gunner Murray Wheeler; pilot Gerald Hayes, gunner Justus McCallahan)
1 Se5a (pilot Joseph Montgomery)
Today’s mission turned out some of the hottest action I’ve seen yet in our campaign.Two Bristols along with an Se5a escort were tasked with bombing an ammunition factory deep behind enemy lines.
As CO of the Entente forces, Greyson chose to fly the green Bristol crewed by Hopkins/Wheeler. Our younger cousin Riley hopped in the brown and white one crewed by Hayes/McCallahan. Riley’s older brother Wyatt chose to return as his star Se5a pilot, Joseph Montgomery.
Opposing them in the defense of the Fatherland, My brother Shaw and I mounted up in a pair of D.VIIs. Shaw opted to fly as his favorite pilot – Georg Steinbeicker – in a purple D.VII, and I chose to fly as Lothor Rudolfs in a red and white D.VII.
This factory raid is not going to be an easy business ladies and gentlemen. 3 AAA emplacements surround the entire complex.
Target sighted! The Allies move in…
Hopkins drops a bomb on one of the AAA emplacements. While not a direct hit, the shockwave lays 3 points of damage on it. Montgomery follows close behind, ready to strafe.
Hopkins and Montgomery close in, firing a terrible fusillade of machine guns bullets at the crew working the gun. Amazingly, this fails to knock the gun out of commission.
His first and second attacks thwarted, Hopkins swoops overhead and lets his observer strafe the gun. Once again bullets sing all around the AAA emplacement. But yet it survives! Defiant shots continues to hit all enemies who venture near it.
The lead bomber was headed right for them! The lichtspucker pumped fiery shells at it while Hidel turned the crank wildly. It was so close now that there was no longer any need for coordinates. Then, Schmidt saw something small fall from the bottom wing of the bomber.
“Look out! Get down!!!” The bomb impacted the ground with a concussive bang. Dirt, sod and debris were hurled at them like shots from a rifle, bursting the sandbags around them, ripping their tunics, and the skin underneath. Suddenly, bullets came sailing at them in an unrelenting torrent. Schmidt heard someone gasp sharply and heard another cry out. Dirt was kicked up by bullets not two feet from his head. Then with a malignant howl, the enemy aircraft flew overhead.
Schmidt was just about ready to get back up when the bullets started again, this time from the observer of the bomber as it flew away. Now however, although the bullets sang and impacted all around the general area of the gun, it was less accurate and concentrated than the first shooting. Soon the bullets stopped. Schmidt leaped up and assessed the situation. Burst sandbags and bullets marks in the dirt littered the emplacement. Geiger was dead. Hidel was wounded and bleeding profusely from the side, but this turned out only to be a graze. Sadly, they did not have time to mourn the loss of Geiger. That would come later – if they survived.
“Here.” Schmidt tore off his scarf and handed it to Hidel. Hidel tied it around his waist to soak up the blood running down his side.
“Danke!” he gasped.
Schmidt grunted in acknowledgement and ran over to get another magazine for the gun.
“You fire. I’ll load.”
Hidel straightened and saluted. “Jewol!”
Once again, the barrels began to wheel and with a blinding flash and an ear-deafening report, the lichtspucker reentered the fray.
In the meantime, Hayes had cut straight to the factory buildings. Carefully sighting his bomb, he lets it drop. A direct hit to one of the buildings!
Joeseph Montgomery changes course and lines up on one of the facilities. The combined firepower of Vickers and Lewis guns impact the building as he speeds closer. An explosion! The building is history.
The strafing continues… Montgomery gets another building. 3 down, 2 to go.
Hopkins destroys another building with a well-placed bomb. But the AAA he failed to destroy comes back to bite him and sets him afire! Then, as if that wasn’t enough, Lothor Rudolfs latches onto Hopkins tail. Even more bullets hammer into the Bristol. Now Hopkins is wounded…
The flames seal poor Hopkins’ doom. The Bristol lurches out of control, spewing angry black smoke as it spirals into the sod.
Hayes in the remaining Bristol, carries on the task, strafing another AAA emplacement. However, while German fighter presence may not have been of concern earlier, it certainly is a factor now. Steinbecker follows in hot pursuit, twin Spandaus chattering.
In the middle of all this, Montgomery continues to strafe ground targets…
Montgomery bags another.
Steinbecker brings down the final Bristol. Nonetheless, Montgomery continues to strafe targets, destroying yet another building. The facilities are now completely destroyed.
Steinbecker engages Montgomery…
Montgomery gives him the slip and destroys an AAA emplacement. Is there no stopping Montgomery?!
Executing a perfectly-timed Immelmann, Montgomery climbs above his adversaries and points himself on a homeward course. The Fokkers below try to cut off his escape route.
Aha! The Fokkers climb to Mongomery’s height and turn about. Let’s see him try to get away from this!
Blast it! He had been climbing aggressively all the while and once again was higher than the Fokkers. But even that couldn’t stop him from being shot at. He receives one card from each Fokker.
Lothor Rudolfs Immelmanns to follow Montgomery. Steinbecker is out of it. It’s all up to Lothor now…
Lothor climbs to Montgomery’s height, surprising the escaping pilot. This is it. The moment of truth. Lothor fires…
…but it is still not enough! Montgomery leaves the playing area and escapes. Even his Central enemies have to (begrudgingly) respect him.
Debriefing:
Central pilot Georg Steinbecker shoots down Bristol F2B piloted by Gerald Hayes; 1 kill confirmation requested; RTB
Central pilot Lothor Rudolfs shoots down Bristol F2B piloted by Roger Hopkins; 1 kill confirmation requested; WIA.
Allied pilot Joseph Montgomery destroys 5 ground targets; 5 kill confirmations requested; RTB.
Allied pilot Roger Hopkins destroys 1 ground target; 1 kill confirmation requested; POW.
Allied gunner Murray Wheeler; POW.
[Sorry chaps, forgot to take a photo of Gerald Hayes’ final damage count.
Allied pilot Gerald Hayes destroys 1 ground target; 1 kill confirmation requested; POW
Allied gunner Justus McCallahan; POW.
The crew of an AAA gun under the command of Wachtmeister Schmidt is awarded a citation for extreme courage and dedication under fire.
Joseph Montgomery is awarded the Victoria Cross for bravery and his astonishing completion of the mission even after the rest of his comrades fell.
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