Early Doors Mission 15: March 1917. ‘Beware the Hun in the Sun’.
The Eagles had been pulled back from the front line and were stationed south of Freiburg. There the squadron had been sent new replacements and von Biettrutoffen was using the time out of the line to train his new pilots before they were thrown back into the maelstrom of the Arras front. Today started just like any other....
“Welcome back Hans. Good to see you fit and well after your recuperation. How is your mother and father?”
“They are both well herr Oberst. They ask after you. I shall tell them you are well in my next letter home”.
“Thank you Hans. Now are you up for a little patrol to break in some new blood?”
Leutnant Hans Kneissundupzadaisy smiled before he added, “But of course herr Oberst, it will do me good to get back into the cockpit again and feel the rush of the air over my face. I have been away to long”.
Oberst Biettrutoffen smiled back, “Good now go and get the other two ready for take-off, in say, 5 minutes..OK?”
“Yes, herr Oberst”. With that Hans left the office and strolled over to where two nervous pilots awaited their first patrol.
“Ok, get in the cockpit. The CO doesn’t like to be kept waiting. The two pilots climbed into their respective cockpits as did Hans. To the minute the CO was climbing into his own aircraft. Two more minutes and the flight of four Albatros were climbing high into the sky.
Von Biettrutoffen leading, Hans to the rear, Leutnants Hurtgens and Burgwachter to left and right respectively.
The flight this morning would be south east from Freiburg to the Swiss border and back. Biettrutoffen and Hans would act as enemy and engage the new pilots in simulated combat attacks.
Biettutoffen also used these flights to perfect his new tactic after performing an immelmann turn. He flicked the Albatros to right or left up or down, with practiced ease and found he didn’t have to fly straight once he came out of his turn.
30 minutes later as the sun was nearly at its zenith, von Biettrutoffen signaled the formation to reform and head for home. As they turned he could not believe his eyes, for there flying away from them towards the old French border was a Caproni Ca3 bomber escorted by 3 Spad VII’s.
Lt Frederick White (5) was leading his escort of 2 other Spad VII’s, piloted by 2nd Lts’ Claud Tonkin (6) and Harry Mckenzie (4). Between them a Caproni bomber.
All they had been told after refueling in Italy was escort her to French territory.
The wind over the Alps had made that impossible, now they were just over German territory and trying to sneak through without being spotted. It was not to be their day...
Von Biettutoffen led the charge towards the British formation. His first shots catching Tonkin unawares as the bullets thudded into his Spad.
Von Biettutoffen’s target was the big fat bomber and thought his wingmen would deal with the Spad threat. Ignoring the Spads his flight just followed him.
Fred White had seen the attack and had turned into a cloud. As he popped out he had timed it right. There in front was an Albatros closing he let rip with his Vickers. Leutnant Kneissundupzadaisy was caught unawares as the tracer from Whites Vickers erupted into his Albatros. Stick shattered, control panel smashed to bits and petrol pouring over him caught alight and his burning plane spun out of control and minutes later smashed into the ground!
Von Biettrutoffen didn’t see what happened to young Hans as he concentrated on attacking the big bomber. Closing he aimed and fired. His tracer stitched a pattern up the center nacelle fuselage and he saw the rear gunner slump down.
Freds charge from the clouds took him perilously close to colliding with the two rookie Germans.
Sven & Konrad were stunned. They had witnessed the destruction and death of a friend. Al they could think of doing was flying towards the CO.
The Caproni pilot had been heading for a cloud formation but was just short as Ludwig closed on the Caproni .The rear gunner fired a burst at him as Ludwig watched his tracer hit an engine and start a fire.
Harry Mckenzie had turned away from the fight but was now closing on Fred and the Caproni. Claud was nowhere to be seen.
The caproni made the clouds and Ludwig kept up the chase. Konrad and Sven decided to bank right and engage the 3 Spads. But where were they?
As the Caproni kept to the clouds the fire was spreading slowly. Fred and Harry tried to close the gap. Konrad and Sven were now trying to cut the Caproni off.
Sven turned to come around the cloud bank and was rewarded as the Caproni popped out right in front of him. Not realising it was nearly too far away he fired a long sustained burst. His shots hit home.
Sven flew into the cloud formation as Fred flew in from another side and a shadow passed in front of him. Fred was aware that an aircraft had flown right in front of him. Spad or Albatros he couldn’t tell.
Von Biettrutoffens persistence paid off as more of his rounds found the Caproni and the rear gunner finally slumped down lifeless. Some of his rounds had found the engine again as a small explosion occurred and the engine spluttered and died.
With no rear gunner the Caproni’s fate was sealed. Ludwig closed in and administered the coup de grace.
But the big, lumbering bomber refused to die!
Konrad, following Sven, went round the cloud formation and fired instinctively as a silver Spad came into view. Harry fired at the same time too!
Fred was chasing the Caproni, the Caproni was trying to elude Ludwig. Ludwig chased the Caproni.
Sven popped out of the clouds to see Harry and Konrad exchange bullets as Claud, Spad trailing smoke, tried to rejoin his comrades.
The Caproni hedged his bets and turned right as Ludwig banked left. Damn no shot. Fred had closed, saw the Albatros and opened fire. Ludwigs bank to the left made his bullets whiz harmlessly by.
Harry and Claud headed for cloud cover as the German novices looked around for somebody to fire at.
Sven turned into a cloud bank only this time he wasn’t so lucky as he clipped Claud’s Spad as it passed in front of him.
Fred put pressure on Ludwig as the Caproni succumbed to fire plunged into the field below.
Claude had blasted through the clouds and banked left and was going head to head with Karl who had looped over.
Harry was entering a cloud as Sven was about to exit one
Ludwig and Frederick circled each other and the wreckage of the Caproni.
Sven instinctively fired at a plane and just missed Karl and Claud!
Frederick closed and using the Spads superior speed managed to get a long shot at Ludwigs turning Albatros. Looping round, Ludwig fired at the closing Frederick. Now head to head they both fired and Ludwigs Albatros was hit in the engine. Leaking fuel caught fire, he struggled to stay calm. Ludwig decided to ram his opponent. Better they both go down that he did. It would be a quick end he knew!
Frederick saw the incoming Albatros and at the last minute dived under it. His upper wing surface struts took some damage, one being forced down into the engine, which was starting to misfire. A second bent backwards and impaled his left shoulder.
Ludwig was still alive. He couldn’t believe it. He looped around again trying to keep the flames from him as he flew straight at the tail of the Spad and fired his guns in relieved anger. Again hew closed and again he fired this time the Spad all but filled his gun sight. As the Spad turned he fired a third time but the flames put his aim off and he was sure none of his bullets had struck home.
Sven had closed on Claude and although he was close enough to hit a barn door, missed the agile and faster Spad.
Ludwig had Frederick right where he wanted him, he let rip for a fourth time but instinctively jerked to the left as tracer rounds thudded into his tail. Harry Mckenzie had joined the fight!
Ludwig, his guns jammed could only turn this way and that. Trying to avoid the flames catching anything vital and also the bullets from the Spad behind him.
Ludwig missed Frederick Whites loop as he was more concerned about the bullets hitting his tail elevators!
Sven’s persistence paid off as his final fuselade of tracer sent Claud’s Spad whirling to the ground below.
Harry Mckenzie had von Biettutoffen in his sights he couldn’t miss, Ludwig threw caution to the wind and threw the Albatros about the air. Tracer went high, low, left and right but none hit his damaged Albatros. He was leading a charmed life!
Ludwig, guns eventually cleared, looped over and went head to head with Harry.
As Sven and Konrad came to his rescue, Ludwig fired the last of his belt of ammunition but missed!
Konrad got a last shot at Harry before he managed to cross safely over the lines.
Although the seemingly ordinary patrol had blooded the two new flyers, Oberst von Biettrutoffen was sad at the loss of an experienced flyer like Hans. Then of course he had to explain his death to Hans' mother, his own sister Gertrude.
Butchers Bill
Leutnant Hans Kneissundupzadaisy: SD/EXP/KIA
Oberst Ludwig von Biettrutoffen: 12 damage/RTB/1 kill
Leutnant SvenHurtgens: 6 damage/RTB/1 kill
Leutnant Konrad Bergwachter: 8 damage/RTB
2nd Lt Harry Mckenzie: 8 damage/RTB
2nd Lt Claud Tonkin: 15 damage/SD/FLM/ET
Lt Frederick White: 14 damage/WIA/RTB/1 kill
Caproni: 28 damage/SD/FLM/ET/Rear Gunner KIA
Summary:
1. That was fun.
2. First game where I’ve had 3 planes run out of ammo!
3. What a way to go. Back from sick leave then wham..boom card, down in flames.
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Poor Hans! just back from wounds & now he "brought the farm"!
Originally Posted by gully_raker
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