Solo Campaign: Hats in the Ring - USAS 1918 - Interlude one: Overview

**max_vale** · 11-14-2015 09:24

From the journal and letters of 2nd LT Ryan 'Dutch' Van Horn:

Dear Mom and Dad;

I just wanted to write you both to let you know that I'm doing well and that I've been assigned to fly with a great (for the most part) group of guys that makes me feel incredibly proud of the type of people our great country produces. I am truly lucky to have fallen in with such men from all over the country.

The way our squadron has been constructed is that we have been assigned 18 Nieuport 28s; nimble French fighters but a little bit delicate; and these have been further divided into 3 Flights of six planes each. While most squadrons label thier Flights 'A' flight, 'B' flight and 'C' flight; our squadron C.O. (commanding officer) has instead labelled them 'First Flight', 'Second Flight' and 'Third Flight'. Speaking of our C.O.; he is also my Flight leader and he's one heck of a character.

Captain Bernard 'Barry' Luff is the son of an Army officer father and a Cajun mother from the bayous of Louisianna and from whom he learned his French. Captain Luff travelled to France just before the war started and became great friends with some of the early French pilots and plane designers and from them he learned how to fly. When the war broke out; he joined the Foreign Legion to help fight for France and after a coule of years of serving in the mud and trenches; he asked to be re-assigned as a pilot since he knew how to fly and he became an early member of a squadron, or escadrille as they are called in French, made up of a group of American ex-pats and called the 'Lafayette Escadrille'. While serving with them, he shot down 11 enemy planes and early this year; when the U.S. finally got to France in force; he was made a Captain in the U.S. Air Service and due to his experience he was made the Squadron Commander of the 194th Pursuit Squadron. Captain Luff is as brave as they come and he drills us relentlessly to make sure that when our time comes to do our duty; we'll be ready.

The other members of my flight include a 1st Lieutenant by the name of Lucas Frank; from the Alaska territory. He is QUITE a character. He doesn't say much but his scars and the big Smith and Wesson .44 revolver he carries on his hip speak volumes. I only learned about his backstory from Captain Luff; who calls him the 'Alaskan Assassin'; partly because he's downed 3 German planes while serving in the Royal Flying Corps before transferring to the Air Service; but mostly because rumor has it that he personally shot down several German soldiers who attempted to capture him when he was shot down flying a recon plane in Africa. You see, LT Frank learned how to fly from a South African adventurer pilot who had travelled to the Yukon and Alaska a few years back; and when the war came; this South African pilot and his student and friend Lucas enlisted in the Canadian Army and were soon sent to Britain. When they told thier higher ups they knew how to fly; they were assigned to 26 Squadron; an RFC squadron made up of South Africans. They were soon sent to Africa with a handful of recon planes and while there; apparently Lucas' friend was killed and he was almost killed as well when their plane was shot down. Frank shot down some of the German soliders, as I said and eventually trekked through the African wildnerness back to the British lines. He made it back to England earlier this year and has recently been transferred over to the Air Service and my squadron. I'll readily admit to being nervous around him; but he is very quiet and keeps mostly to himself.

Then there's the four of us 'green' 2nd LTs; inlcuding Sean Fitzpatrick, Henry Dorchester, Jonathan Jones and me of course. Shortly after meeting one another, we all aquired nicknames; so Sean is 'Fitz' and he's a tough scrapper from the North Side of Chicago and whose parents came over from Ireland shortly before he was born. He can have all of us in stitches with his 'I'm just a lucky lad from the green hills of Eire boy-ohs' bit and is quite the cut-up. But I know he's from a large family living in a tough, poor area of they city and he's anxious to make something of himself and help his family out. We're rapidly becoming very good friends.

Henry 'Richie' Dorchester on the other hand, I don't think I will EVER be friends with. He's from a VERY well-to-do family on Long Island in New York City and he never misses a chance to tell everyone how Glen Martin himself taught him how to fly during summers between his boarding school years of high-school. Like me, he dropped out of college, Harvard in his case, and joined the Air Service. He's rather impossible to like, being quite the snob; but I'll hand it to the spoiled brat; he certainly knows how to fly his kite.

Jonathan 'JJ' Jones is just about the epitome of the Nebraska farm boy; shy, polite, always kind and very hard-working. He blushes at the drop of a hat if a woman smiles at him and except for the fact that he's a skinny litle thing instead of the raw-boned, big-muscled type you tend to expect when you learn someone grew up on a farm; he comes right out of a story book. He's stronger than he looks though and you couldn't ask for a more reliable wingman.

Finally, there's me of course; and very quickly upon hearing my last name, my nickname became 'Dutch'. I tried to tell them that Grandad came here almost 70 years ago as a toddler; but they didn't care about that!

So that's our motley crew of First Flight; I hope you and Dad and little sis are doing well and not wasting too much time worrying about me. I'm sure the war will probably be over before we see much action. Take care,

Your loving son,

Ryan

Game notes: I realized that I had never really listed the various personalities I came up, so I thought I'd do that here. I also decided to use the 'First Flight' in place of the more proper 'A' 'B', etc. Flight as a way to explain every Spad having the number '1' on the wing when the Flight moves up to Spad XIIIs later one. For the same reason; I made Lucase a member of 26 squadron to explain the 26 on Luke's plane….his will be the 'Different' one when the Spads are aquired.

I'm taking a page out of Black Ronin's campaigns and making one pilot (in this case, 'Dutch' Van Horn) as the 'Narrator' of the Campaign (at least, until/unless he becomes KIA) and utilizing journal entries/letters as a way to tell the story.

1st Flight, 194th Aero-Squadron (Pursuit)

-Captain Bernard 'Barry' Luff: 11 victory Double Ace (Lafayette Escadrille vet.); Special Abilities: Marksman, Armorer
-1st LT Lucas 'Alaskan Assassin' Frank: 3 victories (RFC 26 Squadron vet.); Veteran pilot
-2nd LT Sean 'Fitz' Fitzpatrik; Veteran Pilot
-2nd LT Ryan 'Dutch' Van Horn; 1 victory; Veteran Pilot
-2nd LT Henry 'Richie' Dorchester; Green Pilot
-2nd LT Jonathan 'JJ' Jones; Green Pilot