Early Doors Mission 22. The Last Waltz. (The Kaiser's revenge.) Eagles
Part 1
Captain George O’Hare, CO of the Bulldogs, was hunting alone.
Paul Grieg was playing his part well as too were Karl and Johanne. The captured RE8 was being used to lure an unsuspecting allied plane into a trap. The pair kept up their mock combat circling a cloud. Within which 2 more Eagle Albatros scouts, flown by Rikard Wagner and Hauptmann Fettlemeir. lurked ready to pounce.
O’hare takes the ‘bait’ and passes over the RE as Greig turns to ‘attack’.
Sandwiched between ‘friend’ and foe O’Hare shakes a fist at the lax firing from the RE8 rear gunner.
Reversing round O’Hare squeezes and both guns jam! But at least the RE has ‘escaped’
Swiftly turning out of the looping turn O’Hare positions himself to chase the Albatros
The 2 Albatros spring their trap now it’s 3 onto 1. “Where’s that bloody RE? Could have stayed and given me a hand” O’Hare shouted into the wind.
Fettlemeir and Wagner close in as Greig prepares to loop round.
‘Ha missed me’.
‘Missed me again, these are bloody amateurs!’
A quick jink to the left and O’Hare misses the devastating blow lined up by Fettlemeir.
“Damn this English pilot is good!”
A wandering Spad from another Squadron turns up for a spot of fun
Again Fettlemir fires at the elusive O’Hare. This times at least some of his bullets struck the fuselage before the camel again passed out of aim.
Greig was having the better of the tussle with the Spad. But was on the receiving end of a blast from O’Hares twin Vickers.
His missing wingman lost in the clouds turns up looking for the Spad.
O’Hare and Fettlemeir pass each other head to head. O’Hare gives Fettlemeir a wave and gets a smile in return.
(The game is afoot how will this end? Apologies but I have to go to work now)
Part 2
Fettlemeir’s attention was drawn to the newly arrived Spad that appeared before his guns. So he let rip.
Greig and Wagner circled the cloud unaware that danger lurked within!
Circling round O’Hare lost sight of Fettlemeir. A sudden glare made him throw the camel to one side as a hail of bullets whipped past his camel. Instinctively he fired.
Fettlemeir had whipped his Albatros round and caught O’Hare napping, only his bullets missed the camel by a whisker as bullets thudded into his plane from front and rear. One hit his left leg and his engine started to misfire. Time to get out of the frying pan he thought!
The Spad jumped out of the cloud and collided with Wagner. Whilst Greig disappeared into the same cloud unaware of the drama unfolding.
Wagner found his rudder had jammed and he was forced to fly straight. (unknown to him the same fate had befallen the Spad).
The Spad 5 was in a pickle Greig had popped out of the cloud and Wagner was charging straight at him. Fettlemeir dived out of danger narrowly missing O’Hares camel as the Spad 6 came on.
Spad 5 took the full brunt of the volume of fire from Greig and Wagner. Engine spluttering as the fuel line broke and caught fire. A plume of smoke erupted from Wagners Albatros.
Both planes hurtled past each other.
And charged head on towards each other guns blazing away. Only the Spad came off worst.
And paid the price, hurtling earthward like a flaming arrow.
O’Hare had swung round again with Spad 6 on his tail, they now faced the 2 Albatros as Fettlemeir made good his escape.
O’Hares camel shuddered as both Hun Albatros fired at him. His return fire was a little off.
Spad 6 broke for the clouds as O’Hare climbed to loop round and chase the Albtros now heading for home and safety.
Wagner’s Albtros, at the rear, took the brunt of O’Hares attack.
And thanked his dedicated ground crew as his Vickers choked then started spurting out bullets again
Thankfully Wagner turned and O’Hare was left with Greigs tail to fire at...so he did.
O’Hare was now short of fuel and ammo. He was getting deeper into enemy territory and not wanting to chance his luck he broke off the attack and headed home. After all tomorrow was just another day.
The Butchers Bill:
Captain George O’Hare RTB/8 damage
O’Hare has 6 skills:
Dedicated Ground Crew I/Acrobatic Pilot I/Lucky Git I+II/Deadly Aim I/Evasive Maneuvers I
(And he used them all today)
Lucky Git I took out the 5+pilot wound
Lucky Git II took out the explosion
Spad 5 SD/ET/16 damage/FLM
Spad 6 RTB/1 damage
Lt Rikard Wagner : RTB/8 damage/1 kill
Lt Paul Greig: RTB/9 damage
Hauptman Sidweg Fettlemeir: RTB/10 damage/WIA
rolled 6-1(WIA)+3(RTB = 8 = bruised, skip 1 scenario
Summary
1. O'Hare was used in an earlier mission and was too good to just fall by the way side. But he did need all of his ace skills to survive.
2. With such a high powered ace on the British side I filtered in the 2 Spad's 1 at a time.
3. Surviving is more realistic than playing it to the suicide end, hence he who runs away.....
4. O'Hare was at the end of the playing area and I judged him low on fuel and ammo after this monumental combat so he too called it a day.
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Originally Posted by flash
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