Caught With Their Pants Down - by a late arrival
Darkness was falling, but the area was still a hive of activity. The squadron was packing up, lock stock and barrel and moving to the saints knew where. Everything was organised chaos, for the ground crews. But for the pilots, all they had to do was jump into their cockpits and ferry the aircraft to whatever coordinates they were given.
Rob and Harold were about to do just that when the CO strolled purposefully towards them, from the direction of the former ops room. “Uh oh! That's trouble I warrent” Rob muttered under his breath, quickly stubbing out a cigarette with his boot toe.
“Loraine; Medlicott, with me, the both of you and be quick about it, please.”
They followed him back to the ops room where they were placed before a large wall map. “Study this carefully gentlemen and then take a long look at the reconnaisance photographs, there on the table. The map shows you two where you are heading in approximately 10 minutes. The photographs show you your target.”
“I thought we were heading up north sir” said Harold Medlicott.
“You are Harold” replied the CO, “but not before you've given these boys a bit of a wake up call. Understand lads, that this comes from the top. HQ believes that if we act quickly and decisively, we're going to catch the hun with his pants down. Intelligence from I don't know what source, indicates that they send out dawn patrols in this sector, which is otherwise very quiet. But that's all! Once they return to base, they settle down, put their feet up and do nothing. HQ thinks that many of the pilots there don't believe anything will happen in this sector, it's been so quiet for so long. They've focused their attention elsewhere. So it is possible they won't even be present in large numbers. It's also strongly believed that they will not be expecting us to show any interest here either, given what is going on in other sectors. They're sleepy gentlemen, going stale on the job and you are going to wake them up. Destroy as many of their aircraft as you can, but do it quickly, while they are still grounded, then get out of there, do you understand? I want you two back, safe and sound at our new location, by 8.00 am.”
The two, relatively new, but good, pilots, chosen because they had shown some spirit in recent actions, examined the map and photographs; memorized them and nodded to one another. They had worked together before during the past two weeks, which seemed like years already. They knew how they wanted to go about this. “What about archie sir?”
“Very little, a few aa mgs at either end of the field, but that's all. See for yourself, it's all there in the photographs”
A quick look confirmed what they wanted to know - “Right sir, 8.00am it is”.
With that they took their leave and headed off to hunt!
Later around 9.00 am
“Where the hell have those two got to”
“I really cannot say sir” At which point Bob Darrent, one of the ground crew responsible for Harold Medlicott's SE5, burst into the ops room, at the same time as the warning siren started up its mournful cry. “One of the SE5's is coming in from the east sir, but it don't look too good!”
“Only one? Damn it, this was supposed to be a straight forward turkey shoot!”
The CO went outside and squinted up into the early morning sunshine. There it was, limping in over the landing strip, if that's what you could call a field of quickly mown grass.
The ground crew rushed in and was seen to lift the pilot out of the cockpit, carefully. It was Rob Loraine. So where was Harold Medlicott?
An hour later, after Rob had been patched up by the medics, the CO paid him a visit. “Well Rob. What happened man? Where's Harold?”
“Not sure sir”, Rob said, wincing with the pain he was obviously in – he wouldn't be flying again for a while, that was certain! I've finished my report, as I knew you'd want it immediately, but as for Harold's whereabouts, even if he is still alive, I don't know sir! Sorry sir!”
The CO grunted and picked up the report which was lying on a table beside Rob's bed. This is what he read:
7.00 am Found target. Flew in from the east, into a light headwind. Target area appeared quiet. 2Nd Lt H. Medlicott south of me. I was to attack northerly line of grounded enemy aircraft. Medlicott the southerly line.
Medlicott seen to attack aamg position immediately to his portside. Successful I think! It did not open fire at any point thereafter.
He then flew down the line of enemy aircraft giving them all he had. The aircraft south side all seemed to be of the Albatros type.
He used short bursts, presumably to conserve ammunition and I am certain he damaged the first two in the line plus the fourth. He overshot the third before he could fire at it. He appeared to be struggling to maintain altitude by this time.
Meanwhile I proceeded in similar fashion along the northerly line of aircraft. My first target exploded, so I assume it had been fueled ready for flight. I also hit the second aircraft in the line, a Roland I think, but not with great effect as the same aircraft was later seen to take off. Then my gun jammed. A very inopportune moment for that to happen. Our success would undoubtedly have been far greater but for that.
I was able to clear the jam by the time I was in position to try my luck at the aamg position at the far end of the airfield. I'm certain I did some damage but did not knock it out. It opened fire on me shortly thereafter and I immediately felt a shock to my left leg. I had been hit. Again my guns jammed! Meanwhile, I believe Medlicott attacked the last of the aamg positions, with similar results. Fire opened up from it shortly thereafter but I do not know with what effect*.
Both of us then swung towards the centre of the airfield with the intention of making another pass. I saw that the Roland, mentioned earlier, was successfully taking off, but no other enemy aircraft, or indeed aircrew, seemed to be present. Medlicott turned in to attack the Roland. I flew down the southerly line of parked Albatri and this time was able to do considerably more damage than before, with no problems with my gun until the last minute, when they jammed yet again!
Meanwhile Medlicott seemed to have successfully attacked the Roland which took off under him. He executed a sharp turn which brought him onto the Roland's tail. A mistake as it turned out, since the Roland is a two seater. It's observer opened fire. There was an explosion and Medlicott's SE5 was seen to fall to the earth. I do not know the outcome. It is possible he survived.
Being wounded and losing rather a lot of blood I made the decision to head for home. The return flight was uneventful and I was not followed. I regret the ensuing poor landing but by this time I was near to fainting through loss of blood and had great difficulty controlling my aircraft.
End of report
The CO looked up thoughtfully. “Well done my boy, but it's a damn shame about young Medlicott.”
“Don't worry sir” Lt Loraine said cheerfully, “I bet he'll turn up sooner or later. That man has the luck of the devil, sir. Just don't ever play cards with him, that's my advice sir!”
Meanwhile, across the other side of the trenches, well to the rear, Vzfwbl Arno Brendler and his observer, Ltn Adolph Weiner, were celebrating their first kill. “Und wo ist der pilot? Es ist sehr wichtig das er ist gefond!” But no chance; they are not going to find young Harold. Although wounded in the crash, by the most extraordinary chance he was thrown clear and even managed to make his escape, by hiding for the rest of the day in a nearby wood. Yes, the CO better watch his money if he ever decides to play cards with this one.
* Photos show enough damage to aamg positions to knock them out, but some of it had to be taken at half effect.
PS Apologies if the German is incorrect – I'm just guessing and using a dictionary and that never works for verbs!!! : )
Butcher's Bill
2nd Lt Harold Medlicott's SD/EXP/ET
Crash
Rolled 10 - 3 EXP – 1 SD = 6 Injured – skip 1D3 scenarios
Rolled 2 Skip 2 scenarios
Escape & Evasion
Rolled 8 – 1 WIC – 1 BEL = 6
In hiding – skip 1 scenarios
Result: In hiding skip 2 scenarios
Lt Robert Loraine
RTB/WIA
Rolled 6 – 1 WIA = 5 + 3 Landed safely = 8
Injured – skip 1D2 scenario
Rolled 3 = skip 1 scenarios
Vzfwbl Arno Brendler (pilot) and Ltn Adolph Weiner (observer)
RTB / FT 1 Kill
Other damage
The mission resulted in the destruction of just one Central Powers plane, on the ground. A number of others were damaged, some seriously, plus at least one AA machine gun position was destroyed and two others seriously damaged. A bit of a pyrrhic victory given the loss of an SE5!
I used A deck for the SE5s, B deck for the AAmgs and Roland (that was one lucky shot at the end! But then the SE5s were really lucky that only one aircraft opposed them). I controlled movement of both SE5s and the Roland until ithe latter attained an altitude of 3. Thereafter I used K Deck advanced movement chart by BlackRonin (Only had to do it for one set of three moves!!!).
Enjoyable mission and helped me learn more of the rules.
Mike
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Bad luck loosing that SE to the Boom card from the Roland.
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