Yet again it fell to Bennett to tell him that there were aircraft approaching - Uncle walked out under the lean to outside his door and squinted into the gloom of the rapidly approaching rain storm.
There it was, low on the horizon, a big machine coming in under the muck. That must be the Brisfit. Bill Board and Jack Pott had taken that out, then just behind he saw an SE5a trying to keep station but wallowing about behind but who was it, Seymour Brown or Ben Downe ?
"Tender & the M.O. if you please Corporal Bennett" ordered Uncle.
"Sir" replied Bennett as he made off toward the medics office at double time.
Uncle walked over towards the hangars as the Bristol fighter cleared the perimeter and touched down smoothly on the grass. The SE5a landed slightly less smoothly moments later rolling to a stop short of the hangars where it was met by the M.O. and the tender. No other aircraft were in sight.
As he neared the Brisfit Uncle glanced over at the SE5a and could see Seymour Brown being assisted from the cockpit by the ground crew under the guidance of the M.O.
"Downe didn't make it sir". Reported 2Lt Bill Board
"Damn" said Uncle scanning the horizon one last time. "How did it go"
"We approached line abreast", said Board, "Brown on our left as our escort, Downe on the right with his bombs. We could see the weather was turning bad rapidly and it was pretty obvious the roof was going to fall in on us so we just went full bore at the target area"
"We soon spotted the first target - looked like a whole regiment encamped about an old farm next to some woods"
"Downe signalled me to attack then peeled off to check another possible target as I dove down to unload my eggs"
"It was about then that Fritz turned up and he wasn't very happy. Pott said that Brown copped a packet from one of them"
"The lead one had a go at us as we ran in on our bomb run but he didn't give us too much to worry about"
"I stalled the kite and let the bombs go - smack dead centre on the encampment. I must've hit something important, flames and smoke went up all over the place"
"Well done Bill" said Uncle.
"No sooner had I done that I spotted the 'arty' target off to my right front and I could see Downe had spotted it as he was making a bee line for it too"
"We were both released our eggs about the same moment and we were both spot on target and the whole shebang went off like a firework factory"
"Oh, well done Bill, so both targets were hit ?"
"Smashed to pieces sir, we couldn't miss", replied Board. "About that time Fritz had managed to turn back round on us, Downe took some rounds from one of them as he side slipped beneath them but it didn't seem to trouble him..."
"...and another one had a pop at us as we came out of a reversal ...we couldn't fire back as Pott was hanging on to stay in the cockpit"
"We saw Brown had recovered his machine and turned for home - he swapped rounds with another Jerry but there didn't seem to be damage to either one.."
"I saw Downe crossing our nose as he cut round to cover us and heard Jack having a go at the two of them that passed behind us "
"Then it happened"
"What did ?" said Uncle, now thoroughly absorbed by the detail of the fight.
"The lead Fritz that was curving in behind us came head to head with Downe and then... then.. he was gone"
"OK old man, take it steady, is there any chance?" said Uncle
"It's Ben sir, there's always a chance but we didn't see him go in because of the weather"
"The Huns chased us but we had too good a lead and I think Downe must've clobbered the lead Hun hard as he seemed to lose interest in us, though one gave Brown a squirt before he could out run them .."
"Then the roof finally fell in and we lost sight of them before we reached the lines"
"Right oh Bill, carry on, get yourself cleaned up and I'll get on the blower and see if anyone saw Ben go in."
Uncle turned an headed for his office, a worried frown creasing his face.
Butchers Tally:
Lt Ben Downe (ace): SD-EXP-ET / 0 kills...
Rolled 8-3EXP +1ACE = 6 Injured Roll D3. Rolled 3 = Skip 2
E&E: Rolled 8 -1EXP -1WIC -1BEL = 5 In Hiding! Skip D2 Scenarios. Rolled 2 = slip1. Total Skip 2 (RW).
2Lt Seymour Brown: RTB / WIA / 0 Kills
Rolled 11 +3RTB -1WIA = 12 All well when you land well !
2Lt Bill Board & Cpl Jack Pott: RTB . 2 Targets Destroyed.
Ltn Konrad Strünklenberg: RTB / WIA / 1 Kill
Rolled 7 +3RTB -1WIA = 9 All well when you land well !
Ltn Hans Niethammer RTB 0 Kills
Fwbl Helmut Fichter RTB 0 Kills
I used my Alt rules and took it that the Bulldogs arrived about Level 4, dropped to Level 3 to drop their eggs and The Eagles arrived at level 4 and worked down on them. I just about had time to bomb the targets before the roof fell in but kept the action going until it was clear the Bulldogs had outstripped their pursuers.
I put three targets out that matched the mats, marked with randomly assigned small playing cards so I could see the blasted things ! - Aces were targets, the Joker was not...
Two targets destroyed for the loss of one scout ...Think that makes it a 5-1 victory over the Germans
Epilogue:
Lt Ben Downe ducked and made himself as small as he could in the cockpit as the rounds from the twin spandaus of the enemy leader caromed off his engine block - he was still squeezing his own triggers when he heard an ominous crack "That can't be good" he thought.
Glancing left he saw the top wing was oscillating rather alarmingly and as he passed the Hun that had done for him he cut power and put the SE into a gentle turn towards his lines easing it as best he could.
It couldn't hold together long and it didn't, he had more or less got it down to the ground when it gave way completely throwing his SE into the soggy ground of the field he had selected. That was what probably saved him - the sodden earth absorbing much of the impact as the SE dug in. Not that he knew too much about it until he came to and extricated himself from the wreckage and tottered away, wet, muddy, bruised and shaken, seeking his way home.
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