Third Spanish Civil War mission of the 24hr gameathon brought the action to October 1936. New player Colby was keen to try fighter vs fighter combat, his pilot having shot down two bombers over the previous two missions. This mission is based on actual events that occurred on 21 October 1936. A shortage of fighters in the Madrid area forced capitán Ramón Puparelli Francia (CO of all Republican fighters on the Madrid front) to scramble in the only Boeing 281 in Spain. The unarmed American fighter had been demonstrated to the Spanish Air Force in 1935 and when the war broke out the Republicans had armed it with two Vickers machine guns in underwing gun pods. In the ensuing combat Puparelli fell victim to Nationalist CR.32s between Pinto and Parla. Bailing out successfully, he broke ribs on landing and spent the next few months recovering in hospital in Madrid.
Alerted to the approach of Nationalist aircraft, capitán Puparelli scrambles in his Boeing 281.
The Republican officer confronts two Heinkel He 51 fighters, with one making a head on attack as the other manoeuvres to attack from a flank. In the exchange of fire both aircraft are damaged, but Colby's hitherto successful Heinkel '2-23' pilot is also wounded. I suggested it was time to head for home, but Colby was having none of it, sure that his 2 to 1 advantage would carry the day. He was soon to learn how debilitating a pilot wound can be in WGS.
The second Heinkel '2-24' catches the Boeing with a high deflection shot.....
...but a quick reversal sees the Republican fighter on the tail of '2-24'. Puparelli puts a few quick bursts into that Heinkel, even as '2-23' flashes past him to starboard.
The Republican pilot then pushes the stick over pulling a high G turn to follow '2-23'. Coming out the turn on the tail of the German plane he opens fire at close range.
The low deflection burst smashes into the damaged Heinkel which falls away trailing smoke. The pilot bails out over Republican lines to an uncertain fate.
With the odds now even at 1-1 the remaining Heinkel and the Boeing 281 begin a tough dog-fight with each pilot taking shots as the other presented a target. Colby's Heinkel got the best of the early action hitting the Boeing a few times until the aircraft had only two damage points left. The Republican then turned the tables. Executing a sequence of low speed manoeuvres Puparelli managed to stay on the Heinkel's tail, getting some good bursts in each with an added A damage chit for the Aim bonus.
In the end Colby executed an Immelmann turn to make a head on attack. Closing at almost 500kph the two aircraft opened fire. The battle ended with Colby's burst missing the Boeing (zero damage) while the Republican's fire knocked off the last of the Heinkel's damage points. That pilot too bailed out over enemy territory.
This was the last Spanish Civil War action to be fought during the event. The Republicans could claim overall honours with two bombers lost in exchange for a successful bombing run in the second mission and a total of four Nationalist fighters shot down.
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