PRS
02-08-2011, 10:32
A few weeks later and Higgens was recuperating well. The push was still going and he was itching to get back in the air. They had a new Snipe ready for him, awaiting the okay from the doctors. His mates scrambled as the report came in that a large flight of Germans were spotted to the East. Higgens sat in the flight room, watching through the window as the lads took to the air.
Twenty minutes later, a corporal ran in to inform about a couple of German planes spotted by front line trenches to the West seemingly headed for a rear target. Consequences be damned, Higgens shouted for the flight crew to get his plane ready. A quick look at the charts pointed to the most obvious choice of targets, so Higgens hopped into the cockpit and brought the bird to life. The excitement as he lifted off for the first time in weeks was tempered by the thought of the men on the ground depending on him to protect them and their supplies from aerial attack. He pushed the plane as fast as it would go and was glad to see the command post untouched as he arrived. Pointing in the direction where the report came from, he throttled back and scanned the skies. Looking below, he saw a weapons cache and figured it was this or the command post, or possibly both, that would be the targets.
Higgens kept low in hopes that he would spot his targets early against the bright afternoon sky. Worry crossed his face as he spotted one dot but couldn't find another. He pushed forward along the ground, figuring to climb once he got closer, still hoping to spot the other plane. As they closed, he rose to meet the only opponent he could find and was stunned to see the all too familiar markings on the old Roland c. II. His first hail of bullets tore into the bright blue plane, but a cold fear shot down his spine as the report of his guns silenced. Pushing the fear down, he worked the action of the guns to clear the jam even as the Roland slipped by and put a few holes in his pristine new plane. Turning quickly, Higgens was able to pick up the Roland again and fired as it approached the cache. Several shots struck and it must have rattled the pilot because he released too early and missed the target. Following around, he fired again but his shots went wide and the guns again chittered to a stop while the German gunner landed more hits. The enemy pilot had pulled around quickly for a second run, but Higgens stayed on his tail even as he worked on the infernal guns. As the pilot dropped his bombs on target, the gunner landed another hit that set Snipe on fire, but thankfully his next shot missed.
Higgens began to think he should have stayed in bed. 'Never mind that,' he thought, 'I can't let them get away again.' Chasing the now fleeing Roland, Higgens unleashed fury, badly damaging the German plane and taking out the gunner. The Roland was badly hurt now, and with no worries of return fire, Higgens pressed on with his only partly banged up Snipe. The fire barely seemed to do anything to the sturdy British plane. Faster than the German two seater, he should have no trouble taking it down before it got across the lines. He lined up and pulled the trigger. An excellent hit on the tail. It would certainly have trouble maneuvering now. Another burst into the tail really tore it up and the Roland spiraled down to the earth. As he watched it go down, Higgens started to think, 'What should I do about this fire?'
BOOM!
Twenty minutes later, a corporal ran in to inform about a couple of German planes spotted by front line trenches to the West seemingly headed for a rear target. Consequences be damned, Higgens shouted for the flight crew to get his plane ready. A quick look at the charts pointed to the most obvious choice of targets, so Higgens hopped into the cockpit and brought the bird to life. The excitement as he lifted off for the first time in weeks was tempered by the thought of the men on the ground depending on him to protect them and their supplies from aerial attack. He pushed the plane as fast as it would go and was glad to see the command post untouched as he arrived. Pointing in the direction where the report came from, he throttled back and scanned the skies. Looking below, he saw a weapons cache and figured it was this or the command post, or possibly both, that would be the targets.
Higgens kept low in hopes that he would spot his targets early against the bright afternoon sky. Worry crossed his face as he spotted one dot but couldn't find another. He pushed forward along the ground, figuring to climb once he got closer, still hoping to spot the other plane. As they closed, he rose to meet the only opponent he could find and was stunned to see the all too familiar markings on the old Roland c. II. His first hail of bullets tore into the bright blue plane, but a cold fear shot down his spine as the report of his guns silenced. Pushing the fear down, he worked the action of the guns to clear the jam even as the Roland slipped by and put a few holes in his pristine new plane. Turning quickly, Higgens was able to pick up the Roland again and fired as it approached the cache. Several shots struck and it must have rattled the pilot because he released too early and missed the target. Following around, he fired again but his shots went wide and the guns again chittered to a stop while the German gunner landed more hits. The enemy pilot had pulled around quickly for a second run, but Higgens stayed on his tail even as he worked on the infernal guns. As the pilot dropped his bombs on target, the gunner landed another hit that set Snipe on fire, but thankfully his next shot missed.
Higgens began to think he should have stayed in bed. 'Never mind that,' he thought, 'I can't let them get away again.' Chasing the now fleeing Roland, Higgens unleashed fury, badly damaging the German plane and taking out the gunner. The Roland was badly hurt now, and with no worries of return fire, Higgens pressed on with his only partly banged up Snipe. The fire barely seemed to do anything to the sturdy British plane. Faster than the German two seater, he should have no trouble taking it down before it got across the lines. He lined up and pulled the trigger. An excellent hit on the tail. It would certainly have trouble maneuvering now. Another burst into the tail really tore it up and the Roland spiraled down to the earth. As he watched it go down, Higgens started to think, 'What should I do about this fire?'
BOOM!