Flying Officer Kyte
09-17-2011, 08:56
Nigel and the Night Stalker.
22574
22573
It all started to go wrong for Reiner as his G III crossed the lines in the early dawn on his way back from bombing the Englander’s back area. The three Friedrichshaffen had found the rail yards without much trouble, and after dropping the bombs were making for home, when just over the lines, he was caught by an Archie battery supporting a balloon which was just going up for an early look over no man’s land.
The flack seemed to miss the plane, but an ominous cloud of black smoke issuing from the starboard engine and a sudden vibrating in the frame of the aircraft told him otherwise.
22575
Reiner immediately shut off the petrol feed to the engine and the vibration stopped. However, he started to fall behind his comrades and by the time he crossed the German lines he was alone.
Still he was now in home territory and only 20 minutes from his drome, so he could nurse the errant engine and still get back in time for breakfast in the Mess.
This would have been fine except for one factor which had not been considered by Reiner and his crew. Indeed they could have no idea that at this very moment Nigel Bouncer- Smythe and his gunner Chalky White were sitting in the eye of the rising Sun observing the smoking Friedrichshaffen about 500 feet above them.
22577
For once the tables were turned. In the dawn, the German was in the situation that the R.F.C. so often found itself, heading into the early morning Sun with hostile aircraft using it as cover.
Had Nigel not been returning from a night raid himself the situation could not have occurred, but thus does the whimsy of the fates affect all our destinies.
22578
Unseen by Reiner, Nigel climbed and put in a burst just as the lumbering G III made a course correction. This gave White an excellent shot with his twin Lewis guns at close range along the underside of the bomber which could not return fire due to the difficult angle and its blind spot.
22584
Nigel pulled off an Immelmann , and was only thwarted due to his gun jamming at the moment of decision. Nevertheless, his superior speed allowed White to get in another burst with the rear guns, and a side slip took him to the port side of the GIII where the third machine gun could not play on him.
22583
Nevertheless, the rear gunner did at last get off a shot which did little damage to the Biff. Nigel was now in a tailing situation, and whichever way the bomber dived or turned in order to shake him off, Nigel stuck to it like glue. He seemed to know every move that Reiner had in mind before he did himself.
22581
With the Freidrichaffen now on fire as well as badly damaged, there was only one end possible.
22579
When the second engine was hit, the stricken aircraft started to descend, quite gracefully for such a large aircraft.
22582
It would have been a near perfect landing if it had not been for those confounded moles.
22580
Reiner stood in the field and reflected on his day in the light of the burning GIII.
22585
He would be late for his Bratwurst after all. Above him the receding sound of the Biff’s engines indicated that Nigel and Chalky would not.
22576
Nigel contemplates his victory, whilst below Reiner, wearing a shirt once owned by Flying Officer Kyte and found by his crashed plane(See KoTA report), reviews what was the damage to those engines, and why his gunners could not inflict ant damage on the Britisher. The cards were the total for Nigel at the end of the sortie.
Rob.
22574
22573
It all started to go wrong for Reiner as his G III crossed the lines in the early dawn on his way back from bombing the Englander’s back area. The three Friedrichshaffen had found the rail yards without much trouble, and after dropping the bombs were making for home, when just over the lines, he was caught by an Archie battery supporting a balloon which was just going up for an early look over no man’s land.
The flack seemed to miss the plane, but an ominous cloud of black smoke issuing from the starboard engine and a sudden vibrating in the frame of the aircraft told him otherwise.
22575
Reiner immediately shut off the petrol feed to the engine and the vibration stopped. However, he started to fall behind his comrades and by the time he crossed the German lines he was alone.
Still he was now in home territory and only 20 minutes from his drome, so he could nurse the errant engine and still get back in time for breakfast in the Mess.
This would have been fine except for one factor which had not been considered by Reiner and his crew. Indeed they could have no idea that at this very moment Nigel Bouncer- Smythe and his gunner Chalky White were sitting in the eye of the rising Sun observing the smoking Friedrichshaffen about 500 feet above them.
22577
For once the tables were turned. In the dawn, the German was in the situation that the R.F.C. so often found itself, heading into the early morning Sun with hostile aircraft using it as cover.
Had Nigel not been returning from a night raid himself the situation could not have occurred, but thus does the whimsy of the fates affect all our destinies.
22578
Unseen by Reiner, Nigel climbed and put in a burst just as the lumbering G III made a course correction. This gave White an excellent shot with his twin Lewis guns at close range along the underside of the bomber which could not return fire due to the difficult angle and its blind spot.
22584
Nigel pulled off an Immelmann , and was only thwarted due to his gun jamming at the moment of decision. Nevertheless, his superior speed allowed White to get in another burst with the rear guns, and a side slip took him to the port side of the GIII where the third machine gun could not play on him.
22583
Nevertheless, the rear gunner did at last get off a shot which did little damage to the Biff. Nigel was now in a tailing situation, and whichever way the bomber dived or turned in order to shake him off, Nigel stuck to it like glue. He seemed to know every move that Reiner had in mind before he did himself.
22581
With the Freidrichaffen now on fire as well as badly damaged, there was only one end possible.
22579
When the second engine was hit, the stricken aircraft started to descend, quite gracefully for such a large aircraft.
22582
It would have been a near perfect landing if it had not been for those confounded moles.
22580
Reiner stood in the field and reflected on his day in the light of the burning GIII.
22585
He would be late for his Bratwurst after all. Above him the receding sound of the Biff’s engines indicated that Nigel and Chalky would not.
22576
Nigel contemplates his victory, whilst below Reiner, wearing a shirt once owned by Flying Officer Kyte and found by his crashed plane(See KoTA report), reviews what was the damage to those engines, and why his gunners could not inflict ant damage on the Britisher. The cards were the total for Nigel at the end of the sortie.
Rob.