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Lt. S.Kafloc

Chapter 4: Biggles and the Harry Tate

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"Ah Algy. Last mission today then a day off. Fancy a run into town or croquet?".
"Croquet Biggles, croquet. You hate the game, so I guess it’s a run into town. Think Mac will lend us his Harry Tate?"
"Dunno, but I'll ask before we leave, fancy a G&T or a nice cuppa?"
"Oh a nice cuppa me thinks, it’s getting chilly early today"
"Cpl Jones be a good chap and bring a fresh pot out will you, and some of the Adjutants nice fruit cake. If there's any left?"

With that Biggles went back to reading the paper and Algy settled down with a book. They had 2 hours before take-off. The third member of Biggles' flight, Lt Harcourt was deep in thought pondering his next move in a game of chess that had been going since just after their return from dawn patrol. His opponent, Lt Watkins had a rue smile on his lips knowing that the game was in the bag in 4 moves.

"And you two in the corner keep that racket down will you, can hardly hear myself think", Biggles said from behind his paper. As Watkins and Harcourt were the only other two members in the mess, apart from Biggles and Algy, they just looked at each other, hunched their shoulders and went back to the game. Algy just smiled.
The short break was soon over and all 3 members of A flight headed for the hangars. Biggles would fly a spare as his own aircraft was still being repaired after the Dawn Patrol that morning. Telling Algy and Harcourt to carry on without him, Biggles made his way over to Mac who had just appeared from the direction of the gunnery range.
“Problems?” asked Biggles raising his eyebrows. “Just getting in some pistol practice, never know when it will come in handy”. Mac replied quizzically. “Ok, what are you after”, he knew Biggles too well. “Well it’s, like this Mac”. He got no further. “No way are you borrowing the Harry Tate. I spent most of last week cleaning it after your last jaunt with Algy. No. Definitely, no.” With that Mac turned to walk away. This was the game they always played and Biggles always got his way in the end. “3 days”. He hung the offer in mid-air knowing Mac could not resist. “4!” Mac replied. “3, and not a day more, you know it’s worth it for a few hours with the Harry Tate”. “Damn you Biggles, ok 3 hours but you clean it if it comes back dirty? He added hurriedly before Biggles could change his mind. “Done.” Mac knew then that he had. Biggles walked over to Algy whistling a little tune he’d picked up from a new recording one of the mess members had just received. ‘A Bachelor Gay am I’ sung by Peter Dawson that was all the rage in London.
“Did he go for it then Biggles?” “Of course he did, jumped at the chance, now let’s get this show on the road, get back, have supper, a bottle of wine and then its’ off on the open road. Just You, me and good old, Harry Tate.”
The planes had been swung out onto the landing strip and They were awaiting the very signal to take off. Pop, the red flare burst over the field and they started to take off, Biggles leading with Algy on his right and Harcourt to his left. The disaster. Biggles engine just cut out and he rolled to the end of the field as Algy and Harcourt roared into the air. Algy banked around but Biggles just waved him on and signalled he would catch up. Little did Biggles know just how fortuitous this set back would be.
Algy was thinking Biggles would never show up but secretly He was happy for a bit of independent command. Something had caught his eye, yes there it was moving away but lower a nice fat Roland 2-seater. Algy looked back waggled his wings and pointed towards the Roland. Lt Harcourt gave the thumbs up and prepared to follow Algy down. Perhaps if Algy had been a little more alert he would have checked the sky in all directions before committing them both to the attack. If he had he would have seen the two Albatross scouts waiting to pounce on anyone foolish enough to attack the decoy.
Diving down on the 2–seater Algy could not believe his luck the rear gunner was pre-occupied, or so he thought, as he hadn’t spotted them, yet. Harcourt had swung wide to the right and engaged from long range as Algy gave a burst from close in. No sooner had Algy fired than the rear gunner sprang into action, a little too quickly for his liking, and let off a burst in return. Algy looked at his twin Vickers in horror as after a few round they fell silent, a jam. Both pilots were stunned as tracer fire whipped past Algy and struck Harcourt’s camel. Luckily as Harcourt banked into a turn it put off the unknown attackers aim.
Harcourt pulled to the left and dived under Algy putting off his aim but not the rear gunner as he blasted a close range burst into Harcourt. Algy was pleased to see the rear gunner hitting the machine gun as the 2 quick bursts had jammed his gun. Algy still could not see who was attacking from the rear.
Algy had no time to try and clear the jammed gun as Harcourt’s camel suddenly rose up from under him and both camels collided. Algy found it hard to move any of his control surfaces and struggled to work them free. Damn Harcourt he thought and where was Biggles. They were in a fix and Algy wished he were here.
Behind the struggling pair of allied pilots Leutnants Siegfried Wild and Waldemar Wetzel, both flying the older Albatross DIII, completed their individual manoeuvres and readied themselves to attack again. Wetzel had immelmanned and Wild flew on to get into a better position.
Biggles, airborne at last, could see for miles on the clear evening. He was just about to give up when flashes of tracer fire caught his eye. He could just make out two Hun Albatross scouts and two camels. That must be Algy and Harcourt he said to himself. Biggles decided to take on the two Huns and take some of the strain off Algy and Harcourt.
Hauptman Friedrich von Stahlberg could not believe his luck. Hunting on his own he had seen the combat building up between the three German aircraft and the two camels. Now he spied a third camel moving in and by the pilots actions he had not seen him. Stahlberg put the nose of the new Albatross DVa down and thundered into an attacking dive.
Biggles chose the closest Albatross and closed in head to head with the German. Both held their fire until at close range. Biggles could see bits flying off the Germans tail fin and left upper wing surface. The Germans bullets hit the upper wing of Biggles camel but no severe structural damage was caused.
Algy and Harcourt had managed to extricate themselves from a potentially fatal encounter and both turned towards the Roland 2-seater. Harcourt delaying his following turn to let Algy take the lead.
Biggles turn had taken him across the nose of Wetzer’s guns but all Biggles could hear was the clicking of the guns. Good his guns were jammed, he thought and he must be a novice otherwise he wouldn’t have turned into a dogfight but away to clear his guns as he was in no danger. Biggles smiled, suddenly the odds has just got better.
Biggles concentrating on the Albatross above him turned right sharp and to his horror right into the path of the 2-seater. Biggles and the Hun pilot fired simultaneously but Biggles thought he had got the better of the exchange until he felt his controls tighten up.
Algy, seeing Biggles was in trouble and spotting the diving Albatross to his rear, turned sharply to close the range and help his friend.
Harcourt had turned as well and now fired a long range burst into the Roland.
Algy fired a long range burst at the yellow Albatross but his banking turn put his deflection aim off. Biggles, having spotted the diving Albatross had also spun his camel to the right in the hope of gaining some advantage before it was too late.
Algy spotted the yellow Albatross moving in from his left and fired a quick burst into it as the red Albatross fired a long sustained burst into him.
Harcourt traded shots with the Roland and felt a stinging blow as a bullet split the skin just above his left ear. Blood started to pour down his face.
(Will Algy get round in time to help Biggles? Will Harcourt be able to aim straight with a head wound? Can Biggles save the day? Same time, same place for the next instalment of 266 Squadron)
Algy was in dire straights, his camel had sustained serious damage and now smoke was pouring from the engine cowling. Algy hoped it was not the start of a fire and only some oil burning off. Forgetting his troubles Algy concentrated on following the yellow Albatross round whilst the red Albatross thundered by beneath.
Harcourt had maintained contact with the Roland and let it have a long burst from close in. The rear gunner had just got his sights on Harcourts banking camel when he watched the line of tracer stitch its way across the wood fuselage towards him. His aim off his long return burst went wide and to make matters worse his gun jammed at a most critical time. Biggles side-slipping into Harcourt’s rear left let fly a long range burst to help his young wingman out.
Young Harcourt let out a whoop of delight as his first kill plummeted earthward. Punching the air he soon regretted his action as his tunic sleeve caught his wound and it re-opened.
Algy was caught in a cross fire from the red Albatross and the black DVa.
Algy turned to quickly and collided with the yellow Albatross which had turned and slowed right in front of him. Both pilots reacted quickly and only minor damage was sustained by both. However Algy’s turn had put him broadside onto the closing red Albatross and Algy could only watch as the stream of tracer, which should have been his end, missed then suddenly stopped. Algy hoped the red Albatross pilot had jammed his guns.
Harcourt failed to notice his turn would take him into the path of the black Dva. Both pilots fired instinctively and Harcourt was not surprised when flames started licking out of his engine cowling. He had felt bullets hitting his engine. Biggles was banking right and didn’t see Harcourt’s predicament. Algy could only watch as a bystander as the collision had stopped him from firing.
Biggles now banking left, let rip into the red Albatross. Although most of his bullets missed he saw one had hit the target as the enemy pilot threw back his arms temporarily losing control of his plane. Biggles was surprised there was no answering fire.
Harcourt threw his camel all over the sky. Turning this way and that to stop the flames spreading and trying to put them out. He saw Algy in front of him and turned to follow his lead as bullets, from the red Albatross, again thudded into his stricken camel.
Biggles was out in front turning right. Algy with Harcourt in tow struggled to follow. The aerial combat had now turned into a turning fight. Biggles and Stalhberg went head to head. Stalhberg fired but his tracer runds showed his bullets falling in front of Biggles.
The yellow and red Albatross now concentrated on Harcourt’s flaming camel and gave chase.
Harcourt was now struggling to keep the camel in the air. The fire had grown and flames were now licking along the entire left side of the camel and just missing the cockpit. Harcourt had to land before his plane fell out of the sky. He was behind German lines but anything was preferable to a slow agonising death by fire.
Harcourt’s camel went into a wild uncontrollable spin and he knew his time was up. He had lost control and was slowly slipping into unconsciousness. At least he wouldn’t fell it as he pushed the stick full forward.
Wild and Wetzel gave each other a clenched fist salute. The camel was done for.
None of this had been seen by Biggles or Algy. Algy was trying to close on Biggles and give him support. Biggles and Stahlberg came close to a collision but both pilots managed to miss each other by a fraction. Algy alerted by the plume of smoke broke off and turned right as, more from desperation than aimed fire, Stahlberg turned towards him and let a wild burst off.
Biggles had turned enough to give Stahlberg a deadly close range burst from his twin Vickers. Huge chunks of fuselage had been blasted away and Biggles knew he had his man.
Always on the black DVa’s left von Stalhberg knew he could not out turn the camel so he placed his salvation in the Albatross’s superior speed. Biggles sensing the move gave the Albatross a final long deadly burst at short range.
The black Albatross tumbled round and round as it spun towards the ground.
With the loss of their Commanding Officer both German pilots headed for home. Biggles signalled to Algy not to follow but to follow him as he began a slow descent towards the unmistakable outline of a camel crashed into a field. Algy circled as Biggles landed. He could see a body thrown clear of the wreck and would not let young Harcourt’s body remain in enemy territory. Biggles always brought his boys home. Biggles managed to land nearby the remains of the, now, burned out camel and ran over to Harcourt’s prone body. Biggles turned him over and was taken aback as Harcourt, far from dead, gave an unconscious grunt. Biggles quickly gathered the young pilot in his arms and carried him over to his camel. It was a struggle but he managed to wedge him into the cockpit space. Luckily Harcourt was slightly built any bigger and Biggles would have had to leave him. Quickly spinning the camel around Biggles roared into the air and climbed upwards to join Algy and the short hop back home. Algy was surprised to learn that young Harcourt was indeed alive if somewhat battered and bruised with a very ugly scar along the left side of his skull just above his ear.

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Updated 07-16-2014 at 10:34 by Lt. S.Kafloc

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