OTT DYM Mission 5 - Adler Tag-Team - 5th February 1916 - teaticket
“Are you sure”? Captain Jerome sternly asked Lt. St. Martin straight to his face. Captain Jerome had no confidence in the newest pilots in the escadrille and never hesitated to make it clear.
“Oui Captain. S/Lt Guerin flew today with conviction. He kept his head throughout the fight. Once he got on the tail of the Hun he never let up until the enemy was downed.” Lt. St. Martin, arm in a sling from a bullet and his rough landing, tried to give credit to Monsieur Guerin’s improving flying skills.
“His plane was badly shot up when he returned. Not the sign of a good pilot,” Captain Jerome added immediately after Remy’s comment.
“If you recall the returns Sir, none of us returned in good shape. The Hun Jasta facing us has more experience and skill than we. Even though we surprised them they still beat us all up badly. S/Lt Parris, one of our experienced pilots, is still missing after being shot down”.
Remy always felt on the defensive when talking with Captain Jerome. He acknowledged Captain Jerome has to deal with Oncle but there seems to be no sympathy shown for his own escadrille.
“If this is the case then you need to get the escadrille in the air more to gain experience. Ad an extra patrol, daily over the lines for each able pilot”, he said coldly.
“I will review the returns again. I’ll take your words under consideration when I write my report”.
Stone faced, Captain Jerome turned and briskly walked out of the mess.
Remy fumed inside. The Captain did not fly. He was given his command by connection, not merit.
Earlier that morning S/Lt Remy St. Martin gave the morning briefing before assigning out orders.
Remy put on his best ‘confidant’ face. He knew the German pilots were still better overall compared to les Bouledogues.
“Today we will lay a trap for our dear Hun friends. A pair of eindeckers have been flying along the lines like clockwork for the last week. We will send out a four scout sweep, timing it so that we hit them near the end of their route. They will be low on fuel so we should have an advantage. They will have to turn for home during the fight so we should have the upper hand. S/Lt Parris, you will fly with Sgt. Guerin. S/Lt Joubert, you will accompany me.”
“Parris, you will jump the Hun from their flank while we will cut off their path. Once they have to head home, they should be easy pickings. Here are our flight plans”, Remy pointed out on the map exactly where they would make their approach to the front and explained the timing.
“15 minutes to lift off boys. Lets put on a good show today”. Remy dismissed his flight and continued to give the rest of the escadrille it’s mission for the morning.
Gaston Parris slapped Henri Guerin on the back, “Looks like I am stuck with you today, eh?” He laughed and pushed Henri towards the door. Marcel Joubert followed the two out the door and headed to the hangar.
Once in the air the tension instantly fell off. Henri felt a little better about himself as he was now trusted to fly without being directly under Remy’s eye. Gaston treated the new pilots with respect but also looking down his nose a bit. He kept his conversations light, trying to keep the new boys at ease. Even though Gaston was not a great pilot, he had experience in battle to make him dangerous. Henri liked Gaston. He felt like an older brother.
Once the four scouts were in the air they formed up and headed north-east towards the front. At the planned way point they split into two flights of two. Remy and Marcel to the south, Gaston and Henri the north.
(I assign a colored die to each plane. When it is time to shoot they are rolled to determine the sequence of firing. Who gets a kill is clear when doing it this way.)
Sure enough, just as planned, the two eindeckers were spotted flying down the lines. Gaston gave Henri the thumbs up, then pointed at their intended prey. A nod of the head and Gaston headed in.
Right on time, Remy and Marcel reached the lines just to the south of Gaston and Henri.
Was the trap sprung too soon? Somehow the vigilant Huns spotted the incoming French scouts and turned to meet them. Gaston turned too fast to close on the lead Hun and missed but Henri and the Hun exchanged some accurate rounds into each other’s aircraft.
The momentum brought Gaston right into the green eindecker of Paul Wolff. The planes were violently rocked by the collision but both somehow both managed to fly on.
Seeing what unfolded, Remy was aghast that the Hun had avoided the trap. He was also enraged that two more Huns were approaching the lines right in front of him. He signaled to Marcel that they would deal with the newcomers.
Closing fast, each side tried to get in the first shot. Bullets flew past with a few finding their targets.
As Paul Wolff bounced off of Gaston, his eindecker struggled to stay aloft. Paul immediately knew he had to leave the fight. (9 points of damage)
Gaston fought to keep his Bebe under control after the crash. It took all of his concentration and strength to keep the Nieuport’s nose up. In doing so he flew right in front of the second eindecker. Eric Turck couldn’t believe his eyes. He pulled the trigger.
Moments after watching Gaston’s N11 engulfed in a fireball, Henri puts a stream of bullets into a white Pfalz’s engine.
Paul Wolff takes a parting shot but comes up empty. He then begins heading east.
Henri pulls right next to the white Pfalz and inflicts more damage. When his gun stops, he curses the jam not knowing yet he is just emptied his Lewis’ drum. (this shot should be a +1 but it does not matter)
Three French and four German planes circle each other looking for an opportunity to strike. While doing so Marcel and Remy get a little too close to each other.
The engine of the white Pfalz of Peter Schmeiss stops dead in the middle of it’s Immalmann. Schmeiss is relieved that he still passes a few feet above Henri.
Eric Turck looks in horror as Henri closes in but to his surprise the Frenchman does not shoot!
Henri just realizes his gun is not jammed and begins to reload a new drum.
Peter Schmeiss gets his engine started again. Even though it is sputtering out blue smoke, it keeps running.
Henri reverses behind the Pfalz but still has not finished loading so misses a great opportunity.
The helpless Henri can only watch as Schmeiss blasts away at Marcel, setting his N11 on fire!
Marcel returns the shot and does some damage. He notices immediately that his mount is on fire and takes action to fan the flames. The fire does minimal damage so far.
Remy sets his sights on a canvas colored eindecker and makes it count.
As the eindecker flies straight on by Remy gets to arms length and hammers it again. (this shot is at +1s, enough to down the Hun)
It cannot take the strain and noses down. It begins to spin faster and faster until it splatters into the ground. ( I took this photo thinking Marcel had a shot but Remy had already shot it down so the boom didn’t happen and was immediately shuffled back into the deck)
Henri, keeping on the tail of the Pfalz while reloading doesn’t notice being shot at by Otto Reittinger.
Reittinger turns off of Henri and heads after Remy as Marcel’s burning N11 flies by.
Schmeiss spots Wolff when he clears a cloud. He waves vigorously and waggles his wings but cannot get Wolff’s attention. Schmeiss would like some help getting the French plane off his tail.
“Strange”, he thought that the Frenchman still wasn’t firing at him.
Henri finally gets the drum in place and opens fire on the sputtering Pfalz.
Henri would not be denied and pours more lead into the Hun. The Pfalz can take no more and starts it’s burning death spiral.
Wolff does not see Schmeiss go down as he nurses his cripples eindecker away from the battle to home.
Marcel’s fire grows a bit to his consternation.
Reittinger gets Remy in his sights at long range but his bullets can’t find the Nieuport.
Remy hides behind a cloud so Reittinger turns his focus on Marcel.
Marcel does his best to extinguish the fire. It flares up and goes out with a big flash, taking out a huge portion of canvas.
Marcel is losing altitude and knows he must head for the barn. He turns behind Reittinger hoping to throw him off.
Reittinger reverses but is just out of range. Marcel feels the sweat beading on his brow knowing a determined Hun is on his tail.
Remy sees Marcel’s predicament and wants to position himself to intervene…will he get there in time?
Marcel instinctively ducks as a couple of tracers wizz past. (His N11 has 1 point left!)
Remy finally reaches the chase and distracts the Hun so Marcel can escape. He gets between Marcel and the Hun, fires off a shot to announce his presence, then makes the Hun veer away hopefully ensuring Marcel’s safety.
Henri meanwhile circles his first kill as Wolff makes his escape.
Unseen by Henri a new eindecker hunts him from behind a cloud.
When Henri notices it is too late. He turns into the enemy but cannot line up a shot as he is riddled himself.
Both pilots look each other in the eye as they pass each other. Henri feels the cold hard stare from the Hun and feels a shiver down his spine.
They both put a little distance between each other and then Immelmann.
Reittinger gives chase to Marcel thinking he could catch him. Quickly he realizes he is now behind enemy lines. Knowing the standing order not to cross the lines he reverses and finds Remy heading his way.
In they come, head to head. Remy feels his Bebe shudder while Reittinger doesn’t flinch.
Henri wants no part of a duel with this crafty Hun and breaks off and looks for any friendly plane to the west.
In the distance he spots Remy tangling with a Hun of his own.
Remy’s blood is up and he does not alter his course until the last possible moment. Again. Reittinger does not flinch!
Henri closes in fast and exchanges with Reittinger. The newcomer is still a ways off but heads towards the action.
Remy, Henri and Reittinger turn to get back in at each other.
Lothar Ochs gets closer as the others maneuver about.
Remy and Reittinger head at each other again. Remy knows this is not the way to fight but has no time to waste with another eindecker arriving momentarily.
Reittinger shows his cool nerves on another head on pass. A round finds Remy with a thud.
Henri finds himself again engaged with this brightly painted machine. Again the Hun out flies Henri and gets in an unanswered shot.
Remy grimaces in pain and his plane flies on it’s own in a slow circle. Luckily Reittinger loses him behind a cloud. But when Remy emerges from the shelter of the cloud Reittinger is there waiting.
Henri really wants to avoid dancing with this superior flying Hun. Round and round they go.
Henri again spots Remy and the grey eindecker. He turns to engage. Passing close to Remy does not distract Reittinger in the least and he and Henri shoot at each other.
Ochs is infuriated that the little Frenchman has again evaded him. At least he is not free to leave as Reittinger has engaged him.
Henri has had enough, and so had his Nieuport. He sees Remy heading west and follows suit. The two Germans behind both keep their eyes on him.
Too focused on the Frenchman the two eindeckers almost collide.
With the French crossing to the safety behind their own lines Reittinger signals Ochs it was time to return home.
Butcher’s Bill
Kaiser’s Eagles
Ltn. Eric Turck EXP NML 1 Kill
C 5 -3(exp) -1(nml) = 1 KIA
Ltn. Paul Wolff FRTB 0 Kills
Ltn. Peter Schmeiss FLM FT 0 Kills
C 8 -2(flm) = 6 injured, 4 = -2 Missions
Ltn. Otto Reittinger RTB 0 Kills
Ltn. Lothar Ochs RTB 0 Kills
Bouledogues de la République
Ltn Gaston Parris EXP NML 0 Kills
C 3 -3(exp) -1(nml) = -1 KIA
Ltn. Marcel Joubert FRTB 0 Kills
Ltn. Remy St. Martin FRTB WIA 1 Kill
C 5 -1(wia) +1(acrobatic) +1(rtb) = 6 injured, 3 = -2 Missions
(I used Remy’s acrobatic skill here as he did not use it in the battle)
Ltn. Henri Guerin FRTB 1 Kill
Score
Eagles
Enemy shot down, 1 = 3 points
Enemy forced from battle, 3 = 3 points
Total 6 points
Bouledogues
Enemy shot down, 2 = 6 points
Enemy forced from battle, 1 = 1 point
Total 7 points
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Originally Posted by Stumptonian
Et beacoup, naturellement 
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