March 12 1916
The morning had come and gone. The mid-day sun was bright and the sky clear even though there still was a chill in the March air. Everyone had returned from their morning patrols and were lounging about before the next set of patrols. Captain Jerome walked into the mess and announced everyone was to report to the briefing room in ten minutes.
Captain Jerome sat by the small table in the front corner, head down looking over the orders he had received fifteen minutes ago. He seemed oblivious to all the pilots as they filed in past him on their way to their seats. When all the Bouledogues had settled in and a silence filled the room, Captain Jerome looked up to see 10 pairs of eyes staring at him. He stood and slowly walked to the map on the center of the front wall. As his mouth opened everyone’s ears perked up. Jerome’s eyes wandered across his flock of pilots as he froze, nothing came out of his mouth. He looked down at the floor and cleared his throat. He raised his head, this time looking into Remy’s eyes. There was a sadness on his face and Remy thought he could see fear.
“Strange”, thought Remy. Captain Jerome usually is as hard as iron, almost cruel to the men when issuing the day’s orders.
With a shaky hand Jerome held out the papers towards Remy. Remy sensed something was not right and stood, taking the orders from the Captain. Jerome looked Remy in the eye and then down before slowly turning and leaving the room.
Remy hesitated for a moment but regained his composure and quickly read the order sheet. The note written on the back side caught his eye.
To Captain Jerome,
A French balloon at location FR423S had been directing artillery and really giving it to the Huns across the lines. They had sent planes over on several occasions to take it down but had failed. Now the Hun has floated their own balloon across from ours to direct counter battery to silence our guns. I want you to send your boys over and knock down that damned gasbag. Do this immediately or I’ll have to come over and do it myself.
4th Army HQ, General Jerome
Something in the back of Remy’s thoughts began to see through the confusion he has had lately about Captain Jerome’s behavior. Something to think about later….
Only three pilots were unassigned for the next hour so Remy called upon Omer Michaud and Marie Dubois to join him. Marie would be loaded with incendiary rounds while Omer would fly as his escort as they attacked the German balloon. They would approach from the south by our observation balloon while Remy would fly to the north of the balloon. If any Hun were about, he would engage otherwise he will join the duo and attack the Hun Sausage.
Marie flew to the left of Omer as they crossed the lines while Remy flew well to the north.
Across the lines heading towards them, Lothar Ochs flew his Fokker eindecker.
Paul Wolff carried incendiary rounds in his new camo colored Halberstadt for his mission with Hans Pfeiffer flying protection for him.
Wolff and Pfieffer came in from the north before turning towards the French balloon. Remy spots them and heads straight for the Hun closest to the observation platform. In doing so Pfeiffer gets a better angle and places some accurate fire into the Nieuport 11.
Marie and Omer both notice the Hun heading their way. They head towards the eindecker instead of going directly for the sausage.
As soon as they are in range Omer and the Hun exchange shots. The Hun bursts out in flames but Omer’s Bebe no longer looks like a graceful aero plane as it falls from the sky in a tangled mess of flapping canvas and broken wooden spars.
Ochs fears his Fokker is in dire trouble.
Remy curses himself for being so stupid. He turns to face the Hun that fired on him and closes in too fast to get off a shot.
The pair of Huns attack the balloon. Wolff see no effect on the balloon but does notice tracers flying up from the ground. As he closes in his gun jams before he can inflict any real damage.
Pfeiffer also tries to attack the balloon but his gun also jams!
The French ground crew quickly and mechanically begin to bring the balloon down. The observers had already jumped with their parachutes so there was no reason to leave it up.
The Poilu surprise Wolff with accurate fire. His stick wobbles in his hands.
Panicking with flames all around him, Ochs turns his plane violently not thinking at all about the second Frenchman in the air.
Marie sees him coming and slips his nimble Bebe past and lines up on the sausage. He pulls the trigger hard but his rounds seem to bounce off of the hardened rubber.
Ochs breathes a sigh of relief as the fire begins to sputter harmlessly. He hopes it has blown out.
Marie flies past the bulbous nose of the sausage, losing sight of the burning eindecker. The ground crew frantically begin to lower the balloon.
As Marie gets himself ready to turn towards his target the eindecker appears feet above the sausage and lets rip into the Nieuport. Marie turns hard and gets behind the flaming Hun with the sausage dead in his sights. He knows he has hit it but the gasbag seems unaffected.
Ochs eyes almost jump out of his head as the fire violently flares up before finally being blown out. The damage is too much. Ochs is surprised his Fokker is still flying. He knows any overstressing his bird will be his end so he decided to head for home.
By the time Remy can turn around both Germans are past the balloon and out of sight.
As soon as he clears his gun Pfeiffer Immelmanns but the nimble Frenchman is nowhere in sight.
Wolff puts a little distance between himself and the balloon so he can get a good run at it after he turns around.
Remy turned hard under the balloon hoping to surprise the white biplane but it had vanished.
Wolff takes aim and his incendiary hits home. Where the rounds hit there is a faint orange glow that quickly turns into a stream of fire running up the side of the balloon and on up into the sky above.
Wolff stalls, pumps more rounds into the balloon, but watching the flames he doesn’t notice their effect.
The impressive display of flames fool all as to the actual damage they are doing.
Marie turns off to reload not watching where the eindecker that is going.
Marie reverses with plenty of distance between him and the sausage to have time to properly line it up.
Coming in along the tail end Marie scores a good hit. A quick sparkling at the impact point turns into an orange finger. It grows into a flame that licks up the side of the sausage.
Marie closes in and pumps more rounds into the gasbag.
The French ground support opens up on Pfeiffer as soon as he clears the balloon. A lot of noise but nothing to show for it.
Their persistence finally pays off as the Halberstadt begins to trail smoke and flames.
As Wolff ducks below the nose of the balloon he takes the opportunity to strafe the AA machine gun position. His gun, seemingly knows it is loaded with incendiary for the balloon, protests at the shooting at the ground by jamming.
Marie pulls the trigger but the drum empties almost immediately.
The fires seem to be petering out.
The fires may not be that hot but the action around the French balloon heats up.
The ground fire nicks Wolff to his dismay.
Pfeiffer and Remy trade shots with Remy coming out the worst.
Wolff Immels and has a bit of difficulty clearing the jam with blood on his fingers.
To his relief this time the ground guns cannot find him.
Remy and the burning Pfeiffer have a close call with Remy adeptly turning to avoid contact with the smoke blinded Hun.
While Marie replaces his spent ammunition drum Ochs guides his wounded bird away from the fight.
Must be a change of wind as the fires flare up.
Remy turns to try to get onto Wolff’s tail as Pfeiffer turns to keep the flames away.
Remy finally gets the chance to shoot at Wolff. Pfeiffer surprises him though when he appears from behind the balloon aiming right at him. Pfeiffer is a little surprised too and does not get off a great shot but enough to distract Remy.
Remy has to turn away from Wolff as Pfeiffer cuts directly for him.
Marie returns on target and adds a few more holes to the sausage. Another empty drum to exchange.
The flames eat away at the balloons but give Pfeiffer a breather and fade out.
Remy finally gets a good look at Wolff and lets him have it.
Knowing Pfeiffer is hunting him Remy focuses his attention on him. Before he can reverse to face his foe the red Bebe shudders and falls from the sky. Remy struggles for all he’s worth trying to control his descent.
As Marie reloads his Lewis he comes under fire from a machine gun on the ground.
With Remy spiraling down, Pfeiffer decides to join in and attack the balloon. He pulls the trigger but is not sure if any of his bullets have hit.
The fires sputter along somehow, just enough to keep going.
Pfeiffer closes in and scores a several critical hits as two more fires start just before the balloon reaches the ground. The ground crew quickly douse the flames and salvage the Caquot.
Once the French balloon is grounded Wolff and Pfeiffer circle once and then head home.
Marie makes one last dive at the Hun gasbag as it nears the ground. He is distracted by ground fire and misses.
He swings wide to get in one last shot that ends up doing little. The Germans mock wave at the Frenchman when they knock down the flames and rescue the sausage.
Marie notices he is the only plane in the area aloft. Two Germans are seen heading east beyond where he wants to go alone. Marie looks one last time at the activity on the ground around the balloon. Several more machine guns are being set up so he thinks it best to head for the barn.
Butcher’s Bill
Kaiser’s Eagles
Ltn Lothar Ochs FRTB 1 Kill
Ltn Paul Wolff RTB WIA 0 Kills
C 7 -1(wia) +1(rtb) = 7 injured, 4 Miss 2 Missions
Ltn Hans Pfeiffer RTB 1 Kill
German Balloon damaged but survived
Bouledogues de la Rebublique
S/Lt Omer Michaud EXP NML 0 Kills
C 6 -3(exp) -1(nml) = 2 KIA
Lt Remy St. Martin SD FT 0 Kills
C 10 -1(sd) = 9 ok!
Sgt Marie Dubois RTB 0 Kills
French Balloon damaged but survived
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