Ending with a Bang 27th March 1916.
We were being returned to Blighty, all C flight had been given leave, we were to transfer back home, there would be 2 weeks leave for every man jack of us and then we had the cushy number of training the next generation of poor boobs who would go out to France and face the Hun.
Of course this would not last forever and we would get transferred back to the war but we might get a few months reprieve and any reprieve was worth having.
Before that, there was one last mission that was demanded of us, a photographic one, the bloody moles underground had blown 6 of the largest mines on the western front and of course the Brass wanted some poor dumplings to go and photograph their efforts.
What was wrong with pictures of Skegness or Brighton Beach, but no, they wanted pictures of mud and dead bodies so the word came down that C Flight would have to go and do it.
Biff called us all together and for once he was quite apologetic about it, “look I know that no one wants to fly the last mission before returning home, it’s always the one that we don’t make it, well that’s being a bit pessimistic but you know what I mean” There were a lot of nods around the table in agreement. “Well I don’t want to command anyone to go, I’d much rather someone volunteered” It all went quiet, no one wanted to volunteer but we all looked around hoping someone would, but just then the door of the hut flew open and a dark shape wearing a top hat appeared in the entrance.
I looked over and jumped with surprise and delight, “bloody hell it’s Jack Cowan, what the hell are you doing here” I yelled, jumping to my feet and rushing over to embrace the big man. He just looked a bit embarrassed and sort of returned my embrace but in a reserved, manly sort of way.
“Well” he said, “I’ve completed my pilot training and for some unknown reason been posted back here”. “That’s absolutely fantastic” I yelled, “I’m so pleased to see you”. As he looked around the hut I saw my current Gunner and Observer Joe Ryan looking rather strangely at my previous gunner and observer Jack Cowan.
You probably don’t remember but Jack Cowan became a bit of a local hero when he borrowed a plane and went and dropped bombs on an enemy airfield. The fact that the field was a decoy and Jack wasn’t a pilot in the RFC at the time was a bit of a long story. He was commended by the CO of the Durham Light Infantry Regiment when he crashed in no man’s land and with the aid of the Lewis gun on his plane was able to help the D.L.I. gain a few yards of enemy territory, our C.O. wasn’t pleased about the incident, but Uncle in his infinite wisdom had recommended Jack be retrained as an RFC pilot and now he was back and I was overjoyed.
“I’ve been posted to C Flight by the C.O”. he said, “I’m not sure he’s as pleased to see me as you are” he whispered quietly. “Bugger that” I said, “he’s never forgiven me for the aspidistra so we just have to live with it”, that comment brought a smile to Jacks face.
“Well that’s all well and good” interjected Biff “but we still have to fly this sortie and fly it now”. Jacks face lit up, “well I’m ready” he said, “where are we going”? Just then a smaller figure entered to hut, well he would have if he had been able to push Jack out of the way so he hovered in the doorway. “I’m Robert Parkhurst” he said in a rather high pitched voice, “just posted here and ready for some action, point me in the right direction and say the word”.
We weren’t used to this sort of enthusiasm and everyone turned and stared at Robert or Bob as he became known, he just glowed red with embarrassment, before stammering “Well chaps let me at them, don’t you know, I say old things”
“Well I shall lead the flight” said Biff and before he could continue Jack said he would be pleased to go if Biff was OK with that. That left me in a pretty pickle I don’t mind saying. I didn’t want to go but if my old crew mate was going I had to put my hand up and volunteer, looking apologetically at Joe Ryan because I knew it meant he had to go too I raised my hand and said “I’m in”. Bob Parker in his strange high pitched voice said “count me in as well”, then Podgy Pogson rumbled, “count me in too, I’ve a score to settle after that last fracas” and that was six of us, although Joe Ryan hadn’t said a word.
“Twenty minutes and meet me down by the sheds” was all that Biff said and as we turned to go he called out “Lt Vagabond a minute if you please”. Oh dear what now.
“I want you to fly with the new man – Bob Parker” he said. “What about Joe I responded”. “He will fly with Jack Cowan. I don’t want any conflicts or past histories to interfere with the operation of C Flight and so I think it’s a good idea for the two of them to get to know each other, and there’s no better way than in a small plane under fire”. “You are coming on as a pilot” he continued, “still a long way to go I know but I think taking Bob on his first flight will be good for both of you”. Humm I wasn’t so sure about that and what did he mean about a long way to go. I had 2 kills on the chalk board and was pretty pleased with myself. I know that the last was because I collided with a German plane that I hadn’t seen, but he went down and I didn’t, that must have been because of my good flying – surely it must have been???
A short while later we were off to the front and in the distance I could see 6 huge craters right along the front lines. I was flying the plane that I was used to, the one I regarded as mine, V for Vagabond a rather battered FE2b, still not painted in the new green livery that most of the new planes were being supplied in, but I liked the CDL look even if it did mean I might be more visible to the enemy.
Jack Cowan and Joe were in the FE2b Z for Zebra another old and even more battered plane than mine. Biff with his new gunner and Observer Podgy Pogeson had the luck of the devil and had commandeered a brand new Sopwith, this was a spiffing kite and the first British plane able to fire forward through it’s propeller, in addition the Observer had a Lewis gun in the rear seat, we thought it was a most formidable plane, able to take on the new Albatros CIII’s on their terms. This was one of the advantages of being seconded to the RNAS, they seemed to have a much better procurement system than the RFC.
No sooner had I seen the craters than I saw the dreaded black specks in the sky coming from out of the sun and obviously the enemy. As we drew a bit closer I realized I didn’t recognise the planes, the top wing seemed low, much closer to the fuselage than any of the other planes I was familiar with. There had been rumours of a new Roland 2 seat plane that was being used both as an observation platform but was also able to mix it with the scouts as well. That didn’t sound good especially if there were 3 of them.
Mind you we had an ace up our sleeves on the FEE’s in the form of an extra Lewis gun mounted on a pole between the pilot and observer, it was still unclear who this was for, we pilots had enough on our plates flying without standing up to fire a gun forwards and the Observers had no inclination to stand on their seats to fire the thing over the rear of the FEE and they certainly didn’t want some boob of a pilot firing the thing within inches of their heads either.
As we closed Biff fired the first shots of the encounter straight into the lead blue plane, I couldn’t see that he’d done much damage but sometimes you never knew what had happened until the enemy plane just fell apart. This time it didn’t fall apart but neither did it return fire, so it looked like some of the rumours were wrong, they weren’t too heavily armed. We continued to fly straight at each other.
That’s when all hell broke loose, Bob fired into the blue plane who just soaked it up but the purple cameo plane fired forwards and I took a bullet in the arm, fortunately I suppose, it was my left arm and whilst it hurt like hell I was still functioning although there are one or two of the flight wonder if I’m ever fully functioning. I barely had time to register that at least one of the enemy had a forward firing machine gun than I was trying to thread my way through them without crashing into anyone, but I did see the brown Cameo plane burst into flames from Biffs second burst of fire.
Biff Imelled as soon as he was past the flaming brown cameo plane and came out of the turn continuing to fire at it, Bob also put some shots into it and I’m pretty sure Joe was knocking lumps off the same plane as well. I was yelling as loud as I could at Bob to stop firing or he would hit our own planes but he took no notice.
The Purple chappie seemed to be too close to be able to fire on me which was a relief but the blue one fired into Biff and his plane started to smoke like Billy ho, no flames that I could see yet.
All this lead was too much for it and the Brown Cameo plane just fell apart. I did say this could happen.
Kill to Biff, he was the nearest plane.
The dog fight started to break up into individual fights, with planes all over the sky. The two remaining enemy planes were turning to port and fell foul of Biff who seemed to be in a mad dog mood or maybe he was just glorying in having a forward firing machine gun of his own.
Biff almost collided with the purple cameo plane but was firing into the blue one with little effect when his gun jammed.
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Once they were past though Podgy was able to shoot back at it but did very little damage and Joe firing forwards from the FEE also did no damage but his gun jammed as well.
Over to the left the Blue plane has taken a long shot at Biff and missed.
Jack Cowan despite being a rookie pilot was keeping the hun in range for Joe once Joe had cleared the jam.
The funny thing was, that as Joe’s gun jammed, Jack tapped him on the shoulder and held out a wooden mallet, Joe gave him the thumbs up and showed him his own wooden mallet before going to work on the Lewis with it.
Biff’s Sopwith is still smoking while Bob exchanges gunfire with the Blue plane but nether of us do any damage.
Joe finally un-jams the Lewis and as Jack Cowan is still on the tail of the purple cameo plane he starts to shoot, causing more damage to the planes tail, pretty soon it won’t be able to turn to port at all.
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My Observer Bob is making a good showing for his first outing and I’m beginning to feel a bit better about having a novice gunner with me. It looks like he’s hit the engine of the Blue plane because it visibly slows and even though I can feel my FEE shudder with the return fire, I think we might come out of this last mission alive and get to go home to Blighty for our well earned leave.
Joe is still firing into the purple plane when yet again his gun jams, he holds up the mallet which is in splinters and grimaces, Jack hands him his undamaged one and Joe goes to work on the Lewis once more. I think that sealed things between them and they became firm friends after this mallet sharing incident.
If these are the new Roland’s they are dangerous adversaries, shot up as it is and headed for home with a damaged engine, the gunner still manages to shoot lumps off my poor old plane and we can’t return fire. Well I suppose if Bob had stood on the cockpit coaming he could have brought the Lewis on the pole to bear but I shouted at him not to be so daft when he made some attempt at it and with a look of relief he sat back down.
Joe told me later that as he was hammering away at the jammed Lewis gun he was startled out of his wits by another Lewis gun firing within 2 feet of his head. He ducked down into the cockpit fearing for his life, when he finally looked up he could see his pilot Jack Cowan with a huge grin on his face standing up and firing the Lewis gun on the pole between them. Not only that but when Joe turned to look, Jack was hitting the Hun and he could see the tail rudder disappear in a shower of splinters (once a gunner always a gunner). The problem was that even though the Hun couldn’t turn to fight it was travelling just ever so slightly faster than the older FEE and it was going to get away unless they could hit something vital.
This is the last shot that Joe and Jack get in on the enemy plane and it’s not enough. Next turn it’s out of range and flies off the board.
In the mean time the Blue plane with the damaged engine has left the scene and we are on our own. Biff signal’s to me and having driven off the enemy we have to get back to the mission in hand, photographing the craters. Biff has the main camera and I have the backup.
I drop down and Bob takes our first photo, we take no damage from ground fire which is a bit of a relief.
But we don’t clear the crater and are still vulnerable to ground fire which hits us causing some damage. My poor old plane is not responding to the controls as well as I would like and there are ribbons of canvas flapping in the slipstream. I’m getting pretty unhappy about this whole thing right now, I’m sure the plane will take a bit more of a beating but not much that’s for certain.
Biff drops lower and Podgy takes a photo but I learned later the ground fire was ferocious, Pogeson got hit, Biff could see a lot of blood and fired his red very flare signalling wash out. I thanked my aging granny and turned for home, climbing up out of range of the ants on the ground. Vicious biting ants at that.
I used a version of AA fire rules for the AAMG’s firing at planes. So altitude 1 = range 1 ruler, altitude 2 = range ½ ruler, altitude 3 = range directly up from the crater. For the AAMG I counted damage and special damage as drawn, I also used small arms rifle fire only counting special damage. On my counters the special damage is on the back of the cards which is why some of them show a ‘b’ ie B deck. I’ve just thought that it might have been A deck for ground Mg’s I can’t remember. I also used Dave’s idea of having to be directly over the crater to photograph it.
I noticed in a couple of photos planes don’t appear to have fired all the guns available to them, I counted 1 missed opportunity for each side, but there might have been more, the crew just need to wake their idea’s up a bit.
Well Mike that was a hum dinger of a game, fairly short but intense, with five 2 seater’s having 2 guns each and the lead Roland only 1 gun although I didn’t realize that until the first turn of combat. I read into your scenario that you were looking for a 2 seat fight, drive the enemy off and photograph the craters and I chose to do it in that order, which gave me a cracking game.
All aircraft will attempt to remain in the area until all six photos have been taken for their side. You may, of course, use your discretion around the meaning of “attempt to remain”.
I believe Vagabond could have taken the 3rd photo to get the win, the Fee had 10 points of damage and I think would need 1 more to have to head home, but with Podgy hit with a 3 that was the end of Biff’s mission, he would have to head for home and get his gunner to the hospital. He would have to abort the mission and he would not have left me behind, he’s not that sort of leader.
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