Goodness but it’s cold up here, I wriggled around in my cockpit trying to get some feeling back into my toes. You wouldn’t believe it was mid summer but at this altitude even the fact that you’re closer to the sun counts for naught.
In spite of the cold I was in a reasonably chipper mood. After my ill fated return to France, leading and then losing 2 members of my flight, which culminated in the death of Liam O’Flynn, I’d gone through a really bad time, but as the MO said “You’re young and stupid, both will help you through”. Sure enough on this bright sunny morning I was whistling a happy tune, not that you could hear it above the sound of the Nieuport’s rotary engine, but that was probably a good thing, as my Nan used to say my whistling could break glass, frighten the Postman and stampede the cows.
We had returned to France ferrying some of the new Nieuport 11’s, for the RNAS. The plane was called the Bebe by the French and when we had lost a couple of them on the way over, the Navy got a bit antsy and we had been sent straight on down to our squadron, no one had said specifically that I shouldn’t take my plane with me. I know this will eventually catch up with me and go sour but she does have V on the top plane and so we have a connection, that must surly count for something with the powers that be. Besides all that, I think I’m in love with the wood and canvas beauty and some things are worth a bit of a risk to hold on to.
We had a fairly easy task today, I was escorting Pilot Jack Cowan (my ex Observer), and Joe Ryan (my ex Observer) now Jack’s Observer on a mission to photograph something. To be honest I couldn’t remember what, but it must be important, it always is. Anyway that was Jack’s problem, he and Joe had to take the photographs and I was just along for the ride.
Until I saw 2 Fokker EIII’s circling up ahead. OK well I suppose the joy ride stops here as they will expect me to keep the 2 enemy scouts off their backs as they do the easy job of taking a few pictures.
I flew straight at them, I know it’s not a good or even safe tactic but sometimes it scares the beejazes out of them and they run away. Not as often as I would like but sometimes you just take what you get.
The guy in the blue stripped Fokker wasn’t playing by my rules today and came straight at me, I could see my bullets striking his craft hard and then the first flicker of flame. Fire is not something any of us like causing but it does have the advantage of usually downing the enemy and that is the name of the game after all.
The next minute there’s an almighty explosion and his plane blows up in mid air. Looking over my left shoulder I see that Joe Ryan has also being making good target practice and I’m sure it’s his bullets that have caused the explosion. Well done Joe.
(I believe the nearest plane counts the kill and that’s me. Dave please correct me if I’m wrong here)
The Fokker hit’s the ground and there’s a mighty blaze down there. Secretly I hope he makes it out alive but that’s not something I’m going to tell the chaps back in the Mess.
Mind you I don’t have much time to reflect on that before his wingman is shooting at me, just as I’m shooting back.
We almost collide and I feel a stinging in my left leg and then my flying trousers start to turn red. I think I’ve mentioned before that my fighting trousers are brown, which is a useful colour when the s**t hits the fan but it’s also quite good at disguising blood as well. I hate the sight of blood, especially my own.
(On reflection looking at the previous photo I think his gun should be jammed but my notes don’t refer to it and it’s a bit late now so I’m going to let the wound stand, unless it kills me in which case I will rethink this.)
Jack is at altitude 3 and so above the mg fire from his target, but he needs to turn soon or he is going to miss flying over it.
The CDL Fokker flies past trailing a cloud of smoke from Joe Ryan’s accurate shooting.
Jack Cowan turns the sprightly FE2b to starboard and is going to set Joe up for a great set of photographs.
I Immelmann in good time to avoid the FE2b and Joe takes the photo.
(The 0 is from the AA battery in the centre of the board.)
Jack was always aggressive when he was my Observer and he over dives straight down to the floor and Joe who is no less aggressive shoots up the AA position before his Lewis jams.
I have the CDL Fokker in my sights and open up at long range. BOOM, I would like to think my shooting is improving but I know it’s just a lucky shot but the CDL plane explodes.
Jack is so low now that the 2nd target is able to fire ground MG’s at him and they cause some damage before falling silent.
(I think I might have made another mistake using close range fire against a target 1 altitude different)
Joe takes the 2nd picture and now they can head for home.
I’ve done another Immelmann and then dived down to finish off the AA battery but I miss the ground target.
We both inflict damage as we close. Well I close and he doesn’t move.
Passing over the AA battery I do another Immelmann and fire into their rear, causing yet more damage.
Then I follow Jack and Joe back to our lines and the aerodrome. On landing I’m immediately sent to see the MO and do not get to take part in the next stage of the operation. Thank heaven for small mercies.
Cowan insists that he and Joe take part in the destruction of the target that they have identified and photographed and so their plane is re-fuelled and made ready, there is a dearth of tandem crews available after our last mission for Teaticket at HQ and so there is not much choice for Uncle anyway.
The FE2b will be escorted by our Flight Commander Biff and Henry de Lacy who has returned from convalescence and is now fighting fit again. They immediately run into another 2 EIII’s and in the first pass Biff is hit and wounded but not too seriously.
It’s a close thing as Biff and a cameo EIII slide past each other.
Joe is in fine fettle and blows lumps off the grey EIII as they head towards their target with a full bomb load.
(And I’ve just remembered Joe should have been left behind to increase the bomb load – Oh S**t, sorry Paul)
Bombs away and they land right on target.
After that there was a lot of flying around, manoeuvre and only a little bit of shooting.
Until Henry de Lacy hits the pilot of the grey Fokker and he heads home.
But not before almost colliding with his wingman however they don’t sustain any damage and gradually the fight peters out and everyone heads home.
Jack Cowan and Joe Ryan have made a successful bombing attack even though only Jack should have been in the plane, Upps. Biff and Henry escort them back to the drome and a few beers in the Mess.
As you can see I played the reduced number of planes that Paul proposed, mainly because I’m so far behind in the campaign and seem to have very little time to write and post the games. This was played almost 2 weeks ago and I expected to write it up last week but it just didn’t happen.
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