SNAP THE TRAP
What ho Henry, where are you off to I asked in a rather jovial and almost flippant way, well I wasn’t on the roster today and so I could be flippant, at least today. Henry gave me a sour look, “The Skipper’s had a brainwave” “Oh” I replied, it was always bad news when the Skipper had a brainwave.
Bob Parkhurst a.jpg Views: 41 Size: 30.2 KB ID: 293455" class="thumbnail" style="float:CONFIG" />
“Yes, he’s decided if we send up a slow plane and trail it along the front line the jolly old Hun is bound to have a go at it”. “Well that’s seems reasonable” I said, “they aren’t stupid you know, they will take an easy kill any day” “Who’s the poor boob who’s going to be flying the death trap”. “Well” Henry responded, “it’s your old Observer Jack Cowan and he’s been told to take the new lad Bob - what’s his name, - Oh I can never remember their last names until they’ve been here a while”. “I guess it’s some sort of defence mechanism of mine. “It’s hard enough to loose someone whose name you can’t remember, even worse when you know them by both names.”
I could feel the blood drain from my face, “but Jack’s still pretty much a rookie, he and Joe Ryan make a pretty formidable team but Bob – well I don’t think Bob knows which end the bullets come out of his Lewis gun, let alone be up for a job like this”. “Goodness his voice still hasn’t broken and he says he’s 18.
You know between you and me, I think there’s something odd about Bob”. “What do you mean” asked Henry in a queer sort of way “Well I don’t think he’s 18 for sure, nor even 17, I think he must be no older than 16, that’s what I mean. Good grief Matron would have given us cough medicine at Dorchester to make sure our balls dropped by the time we were 16, what sort of school do you think Bob went to if they didn’t help their boys become men like that.
“Well I suppose the whole flight is going to be trailing along behind to look after them”. Henry’s face got darker, if that was possible, “err no, there’s just me and that new French Liaison Officer - Jerome, what’s his name”.
“What just the 2 of you, has the Skipper lost his mind?” I said this sotto voce, just in case he could hear me, I was fairly sure he hadn’t lost his mind although some days he might have had trouble starting it up.
“Fraid so was the disgruntled response, and you know what, I don’t trust that Jerome fellow. You talk about Bob being a little odd but someone who wears his medals under his flying jacket on every patrol is more than a little odd if you ask me.” “Anyway enjoy your day off he said disingenuously.
Fat chance of that as I would be worried about Jack until he returned, with or without Bob.
Jack and Bob lead the way in a BE2C followed by Henry and Jerome, over in the distance on the right are a couple of sleek Fokker Elll’s, the day is quite cloudy, mainly because Barry’s set up photo reminded me I hadn’t had the clouds out recently. Thanks Barry.
The cloud cover was sporadic but quite low and the Bee to the left was clearly in sight of Henry and Jerome, so too were the Fokker’s coming in from the right.
The cloud cover is low mainly because I haven’t got round to making stands to rest it on. You are going to have to blame Barry but because I got the clouds out I ended up taking a number of rather moody shots which are going to be incorporated in the story, even if they serve no useful purpose. It’s not me you understand, it’s all Barry’s fault.
Henry’s plane is just skimming along the top of a huge fluffy cloud. The BE2c in the distance.
Here’s the BE2c nicely silhouetted against another cloud.
Just another moody shot – which also serves no purpose to the story.
Then the two E111’s pounce, causing massive damage to the BE2c and the engine starts to stutter. Bob gets off a few rounds before his gun jams and he starts to hit it with his fist’s. This is what happens with inexperienced chaps when they are under pressure, they forget the "on the job training" with the mallet and revert to Observer school training of gloved fist’s.
The escorting planes of Henry and Jerome are a long way behind and Jerome makes an unexpected move to his right and nearly collides with Henry.
But Henry breaks free of the rather pretty clouds and opens fire on the cameo Elll, the pilot had Immeled right in front of Henry and gave him a sitting target, he hit the pilot, wounding him quite badly, and cameo heads for home.
At this point Jerome also inexplicably did an Immelmann turn and headed back the way he had come leaving Henry alone to protect the damaged Bee.
Henry is furious about this as you will find out later.
Meanwhile the Blue Elll gets a clear run at the Bee as Jack turns to head home.
He’s performed his job of being the decoy only too well and there’s also the little matter of his clattering engine which gives him no choice but to return to base.
As well as that he’s very well aware there’s no return fire from Bob sat just behind him.
Unfortunately there should be a +1 on this score.
Jerome is still tooling around in the sky, not getting any closer to help out in the fight.
Henry gets another close range shot into the departing Elll but doesn’t take it down.
In the distance the blue Fokker is stuck to the BE2c like a furball on a wool blanket.
Yes I know it’s not a good similarly but I couldn’t think of a better one at the time.
The BE2c has taken extensive damage and just as Bob whoops with delight shouting, “I’ve un-jammed the gun” the plane starts to loose height heading for the ground.
The Fokker’s persistence has paid off but Jack is able to control the plane most of the way down before making a poor pancake landing, hitting the ground with a thunderous crash. The plane slowly topples over onto its nose and Bob is thrown out, landing badly, and injuring his shoulder, Jack is luckier and just suffers cuts and bruises.
He sits still, listening to the creaks and groans of the airframe as it settles, hoping the plane won’t topple further forward and land upside down breaking his neck in the process, or worse - catch fire.
Jerome continues to tool around in the clouds getting no nearer to the action.
This shows how far away he is, bottom left and he is just starting to chase the Cameo Fokker.
Henry in the middle ignores the easy kill of the Cameo plane and tries to attack the blue one, he is too late to defend the Bee and so retribution will have to do.
The cameo Fokker centre right is making for home with the badly wounded pilot.
An enraged Henry is trying his hardest to get up close and personal to the blue Elll.
But it flies in a lazy circle, outlined against the azure sky.
And he doesn’t manage to get close enough.
OK they were just 3 superfluous photos but you have to admit they are pretty evocative.
Henry (me) made the mistake of turning to port and the Elll was able to make its escape having taken the easy kill.
I decided it wouldn't hang around against 2 scouts having achieved it's objective of downing the decoy.
I was finishing my game of billiards in the Mess when I heard 2 planes land, I had my ear cocked for the sound of a 3rd when Benson one of the fitters came running into the room and said “Sir, Uncle has requested you nip on down to the field and find out what the hell is going on down there”
“He said smartly, Sir”
Oh bugger, you can’t have a quiet game of billiards without some interruption, “OK tell him I’m on my way”.
When I got there, Jerome was on his back in the grass, blood spurting from his nose, it looked broken to me and I am somewhat of an expert in these matters, but that’s another story. Henry was looming over him with a mad look in his eye and shouting for Jerome to get up so he could knock him down again. Jerome sensibly stayed on the ground as I think most men would have done at the time. Henry is a very affable character and I’d never seen him like this but he scared the living daylights out of me and I wasn’t the target of his rage.
“What’s the matter Henry” I enquired calmly “what’s this all about”. He turned a baleful eye on me and said in a cold and murderous voice, “This piece of vermin hung back when the Boshe attacked Jack and Bob and he let them get shot down right in front of us”. “We were supposed to protect them and he did nothing to help, I’ve a good mind to shoot him right now and be done with it”.
I looked at Jerome and he just shook his head, “my machine was slow, I couldn’t catch up”. “You’re a liar” shouted Henry and started to unbutton the flap to his holster.
Things were escalating quickly and without thinking I stepped between them saying “Benson get him off to his billet – NOW Benson” and at the same time walking up to Henry thinking how I wish I was wearing my flying armour at this very minute.
It’s a long story but when I related it to Uncle he couldn’t understand what all the commotion had been about, Jerome slipping on the grass as he dismounted from his machine and Henry trying to help him up wasn't anything to cause such a fuss.
I might have played it down a little but I thought that was for the best.
BUTCHERS BILL
2Lt Jack Cowan: = SD - FT - No Kills.
C&W Rolled 8 -1SD = 7 Injured skip 1D2 Rolled 1 = Skip 1 Scenario
Sgt Bob Parkhurst: = SD - FT - No Kills.
C&W Rolled 7 -1SD = 6 Injured skip 1D3 Rolled 5 = Skip 3 Scenario’s
Jack and Bob survived the crash but Bob won’t be flying for a couple of weeks after taking that tumble from the cockpit.
Henry De Lacy: = RTB – No Kills
Jerome Dupont: = RTB – No Kills – Broken Nose.
Ltn Rudolf Lindenberger: (Cameo) = FRTB – WIA –No Kills
C&W Rolled 7 -1WIA +1RTB = 7 Injured skip 1D2. Rolled 6 = Skip 2 Scenario’s
Ltn Hans Kuhn: (Blue Stripe) = RTB – 1 Kill (Cowan)
Well were does that lead us, Henry the most affable of men is killing mad with Jerome, The Twa Jocks have a reputation for dispensing rough justice to men of either side who don’t live up to their standards of behaviour and they are particular friends of Jack. Was Jerome’s plane just performing poorly or is there more to it than that, will he live to be able to clear his name, or will he just live?
Tune in for another thrilling instalment of the Cocky Young Men, at the same time next week.
Tally Ho.
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