OTT BYM Mission 1 Dabs denies the enemy (ish) - 5th October 1916 by Kustenjaeger
“Charmer” Chalmers the 52 squadron Records officer stuck his head round the mess door early one morning.
“Chaps – there’s a show on, shake a leg!”
Lieutenant Peter (Dabs) Dabeney late of 11th Hussars – and according to the Mess, late for almost everything – lifted his head from his doubtful breakfast and ersatz coffee.
“Charmers – what day is it? I’ve got a girl to see on Friday night at the estaminet in Savy.”
“It’s Thursday 5th today and the Hun’s got a balloon just over the lines that the infantry would like taken down. The ground crew have got some new incendiary rounds and we’ll give you a couple of drums of it instead of overloading a kite with rockets like usual. But there’s likely to be enemy scouts around – we’ve seen some of their new Albatroses about so watch out. The Major wants you to take Pearson’s Nieuport 16 and one of the Morane’s as escort – its Vickers might be useful.”
So, a little later, Dabs found himself in his silver Nieuport 17 on the right of a lline abreast with Pearson’s camouflaged N.16 (still with the sticks usually used to mount rockets on). 2/Lt Eric Pearson – with a desire to kill balloons - had opted to take the incendiaries but Dabs had reminded him that if and when the balloon went down he would have to replace his incendiaries with ball ammunition. Also the 47 round drums for the Nieuports’ Lewis guns would need changing frequently if they got into a prolonged fight. On the left James Forbes-Hamilton (Hammy) was flying one of the newer Morane Bullets – A199, an ‘I’ version with an 110hp engine. Apparently there were only 4 in the RFC and the pilots that flew them knew why – they actively tried to kill the pilot. Hammy had got the ground crew to put French rounders on it pretending it had to go back to the French – they’d certainly not want it – and they’d taken off before anyone in authority saw them.
As they swept toward the balloon, looming grey in the sky before them, Dabs saw the glint of the wings of enemy scouts to the left and right of the balloon and not far behind it. They had little time to bring the balloon down before the enemy scouts would be on them.
Dabs swung out to the right to engage a yellow Albatros as they reached the balloon, seeing the balloon observers swinging out of their baskets just as the first burst of Pearson’s tracer, fired from close range, cut into the balloon – the resulting flash of the gasbag igniting nearly blinded Dabs and he was surprised to see Pearson’s N.16 sweeping through the smoke with him standing in his cockpit trying to change his Lewis drum.
More ominous was the flash further to the left where a camouflaged Albatros had poured fire from its guns into Hammy’s Morane – which was nowhere to be seen. Looked like two on two now.
Then Dabs’ attention was drawn to the yellow Albatros with which he was exchanging fire growing ever larger – and his aircraft jumped as it was clipped by a tyre of the Albatros – making him duck in his seat. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Pearson’s Nieuport shudder and bits fly off.
A quick Immelmann enabled Dabs to get on its tail and put a burst into the yellow Albatros.
A trail of vapour came from the Albatros’ engine. Another burst seemed to do little damage and emptied Dabs’ Lewis drum.
As he banked left to try to get behind the camouflaged Albatros – the yellow seemed to turn away - he looked across at Pearson who waggled his wings as he turned for the British lines. Dabs guessed he was signalling he had engine trouble or his gun had jammed.
While Dabs reloaded and he and the camouflaged Albatros circled each other, then performed Immelmann, occasional bursts of fire, the Albatros’ fire being heavier, more circling and more Immelmann until Dabs realised both the yellow Albatros and Pearson had disappeared and his chances of downing the camouflaged Albatros were low, so he flew home over the lines, for the ground crew to count the holes in his aeroplane.
When he landed Pearson was already swigging a bottle of beer to celebrate his balloon! Charmers was trying to calm Pearson down enough to get him to give a clear report that didn’t involve ‘and he just blew up Kaboom!’ Maybe we’ll call him ‘Pear shaped’ after the mess he made of the balloon.
Those Albatri are tough though.
Butcher's Tally
Bulldogs – Entente
2Lt James Forbes-Hamilton: Morane I - EXP-ET / WIA / 0 kills
Crash: Rolled 7-3EXP-1WIA= 3 injured – skip 1D6 scenarios, rolled 4 – skip 4
E&E: rolled 3-1 EXP, -1 WIA, -1WIC -1 BEL = -1 POW the war ended for this pilot.
2/Lt Eric Pearson: N.16 - FRTB-E/1 kill (balloon)
No crash (rolled 6+4). OK
Lt Peter Dabeney: N.17 - RTB OK/0 kills
Eagles:
Obltn Hans Frankl: Alb II #1 - RTB OK/ 1 kill (Morane)
Ltn Wilhelm Von Eschwege: Alb II #2 - FRTB-E / 0 kills
No crash (rolled 3+2). OK
Balloon: EXP
VPs:
Bulldogs: balloon exploded: 20, scout FRTB: 5 = 25
Eagles: Morane scout shot down: 10, scout N.16 FRTB 5 = 15
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Originally Posted by Kustenjaeger
Well Edward that started with lots of Booms & everything after was almost an anti climax. 
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