Dawn is breaking as a lone Halberstadt D.III flies toward the aerodrome of 57th Squadron RFC
Adler Ltn Dietrich Oelker has decided to honour two airmen downed at the end of November by members of his Jasta.
News had only just reached the mess the preceding day that RE.8 Pilot Lindsay Moore and Observer AM1 Patrick Francis had both been killed in separate incidents.
Although Oelker himself was not party to their destruction he felt a need to honour the fallen.
He planned to drop a wreath on the airfield and get back to base before the morning sorties started.
He did not think that Obltn Wienand would miss the Halberstadt since the unit had been using Albatros D.IIs for a while now.
He tossed the wreath and saw it flutter to the ground pretty close to his intended target.
“Mission erfolgreich abgeschlossen …”
< Mission completed successfully >
Oelker turns and thinks about getting back to the Adler airfield for some breakfast.
Oelker spies another aircraft approaching.
“Das Frühstück muss warten …”
< Breakfast will have to wait >
“Was ist das für ein Flugzeug??“
< What kind of aircraft is that >
The PC10 is familiar, but not the machine.
“Drei Flügel?”
< Three wings >
Oelker nearly runs into the strange new aircraft.
It is one of the new Sopwith Triplanes.
“Wie leicht dieser Dreidecker klettert!“
< How easy that tri-plane climbs! >
The Halberstadt D.III will have trouble keeping up with the British aircraft.
„Ich bin froh, dass ich keinen Albatros mitgebracht habe ...“
< I am glad I didn‘t bring an Albatros D.II >
Both machines fly a Split-S
Tikka Tikka Tikka
Oelker and the Sopwith exchange bursts, Oelker using his inherent one-time Sniper skill.
So much for that …
2Lt Shaw doesn’t fare any better.
Oelker nips behind the ‘Tripe’ with a wide sideslip to the right.
A pair of Nieuport 17s are closing.
2Lt Ronald Billinge and 2Lt George Whitney prepare to join the action.
The Sopwith has climbed out of range of Oelker’s gun.
Shaw suddenly drops in front of the Halberstadt, but Oelker is unable to get of a shot.
[Overlap]
The nimble Sopwith makes a sharp turn as Oelker climbs.
Adler ‘Super Ace’ Günther Giesebrecht and wingman Till Hübner are approaching across No Man’s Land.
Giesebrecht has been assigned one of the new Albatros D.III to evaluate, while Hübner flies his usual Albatros D.II
Shaw ducks behind newly-arrived Whitney.
“What the hell is that?!”
It appears the Bulldogs haven’t been introduced to the ‘Tripe’ either.
Shaw is just returning from a two month absence and was assigned the Sopwith for trial.
Off screen, Billinge has noticed some new combatants and ‘Immelmanned’.
Tikka Tikka
Da da da da
Oelker hits the Nieuport’s engine but then his gun jams.
To make things worse, Whitney’s return burst starts a fire on the Halberstadt.
Then his Lewis also jams.
No sooner has Oelker realized his predicament when
WHOOSH!
The fire hits the fuel line and the Halberstadt explodes in a ball of flame!
Oelker is stunned but manages to direct his flaming wreck to the ground in a wooded area.
Tikka tikka
Da da da da
Huebner and Billinge trade bursts.
Huebner’s Sniper skill makes a difference as the Bulldog takes some serious damage and a hit to his rudder controls.
The foes circle each other warily.
Whitney’s wonky engine forces an early retreat.
Billinge and Huebner both perform a Split-S reversal.
Shaw spies a new adversary as Giesebrecht closes in the D.III
Billinge and Huebner repeat their trading of shots.
Da da da da
Tikka tikka tikka
Huebner hears a yelp and sees the young Bulldog jerk in his cockpit.
Across the battlefield Shaw and Giesebrecht close in, both noticing a different type of aircraft from what they have encountered in the past.
Tikka tikka tikka
Giesebrecht’s Sniper ability strikes, and just like his fellow Bulldog, Shaw takes a bullet and jumps with a scream of pain.
Da da da
Shaw’s Lewis causes barely noticeable damage in return.
Shaw turns into another burst from Giesebrecht’s gun.
Leaning hard to his right side Shaw is on the receiving end of another stream of lead.
Tikka tikka
This one starts a fire in the Triplane.
The flames spread through the triplane’s wings as Shaw valiantly tries to control his aircraft.
Tikka tikka
The brave Scotsman takes another bullet …
The pain is just too much and Shaw’s Triplane falls from the sky, flames still streaming.
Tikka tikka
Huebner takes a final shot at the remaining Nieuport, but Billinge manages to slip from his sights and head back to the Bulldog aerodrome.
“Verdammt!”
His 15th kill will have to wait for another day.
Having cleared the sky of Bulldogs, Huebner and Giesebrecht also leave the area.
There will be drinks in the mess tonight, but also concern for their comrade, Oelker, last seen in a fiery plunge to the ground.
Giesebrecht muses “Ich glaube nicht, dass wir noch mehr Kränze auf feindliche Flugplätze werfen werden ...“
< I don‘t think we‘ll be dropping any more wreaths on enemy airfields >
Definitely The Death of Chivalry.
Butcher’s Tally
Bulldogs
Sopwith Triplane
2Lt James Shaw: SD-FLM-FT / WIA x2 0 kills
C&W: 7 -2FLM -2WIA = 3 : Injured 1D6 {1} = Skip 1 Mission
It appears 2Lt Shaw is not in need of a Lucky Pilot skill …
Nieuport N.17
2Lt George Whitney: FRTB-E 1 Kill
6 & 2 = Stuck the landing
Nieuport N.17
2Lt Ronald Billinge: FRTB-W / WIA 0 kills
6 & 5 = Stuck the landing
C&W: 4 +1RTB -1WIA = 4 : Injured 1D6 {6} = Skip 6 missions.
It appears Lieutenant Billinge’s wound was more serious that it first appeared.
He will miss the rest of this campaign, as well as the first three of the next.
Adler
Albatros D.II
Ltn Dietrich Oelker: EXP ET 0 kills, 1 Probable (Whitney)
C&W: 10 -3 EXP = 7 : Injured 1D2{2} : Skip 1 mission.
E&E: 9 -1 BEL -1 EXP -1 WIC = 6 : In Hiding 1D2{3} = Skip 1 mission
Total: Skip 1 mission.
Oelker managed to evade capture and stayed in the woods until nightfall.
Albatros D.II
Ltn Till Hübner: RTB 0 kills, 1 Probable (Billinge)
His potential 15th kill manages to escape as a ‘probable’.
Just 3 kills for Hübner in this campaign so far.
His wingman Giesebrecht has twice as many, with 6 kills in the last 6 missions.
Albatros D.III
Ltn Günther Giesebrecht: RTB 1 Kill (Shaw)
Giesebrecht keeps his streak alive with his sixth in as many sorties.
The new Albatros D.III seems to be a definite improvement over the D.II and he will reluctantly send it back with his evaluation.
He hopes that the Adler will receive more soon.
Victory Points
Bulldogs
Enemy scout shot down : 10
Adler
Enemy scout shot down : 10
Enemy scouts FRTB 2x5 : 10
Total 20
Adler Victory!
======================================
An interesting mission, Gary.
When the ‘wreath dropping plane’ went down behind enemy lines with the dreaded Boom! I thought Oelker may have flown his last mission.
He and his opponent, Shaw, who went down in flames, each came through only missing one scenario, yet poor Billinge, who was FRTB-W (and landed safely!) is out for six.
C&W rolls can certainly skew the expectations.
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