OTT-BYM Mission 11 - Flash Fry The Turkey ! - 19th Dec 1916
2Lt Will Power wwas thoroughly cheesed off.. "Well, I think this is a pretty rotten war. Everything’s rotten. The weather’s rotten. This coffee is rotten – to say nothing of it being half cold. That record that some cad keeps playing on the gramophone is rotten. And our half-baked Mess caterer is also rotten – putrid in fact. In a few days it will be Christmas and there’s no turkey for dinner, we need to do something about it" he stormed.
“Well why don’t you go and find us one” was the general response to his outburst.
"I jolly well will, I’ll go and fetch it right now, you see if I don’t" he retorted as he snatched up his flying helmet and strode out to the flight line...
Earlier that day the more mundane business of war had been detailed to 2lt Justin Hale and his observer AM.2 Reg Sole - a photo run over the Hun trenches to see what they were up to today - or more precisely where they were up to, as they had of late been digging a new series of trenches across their position and HQ had an interest in how far they had got with the project. Hale decides they will use the new machine, an Armstrong Whitworth FK8. Or Big Ack as it was affectionately known.
2lt Baz Fife-Brand, Two Dads, had been detailed as their escort for the morning. He'd done a good job, staying close around their tail keeping a wary eye out, he now sat at their five o'clock as they began their run in.
A couple of interlopers appeared just then running along the back of the German lines
(Ltn Hugo Stark in the foreground, Ltn Max Manschott behind)
Power, sat atop a stunned turkey, recently obtained from a Belgian farmer under the nose of the hungry Hun is making a break for the lines, hotly pursued by a Albatros D.II piloted by Ltn Franz Theiler who is worried it's an elaborate trap as the Nieuport pilot appears to be almost standing in the cockpit ?
Distracted by his passenger, Power hasn't yet realised he's potentially running into trouble... It'll become clear all too soon I fear !
Unmolested, Sole gets down to business, snapping the first position as they pass it. Unlike Power he's spotted the enemy closing in and signals the sighting to Two Dads !
Power's mind is suddenly brought rudely to focus as rounds slap through the fabric of his machine. Some blue nosed bugger is shooting at him !
He snatches at his trigger and blasts off an exchange with a red nosed type passing to his front - his controls are damaged to add to his troubles
Having skipped a position as he changed plates Reg snaps the third trench as they pass by. Two in the can ! Two Dads turns to meet the enemy as he does so.
Baz clocks three enemy machines and Power's Nieuport heading in their general direction, he selects the closest Hun, a red nosed Albatros D.II with a deaths head on the side, and looses off a long range burst at it. As he does so a blue nosed Hun machine opens up on him and rounds clatter through his wings... Stark swears loudly as his left gun seizes solid.
Baz swoops through the packed formation as behind him, over the trenches, Sole rapidly changes plates again
Sole snaps the fifth trench in the line, his third plate, as guns rattle into life behind him. Power's unexpectedly (to him) turns left and opens up at close range on the red nosed Albatros. He surprisingly scores hits in spite of his struggling passenger. He takes hits himself from his pursuer in the grey nosed Albatros who still cannot understand the Nieuport pilot's actions as a Sopwith Pup narrowly misses him.
Powers takes another burst from his pursuer but sustains no further damage. The other Alb's turn after the Big Ack as Baz swings his Pup around to follow.
Powers' Nieuport shudders under a close range assault from Theiler's guns .
As Hale makes turns to return along the line, Reg gets a long range shot into the red nosed Albatros for no return or effect it seems.
Powers' machine takes a further hammering at close range, he can't take much more of this. Theiler curses as one of his guns seizes. There's no fixing that.
Baz, having turned in to the fray, meets the red nosed chap head on, the exchange a close range is brutal.
Fire blooms from the Albatros, Baz takes a hit that'll send him home and his gun jams momentarily.
The turkey shifts awkwardly, the Nieuport rolls unexpectedly left again, more hits pop through the machine but nothing important is damaged.
Hale has reversed their turn as the blue nosed Alb closes, Reg manages a shot on it damaging it's controls. Gun cleared Baz gets a long range effort too but has no effect. Flame flares strongly on the red nosed machine behind him.
Hale exchanges with the red nosed machine as it appears before him - he hits the pilot, it may be enough.
The blue nosed Alb rakes them at close range, damaging their controls and leaving them burning. Baz scores against their torturer but jams his gun in the effort.
Having not read the brief properlythe Nieuport is heading off the table in the next card which is a right turn..
"It's me or him" decides Power & launches the Turkey over the side. Theiler is somewhat aghast as a buddle of flapping feathers appears in the wake of the Nieuport - is this some devilish new weapon ?
Baz is soon to leave the table himself, he waves weakly to the Big Ack as he passes. The red nosed Alb falls away trailing fire to land amongst it's rear trenches.
Reg snaps the last sixth trench as they make their return pass - plate #4 as baz heads for safety and the blue nosed Alb circles back
Twixt a rock and a hard place ! Having changed the plates, Reg snaps the fourth trench - #5, as rounds from a single Spandau crash through the Big Ack. Stark's on target again.
Having changed the plates over, Reg snaps the second trench - #6 ! - as the Albatrii do their best to avoid each other.
Continuing his turn for home Hale is lucky to catch the blue nosed chap at long range but for no effect
That sets him up for a close range effort as he slips behind, leaving the Abatros smoking; Theiler is out of position.
Reg takes his opportunity at close range also - setting the Albatros afire before the Lewis chatters to the silence of a well seized gun
It's enough and the Albatros falls away to the trenches below
Hale makes good their escape, leaving the grey nosed Albatros trailing in their wake
Butcher's Tally:
Eagles:
Ltn Max Manschott: Alb D.II Red - SD-FLM-NML 0 kills, 1 Probable (Fife-Brand FRTB-W)
Rolled 8 -2FLM -1NML = 5 - Injured skip 1D3 scenarios. Rolled 4 = skip 2
Ltn Hugo Stark: Alb D.II Blue - SD-FLM-NML 0 kills
Rolled 6 -2FLM -1NML = 3 - Injured skip 1D6 scenarios. Rolled 4 = skip 4
Ltn Franz Theiler: RTB 0 kills, 1 probable (Power FRTB-D)
Bulldogs:
2lt Justin Hale:(P2) FK8 - RTB 1 Kill
AM.2 Reg Sole:(O) FK8 - RTB 1 Kill
2lt Baz Fife-Brand: Sop Pup - FRTB-W / WIA / 0 kills
Rolled 5+5 = Crashed !
Rolled 9 -1FRTB +1RTB -1WIA = 8 - Injured, Skip 1 D2 scenarios. Rolled 5 = Skip 2
2lt Will Power: N.17 - FRTB-D 0 kills
Rolled 5+1 = Stuck the landing !
Victory Points:
Bulldogs:
All Photos taken = 15pts
2 planes SD = 10pts
Total - 25pts
Eagles:
Turkey lost = 20pts
2 planes FRTB = 4pts
Total = 24pts
Bulldogs edge the victory - just !
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for his victories and service to King and country 
Originally Posted by ShadowDragon
I recognize that quote. One of my favourite 'Pythonisms'.
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