Wulfe, my eyeballs are still sweating from reading this intense description of the raid. Gaston would probably try to set something ablaze with his wings, after his gun had jammed. I’m glad Fullard has more sense than that. I didn’t realize you were still flying the N11, you lucky sod! Just wait till you get promoted. You’ll see.

8 July, 1916 05:20 morning mission
Cachy, Flanders Sector
Escadrille N37
Capitaine Gaston A. Voscadeaux
47 confirmed kills
Awaiting 1 claim confirmation

They were sent this morning to pop a balloon near Champien. Gaston watched the ‘A’ flight race ahead of them, as if this were some kind of a competition. He then saw them peel off over the No-Man’s Land. Probably Boillot, who was leading the flight, spotted some Huns and went after them, leaving the ‘B’ flight unprotected. Good thing they were able to take care of themselves. Gaston continued to lead the ‘B’ flight towards the balloon. He had to search the nearby area to locate it. Voscadeaux got to the balloon first and took it out with just a single salvo of his rockets. He watched with pleasure as the burning skin flopped down onto the ground below and then ordered his flight mates to return home. When they approached the airfield, the ‘A’ flight has already landed. Sergent de Geuser claimed the balloon. It turned out Gaston attacked the wrong target. He was so embarrassed he did not claim his kill.



8 July, 1916 13:20 afternoon mission
Cachy, Flanders Sector
Escadrille N37
Capitaine Gaston A. Voscadeaux
47 confirmed kills
Awaiting 1 claim confirmation

“- Finally, an easy one!” Gaston thought to himself when he heard they would be patrolling over the friendly aerodrome of Léalvillers, NE of Cachy. On their way they flew over Lahoussoye aerodrome. Gaston saw two Parasols getting ready for take off. He thought the British chaps there were very brave to fly those death traps. Very brave, or very foolish. He made a mental salute to the brave fools below. They flew on by. Suddenly puffs of exploding shells in the distance caught his attention. Voscadeaux immediately turned to investigate the two specks flying in the direction of Amiens. He willed them not to be Rolands. They were now close enough to recognise them. They were monoplanes and they had altitude advantage. Gaston was careful not to give them too easy of a target and once they've split up, he picked the one that was followed by only one more Nieuport. The damned pilot was weaving constantly behind the Eindecker taking potshots and not doing any harm at all. Gaston was growing impatient and finally dove under the dancing Nieuport and came back up in front of him, with the Fokker in full view. He opened fire, scoring solid hits, but the E.IV was a sturdy bird and simply dove away with the other Nieuport following closely behind, nearly smashing into the ground in the process. Gaston stayed above observing the spectacle. The Nieuport was too low and would never catch the constantly-altitude-gaining monoplane. Voscadeaux dove on his prey again. More hits and the Fokker's engine started to cough up smoke. The Boche dove again and the second Nieuport finally caught up and finished him off. The Eindecker crashed just below. Gaston finally could see who the other pilot was. It was Adjutant Barnay and he had the biggest grin on his smudged face. Voscadeaux gave him the thumbs up sign and they both turned back to base. The Adjutant will definitely have a great story to tell.



"Take the cylinder out of my kidneys,
The connecting rod out of my brain, my brain,
From out of my arse take the camshaft,
And assemble the engine again."