Lieutenant Jack was tasked with Balloon Busting. I screwed up somehow (not shoking to me) after pasting this mission, the pilots changed and i had to go thru alt targets until I found it. Jack had a new to him wingman named Maurice. An old Steve Miller tune immediately started playing in my head.

So, Jack sees "A" flight shortly after lifting off and flyies high and behind them. Maurice is keeping a very, very loose trailing formation. I kinda like this guy already.

Clouds under 2 miles high, but flying at 2 miles high or so put Jack above them, and "A" flight. He lost track of them, but Maurice stayed above and behind him. Jack was relieved to have a wingman do that. The guys who fly tight worry him.

Clouds are not full coverage so jack can see the terrain. At the approx right distance from the second river, just before going down to investigate the area, Jack is hit with bullets from roughly a 90 degree. He swings into the cloud the strike came from, sees and ALB.V diving behind him, and Maurice diving on him. Jack circled above the tango and watched until Maurice lost his advantage. He then crippled the German's engine. Maurice dove in and caused his plane to shudder, but Maurice didn't pull up quickly enough and was payed for that mistake with an engine hit. The German did plummet to the ground in a tight spiral.

Jack saw Maurice's engine quit sputtering black smoke and searched for a balloon. He found one and dove from above after lining it up in a cigar presentation. Boom it went as the third squirt hit it and Jack pulled back on the stick and saw some black.

Maurice is not in sight now. He probably headed to the nearest airbase. Jack headed west, all alone, and took out two more ballons before RTB. Mision DeBrief showed Maurice had a plane claim and landed in a field. Apparently he made it to friendly turf.

I'm confused...again...

When filing out the survey, when question as to days survived... is that WOFF time or IRL time?

I filled out a guesstimate of WOFF time

Sorry for being late, gentlemen, checking in late, but like to contribute some missions to our campaign.




Here are the first two reports of Jean Pierre Morrissant.



The first mission is a escort of two 1 1/2 Strutters on a recon flight towards the North of the lines, NW of Verdun. Our flight of 4 was led by Sous Lieutenant Marcel Anafole Hugues. After rendevous with the Strutters we went northbound, weather was good.




When reaching the northern edge of the patrol area, we were jumped by a flight of Albatrosses. The strutters bugged out to the frontlines. I was attacked by two Albs. Pushed the stick forward with full throttle, max forward speed. Nobody would have done this with a Nieuport! The trick worked, they elected not to follow.
And what a difference to the Nupe this new aircraft is! The Spad is so much more reliable than the Nieuport, still only one gun, but stable and fast, a knight in the sky!

Regained altitude apart from the huge fight to reengage. Entered a fight 3 vs. 3. Opponents disengaged. Found myself alone in a fight with one Alb with white markings.




Was able to put some bullets in him. I saw him gliding earthwards, engine put off, obviously with control problems. Was he injured?



Being alone over enemy territory I disengaged and went southbound, to our own lines.



Home, sweet home...


After action reort was that all aircraft returned safely. Claim pending...

Well done, Kaische! Glad that you could finally get into the action. I think the challenge is about to close, but you should be able to stuff some missions in before the end.

Kaische;

don't forget to complete the survey sheet in the first thread of this post so we have a record of your results mate!

Mudwasp, it's WOFF time.

GAW1, if you are reading these challenge posts, please check your PM's. Thanks

Adjt Gabriel de Tonnac - SPA 81 - 01 Dec 1917 (Mission 15)

This morning I lead a patrol mission in our lines over airfields north of Chalons. I take with me Discours and Dhome, weather is clear with a few scattered clouds around 1800m, like yesterday.

We cruise at 2200m above the clouds when I see three specks high above us flying south across our path. I immediately start climbing at 120 kmh, but they are really high and it takes us several minutes to catch up at 4500m. They are three Rumplers on an observation mission, and I give the attack signal. One of them breaks from the formation and I go for it !

After a couple of passes he is smoking, and as I come for the kill I see their prop is stopped, so I give them a chance to land and turn around.

I find the two other Rumplers after a while, but no sign of my wingmen. I decide to play it safe and rather than attacking two Rumplers alone I decide one victory is enough for the day. I fly back to Beauzée.

I will learn that my two wingmen had been hit by the Rumplers observers and tried an emergency landing in Senart. It went fine for Dhome, but sadly Discours crashed short of the airfield and died in the accident.

Next morning my victory is confirmed (the Rumpler has been found crashed near the front lines by some infantry troops) and I am promoted to Sous Lieutenant ! I can take 13 days off (2 to go see mummy after a month, 5 for being promoted, 3 for 5 kills and 3 for becoming an ace.)

I will be back on December 14th. On the way back to Beauzée I came across a pair of the new Spad XIIIs, it would be nice to have one when I return to duty ! Drinks are on me in the meantime...

Hey, Great news Corsaire!! Smart move not taking on those two rumplers! So you saw some Spat XIII's, neet. I never came across any. I Certainly was never close enough to make the recognition.

Hey guys, updated the first post with my best info of where everyone is!

Ive just flown Rick...and im up on a cloud deceased il post my pics and info shortly,good luck to everyone else involved

Geez Adger. What happened??

Mission 7 Adjutant Jules Pierre Deschamps 17th Nov 1917:

A mid afternoon recon mission,we had a mission to meet up with a pair of Strutts and escort them over the lines to do some recon work.We both took off and headed over to meet the strutts.We all passed over Verdun and into enemy territory when all i can say is we didnt see them..2 Alb dv,s were suddenly all over me i jinked left and right and tried to shake but i was hit numerous times i was dead before i hit the ground...I was given a military funeral by the Hun..good luck to all the guys left,and cheers Rick for another excellent challenge

Thanks for updating page 1 Rick! I had flown 5 missions with 4 victories and 1 pending when my computer crashed during mission 6 and I lost my pilot. Sorry for your loss Adger but it looks like you really took the fight to the enemy.

~S~ RIP Jules Pierre Deschamps

Mission 15 was a railyard attack with "A" flight assisting. Jack flew high above them leading "B" flight, He and a new guy, where they were going. "A" flight found the RR and conducted the attack themselves. An airbase was nearby, and some Albs eventually came over to say hello. Jack and new guy Pierre dove on them, with Jack knocking out the engine of his opponent. Pierre got into a bad circle fight and lost his advantage. Jack managed to save him, then checked his compass, and headed home. Everyone made it home.

Hang in there Jack!! only 4 more to go!

Mission 16 Patrol Enemy Lines.

Jack welcomed not being flight leader. No worries about a wingman crashing into him while formation flying. He lifted off and stayed above and behind both A&B flight. He was about 2 miles high and a mile higher than the others, still very close to his airbase, when all Hell broke loose. They came from high cloud cover and hit all of us with overwhelming numbers.

Jack danced high above the others with 2 Albs. While attacking one he was attacked by the other. Back and forth it went, these guys worked together on him until he crippled one enough to cause it to flee. The second he hight hard and close upon catching him in a upwards loop. Jack looked around, only saw flak smoke leading towards the front and sent off after the cause. he chased this Alb across front lines before knocking him down with a pilot kill. He pulled to his left, saw a balloon, set it ablaze, but took heavy groundfire damage.

Health at 63, engine sputtering, he ditched in the muddy front lines narrowly missing a blackened stump and shell holes.

15 days hospitalized, 3 for escape...he was lucky after breaking 2 of his rules about flying over enemy lines.

Oh, after the escape Jack found that "A" flight now has Spad XIIIS, He and "B" flight don't

Sorry about the loss of your pilot Adger. Join us on the cloud. Nice pics and I hate to see that fine paint destroyed.