Thanks guys and good to know my skillset gaps are not unique! As for taking out enemy gunners, read on...!
Climbing back up, I see that I'm being shot at from the ground.
I look around for the others as I spiral upwards. That looks like them, over there. Albatrosses, definitely. Are they resuming the patrol? Or going after something else?
The ground gunners aren't giving up on me yet. And there's some shelling down on the ground, too. I'd forgotten how impressive Rise of Flight's aircraft and scenery could look.
Sight-seeing costs me sight of the other aircraft and I can't pick them up again. What I do notice is a solitary aircraft at about the same level, over our side of the lines. Our flak people are shooting at him so that rather settles the issue of his nationality.
It's an RE8! These machines seem to have largely replaced the ubiquitous BE2s at the front by about mid-1917 so I find this is the best time for a realistic campaign, notwithstanding the availability of the Strutter and FE. Anyway, in we go, the 'behind and below' attack ending as usual in a shoot-ot from close and dead astern.
I don't get him on the first pass and he doesn't get me either. I seem to be in greater danger from our own flak.
After my next attack, the RE8's pilot seems to decide that he's given his observer enough of a chance and that it's not time to throw his aircraft about like a fighter. I make several passes, plagued by stoppages in one or the other of my guns. Finally I see the observer drop hisLewis Gun and slump forward I his seat.
The enemy is now at my mercy and I waste no time I letting him have it, relieved of the fear of anything coming back in return.
Suddenly, flames appear in the two-seater's fuselage. Next second, his upper wing breaks away!
No doubt about that one! I'm not sure if disconnected wings are really a collision risk I Ro, but I manage to avoid them.
I'm now on my own again on my own side of the lines, quite low down and as it happens, close to my base at Phalempin. I've used up quite a lot of ammo, taken at least one or two hits and can feel a slight wobble in my aircraft.
Yes, I think honour has been satisfied and it'll be best if I went home! Phalempin is just up ahead near that big U-bend in the river, so it won't be long till I'm safely back on terra firma.
A final check astern reveals no sign of friend or foes in the air.
Out of curiousity, I use the next aircraft views to see who else is in the air. My flight is there, and another one of D.Vs, plus a couple of Halberstadt CL.IIs.
What I didn't do was pause the action before doing this. On returning to my cockpit, I find I'm in a near-vertical earthwards spiral, at a few hundred feet. I realise I'm not going to be able to pull out when I recognise the solid objects flying over my head and disappearing astern my my wings.
My saviour is Pat Wilson's Campaign Generator. RoF itself records my demise, but PWCG controls my campaign and for whatever reason, I had it set so that serious injury was the worst outcome. So I get to file my two claims and hopefully, fight another day!