Raided drome 20 with Dawson#3, Fuches#4, Vas#1, and Hudson#8. Over the drome I quickly spotted a plane co-alt with us. Soon identified him as Austrian and we moved in for the kill. #11 quickly dove for his drome to avoid our superior numbers. I was just lining him up for a perfect shot when Fuches dove in front of me and I had to check my fire to avoid filling his spad full of holes. I witnessed Fuches fire on the Austrian as he put the alb safely on the ground. Couple of guys strafed #11 on the field a few times as I tried to gather them up to search for more huns.
We just started to get back into formation when I looked back and saw another Austrian plane wheeled out onto the runway and quickly take off. I turned the flight around and we began a long chase after this Austrian. Eventually all 5 of us converged on #18 and a long battle began. During the fight I watched Hudson and the Austrian collide. Hudson lost part of his wings and spun into the ground. The four of us left continued with the fight until I witnessed #18 shed his wings and crash.
Started to go out on 2nd patrol with Vas when I developed engine trouble and had to RTB. I met Fuches at the drome and decided to take him hunting with me into hunland. I spotted one lone Austrian plane on the field of drome 18. It was quickly wheeled back into the hanger though and we moved on. Eventually we made it down to drome 14. Below I could see several planes. It looked like we had showed up right in time for a fight. Fuches and I dove in quickly and began attacking an Alb#1. He was giving some Italian fliers all they could handle. It seemed we had the Austrian outnumbered at least 5-1 if not more. After a long fight he eventually began to climb and climb. Quickly he put nearly 1000meters of altitude between us and began to head east. At this point I had engine trouble and RTB(flamer mech?).Fuches also had engine trouble and joined me at home base. At base we also met up with Gun Jones who had been off on a lonewolf patrol. The three of us headed back for drome 14 to take another shot at #1.
Over drome 14 again, I spotted #1 flying low over his field. I wasn't to eager to fight over that drome, but I figured with 3-1 odds we would should be able to handle it. On the initial attack dive I began taking heavy AA fire putting holes in my wings. I pulled out of my dive and began dodging AA fire, grimacing with each hit, fearing one would soon be fatal. Looking back I saw GJ and Fuches diving in. Fuches seemed to pull off and then quickly descended. AA had hit him hard and I think he might of landed, but perhaps he crashed it. I never saw him again as GJ and I were left to fight #1 alone.
It didn't go so well in my opinion. Between #1 and the AA we had all we could handle. I think I collected as much lead from the AA as I did #1. The Austrian #1 was a smart one and good pilot. He never strayed far from the drome, forcing us to stay low to avoid the guns if went over it. Trouble was that took away our alt advantage and left us vulnerable to his machine guns. After a firing pass as he would quickly climb up and turn around then dive down onto our tails. #1 raked my plane with bullets several times. I zigged and zagged trying to keep him from getting a kill shot on me. Eventually he wounded me badly on one pass. Gun Jones looked to be getting hit just as hard as me. Finally Gun Jones and I started working more smoothly on the spad tag. We had him turning hard and only getting brief shots at either of us. #1 seemed to grow tired of this though. After a Gun Jones pass I began turning back to clear his tail. Instead of going after GJ though, #1 climbed up and went for me. Luckily I was able to recognize it before I had gotten to close. I made a hard turn away and waited for another chance. Gun Jones made a couple more passes on #1, but each time the Austrian ignored him and seemed to wait for me to come in and clear GJ's tail. Eventually we had collected all of his ammo and #1 had to land back at his drome.
Gun Jones and I left #1 behind and called it a day at Drome 9. I got out of the plane and kissed the ground, very thankful to still be alive. Good thing our Spads have so much horsepower. We needed every bit of it to carry all the extra lead weight given to us by #1 and the Austrian AA boys.
Flint#9
With permission of the CO, I took myself solo to cap hun 16-17, and patrolled around there and vicinity for a while. I then went south and encountered a flight of about 4 huns at Arsie. I passed them as they were just taking off, almost missing them. They however brought themselves to my attention. I was at about 2000 meters, and they were about 1000. I moved a way from them a bit to get proper position and view. Then when I was satisfied I had things in place, I turned around and engaged the four for a considerable period of time -- essentially just tieing them up and wasting their time. We then move towards the allied factory across from Arise where Uncle Sam, came on the scene and endedd up shooting 2 of the group. I myself though did not get any Ks at all this outing. After we had removed or chased the group out of the area I refueld and then rejoined Squad, 76, and patrolled with them over to the Hun base near Arsie. The three of us fought 2 huns there for a considerable time. Later on I returned to base, met up with Flint, and we returned to Arsie where we both got partial Kill on #1.
Took off from designated drome with #14. First went to hun drome, then patrolled friendly targets. #14 suffered engine trouble, so I flew to a freindly Factory/RR area in search of bombers. While there, I saw 3 aircraft. Heard sirens and assumed they were huns. Positioned myself perfectly above middle aircraft (very lucky choice), cut my engine, and dove to position my guns in direct line of fire with top of pilot's head. Recognized the aircraft as an enemy 2 seater and opened fire. My set-up paid off and I splattered the Austrian dog's brains all over his cockpit after a few bullets. Spun around to engage other aircraft and discovered that one was friendly #5 (Sorry about the quick spray of bullets 5, from your color, I thought you were a hun, didn't know SPAD's stayed in friendly territory). I then swung around to find hun #6 closing. When I finally found him again, he was on fire and attempting to land, thanks to the nice work by #5, S! 5. I then suffered engine trouble (flame mech) and had to RTB. On the field I found #14. We set off again for hun territory and met #5 along the way. The three of us then went to the previous hun drome. I spotted 3 huns low at the drome, announced my find to my wing mates, and went to get a good position above the huns. #14 suffered engine failure yet again, so now it was just me and #5. The third hun had left, so now it was an equal 2v2. #5 and myself attacked the two remaining huns, #6 and 1. I put bullets into both of them and #6 was now flying away. Shortly thereafter, I heard the explosion of his plane ("15 shot down 6"). I signaled to #5 to RTB, a hun drome is not a wise place to stay very long, but I think he missed it. I was heading west when I saw tracers at the hun field. I went back to find #14 and 5 fighting #1. #1 got on me and shot my oil line so I was forced to head west. I had crossed the front when my plane was engulfed in flames (I am VERY sorry for all the mechs this caused). I successfully landed my aircraft in our territory and evaded capture. However, I had suffered burns and my aircraft was completly destroyed.
An exciting start to the day as we jumped into our aircraft a started right across the mud in numbers. Flint was leading with Vas, Hudson, Fuches GunJones and me on his six. Almost immediately he signaled an enemy and we turned and dove down on him. I sort of lost the group in the rush to action and by the time I had repositioned myself the enemy had been dispatched.
We all reformed and Flint indicated another enemy machine in the low distance. Boy that guy has eyes. Anyway we all attacked #18 and I began making passes at him with the rest getting shots into him but never able to get a killing shot. He was a skillful flyer and was very hard to bring down even with all of us on him. Hudson and 18 collided and I saw Hudsons AC resting on the ground. Don't know if he survived. Finally someone put the finishing blow to #18 and he was down. What a gallant and resourceful airman!
Flint, Vas, Fuches and I returned to base to rearm and refuel. We then split up and started I started a mission with Fuches to cover installations in the South. Flint and Vas went North. A little ways into our sweep, I lost Fuches to mechanical problems and continued on. I went well south and then turned northwest and covered most of our installations seeing nothing. Eventually I had mechanical problems and returned to base to call it a day.