Tues Night Mechanicsville Skirmishers WWI aerial Canvas Eagles campaign..starting April 1917
DISPATACH: to GHQ, RFC, London 18 Jun 1917
From: 1 Squadron, RFC, Bailleul, France;
This dispatch is to inform the GHQ of our Squadron activity on 1 April-15 June 1917,
1 April CPT Ronny took the 1st Flight up for an Aerial Artillery Observation mission. Flying a Sopwith 1 ½ Stutter, Ronny was to fly 4 loops behind friendly trenches while his observer Sgt Maj Ham observed and coordinated an artillery barrage on the Hun. Flying air support was LT's "Lord" Malcolm and Wen in Sopwith Pups. A French pilot, "Sergent" "Stud" Muffin joined in with his Spad VII. (All game pilots started as Novice and each rolled 1d20 + 1d6 for flight school graduation points) The Allies all rolled in the high teens or low 20s. The Germans rolled from 6 pts low to 24pt high)
Sopwith Pup attacks two ABIII's
On turn 4 the Allies were met by a flight of 4 Albatross, flown by LT Binghammer (Der Wiess Ritter) LT Muller, Feldwelb Jenkins and LT "Ouch." Within two turns Lord Malcolm put a well placed Vickers "303" round into LT Ouch's head and earned the first kill of the campaign. Two of the Bosche then turned their attention on to the Lord and within 3 turns had shot most of his tail off…sending the Lord heading for home quickly!
Lord Malcolm clebrating his 1st kill!
With numerical superiority the Bosche turned their attention onto the two-seater who was almost half way through with his observation mission. LT Wen and Sgt Muffin turned their aero planes around to defend the Observation plane…unfortunately LT Wen took two wounds (Heavy and Light) the last from LT Binghammer, crashed his Pup into a shell hole, ending his young life! In the mean time another German, LT Grau flew into the battle. Sgt Muffins heroically did all he could to support the two-seater but in the end there were one to many Huns in the air and MAJ Ronny's aircraft took two shots from LT Muller and Grau (and just two hexes from completed his mission and a victory) Ronny crashed into our trenches with no survivors. Mullen's and Grau both rec'd ½ a kill. The Albatross DIII has proven to be a superior areoplane to our Sopwith Pups. The Squadron looks forward to receiving the new SE5a's. That night the lads celebrated late into the morning with the young Lord Malcolm and the Squadrons fist kill!
(1d3 was rolled for months past until the next mission in the campaign…the next flight was 15 Jun 1917)
15 June 1917… mission was a Fighter Sweep. After weeks of training 1LT "lord" Malcolm and his new wingman the "Earl of Bumpass" Charles flew their new SE5a's they were joined in flight by SGT Muffins ,Spad VII and Ensign Zippo flying a Sopwith Tripe. G-2 has told us that LT Binghammer now known as the "White Knigh" was leading the Bosche and he is flying a new Abaltross DV, while Mullins, Grau and Jenkins still fly AB III's. The old saying watch for the Hun in the Sun came true as the bastards fell on top of the flight quickly…sending both SE5a's into tail spins! Sgt Muffins and Ens Zippo tried to come to the rescue when LT Grau flew interception and put a volley into the Sopwith Tripe's fuel tank causing an aerial explosion that was seen in the trenches. Poor Zippo we hardly knew him! While a turn later both SE5a' recovered but our French allied was sent into a spin by LT Binghammer…(the Bosche were racking ip red hits!)
Spad VII stays in fight depsite smoking!!
The aerial combat swirled high and low over no man's land and once again Lord Malcolm discovered his tail was about to fall off and returned to the airbase…both the Hun Mullins and Grau also returned to safety. (Both Grau and Malcolm repaired their areoplanes and returned to the fight.) Once again the heroism of our French pilot stood out as he took a light wound, spun once, smoked twice and caught on fire and still remained in the fight. Both he the Earl of Bumpass tackled the Bosche despite being out numbered 2 to 1. On turn 18 the Allies (Mullen's and the Earl) called it quits and know with Lord Malcolm back in the air and covering their retreat, flew to safety. Giving the Bosche a Victory! (Due to not lasting at least 25 turns the Germans rec'd 25 victory points for the victory)
The Bosche's LT Grau rec'd full credit for his kill and is the leading Piolt with 1.5 kills and with experience points totaled, is the first pilot to rec'd 100+ points! He will select a special pilot skill. French, SGT Mullins was sent to Paris for two weeks to recover from his wound and was awarded the Croix de Guerre for heroism in flight. (It is only a rumor that is was shot in the crotch! And he spent many a night at Madame Lulu's proving this!) The SE5a has proved its worth against the Albatross…with more training the Squadron will be fully operational. All surviving pilots on both sides now have at least 50+ experience points and are no longer novices!"
1d3 was rolled and the campaign will advance one month. The next flight will be in early July 1917
Maj Ida Wannafly
1st SGD
RFC Commanding