Tally Ho Gentlemen!
I was going to have a rest from operations this weekend, but as I was loafing around in the mess late this afternoon, I noticed Matron by the door, linament lotion in hand and eyeing in my direction with mischieve on her face!!
"Isn't the boche rather quiet today?" I said in a loud almost robotic fashion - then not 3 seconds later but the scramble bell sounded, so off I ran!! 'Phew' I thought as ran towards my Spitfire, not really knowing where I was off to....
This afternoon I was on the ATAG server in a Spitfire IIa operating from the Gravesend airfield and looking to toil with the boche! I only had one flight which I will cover below. Also I had my new polaroid on me so will pop up some picks to. Apologies for the quality, as I had to balance the camera whilst doing everything else too.
So - to the off!! I heard on TS that some dastardly Stukas were off over head towards London, but I was still on the deck and they were about angels 10, so I abandoned that idea. Contacts called out by GC over Eastchurch airfield, so off I went, radiator open, sights set into the blue and on a ENE course.
(http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/h331/badgersmedly/1-Early-Eve-Gravesend.jpg)
It wasn't long before the flak was visible and after to high and low spying, I saw a fiendish 109 chasing a Spitfire. I checked my own tail and set forth to challenge this chap and give him what for!!
(http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/h331/badgersmedly/3-beastly-behaviour.jpg)
I hit him on the starboard wing which shook him off his target, so then I tried to get him directly from behind! Watch that engine temperature!!
(http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/h331/badgersmedly/4-take-that.jpg)
Hits on his radiator and the glycol came streaming out!! But he was having none of it!! He'd tasted blood so I had to go for the patented 'Badgerton sling-shot manoeuver'!!
(http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/h331/badgersmedly/5-more-of-same.jpg)
This was fatal to the poor old chap and he started in a right-hand downward spiral till some other chap poked in with a few good shots and the 109 pulled too hard and slapped into the deck.
Pleased with my results and also conscious that I had only 6 second of ammunition left I continued for another 5 minutes before I spotted what I thought was a lone Ju88 low and slow. This is my chance I thought! At low RPM's I got into a good rear position and loosed off a few rounds. Oh no that could be a Blenheim!! Time to make a quick exit!
(http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/h331/badgersmedly/6-hope-thats-an88.jpg)
After 10 minutes I heard an SOS from an American Chappie complaining that there's a yellow nosed blighter other the airfield. Not wanting to appear rude, I sauntered over and there he was being chased!! The beastly fiendish 109 was blind to everything but his quarry, so on his tail I jumped to give him a squirt of lead!! He's trying to dogfight me!! Have at you!!
(http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/h331/badgersmedly/7-another-fiend.jpg)
He drops his speed and so do I, besides I need to as my Merlin is cooking a big one! I let him have one fatal burst before high-tailing it out and heading back to Gravesend.
(http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/h331/badgersmedly/8-youre-going-down.jpg)
I see him feathering his prop and putting down in a field close to the estuary. Huzzar! A good sortie: I claim 2 downed 109's (1 shared) and a Blenheim fuel pump to go on the wall (yes it was a friendly...). Sortie 5 and still alive.
Totals to be added to a separate thread. Typos to be corrected in due course.
Badger
In the excitement of my debreif I did forget some other details: Despite being heavily damaged the Yellow nosed 109, did try and turn-fight me, having 3 passes one of which was very close. He got a ~2 second burst of MG and cannon fire at me that much have gone just below my machine. Close stuff. I suppose that he being quite heavily damaged thought 'what the heck' and just went for it. A courageous fellow.
On landing back at Gravesend I saw a bf110 heading at no more than 200ft, belting it towards London following the south bank of the Thames. The flak started off and I thought he was going to have a poke at me while I was swtiching off, but he carried on with a trail of flak bursts following him. I wonder how he got on?....