Carstairs popped his head round the mess door “Ahh Squiffy, old sprout, glad you are here, Squadron Leader Featherprop has a jape for you.
“Oh Bother” exlaimed Squiffy, “I was hoping to get off Op’s today, I was going to pop down Biggin Hill and hide all 15 squadron’s parachutes”
“Well, none of that my boy! The CO wants you to take that Avro Manchester up”
“The one that keeps bursting into flames and cant fly straight”? enquired Squiffs.
“The very same! And then he wants to to fly in broad daylight to Latvia and take a photo of a factory”
“Any particular reason why, Carstairs”?
“Oh, I suppose it’s something the bigwigs want done, who knows? But he did say “That should settle his hash” and looked very pleased.
“Well, I had better get my skates on!”
Three Latvian I-16 light fighters crossed the rugged coastline as they intercepted the lone incoming bomber. They were all at Speed 4 and two were at ALT 13. The third was at the same ALT as the Manchester ALT 10.
“A British Manchester? Why is it here Igor”?
“ It’s a plot device, do not worry my friend, but now we must, how you say…shoot it down”
“Yes, you would just say shoot it down, Igor"….why the extra clarification on a simple sentence”?
“ …….I know not this”
“We are getting your head checked when we land my friend”
“Gosh, Ginger” Said Squiffy to his co-pilot, “This crates a bit of a handful…SLOP controls, Unstable, Unreliable Engines traits…and Fire Vulnerable”
“Rather!” Said Ginger struggling with the yoke. “I say! Look! Bandits 11 O clock high and level!!…Look like I 16 fighters of the Latvian Air Force! Theyre wooden prototypes and some people say only one was built, and others say three”
“Lucky you did that course on experimental Eastern European indiginous fighter development the other year Ginger…What they carrying?
“4 rifle caliber MG’s If my memory serves me”
“Well hang on to your trousers Ginger! Here they come!”
The I-16s up high dove in shallow dives and immediatly exceeded their “Never exceed speed” of 5. The Mid Upper turret and the Nose gunner of the Manchester sent streams of tracer at the diving fighters.
Twelve Mg’s lashed at the Manchester and two hits peppered the Fuslarge.
Igor and Mikheil who had decended last turn to ALT 11 had serious problems! Rolling 5 on D6 their kites started to crack-up and Igor took 5 damage to his 6 structure points! Mikheil took 3. Clearly these machines needed a gentle touch!
Igor snapped into a B class Left Turn and really screwed the pooch overshooting Squiffys nose.
Dimitry saw he was going to overshoot the Manchester and carried out a rolling sissors bleeding his speed off and setting up for a point blank snapshot.
Mikheil sideslipped right and underestimated Squiffys speed leaving him with empy space under his guns.
The Manchester’s guns blazed and the midupper turret and nose turret lashed Igor’s I-16 setting its fuel tanks ablaze. The Rear turret blazed away at Mikheil but missed.
Dimitry let a long burst off and shattered the Nose turret, wounding Chippy Chipperson and putting the Manchester on 14 structure remaining!
“Chippy! Whats the gen” Shouted Squiffy.
“Unngh, Hit bad Skipper…keep her steady! Factory ahead….”
Igor hit the silk as his crate blazed through the sky.
Dimitry cranked into a D class level left turn and swung onto the Britons tail. Mikheil did the same with a B class Left turn. Both fighters losing speed but having power in reserve to accellerate next turn.
The eight guns of the I-16’s scored 6 hits and Dimitry shattered the Rear turret, killing Winker Watson. Mikheil smashed up the hydraulics and Squiffy felt the engines struggling.
Winkers last burst went wide, as did the Mid uppers bursts and Squiffy becan to become mildly concerned!
With only the Mid Upper left to defend the Manchester, Squiffy coaxed the skittish bomber towards the factory.
“SAY CHEESE YOU SONS OF £$$£!” Yelled Chippy and snapped his photo recon button.
The Mid-upper blazed away and damaged Mikheils I-16 but caused no critical damage.
The blazing Latvian guns riddled the Manchester and smashed several spars in the wings.
“Corks! Shes in a bad way!” shouted Squiffy “ Only 7 structure left!, Lets get back for Crumpet!”
Slewing the Manchester around a G Class Right turn, the Starboard engine suddenly spluttered to a stop.
The Latvians thrashed the Manchester with 6 hits….Squiffy closed his eyes and ….
SILENCE
The I-16’s flew alongside the Manchester. Their guns empty. Dimitry and Mikheil waggled their wings and turned for base.
“Good luck Englishman…You are a plucky one”!
Droning back to Blighty, Squiffy turned to Ginger. “ Quite the scrape, eh old fruit?”
Ginger lit up a smoke. “Yes Squiffy…But at least we got the photo’s…they will save thousands of lives…..Probably”
Squiffy nodded and the Manchester approached the Linconshire coast
