Beer, C.K., Reb, and I were returning from a bombing run in Betty’s on an enemy port town north up the coast of Singapore. We dropped our bombs and destroyed some warehouses loaded with materiel. As we were making our target run we were intercepted by enemy fighters, Buffalos. Our formation started to get a little ragged but we turned pretty much in unison east toward the sea and then north toward our base. Reb got separated and eventually landed. C.K. had his control cables shot away by enemy bullets and an engine smoking. I looked out my starboard window and watched his smoking plane gliding into the sea with an enemy fighter in tow. But as for Beer and me…
We were flying close. I looked out through the tail gunner’s position and saw him on my six with an enemy fighter on his tail firing. I asked him to slide over a bit so my gunner could get a clear shot. I throttled back so he could catch up and so our gunners could get those enemy fighters in a cross fire. It worked! My tail gunner opened up and started blasting Beer’s shadow! Beer’s gunners fired as well. Soon that fighter was smoking and veered away. Beer and I jockeyed around each other the whole way back, letting our gunners coordinate their fire on any enemy fighters that tried to get close. I could have run off and left Beer to his fate, but no, I am his wingman, so I hung back to offer my protection. Eventually the fighters left us alone and we neared our base. I spied the runway and brought my beat up Betty in for a perfect landing. Beer being Beer and blind as a bat couldn’t see the strip so fumbled around for awhile trying to land. Being the excellent wingman I am, and seeing Beer was having difficulties, I jumped from my bomber and into a Ki-43 Oscar fighter. My intent was to get up and protect Beer from any enemy fighter that might show while he was in that vulnerable landing approach…..
So up I went, in my fighter, red rising suns bright in the light of the setting sun. As I was climbing I thought the last mission didn’t go too bad. The flight killed at least two enemy fighters and hit the target. But we lost one bomber, so far… So I circled the airfield keeping my head on a swivel looking for enemy fighters. I was monitoring Beer’s progress on the radio being confident with my protection he would make it down safely. I knew the enemy was near and I didn’t have long to wait. Off in the distance I see two back dots approaching. I turn toward them intent on keeping my wingman safe. One dot turns away obviously scared off by my determination. The other foolishly approaches. It turns out to be an enemy fighter, a Buffalo. I dive to attack! As I am turning and firing, I hear that Beer has made it down safely. Thank Goodness! I continue to fight and hear Beer say he will also jump into a fighter to come up and lend me a hand. What a pal! I continue my fight. My Oscar can turn circles around the Buffalo and I am really beginning to enjoy myself. I start to really work on my technique, learning to work the flaps and throttle in order to stay behind the slower aircraft. I am right on his tail and let loose with a killing burst from my twin .50’s. He starts to smoke bad and oil splashes my windscreen. I figure he is dead. But before I finish my thought tracers go zipping by my head and my vision is blotted out by a flash of white and red blurring circles right on top of my cockpit! What the…! I see a Zero scream by over the top of my prey and arc high into the sky.
“Beer is that you!”
“Yes.”
“What the hell are you doing?!”
“I’m trying to help you out.”
“…okay but don’t be shooting over my shoulder or steal my kills.”
“Okay.”
So I watch as the smoking Buffalo slowly arcs down to the right and heads to the jungle. I parallel its path but stay high in case other bad guys show up. I watch out my port window as the enemy airplane continues it glide to the trees. I’m thinking,and say over the radio, “that guy better bail or he ain’t gonna make it.” Right before he hits the treetops I see the momentary puff of a parachute, then the explosion. Too late and too low. He dies in with his aircraft. Victory is mine!
Chat – RAF209_Beer brings down =AVG=####.
“What the hell! Beer you stole my kill!!”
Insane cackling….
Alright, dead is dead. We are both alive and the enemy is down. We’re buddies and wingmen, so no hard feelings.
“Okay you old fart, lets group up and go hunting.”
I see Beer flying off my three. “Beer, I’m on your nine. Do you see me?”
“no…oh there you are.” He turns sharply left and zips in front of my nose. Did I mention he is blind as a bat?
“Be careful! You’re going to hit me! …Now you are on my nine.”
He turns sharply right and I see his Zero get bigger. I pray he passes behind. It looks like he will. Then clunk and a little shake.
“You hit me!” You idiot….I was thinking.
My plane seems to be flying okay, but when I look over the side, there is Beer’s Zero rolling and rolling, arcing to the jungle. Serves him right. Did I mention Beer is blind as a bat?
But I’m better than that, so give the best advice I can over the radio, “Beer, you better bail!” A few seconds later I see the chute. “He made it”, I sigh in relief. But the Zero doesn’t and plows into the trees with a huge fireball!
Chat – RAF209_Slick shoots down a friendly aircraft.
“Son of a B___!”, I swear over the radio.
Insane cackling….
Now I’m pissed. Down I go to land my craft, so maybe we can run another sortie, and maybe fix some of the -300 points I just got. As I come into land, something isn’t right. She is flying funny slow and with flaps down. Obviously I did sustain some damage in the collision. The wheels touch down; the tail starts to come up. “Oh crud…perfect.” …and over I go, pan-caking onto the grass runway. I hit Refly.
Chat – RAF209_Slick’s aircraft burns on the runway……
Insane cackling….
The End.
We really had a good time.
...and that is a true story, every bit of it. Check the scores.S!
Slick
