[Misplaced_Chiefs_Fan]

B-17 #16 – Fire Below

Pilot BIG_DADDY (4)
Copilot Skip Towne (4)
Bombardier RedNeckRaider (4)
Navigator CHIEF4EVER (4)
Engineer Jcroft (4)
Radio Op. Misplaced_Chiefs_Fan (4)
Tail Gunner Cannibal (4)
Ball Turret Gunner Over-Head (4)
Right Waist Gunner bishop_74 (4)
Left Waist Gunner CanadaKC (4)

Target: Meaulte
Mid-formation horizontally, high vertically (moderate vulnerability)

Zone 1 Out: Britain

No enemy

Zone 2 Out: English Channel

No enemy

Zone 3 Out: France (Entering Target Zone)

2 Me109s driven off by fighters

Entering Bomb Zone
Good Weather
Heavy Flak – 3 hits
-nose – chief4ever sustains a light wound to the back of his head.
-port wing landing gear damaged (won’t deploy)
-starboard wing flap knocked out of commission

When in need, call RedNeckRaider – 60% score!

Zone 3 Back: France (Leaving Target Zone)

2 Fw190s, 1 Me109, 1 Me110 attack – 1 Me110 driven off by enemy fighters

redneckraider fires, misses
chief4ever fires, misses
cannibal fires, kills Me109
jcroft fires, misses
over-head fires, misses

2 Fws miss, break off attack

Zone 2: English Channel

3 Me109s attack – 2 are driven off by fighters
chief4ever fires, misses
cannibal fires, misses

Me misses, breaks off attack

Zone 1: England

Good weather
Skip towne can’t manually crank down the port landing gear, and jcroft and misplaced_chiefs_fan can’t diagnose the problem from inside the plane. Big_Daddy’s challenge is that he’ll need to make a belly landing, but with one flap out he’ll either have trouble maintaining control (keeping the plane from rolling) or he’ll have to come in much faster than normal. The crew discusses bailing out and letting Fire Below fly out over the Atlantic, but Big_Daddy and Skip Towne are confident that they can make the landing. Over-head kisses his gun goodbye, and comes up and straps himself in with the waist gunners.

The runway is cleared, and Fire Below comes in about 50 percent faster than the ground crews are accustomed to seeing, flaps up and landing gear tucked away. In a crush of metal, the plane hits the runway, skipping off like a stone. It lands again the second time, and the increased friction grinds the plane to a stop quickly, albeit throwing the crew members around in the plane. The crew piles out as the fire trucks inspect the damage, but have only bumps and bruises to show for the landing. Fire Below will fly another day.

Aftereffects

None

Eligible for next mission

Pilot BIG_DADDY (4)
Copilot Skip Towne (4)
Bombardier RedNeckRaider (4)
Navigator CHIEF4EVER (4)
Engineer Jcroft (4)
Radio Op. Misplaced_Chiefs_Fan (4)
Tail Gunner Cannibal (4)
Ball Turret Gunner Over-Head (4)
Right Waist Gunner bishop_74 (4)
Left Waist Gunner CanadaKC (4)

Check out the intact crew there.