I don my flight gear, and head out to the hanger, I see the flight line has my F4U-C prepped and ready to roll, the flight
sergeant helps me strap in, I push the starter button and listen as the big Pratt and Whitney begins to turn over, the engine pants a few times, then catches. The sound builds to a roar as the engine revs up to idle speed.
I run the throttle up and back a few times to check for sticking, then move the flight controls through full movement.
I give the line chief a thumbs up and signal to pull chocks, he clears me for taxi, and I head for the end of the runway, the tower clears me for immediate take-off.
I scan the instruments one last time, run the throttle up to MILITARY and release the brakes.
Applying heavy right rudder to keep the "Ensign Eliminator" lined up, I roll forward, building speed until I am applying forward stick to keep her nose down. Swiftly I release the forward pressure, and my F4U-C leaps into the air.
Tonight is a simple CAP/JABO mission. No real target, just a "hunter/killer" sortie to locate and neutralize any enemy contacts.
I begin a gradual climb to Angels 10, on a course towards VXX, hoping to locate a enemy ground vehicle. However, I rhythmically scan the horizon for bandits.
As I level out, I arm my two 500 pound GP bombs.
Approaching VXX, I spot a fellow Bishop
already strafing a Half-track M16, with it's quad .50 cal machine-guns pointed wickedly into the air.
I dive in and drop a single 500 pounder on the enemy, but I miss with the egg. At this point I decide to arm my four 20 mm cannon and see if I can do better.
A shallow climb out into a Chandelle, results in my plane being pointed back at the target, one notch flaps, WEP off, I begin my second pass, as I close with the Halftrack, I can
clearly see his quad .50's lighting up my countryman, but I recognize that this gives me a free shot. I lightly squeeze my triggers, and am rewarded with strikes on the target, which soon turns to flying debris, he can't take the concentrated stream of death raining down on him and soon dies in a fiery
explosion.
Unfortunately, I am credited with only an assist.
Climbing again, I circle back to VXX and fire my rockets at the ack, then drop my last 500 pound bomb, all for nothing as I do not score on the AAA.
About this time I hear my Squadron CO stating he is making runs on a Panzer not far from my position, and is wondering aloud if his single 20 mm cannon can kill this heavily armored beast.
I call out on the radio that I am on my way to assist, all the while he is taking fire from the enemy on his passes. I engage WEP and scream over to his location, where upon I spot the offending mud monkey.
Nose up into a slight climb, I attempt to peer around the instrument panel to keep a eye on the tank, when I feel my distance is about right; I nose over and lay into the Panzer; a quad 20 mm cannon, buzzsaw-like, feeding frenzy.
Of course HBlair is not sitting still during this time, he too has turned and began another strafing run on the ground grouper.
My first pass shows no apparent result, so I aim my plane into the sun as to blind the Panzer and again come around in a flat turn leveling out for a run.
Completing my second strafe, it too seems to have had little or no effect on the land lackey.
But I refuse to give up as long as my CO and wing man is making attacks on this leviathan.
Engaging a lazy spiral climb, I wing over for my third pass and decide to bore straight in. My cannons blazing, I see the hits scoring, I think to myself "How much can this Pansy
take?"
Suddenly I am rewarded with a huge fireball as the enema's gas tank ignites!
YES! We've done it, killed the Patsy before he could reach our lines and inflict heavy casualties to our forces.
Looking at my panel, I realize I am BINGO, with a quarter tank of AVGAS and only 70 rounds of cannon left, I state to HBlair
that I'm bugging out with 1.5 scalps to my credit.
The return trip is uneventful, landing at my airfield I dismount my trusty steed, step off the wing and stand next to it, I look up and scan the skies.
Today we were ASSASSINS, but what will tomorrow bring?
<SALUTE>
------------------
MILENKO Homepage<===THE ASSASSINS===>Webpage milnko@warbirds.org •CyberPilots have BIGGER Joysticks•
««You can kill me, Can't ya?»»
