It was overcast over A32 when I fired up the engine in my P51D. The ground crew, after loading the ordinance, had just finished writing a little message "From Bishland with love" to the Rooks on one of the 1000 lbers. Chief gave me the thumbs up and I was rolling.
The flight plan I logged would take me north along the coastline line and then up to A46, a newly aquired airbase. From there the plan was to pork the fuel at A51 to relieve some of the pressure off our defenders at A46. While grapping alt , out of A32, I grabbed a Blue Moon beer from the fridge I had installed under my seat and enjoyed the peace and quiet I knew wouldn't last.
I entered A46 airspace at 18k with the humm of the engine, and a little buzz in my head going nicely. I could see that there was a fierce fight in progress over the field.
An enemy 262 was below me! Moving quickly with a countrymen behind him. Suddenly, the 262 turned straight up going higher and higher. It was obvious he was trying to rope my brave countrymen into following, only to reach the pinnacle of his E and than turn on him.
I watched in amazement as the jet plane just hung there in the air. Not in amazement of the manuever, but of the situation he had just put himself in. The 262 placed himself 800 yards directly in front of me! It just stayed there perfectly in my gun sights.
I licked my lips.
A few months ago, while frequenting one of the local pubs during R&R, I was working on the last mile of a 12 beer marathon when a beautiful local gal caught my eye. She gave me a wink and a smile and than walked off. I must have spent 30 minutes looking for her but to no avail. Then another one, even better looking, sauntered up to me and ask if I wanted to go to breakfast with her and some friends. Now, looking back, I realize that a bird in the hand is worth more than 2 in the bush, but with 11 bruskees in me my depth perseption was a little off. My training dictated the response "Sure!" That's all. What came out was "well, actually, I'm looking for this girl that I saw a while ago and I haven't found her yet" :-( I definately blew that one.
But not this time.
I took a quick glance down to make sure I had all guns selected, press the trigger and blew that rocket jockey straight to hell in a hand basket. It was all over in an instant.
Then the universal radio crackled with someone named GFISHMAN in a heavy rookland accent asking me "Where did you come from?" I responded to the fallen rook with as much humility as the situation required "Where the women can make expert trombone players blush and the men leave the leather underwear in the bedroom, you sick rook bastard!"
The radio crackled into silence.
At this time I had thought about landing this trophy and calling it Blue Moon time, but I remembered that my ground crew was counting on me to deliver a personal message to the rooks.
I flew on.
It's only a short jaunt over the A51 and while licking my chops over the enemy base, I picked out the best approach route for my special delivery message. Diving down with bombs selected, I pickled 2 over the fuel depots in my path. Flame lept in the air as both depots went up. Direct hits! I used my remaining E to gain alt and head home.
It was a good day.
I had just cracked open my last Mooner when I spotted an enemy 163 closing fast on a countryman below me and 5k off. "Check 6! 163 on ya BIGSKY!" I screamed over the radio. He didnt' seem to move and in an instant I knew why. He was closing on ANOTHER enemy 163 and must have thought I was talking about THAT one.
I knew what I had to do.
I kicked in my WEP and dove down to help BIGSKY. "There's 2 of them BIGSKY" I yelled over the airwaves.
In the next few minutes, we danced with not 1 but 2 devils in the air. They were working together to bring down BIGSKY when I managed to place myself right over one of the winged furies and dove for a desperate shot. A bright flash appeared and when my eyes focused again, the plane was gone and the other 163 was bugging out.
Again the radio crackled with the now very familiar voice of GFISHMAN saying "I really hate these gangbangs" and then he faded into silence forever.
