'Biggles and the Black Ravens' Scenario

 

I have just finished writing the penultimate scenario for the Algernon Pulls It Off! Jasta 18 project, which is one I initially rejected as being too similar to an earlier scenario. This one features the crew of No.55 Squadron, Independent Air Force, battling the pilots of  Jasta 18 amongst others, on a return flight from a bombing raid on Thionville in August 1918. There are a number of differences to the earlier scenario in the set up, most notably the lack of a formation and randomised battle damage for the Airco DH4 bombers, which make it a challenging game for the British but equally, far from a push over for the Germans. 

The scenario title comes from the interesting side note that 2nd Lt.W.E.Johns, author of the famous 'Biggles' stories, was not on the raid but might well have been, had he been assigned to the mission:

"The previous evening I was one of a poker school of six. By lunch time the next day I was the only survivor, and that because I wasn't on the show. 

Bell took a formation of six machines over and came back alone after fighting twenty-seven EA for the best part of an hour. Dowswell brought his machine back over the lines, but force-landed at Pont St Vincent. Gompertz was his gunner. He got two EA, but what a mess he was in when the tender brought him home! 

This was due to the fact that Dowswell had an aileron shot off and could only fly dead straight. Gompertz's Sidcot hung on him in ribbons; it had literally been shot off his back....one bullet only hit him in the shoulder. He didn't seem in the least upset. He just sat in the door of his hut, with the rags still hanging on him, and laughed." 

When Bell climbed from his solitary and shattered DH4 back at Azelot, he faced Major Gray. It was a grim exchange between two 'men of few words'. "Where are the others?" "They are all gone." Bell had a bullet score across the top of his flying helmet. The little top button had vanished''