Excalibur Squadron OOC Thread

[Altito Asmoro]

TK, am I allowed to join...this squadron again?

[Grenartia]

all nighter. LSJ essay. internet died. five hours to go. last real piece of homework for two weeks before finals. extra strength five-hour coursing through my veins. twenty percent of total grade. too wired to panic. too neurotic to stop editing.

Jebus.

Reminds me of the shit I was going through a couple of months back before I graduated.

[The Tiger Kingdom]

Jebus.

Reminds me of the shit I was going through a couple of months back before I graduated.

My balls literally hurt with the effort.
I'm not joking. My entire lower body feels like it's in a vise.

[Kouralia]

Hold up, is it required to go through cadet school in Britain?

Nope, but you can join the Army Cadet Force at the age of 13 (cadets in the UK means a military based youth organisation).

I'm in the CCF.

[Grenartia]

Reminds me of the shit I was going through a couple of months back before I graduated.

My balls literally hurt with the effort.
I'm not joking. My entire lower body feels like it's in a vise.

I know the feeling.

[Le-Quebec]

Almost finished with my opening post in RAF Tempsford.

It was interesting to have to calculate the time that Vegesack takes to get from Biggin Hill to Tempsford (10 min) and Excalibur to central France (1 hour) by use the whole time = speed / distance equation. I simply used Google Maps and a reference book on WWII aircraft, with the top speeds for a Mark I Spitfire and a Vickers Wellington to divide by the distance provided by Google Maps.

Tiger states that:

A total of ten aircraft were in the air, with twelve burning sky some time behind them - the Beaufighters, in case of some sort of German fighter ambush.

The first ten are obviously based at Tempsford when they took off, but what of the Beaufighters accompanying them?
See, Vegesack circles Tempsford in the Spitfire already issued to him during his time with 610 Squadron due to the tower ordering him to stand by for the task force to fully clear the airstrip before he can land. He passes the time by observing the formation, coming to the conclusion that a meager two Wellingtons isn't enough for a conventional raid on the Third Reich.

Given the fact that a skim on Google Maps shows the Tempsford airstrip(s) to be fairly small to hold a full 22 plane formation, I'll post ahead and assume that the Beaufighters are from another base.

[Morrdh]

The Beaufighters are from 604 Squadron RAF which is based at RAF Middle Wallop.

EDIT: How well do you know Britain Le-Quebec?

Just a couple of things I found a little jarring with your Tempsford post.

The Romans weren't widespread and English country roads are anything but straight, they twist and whine their way through the countryside.

Downing Street is a row of terrace townhouses rather than a manor.

[Le-Quebec]

Posted at last.

Premise: Vegesack flies to RAF Tempsford under orders to transfer over to an elite RAF Squadron of some sort -No. 319. While admiring the beautiful views of the English countryside in his Spitfire, he recalls the comments by his base commandant regarding the rarity of transfers to the aforementioned unit; the only other example being of an reportedly overtly aggressive pilot also previously based at Biggin Hill. While waiting for the tower to grant him clearance to land, Vegesack witnesses from high above what appears to be some sort of aerial formation taking off from Tempsford. . .

[Kassaran]

Posted at last.

I saw someone had posted, so I *le clicked* the view ne post button. I got priomptly slammed in the balls by the sudden wall of text that shot out of my screen. That was beautiful man, lemme tell you, it was BEAUTIFUL.

[Goram]

Posted at last.

Premise: Vegesack flies to RAF Tempsford under orders to transfer over to an elite RAF Squadron of some sort -No. 319. While admiring the beautiful views of the English countryside in his Spitfire, he recalls the comments by his base commandant regarding the rarity of transfers to the aforementioned unit; the only other example being of an reportedly overtly aggressive pilot also previously based at Biggin Hill. While waiting for the tower to grant him clearance to land, Vegesack witnesses from high above what appears to be some sort of aerial formation taking off from Tempsford. . .

Top drawer post. The only thing is, 41 Squadron (and by lieu of that, Stanford) were based out of Hornchurch, not Biggin Hill.

[Goram]

Somewhere over the Dutch and German coast

Stanford's eye was caught by a line of light that suddenly erupted from the ground, to stand directly skywards, 90 degrees from the ground. Of course, the entire crew knew exactly what it was and the call from bomb aimer, sat as he was in the nose turret, was nothing more than a formality.

Searchlight to starboard, Skip.

Came the voice, easily identifiable from Cole's thick Canadian accent. Slowly the beam of light began to move, with the mechanical predictability that only the master searchlight, with it's radar guidance, was capable of.

The master searchlight was a terror of the bomber crew, perhaps second only to the night fighters that prowled in the darkness. The device was usually a 200cm lamp, delivering over 2.7 million candle power from a 120 kilowatt generator. Guided by radar, the 200cm light could illuminate an aircraft more than 8 miles above the ground. Once a bomber was caught in it's pale blue beam, there was virtually no shaking it. Once the master locked onto a target, smaller lights would converge like sharks attracted to blood in the water. From this point, one of two things was guaranteed to happen - either flak or fighters were a certainty.

Jesus...

Someone, presumably the mid upper gunner, muttered over the intercom

They've got the poor bastard coned

The master light had been joined by perhaps a half dozen smaller pieces, all of which had ensnared an unfortunate aircraft. Despite the fact that these event's occurred almost a mile away from Stanford's aircraft, the crew of the Lancaster could plainly see the other machine. The illuminated bomber seemed to be jinking left and right, up and down, in a vain effort to save themselves from the fire that could only be seconds away. When the flak did start to come up, the outcome was almost inevitable. No one would ever be sure whether it was an 88mm or 105mm shell that claimed the bomber, but it didn't make a difference. Less than minute after the master searchlight had first picked the aircraft up, did the aircraft simply disappear in an almighty fireball as the shell, fuel, bomb load and crew went up together. Even a mile away, the burning wreckage was clearly visible to the crew of Stanford's Lancaster, as it fell like red rain on the coastline below. These, however, were not the only eyes to witness the attack.

As the bomber exploded, Hauptmann Bauer's face lit up a dull red for an instant. As the ruins of the machine fell away, he turned his eyes back towards his own quarry - a Lancaster, roughly a mile from where the RAF machine had exploded. Usually, Bauers would look to get underneath his prey and proceed to pepper the bomb bay and wing root with cannon fire. The overcast weather conditions that night offered, however, allowed for a much simpler method.

Bauer's approached the four engined machine from almost dead astern. In the darkness of the night sky, he couldn't yet see the RAF machine, but the contacts on the Junkers 88's Lichtenstein radar assured him that it was there.

"Still got him, Rudi?"

Bauer's asked his radar operator.

Yes, I've got him. 900 meters away...closing fast

Came the reply. Rudi Werner, barely a day over 19 years, was a new comer to the night fighter community. Tonight was his first night on the job and he was keen to prove himself and to avoid letting the vastly experienced Bauers down.

There he is! 11'o clock high!

An excited cry came from the final member of Hauptmann Bauers three man crew.

"I've got him...Looks like a Lancaster."

As Bauers said this, he applied back pressure to the controls causing the heavy night fighter to climb slightly to equal the Lancasters altitude. He would come at this one from dead astern, hoping the darkness would shield his presence from the rear gunner. Despite Willi's exceptional eye sight, the bomber was still hard to make out in the murk. However, the Lichtenstein would not be thrown off and the distinctive prop wash, which caused the Junkers to shake in the sky, was proof enough that the bomber was out there. As the fighter stole in closer to the bomber, more and more became visible to Bauer's eyes. There was no sign of evading tactics, but did that mean the Junkers had not been spotted or was the rear gunner trying to draw the fighter in?

"Katze One to Bremse, I have visual sighting. Attacking now."

Bauers said, broadcasting on the controllers frequency, informing those who had vectored him onto this target of his intent.

Message understood, Katze One

Came the almost robotic response.

As the heavy fighter moved closer and closer, it became apparent that the rear gunner had not seen him. Though the Lancaster was undoubtedly a well build aircraft, Bauers knew that there was very little in the world of aviation that could stand up to the three 20mm Oerlikon cannon in the nose of the Junkers. Many such aircraft would also carry 7.92mm machine guns, but Bauers eschewed these. The rifle calibre weapons, he felt, lacked the punching power needed to bring down a heavy bomber. Long ago he'd had his ground crew strip them out, in order to gain a little more speed. God knew that the unwieldy Junkers, with it's spindly radar antenna could use the boost. Now, the guns were cocked and loaded with fresh drums as Katze One moved into it's first contact of the night.

At a range of roughly 400 meters, Bauers opened fire. The tail gunner of the Lancaster never even saw the fighter until the muzzle flashes of the guns gave it's position away. Less than half a second later, the first shells impacted the bomber, before the gunner could scream a warning. The incoming fire caused shattering damage to the Lancaster. Bauer's first burst of fire went straight down the fuselage, obliterating the rear turret and killing the mid upper gunner instantly. Roughly six seconds after Bauer's and first opened fire, the tail section of the once mighty bomber had taken catastrophic damage and it now swung fearfully from side to side. The rudders were useless, by the bomber hung in the air. The second burst did for the aircraft - the port inner was completely blown off it's mounting and the port wing was wreathed in flame. The great bomber, burning as it was, fell like a stone and seconds later the tail section finally fell away.

The first Stanford knew of the attack was when he heard a frantic call on the intercom.

Oh Jesus Christ, we've been hit. We've had it Skip!

Stanford checked the controls, everything seemed fine. He heard no shooting and saw no fire, but over the intercom he could hear his crew screaming. Some way off the nose of the bomber, Stanford noticed what appeared to be a burning aircraft as it fell out of the sky. It occurred then what was happening. By a quirk of atmospherics, the burning aircraft's intercom had become entangled with the system Stanford's machine. Thus the crew could hear the dying crew as their aircraft hurtled ground wards. After a few seconds, the screaming stopped as the dying bomber fell out of range, but the noises the crew heard over those seconds would stay with them forever.

Aboard Katze One, Bauers allowed himself a second to congratulate himself and his crew on a job well done. However, he couldn't allow himself to lower his guard. The night sky was dangerous, even for a hunter, and there was yet work to do.

Concurrently

The green and red TI's that hung above Stahlstadt were reminiscent of Christmas tree lights. They were eerily beautiful, despite the devastation they were inviting. By this point, the first of the bombers were over the city. The first aircraft over the city, at roughly 9:30 PM, was flown by a Flight Sergeant Kenneth Branchley. Branchley had been a coal miner before the war, but now he was entrusted with £42,000 worth of aeroplane.

"Bomb doors open, bombs fused and selected."

Branchley said, monotonously, as he operated the instrument that controlled the hydraulic bomb doors. Now, the aircraft was in the hands of the bomb aimer who stared down at the darkened city below, passing instructions to the pilot in the form of one right or two lefts.

Left, left...left, left...steady...right...steady...

The bomb aimer chanted his ritual, coaxing the green TI that marked the far edge of the target area into the centre of his sights.

Steady...bombs gone!

The bomb aimer pressed down on the bomb release button, before checking the selector switches to make sure that all the ordinance had been dropped properly. The aircraft, now many thousand pounds lighter, jumped up roughly 500 feet before turning and heading home by the most direct route.

The bomber had been carrying a load of a single 4,000 pounder and roughly 2,000 incendiaries, carried in twelve small bomb containers. The Cookie hit the ground first, detonating on contact. It was simply Stahlstadt's bad luck that the bomb landed squarely in the courtyard of the city's biggest pumping station, which provided water for roughly 40% of the populace and, more importantly, fire hydrants. The bomb lived up to it's "blockbuster" billing, as the amatol filling completely levelled the building. Without this pumping station, the fire services of the city would find it even harder to combat the huge blazes that were certainly coming. These fires were already beginning, as Branchley's incendiary load fell over a wide area. Upon "detonation" the bomblets scattered thermite pellets, each of which would burn for roughly 10 minutes. One incendiary load, from one aircraft, was easy enough to handle. However even before Branchley's incendiaries hit the ground, had two more aircraft dropped their bombs. Thousands and thousands of incendiaries would go down on Stahlstadt tonight and eventually the small fires would combine into larger blazes. Aided by the blasting effect of the high explosive, the incendiary bombs would inevitably burn huge areas of Stahlstadt to the ground.

[Le-Quebec]

Posted at last.

Premise: Vegesack flies to RAF Tempsford under orders to transfer over to an elite RAF Squadron of some sort -No. 319. While admiring the beautiful views of the English countryside in his Spitfire, he recalls the comments by his base commandant regarding the rarity of transfers to the aforementioned unit; the only other example being of an reportedly overtly aggressive pilot also previously based at Biggin Hill. While waiting for the tower to grant him clearance to land, Vegesack witnesses from high above what appears to be some sort of aerial formation taking off from Tempsford. . .

Top drawer post. The only thing is, 41 Squadron (and by lieu of that, Stanford) were based out of Hornchurch, not Biggin Hill.

I seriously wonder how I could've missed that; I presumably got my memory mixed up, as some 141 Squadron had been operating out of Biggin Hill in an article that I've read. It's been edited however.

Posted at last.

I saw someone had posted, so I *le clicked* the view ne post button. I got promptly slammed in the balls by the sudden wall of text that shot out of my screen. That was beautiful man, lemme tell you, it was BEAUTIFUL.

Many thanks.

The question is, what's Vegesack going to do once he gets his boots on the ground? His paper orders tell him to report to 319's CO, albeit unknowingly to him, she had just left to lead an operation.

[Kouralia]

The question is, what's Vegesack going to do once he gets his boots on the ground? His paper orders tell him to report to 319's CO, albeit unknowingly to him, she had just left to lead an operation.

There's lots of fun activities to do at Tempsford!

Like... Uh... PT!

[Goram]

Top drawer post. The only thing is, 41 Squadron (and by lieu of that, Stanford) were based out of Hornchurch, not Biggin Hill.

I seriously wonder how I could've missed that; I presumably got my memory mixed up, as some 141 Squadron had been operating out of Biggin Hill in an article that I've read. It's been edited however.

Eh, don't worry about it. I'm pretty sure I mentioned Biggin Hill more than once in those one shots anyway. Just glad someone's been reading them haha

[The Two Jerseys]

The question is, what's Vegesack going to do once he gets his boots on the ground? His paper orders tell him to report to 319's CO, albeit unknowingly to him, she had just left to lead an operation.

There's lots of fun activities to do at Tempsford!

Like... Uh... PT!

When I say "one", you say "two"
When I say "Mister", you say "Magoo"

When I say "three", you say "four"
When I say "PT", you say "some more"

When I say "five", you say "six"
When I say "PT", you say "for kicks"

When I say "seven", you say "eight"
When I say "PT", you say "it's great"

When I say "nine", you say "ten"
When I say "PT", you say "again"

[Goram]

There's lots of fun activities to do at Tempsford!

Like... Uh... PT!

When I say "one", you say "two"
When I say "Mister", you say "Magoo"

When I say "three", you say "four"
When I say "PT", you say "some more"

When I say "five", you say "six"
When I say "PT", you say "for kicks"

When I say "seven", you say "eight"
When I say "PT", you say "it's great"

When I say "nine", you say "ten"
When I say "PT", you say "again"

Someone channelling their inner Drew Brees?

[Grenartia]

There's lots of fun activities to do at Tempsford!

Like... Uh... PT!

When I say "one", you say "two"
When I say "Mister", you say "Magoo"

When I say "three", you say "four"
When I say "PT", you say "some more"

When I say "five", you say "six"
When I say "PT", you say "for kicks"

When I say "seven", you say "eight"
When I say "PT", you say "it's great"

When I say "nine", you say "ten"
When I say "PT", you say "again"

Up in the mornin' to the risin' sun
Gonna run all day till the runnin's done

Adolf Hitler is a summabitch
Got the blueballs, crabs, and the seven-year itch

When I say "one", you say "two"
When I say "Mister", you say "Magoo"

When I say "three", you say "four"
When I say "PT", you say "some more"

When I say "five", you say "six"
When I say "PT", you say "for kicks"

When I say "seven", you say "eight"
When I say "PT", you say "it's great"

When I say "nine", you say "ten"
When I say "PT", you say "again"

Someone channelling their inner Drew Brees?

GEAUX SAINTS!

Sorry. I had to. Its obligatory for any mention of Breesus.

[The balkens]

Hitler: ironically the most evil man in recent history was the victim of an unfortunate but hilarious condition....

*takes off glasses*
Mono-balled.

[Goram]

Someone channelling their inner Drew Brees?

GEAUX SAINTS!

Sorry. I had to. Its obligatory for any mention of Breesus.

Matt Ryan is better.

Just kidding - Brees is probably the best pure passer in the NFL.

[Grenartia]

Hitler: ironically the most evil man in recent history was the victim of an unfortunate but hilarious condition....

*takes off glasses*
Mono-balled.

So...you want me to edit the cadence to say "blueball"?

GEAUX SAINTS!

Sorry. I had to. Its obligatory for any mention of Breesus.

Matt Ryan is better.

Just kidding - Brees is probably the best pure passer in the NFL.

Eeww... Dirty birds.

Damn straight. Gotta love Brees.

[The Tiger Kingdom]

Hitler: ironically the most evil man in recent history was the victim of an unfortunate but hilarious condition....

*takes off glasses*
Mono-balled.

So...you want me to edit the cadence to say "blueball"?

Matt Ryan is better.

Just kidding - Brees is probably the best pure passer in the NFL.

Eeww... Dirty birds.

Damn straight. Gotta love Brees.

brees is geauxing to get rolled on by the seahawks
realtalk

[Grenartia]

So...you want me to edit the cadence to say "blueball"?



Eeww... Dirty birds.

Damn straight. Gotta love Brees.

brees is geauxing to get rolled on by the seahawks
realtalk

I can't and won't deny that it will be a hard game. But I think my beloved Bless You Boys will pull it off.

[Grenartia]

brees is geauxing to get rolled on by the seahawks
realtalk

I can't and won't deny that it will be a hard game. But I think my beloved Bless You Boys will pull it off.

Also, beeteadubz, I'm holding off on working on my oneshot until after Highwire's done.

[Jamessonia]

Any news on whether I can join or not

[Len Hyet]

There's lots of fun activities to do at Tempsford!

Like... Uh... PT!

When I say "one", you say "two"
When I say "Mister", you say "Magoo"

When I say "three", you say "four"
When I say "PT", you say "some more"

When I say "five", you say "six"
When I say "PT", you say "for kicks"

When I say "seven", you say "eight"
When I say "PT", you say "it's great"

When I say "nine", you say "ten"
When I say "PT", you say "again"

When my grandma was ninety one!
She did PT just for fun!

When my grandma was ninety two!
She did PT better than you!

When my grandma was ninety three!
She did PT better than me!

When my grandma was ninety four!
She did PT more and more!

When my grandma was ninety five!
She did PT and it kept her alive!

When my grandma was ninety six!
She did PT just for kicks!

When my grandma was ninety seven!
She did PT going up to heaven!

When my grandma was ninety eight!
She did PT at the pearly gates!

When my grandma was ninety nine!
She did PT at double time!