Jim starts the day off right by asking, "Who's this?" The first mission was our standard Italian front mission. Unfortunately for the Austro-Hungarians, Graham and Jim, seen here, it was two Hansa-Brandenburg D.Is versus three Nieuport 17s flown by Jason, Chris, and Marco. |
The chaos of battle is evident in this shot taken by Joe Gurman. Everyone seems to be pointing at a different square. Joe came in mid-way through the first game, and so was forced to observe. |
Jim's pilot is hit, but luckily for him he rolls a "No Effect." His poker face gives it all away. We might as well use open damage. |
The second mission of the day also randomly turned out to be a mission on the Italian front. Three Phönix D.Is attacked an Italian balloon. The balloon exploded and Jason beat out Chris for the credit. Then, to everyone's amazement, he flew through the flaming hydrogen just to get a shot on one of the Italian SPAD XIIIs. The flames didn't get him, but Joe did. After shooting off his right wing, he fell 200' and walked away without a scratch . . . to an Italian prison camp. |
Joe plans the opening moves of game three. Flying for France, Jim piloted a Nieuport while Joe and Graham flew SPAD VIIs. |
A remark was made that no one could predict Jason's moves before they happened, even Jason. Here, Graham the Magnificent tries to read Jason's mind but ends up, in his own words, "drawing a blank." |
In order to keep things moving, everyone helps Jim make his move, even Jason who was flying for Germany against Jim. Jason flew a LVG C.V and Chris a DFW C.V on their way home from a photo reconnaissance mission while Marco escorted them in a Pfalz D.IIIa. |
Jim declares, "I am the weakest link!" Easily distracted, Graham proposes a new Mid-Atlantic Squadron rule, anyone who talks to Jim while he's moving has to add a pip to his next initiative roll. The motion was carried unanimously. |
Joe is the first to violate the new rule and speaks to Jim while he's moving. The referee tossed a yellow flag: "Delay of Game, Joe Gurman, add one pip." |
In the fourth mission, Graham, Chris, and Jim flew Sopwith Camels (140 hp) against two Pfalz D.IIIas (Joe and Jason) and a Pfalz D.XII (Marco). In his first turn, Chris makes his move using lots of rotary rights, "just because we can." |
Despite being in Camels against Pfalzes, Chris still has to have Graham check his critical hit rolls. |
In the only Allied casualty of the day, Jason rolled snake-eyes on a pilot chance on Jim. Jason is quite happy with himself as a result. Behind him, Joe immortalized Jim's poker face at the moment of the roll. |
This shot was taken at the same time as the last one, showing Jim's look of disbelief when he rolled a critical wound on his pilot, followed shortly afterwards by the pilot passing out and falling out of control the 2,400' to the ground. |
Jim and Marco left after mission four, but the four that remained played one last mission, Graham and Joe in Camels (150 hp) against Chris in a Rumpler and Jason escorting him in a Pfalz D.IIIa. |
Chris dove his Rumpler through the clouds to take his photos, and Jason, Chris' escort, followed the following turn. |
Joe spent the most of the mission trying to unjam his guns, and Graham didn't do much better. Graham managed to get one shot off on the Rumpler before Chris completed the mission and escaped into the clouds. |
In this final timeless shot, we see Chris, taking a quick nap while he waits for Jim to complete his turn from one of the earlier missions.
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In the end, it appeared that Graham Cox was the day's big winner with two kills and no pilots lost: Graham Cox - two victories (forced Jim's Phönix D.I to land and shot down Chris' DFW C.V), not shot down Jason Stubbs - two victories (Italian balloon and Jim's Camel), one pilot captured Joe Gurman - one victory (Jason's Austrian Phönix D.I), forced to land once Chris Janiec - one victory (Joe's Pfalz D.IIIa), one pilot killed Marco Fabiani - no victories, not shot down Jim Barber - no victories, one pilot captured, one pilot killed |
