Don McCalmon and Jim Barber try to figure out the details of the morning's first mission, an Italian front mission, which was to bomb an airfield.  Jim flew a Pomilio PE while Don flew cover in a SPAD S.VII.  Carl Fritz and I flew Öffag D.III series 153s to defend our field deep inside Austria.

Jim wasn't aware that his Pomilio loaded with bombs was a two-seater, despite having to add a pip to his initiative.  His sleeping observer nearly passed up a shot at Carl's Öffag.  His train of thought derailed, he messed up his first turn on the bomb run and realized he wouldn't be in position to drop his bombs on the second turn either.

Don checks his crits after Carl mails in 3 hf from 400'.

Jim's bombs missed the field, but both he and his escort managed to escape back to Italy.

The second mission was another complicated one in which Don and I, in a D.F.W. C.V and a Hannover CL.IIIa respectively, were to fly a contact patrol behind enemy lines.  Jim and Carl were flying Sopwith 5F.1 Dolphins, so Don and I both made for the clouds to at least survive part of the mission.  Here, Carl watches as Jim counts out squares hoping to determine where Don and I will emerge from the clouds.

Don shows the audience his card while Jim tries to perform a card trick by guessing what card Don chose.  Don later declares, "This mission is cursed," when his observer is killed by Carl, followed by his pilot receiving a light wound from the same Dolphin.  With my interrupter gear hit from ground fire I was unable to assist Don and so finished the mission and made for home with my report.  Unfortunately, the mission was cursed for Don, he and his dead observer were shot down when Carl shot out the controls at extremely low altitude. 

The third mission involved a German visual recon mission on their way home, with Carl flying a Rumpler and Jim flying cover in a 160-hp Fokker D.VII.  Carl removed his specs to study the damage he took in turn four when Don and I in S.E.5as crushed him with 10 hf, forcing him to declare his intent to escape.

Jim was getting punchy by this point.  Carl had successfully escaped thanks in part to Jim's third turn hit on me causing compression loss, hampering the Brits' abilities to box him in.  Don didn't give up the fight, however, and Jim remarked, "He's gonna be all over me."

Carl works out his own problems as he checks to see if he managed to set his Rumpler down.

Don knows the battle is over when he loses initiative and his wingman can not get into position to fire on the fleeing Fokker.

Jim studies the board one last time as he plots out his final move which allowed him to escape and return home, a minute and a half behind his battered Rumpler.

In all, it appeared that Carl Fritz was the day's champion, being the only one to score a single victory:

Carl Fritz - one victory (Don's D.F.W. C.V), not shot down, escaped once

Jim Barber - no victories, not shot down, escaped once

Marco Fabiani - no victories, not shot down, escaped twice

Don McCalmon - no victories, one two-seater crew killed, escaped once