1275psi -> RE: Letters from a Prime Minister (12/29/2015 8:56:16 AM)
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24/2 There are flurries of snow blowing across the field as Ensign Gray sloshes his way across the mud that masquerades as Prince Ruperts airfield. The squadron commanders words still ring in his brain. "Even if you are the last one left, I want you to go in, and score a hit" Ensign gray. Ninteen years old. A dive bomber pilot who has never dived a bomber...... They gather about the bombers, look at the grey skies, feel the breeze. The bombers, a dozen of them, are almost as new as their pilots. Gray has just 6 hours in the Dauntless DB2. He is young, he will manage, barely think of the challenge of even getting this beast away from the mud. Everything is concentrated on what might happen out there.......over those grey seas, under the grey clouds Last smokes, hand shakes. The clatter of gear as the men climb aboard Deep breathes, condensation whipped away by the breeze Engine start, and now all too busy to think. Now, now just do The wildcats go first, comforting numbers, nearly thirty strong. Then the vindicators......breath held from a hundred places as they drag their sorry arses into the air. A last look. Fumbles with controls, another breath, throttle on, bouncing, sloshing, another bounce, swaying, bellowing, ground rushing, the fence coming up fast, arse almost puckering as it slides barely clear below. A left bank. And into the grey. 13000 feet Bloody freezing. They wind a curving way through the clouds, and quickly lose 4 of their number....... But those 4 apparently find the carriers. Radios cackle, buzz, voices excited, now worried, ZEROS!........and suddenly silenced The dauntless fly on, lost in a world of grey. And they burst into clear skies, blue seas, shining sun. The front behind them. Japanese carriers. The mythical, untouchable, rumoured Car Div 5, 2 big fat buggars, another smaller one, all of them already curving great white wakes , beginning to do the dance. "Even if you are the last one left, I want you to go in, and score a hit" There is no time to be scared, already the wildcats are peeling away.... Shadows above, cruciform, red bloody meatballs, diving in, tracer spitting Rear gunner busy, the chatter of his guns, yelling in the headphones, indecipherable.....everything concentrated on that big barsted ahead. The wildcats fight well. About him, fighters swirling, flash past, hammer on the port wing,, overcorrection, wobble Curse The crack of AA about them, bombers falling, friends dieing. And suddenly, there are only 4 left. Shokakau right below. Stick forward, NOT TOO FAR!.......the plummet The dauntless forgives him. It dives Straight True Its wings even stay on as he pulls her far too savagely away, bomb screaming down Down Down Into the deep blue sea 20 metres from the carriers great flank. 10 wildcats lost 8 dive bombers lost 4 near misses A message , however , sent.
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