Opening Moves

A matter-of-fact statement in his ear told him that one of his group, Radowski, had three contacts in the air space above, joined by an eager French-Louisianan voice confirming that the third Northrop also had acquired and was attacking.

Lassiter slowed his airplane with perforated air brakes, part of the modification they wished to keep secret, but still he found he was gaining on what was in front of him.

Making the decision to keep back, he manoeuvered ‘Reaper’ in a lazy circle as he let his comrades do their work.

He was facing directly away from the group he had discovered when his gunner informed him of a kill.

Completing his turn, he was able to watch the night sky dissected by an orange line, marking the death plunge of an aircraft.

Within a second, another similar line started, almost prescribing a fiery cross in the sky, but terminated early as the aircraft exploded before reaching the ground. The first aircraft had buried itself into the hallowed soil of the Friedhof Perlach, killing the gravedigger preparing for the following days business.

“Antoinette has a confirmed kill”, Lebel transmitted, his Cajun voice betraying his excitement at a first ever shoot down.

“Scratch one for Warsaw, on number three” the New York Pole’s voice clinical as ever when killing enemies of his country, particularly those who had betrayed and violated her in 1939.

Going round once more, Reaper’s pilot again missed the death of an enemy and this time there was no streak of flame to mark its death, just the toneless Radowski claiming his second kill for his aircraft “Warsaw’s Revenge”, named for his home City and his general outlook in war.

Now that was over, Lassiter could do his work.

The loss of two of her top cover fighters disturbed Major Ludmilla Perkova, leader of tonight’s mission. She was a Hero of the Soviet Union, as were two others in the air with her that night, and you did not get the award for being timid. She was disturbed because no night fighters had been encountered before and her cover was reduced from three to one in as many seconds.

Ordering her regiment to be vigilant, she began her run in on the target, the Forstenneder Park, where a tented city was springing up and growing daily.

As per the usual tactics, distance between aircraft was important, especially as on the run-in the engine was turned off to glide, creating a soft whooshing sound, which was all that normally betrayed the presence of death in the sky above.

Perkova reached for the engine switch and died in the same instant, a burst of 20mm cannon shells ripping through her position and exploding, destroying her completely and killing her navigator outright.

The following PO-2’s saw only the briefest flare from the night-fighters guns but realised that something was very wrong.

Taking over, Perkova’s next senior officer dived her aircraft, trading height for safety, and failing.

The Black Widow, flying as slow as Lassiter dared, curved lazily round onto the biplanes tail. The navigator saw or sensed the approaching shape and fired her ShKas machine-gun, the tracer merely giving a more accurate steer-in for Lassiter. Despite this, he missed with a small burst but Washington the gunner, controlling the quad .50cal remote turret, did remarkably better. Heavy bullets killed both aircrew messily, and inflicted structural damage, causing the airframe to disintegrate.

Circling lazily around once more, ‘Reaper’ was confronted with an enemy regiment in seeming panic, aircraft splitting in all directions and diving for safety. The Night Witches were doing as they were trained, two even deciding to press on with their attack. Lassiter focused on these two and ordered his other aircraft to concentrate on those attempting to escape.

Acknowledgements from the others followed but he still felt the need to remind them of the air safety zone and how close they were going to go to it. Friendly Flak isn’t friendly, a maxim for pilots the world over.

The rearmost PO-2 seemed on autopilot, almost stationary, not attempting to sideslip or do anything to avoid the pursuer. This was the regiment’s junior pilot whose bravery in pressing on was not matched by either her composure or her flying skill under pressure.

Concentrating hard, Lassiter managed to register radio calls recording success for both his fellow Northrop’s, all the time trying not to stall as he gained on his quarry.

The PO-2 died and this time there was no swift death for her occupants. Both crew were hit but not killed, both wounded but conscious, they rode their burning craft into the ground, mercifully ending their ordeal.

Seeing the last one directly in his sights he pulled the trigger once more and was greeted with nothing more than silence, as the weapons were empty or jammed.

Cursing he swung lazily by the PO-2, encouraging his gunner to take a shot on the way past.