Volume 37, Number 6
Rick Gets 1st Career Triple Ace
October 18 Game Report
Three players gathered for gaming in Lewisville, Indiana on October 18th and ran a series of short balloon missions while awaiting the arrival of Dory to complete the quorum.
Game 1 featured Stephen's 275 hp Bristol crew defending a British balloon against Ethan's Albatros DVa and Rick's Fokker DrI. On the first turn the Bristol was able to position for a 150 side shot on Rick while the observer took at 200 foot head-on shot at Ethan, whose engine instantly stopped after a 5% critical hit cut his fuel lines low over enemy lines. The DVa managed a landing on a nearby road but Ethan's 2-mission pilot, Schnookie Pootzie Durtzenwald (Ethan insists it is a genuine German name meaning "Cutie Pie in the Forest") was captured for the duration.
Rick's DrI pummeled the balloon for 11 hits but was forced to break off and escape when the gasbag was just 150 off the ground.
Rick Gets 1st Career Triple Ace
October 18 Game Report
Three players gathered for gaming in Lewisville, Indiana on October 18th and ran a series of short balloon missions while awaiting the arrival of Dory to complete the quorum.
Game 1 featured Stephen's 275 hp Bristol crew defending a British balloon against Ethan's Albatros DVa and Rick's Fokker DrI. On the first turn the Bristol was able to position for a 150 side shot on Rick while the observer took at 200 foot head-on shot at Ethan, whose engine instantly stopped after a 5% critical hit cut his fuel lines low over enemy lines. The DVa managed a landing on a nearby road but Ethan's 2-mission pilot, Schnookie Pootzie Durtzenwald (Ethan insists it is a genuine German name meaning "Cutie Pie in the Forest") was captured for the duration.
Rick's DrI pummeled the balloon for 11 hits but was forced to break off and escape when the gasbag was just 150 off the ground.
Game 2 - The French SPAD XIII of Rick's final 4-for-4 Centennial pilot teamed up with Stephen's 8-mission Breguet crew to attack a German balloon defended by Ethan's Halberstadt CLIV. The French flight downed the balloon despite Ethan's observer sustaining a light wound from Rick's SPAD pilot during the exchange. Stephen's Breguet was under heavy AA fire and sustained an engine critical that reduced his speed. He managed to make it to a forward field in French lines but Ethan's Halberstadt crew was belatedly credited with a victory nonetheless.
Game 3 - Still awaiting word from Dory, who was not feeling well, the trio began a third mission with Stephen and Ethan in Pfalz DIIIa's attacking a pair of Allied balloons defended by Rick's successful SE 5a pilot, LT Percival Stuart (36/9).
The Germans overwhelmed the first balloon and flamed it easily. Spurred by success, Ethan then made a lone assault on the second balloon only to take 6 head-on hits from AA fire and miss, then receive an oil leak critical hit in the engine.
Things went downhill quickly for the Germans from here. AA fire from the first balloon fired from over 1,000 feet away and hit Stephen's Pfalz, its engine bursting into flames. While he sideslipped down to certain captivity, the engine of Ethan's Pfalz seized and he glided to a crashlanding in the advanced German trenches. His pilot was killed in the crash and the credit went to Rick's SE pilot, who had fired on him the previous turn. Stephen managed to extinguish the engine bay fire that he'd been fighting and limp home, earning credit for the first balloon.
Rick's SE 5 pilot, LT Percival Stuart, logged his 36th mission with 9 kills, setting a landmark in Rick's Dawn Patrol career as his first triple ace/experience pilot. At this point Dory called and said she would be unable to join us, so we called it an evening and quit.
Game 3 - Still awaiting word from Dory, who was not feeling well, the trio began a third mission with Stephen and Ethan in Pfalz DIIIa's attacking a pair of Allied balloons defended by Rick's successful SE 5a pilot, LT Percival Stuart (36/9).
The Germans overwhelmed the first balloon and flamed it easily. Spurred by success, Ethan then made a lone assault on the second balloon only to take 6 head-on hits from AA fire and miss, then receive an oil leak critical hit in the engine.
Things went downhill quickly for the Germans from here. AA fire from the first balloon fired from over 1,000 feet away and hit Stephen's Pfalz, its engine bursting into flames. While he sideslipped down to certain captivity, the engine of Ethan's Pfalz seized and he glided to a crashlanding in the advanced German trenches. His pilot was killed in the crash and the credit went to Rick's SE pilot, who had fired on him the previous turn. Stephen managed to extinguish the engine bay fire that he'd been fighting and limp home, earning credit for the first balloon.
Rick's SE 5 pilot, LT Percival Stuart, logged his 36th mission with 9 kills, setting a landmark in Rick's Dawn Patrol career as his first triple ace/experience pilot. At this point Dory called and said she would be unable to join us, so we called it an evening and quit.
Armistice Day Preview
The Indy Squadron's 37th annual Armistice Day Fits Tournament is scheduled for Saturday, November 8, 2025 in Lewisville, Indiana at 12 noon. Everyone is invited; please see the eligibility rules detailed here.
This year's Victory Medal is made from a recycled Navy Good Conduct Medal from the 1990s, complete with the event engraved on the reverse. The cool thing about this year's medal is that it comes in the original envelope and backing that accompanied it when it was newly issued in 1997. We've never had one like that before so this will be fun. The packaging is 28 years old... the same year that Scott Jones, Dory Oda, Stephen Skinner, Graham Shepfer and Scott Campbell played for the title at the Indiana War Memorial on November 8, 1997.
We're expecting a good crowd for this year's Armistice Day event, so make plans to join us and compete for the Indy Squadron's highest honor!
Vintage Film: German Rumpler C1
The Indy Squadron's 37th annual Armistice Day Fits Tournament is scheduled for Saturday, November 8, 2025 in Lewisville, Indiana at 12 noon. Everyone is invited; please see the eligibility rules detailed here.
This year's Victory Medal is made from a recycled Navy Good Conduct Medal from the 1990s, complete with the event engraved on the reverse. The cool thing about this year's medal is that it comes in the original envelope and backing that accompanied it when it was newly issued in 1997. We've never had one like that before so this will be fun. The packaging is 28 years old... the same year that Scott Jones, Dory Oda, Stephen Skinner, Graham Shepfer and Scott Campbell played for the title at the Indiana War Memorial on November 8, 1997.
We're expecting a good crowd for this year's Armistice Day event, so make plans to join us and compete for the Indy Squadron's highest honor!
Vintage Film: German Rumpler C1
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