Carrick - Don't worry dear boy, Fienvillers is a long way away from the Marine Jastas to the far north. Cecil may get company though in the shape of 43 squadron commanded by a familiar toothy grin. As for Cecil, I'm glad to see the claim was finally approved but it's tough going for 54 at the moment it seems. All he can do is stay alive and keep shooting them down.

NR - Those scramble missions normally provide a lot of targets, but what they don't provide is easy meat. Once they start to evade it's very hard staying directly behind them and not getting a face full of bullets. I'd be thankful it's the aircraft taking the punishment rather than Baptiste's backside, even if it is the wiring being hit....as long as he can get back down of course, which he did thankfully. Then a 'routine' railyard hit and Baptiste employed some innovative tactics, not ones you find in the pages of the training manual, but then how many of those who wrote it had to place their arses in so much danger day after day. As for Sigmund, yes he's definitely no glory hunter. He's not some stupid indoctrinated child, he knows the war's not going swimmingly and the omens are not good but what is a man to do? All he can do....his bit.

Fullofit - Another mechanical washout for Klaus even if it was softened with the sweet taste of a confirmed Breguet. Roll on tomorrow. As for Sigmund, the DVII is such a lovely crate to fly he's finding getting the better of these Camels far easier than it would have been in an Albatros. Those short sighted Allies who wrote up the treaty of Versailles and banned production of the DVIIs. They should have said build 1000's, but for us.

Raine - The EV is maneuverable certainly but it's got the same engine as the Dr1, so just about every Entente scout in 1918 is faster than it. If it had a more powerful engine, maybe giving it another 20mph, then you've potentially got a game changer.


Fergie had some tough outings over the period it seems. He's got a good relationship going with Buckingham which is crucial and just as importantly he seems to be a good shot. Congratulations on the confirmed kill even if the second couldn't be seen. So Drummond is now the top scorer at the squadron, how different from the suspicions and sly looks when he first turned up. Good show. As for Sigmund, yes he got out in time. What did they expect would happen leaving thousands of men couped up for years? The whole thing was ripe for dissention and indoctrination by those intent on rebellion. He's a pilot now and finally feels he's being allowed to express himself in this war.

"A great deal of an aeroplane could be holed without affecting its ability to fly. Wings and fuselage could be—and often were—pierced in 50 places, missing the occupants by inches (blissfully unaware of how close it had come until they returned to base). Then the sailmaker would carefully cover each hole with a square inch of Irish linen frayed at the edges and with a brushful of dope make our aircraft 'serviceable' again within an hour."