[Airhog]

2/20/1944 Unexpected Results

This mission is pretty routine to begin. We run into some moderate fighter pressure over france. They manage to ding up both cloudsplitter and tommyknocker. Both planes are forced to turn around and head back to base. Amidst fending of fighters, we drop our bombs and tear most of the target up. We turn back to england and make it through our final flak zone. We start across the channel, when Stormbringer radios in with problems. His number 1 engine was out, and now his number 4 engine is out. He feathers both engines, and continues home. We near the coast of england, and he drops out of formation. He starts to slowly lose altitude. Black smoke starts to pour from his engines. Rather then risk bailing out into the cold english channel, he decides to risk making it back to england. He finally makes it back over the coast and is about 1500 feet in the air. more complications arise though, his number 3 engine catches on fire. The engine sputters and they start to head towards the ground rapidly. The pilot makes a valiant effor to save the plane, and manages to get the nose up. However it does little good as they are falling to fast. They hit the ground and the plane catches on fire. We fly home, and learn that all of the men still alive when the plane crashed were most likely killed instantly.