“Close formation, and keep it close all the way out. We’re headed for emergency work below the Thames estuary. Junkers Ju 87’s for breakfast.”
The Spitfires closed in and roared away, gaining altitude as they bored into the early morning light. In a very short time the twisting streets, the masses of little squares that were blocks of buildings faded away below them. Allison took them up above the fleecy clouds and into the great, high-piled formations.
“Ought to find them sneaking around up here,” he drawled.
Stan looked out upon the mountains of clouds and the patches of blue sky. The Junkers Ju 87’s were dive bombers, popularly known as Stukas, and their presence meant a raid upon shipping.
“Red Flight, keep west by south. Red Flight, keep west by south.” It was the control room at the field sending them directions from the big room with the table which had a huge map spread on it. On that map were toy planes which the watchers shoved about with wooden rakes.
Ahead, Allison broke out of the feathery edge of a cloud into a great valley of clear blue. Stan sliced through the cloud close beside him. Garret was trailing a little now.
“Three Stukas cruising, four points right,” Allison grated. “Three Stukas. Don’t let one of them get away or he’ll come back again.”
Instantly the Spitfires broke formation and Allison went plummeting down, his Merlin roaring wide open. His twisting flight was an amazing show of cold skill. Stan peeled off and shot after him. He was sure Allison had picked the Stuka on the right so he took the one on the left, leaving the center bomber for Garret, who wasn’t getting in as fast as he should.
“Easy, a cinch!” Allison’s voice roared out of Stan’s headset. “Here’s one for Tommy.”
Stan saw his Spitfire lay over on her side and slice down upon the Stuka, her eight Brownings drilling flame and lead. The startled crew of the bomber immediately came to life. They had been craning their necks, looking for slow crawling freighters headed into port. They sent the Stuka into a nose dive, spewing bombs to lighten their load, but they were not fast enough. Stan saw the right wing of the big raider rise, then whirl away. The Stuka spun out of the square space in his windscreen doing grotesque loops.