Skies of Steel

Date: September 18th, 1940
Location: RAF Northolt, London, England
Time: 2000 Hours
Squadron: USAAF 59th Squadron

Grim silence fell upon the members of the USAAF 59th Squadron, coincidentally concurrent with the fading of the sky into darkness. Well near darkness, as a city with 8.6 million inhabitants found almost as many ways to illuminate itself at night.

"This is bad." Second Lieutenant Cristopher Heathrow spoke, "According to British Codebreakers, the Nazis are planning to Invade the United Kingdom tomorrow at 5 a.m."

"That's not good," spoke Chief Master Seargent Ash Ketchum, "The next thing you know, Hitler's going to use the United Kingdom as a springboard to invade the United States."

"We don't want that," spoke Staff Seargent Anakin Skywalker, "The only thing I hate more than getting screwed around by KKK Jackasses is the Swastika flying over the White House."

"Calm down Staff Seargent," spoke Second Lieutenant Heathrow, "We know that you don't like the Klan, but we have a mission to do."

"As you all know by now," spoke Second Lieutenant Heathrow, "The Nazis are planning to invade the United Kingdom tomorrow. Our objective is to stop them at all costs. To do this, we need to split up. I, Ketchum, and 4 others are going to assist RAF No. 65 Squadron off Brighton while Staff Seargent Skywalker and the rest are going to assist the British Home Fleet off Ramsgate."

"I'm cool with that, Sir," spoke Ash, "But where are we going?"

"We're flying over to Brighton in the south," spoke Second Lieutenant Heathrow, "Meanwhile, Staff Seargent Skywalker's flying over to Ramsgate in the east."

"Brighton?" spoke Staff Seargent Skywalker, "Why would they attack Brighton first?"

"Brighton is one of the largest seaside towns in Southern Britain," spoke Heathrow, "During the pre-war era, it served as a trading station between France and Great Britain. But since Nazi Germany controls most of France, it would make perfect sense that they would want to capture Brighton to use it as a Staging Area for invading the United States, and soon, the world as we know it."

"Really?" spoke Staff Seargent Skywalker, "What the hell am I supposed to do?"

"We've received word from RAF intelligence officers that the Germans are sending a diversion fleet to destroy an ammunition factory at Ramsgate," spoke Second Lieutenant Heathrow, "Your objective is to fend off that attack."

"I'm on it, sir," spoke Staff Seargent Skywalker, "Wheeler, Dawkins, you 3, come with me. We're flying to Ramsgate."

As Staff Seargent Skywalker and 5 other pilots got into their fighters, the rest of the pilots then went to the airfield's armory and started to suit up.

20 Minutes Later...

"Alright everybody," spoke Second Lieutenant Heathrow, "We've gone over this for months now, this is it."

The pilots then ran towards their fighters, mostly P-51 Mustangs and in Heathrow's case, a Curtiss P-65 Raider, which was a modified Curtiss P-40 Warhawk.

Before the pilots took off, Heathrow took roll call to know if anybody was missing.

"This is Reaper to all pilots," radioed Heathrow, "All wings, report in. Repeat, this is Reaper to all pilots, all wings, report in."

"Reaper, this is Thunderbolt," radioed Ash, "standing by."

"Stinger," radioed one of the pilots, "standing by."

"Bloodspike, standing by."

"Maverick, standing by."

"Merlin, standing by."

"Everybody's all here," radioed Heathrow, "Let's do this!"

The pilots then took off, but, this would be the last mission they would fly, for some.