Kolkata War 1916

[maddox]

11 november 1916
Garibaldi Escadron, Haida airbase, Kolkata.

The temporary airfield is getting a tad more permanent. Brick barracks are being slowely erected by sullen local bricklayers. 2 skeletal hangars filled with spare parts and partialy disassembled aircraft.

Pilots are holding poker matches to determinate who will have the next hours of flight in one of the few aircraft still airworthy. The other aircrafts just eaten up by the mold that followed in the Monsoons wake, or were damaged by landing on the waterlogged fields.

French Merdes mingle with Italian Mama Mia's.


Suddenly, the door from the wire- and wireless shack slams open, and one of the communication specialists is jumping around in joy.

NEW PLANES, REST AND REFIT IN SAIGON  WHOHOOOO. Life looks good.

Mario, what's going on?

We get R&R in Saigon, waiting on our new planes. With the war over, our job is done, and we don't have airplanes anymore. Our commander has found us a new job as the best pilots and crews in the world. Independent Indochina asked Paris for aid in creating their own airforce, and Paris asked Rome. So, 50 new planes from the Gravelines depot are getting loaded and will arrive end januari in Saigon.

We get a to watch a brandnew airbase being build, and we're even expected to assist in the planning. And when it is build, we're going to train the new crop of little yellow pilots.

I have to admit, it sounds good.  When do we leave?

Some of us will travel in style, on the Great Liner RMS Mercury, others, mainly the chief mechanic and the communications- me- will travel in even greater, and faster luxury.  We're going by airship.

MEN, START PACKING, we want a tidy base for our replacements.


18 november, Gravelines Airbase.  Big crates are loaded on a train towards Marseilles.

18 november , Marseilles naval base.
HC 13 Kleber,HC 14 Matane, and HC 15 Minigan are being prepared for a long trip.
20 november, the 3 large, fast cruisers, after loading big crates from a train, start on a trip towards Djibouti for resupply.
Then to Tricomalee base, for the same.
And then the last leg, towards Saigon, Indochina.  


Dates changed due changed intern action or lack thereoff.Moderator approved.