Mission 8 - OTT, The Final Months - Assault and Battery - August 8th 1918 - by 7eat51
Background
By the spring of 1918, the nature of ground warfare on the Western Front had undergone an evolution in terms of tactics and composition. Both sides had learned costly lessons from previous battles, the Germans were able to transition forces from the Eastern to the Western Front, the United States had a growing presence in the War, and artillery had a place at center-stage.
During 1918, one of the functions served by the various Air Forces was artillery-adjustment observation. Pilots communicated with receiving stations that, in turn, transmitted information concerning shelling accuracy to associated artillery batteries. There were several means by which pilots communicated to those on the ground: radios, projectors, dropped messages, signal lights, etc.
Airplanes averaged three-hour observation assignments. Atmospheric conditions and combat with the enemy could interrupt observation duties, so it was imperative that artillery fire was made as quickly as possible upon receipt of observation information. Ideally, the plane that initially identified an objective should have been the one to observe the subsequent artillery fire and to report any necessary adjustments.
Artillery-adjustment observation missions often followed a multi-step process. First, planes would locate enemy batteries and other key objectives. Second, they would relay information for fire adjustment on said targets. Third, the planes would perform reconnaissance and photography as to the effectiveness and result of the artillery barrages.
During September 1918, multi-national forces, under the command of General Pershing, prepared for an offensive stretching from the Meuse River to the Argonne Forest. In addition to the aforementioned duties of artillery-adjustment observation, Colonel William Mitchell, Chief of Air Service, issued a supplementary plan on September 23rd containing the following excerpt:
Army Artillery Aviation and Army Corps Aviation. Their employment will be governed by the plans of employment of
the Army Artillery or of the Army corps.
These airplanes will have to protect themselves to some extent from hostile machines which have broken through our Pursuit Aviation.
Army Artillery and Army Corps airplanes should avail themselves of every favorable opportunity to attack enemy troops on the ground, when it does not interfere with their general mission.
The OTT scenario at hand concerns such an artillery-adjustment observation mission. You will dispatch four planes, either scouts, two-seaters, or a combination thereof. You will identify targets, observe off-board artillery barrages, relay adjustment information, and perform reconnaissance effects. The enemy will attempt to thwart your mission with three intercepting planes.
During this mission, you will operate under a couple of general rules. First, assume your aircraft is capable of using one of the communication methods mentioned above. Second, in the directions you will see that there are times when you will make an observation, and then have to fly a number of maneuvers before making a subsequent observation. This is to simulate the delay between an observation and associated artillery fire. Third, you must primarily engage in observational work and not fighting enemy interceptors. The reason for this is that a battle is ensuing, and your role is in support of artillery and ground troops. They are acting simultaneously with you, and so you must evade combat as much as possible to relay information as quickly as possible.
Setup
Using two game mats, or a similar dimensioned playing surface, position three enemy artillery batteries as follows:
- Two batteries 1-ruler length in from the top and bottom edges of the “enemy’s” mat, and the rear of the card is ˝ ruler from the border between the two mats, i.e. fairly close to where the two mats meet.
- One battery 1-ruler length in from the rear edge of the “enemy’s” mat, centered.
- Place your aircraft within 1-ruler length of your entrance edge. Once you have placed your aircraft, roll a 6-sided die separately for each of the enemy’s three aircraft. A roll of 1-2 means that the given plane enters in the top 1/3 of the enemy’s entrance edge; a roll of 3-4 means the given plane enters in the middle 1/3 of the enemy’s entrance edge; a roll of 5-6 means the given plane enters in the bottom 1/3 of the enemy’s entrance edge; the three sectors are represented in the drawing by the hash marks extending in from the enemy’s entrance edge.
Mission Directives
[/LIST]Identify Targets: You must fly within 1-ruler length of a target to make the observation and relay the information. This is a two-manuever step - the first maneuver is the observation, the second maneuver is the relay of information. The two maneuvers need not be consecutive, but both maneuvers must be free from combat with an enemy aircraft.
Observe Offboard Artillery: Three maneuvers after you have relayed target identification information, the enemy battery will be fired upon by offboard artillery, after which you can make an observation and relay associated information. As before, this is a two-manuever step, not necessarily consecutive, and both maneuvers must be free from combat with enemy aircraft. For example, Maneuver (M) 1 you identify the target; M2 you relay the information; M3 and M4 you fly around; M5 shelling occurs while you're flying around; M6 you make an observation; M7 you relay information. If the target is not destroyed, repeat maneuvers M3-M7 until destroyed.
To determine the effectiveness of artillery shelling, use the following schema:
- After the first round of fire, roll a 6-sided die: 1-2 hits and destroys the enemy battery; 4-6 misses.
- After the second round of fire, roll a 6-sided die: 1-4 hits and destroys the enemy battery; 5-6 misses.
- After the third round of fire, the enemy battery is hit and destroyed.
- The increased probability of hitting and destroying the batteries reflect the improved firing due to your relaying adjustment information.
Perform Reconnaissance: After each round of firing, you will perform the two-manuver step of observation and relaying associated information - maneuvers M6 and M7 in the above example.
Combat: As mentioned, you do not have the luxury to attack enemy aircraft, defeat them, and then perform your artillery liaison duties. The enemy batteries are firing upon your ground forces and artillery batteries. These guns must be silenced as quickly as possible. The enemy aircraft are aware of your purpose. They have already broken through your pursuit force that is deeper in enemy territory. The enemy planes seek to interrupt your your ability to carryout your mission. As such, they will break off an engagement to attack another of your planes that is effectively observing and relaying information. Their mission is to stall you, not necessarily to down you. That said, if they have scored sufficient damage on a given plane of yours, and if you think they would continue for another few maneuvers to finish you off, then feel free to not break off the fighting. Remember, both sides have certain goals, and those goals do not revolve around winning dogfights. They revolve around disabling or enabling artillery fire. The longer the guns fire, the more ground troops die. The enemy is more concerned about the guns firing than defeating individual pilots. By the same measure, you are more interested in silencing those guns than by claiming another aerial victory.
In any round that you are not observing or maneuvering, you can engage in air-to-ground fire. You must fly over the enemy battery to do so, i.e. you do not need to end your turn on an enemy battery. Consider such firing maneuvers as attacking surrounding infantry.
Follow rules for disengaging and leaving the area. To some degree, this is a battle of attrition and a race against the clock. Again, as per OTT rules, planes do not need to be shot down to no longer participate in the engagement.
Game Duration: 12 turns
Victory Conditions:
- All three batteries destroyed, and infantry fired upon 5 or more times - decisive victory
- All three batteries destroyed - victory
- Two batteries destroyed - marginal victory
- One battery destroyed and infantry fired upon 5 or more times - marginal defeat
- One battery destroyed - defeat
- No batteries destroyed - decisive defeat
The Original Thread is here
And if you'd like to see how it's done the AAR are here:
Flash (Entente): http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/sho...ugust-8th-1918
F.O.Kyte (Entente):
http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/sho...The-Bulldogs-)
Marechallannes (Central Powers);
http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/sho...entral-Powers)
Skafloc (Central Powers):
http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/sho...lt-amp-Battery
Brambo (Central Powers):
http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/sho...lt-and-Battery
Tikkifriend (Entente):
http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/sho...lt-and-Battery
Nightbomber (Central Powers):
http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/sho...entral-Powers)
Moonsylver (Central Powers):
http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/sho...d-Battery-quot
7eat.51 (Central Powers):
http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/sho...-only-everyday
Scores on the Door:
Mission:
Eagles: 9 Victories, their Bulldogs: 3
Bulldogs: 4 Victories, their Eagles: 0
Campaign:
Eagles: 76 Victories, their Bulldogs: 33
Bulldogs: 62 Victories, their Eagles: 22
Overall:
Eagles 98; Bulldogs 95
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