Yesterday we got together to play another game of WW2 Wings of Glory. This time, with 4 players we decided to try a bombing mission with fighter escort and 2 groups of interceptors.
The Allied (British) players noted that they thought that they would be in desadvantage against the heavy German planes if they had the same number of planes, so, each German player got 2 planes and each British player got 3. Shamou and Bruno played for the British, Paulo and me played for the Germans. I was frustrated in my desire to put all of Tomato Squadron to fly. Next time, next time...
At the start of the game, Tomato Squadron headed for the closest target (in the middle of the central mat) and the fighter escort came closer to do its duty.
The 3 Hurricanes got into the map closer than the 3 Spitfires.
Tomato wing with the escort fighters.
The interceptor fighters approach.
General view of the battle to come.
As the first shots were fired, Tomato leader is very worried with the fate of the fighter escort, as its 2 planes were going head-on with 6 British fighters.
But the training of the Luftwaffe Experten (or luck) showed in the first burst as one of the Hurricanes exploded in midair.
After the fateful head-on pass with the fighter escort, the remaining Hurricanes concentrated their shooting in Tomato Leader, leaving the fighter escort to be dealt by the Spitfires.
The bombers and Hurricanes keep exchangin lead with no apparent effect. But in the fighter end of the battle, the dark nose Me-109 set one of the Spitfires ablaze. In this exchange of lead, the pilot of the yellow nosed Me-109 was wounded by a lucky busrt from one of the British pilots.
Tomato leader drop its bombs, to a partial hit on the target. Tomato 2 was totally out of position and could not drop its bombs. Second bombing mission, and second partial destruction of target and second time one of the bombers completely misses the target. Tomato Squadron will be sent back to the Luftwaffe Bombing Academy upon return from the mission.
After passing by the escort fighters, all the British fighter concentrateed their fire on the bombers. In the process, one of the British pilots was wounded by the fire from the bomber gunners.
The skill of the gunners at Tomato 2 is evident and another one of the Hurricanes fell from the sky.
Thinking on the old saying that "A pilot who fights and run away will be live to fight another day", Tomato leader called off the attack and told the fighter comander that Tomato wing would start heading home ASAP.
At this time, the fighter comander made a wrong turn, and, instead of getting the yellow nosed Me-109 out of the combat, it moved it just to the middle of it.
The flamming Spitfire, not able to cope with the cumulative fire damage, went down in flames.
With the 2 remaining Spitfires closing over the Yellow nosed Me-109, the last Hurricane giving persuit to the fleeing bombers, and the dark nosed Me-109 almost out of the playing area, the game seems to be over. But then Tomato 2 was hit and started to smoke.
A close up of the duel - Hurricane vs He-111 (Tomato 2).
Meanwhile, the chase on the yellow nosed Me-109 was nearly over.
A close range burst was its end.
As was the fate of Tomato 2.
The survivors:
The dark nosed Me-109.
Tomato Leader.
The last Hurricane.
The 2 surviving Spitfires.
The Battlefield - 3 game mats:
The players:
Shamou.
Bruno.
Paulo.
Me. Well, no photos this time, next time will have to remember to ask someone to take my picture.
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