'Over The Trenches' Mission 1: Patrol over St. Caronne
Scenario One: Patrol Over St. Caronne - October 15th 1917 – STAND AND FIGHT!
A light drizzle hasn’t managed to dampen my spirits, everyone here is very welcoming but there is still the undertow of sorrow at times and the odd look in the mess hall from some of the older chaps but I guess that’s normal when you’re here to replace their fallen comrades.
Fresh out of England I’m eager to prove my worth and do my bit for King and Country!
I’m on today’s operations roster and I’ll be going up with Lt. Lewis Kendal on a patrol and reconnaissance mission over the town of St. Caronne. According to the Major we probably wouldn’t encounter enemy patrols due to the weather but we should be on our guard at all times.
Apparently our mission is vital to the boys on the ground as there are rumors that St.Carnonne is the staging area for another big push in this sector and command wants some photos to justify either a heavy artillery barrage or if it should be bombed from the air.
Time: 06:00
Aircraft: Sopwith Camel
Pilots: Lt. Nelson Hathoway & Lt. Lewis Kendal
Weather: Light drizzle clearing up by noon. Strong gusting westerly winds.
The ground crew was having problems with one of the camels so by the time we finally got up the drizzle had stopped and for once it seemed we would have excellent visibility, perfect for taking some snap shots of the German position.
As we passed over the town of Verriéres we turned towards our lines, the sun was almost at its zenith and we could see the pockmarked and savagely scarred face of no-man’s land. It’s hard to imagine the horrors that await a man down there up here in the heavens.
I’m jolted away from my day dreaming by Kendal frantically making hand gestures and I follow his pointing and suddenly spot a flash directly ahead. Kendal and I had already discussed what to do if we got bounced by the Hun and it would be my responsibility to get the photos while he mixed it up to keep them off my six.
We immediately banked to starboard trying to create more space between us and the enemy aircraft coming directly towards us, hoping we could slip by without being noticed. Unfortunately that wasn’t to be and as we made ground on each other 1 became 3 and from the constant drilling of aircraft profiles I was adamant they were Albatros D.VA’s.
It was a constant fight against the wind and as we gained ground on town of St. Caronne it was obvious that the enemy wanted us nowhere near it. Kendal gave the signal to engage and as we merged with the enemy the air around us exploded with the sound of machine gun chatter.
Kendal had opened up on the lead aircraft and so I opened up on him as well as he filled my sites. I gave a long squeeze of the trigger as the enemy came directly at me. I watched as debris leap up off the surface of his plane and suddenly he was gone. I was dazed, my first encounter and I’d hit him!
Again the rat-a-tat-rat-a-tat brought me back to reality and I saw Kendal’s plane hit, he looked across at me with a smile and pointed down to his left as he suddenly banked sharply away in pursuit of his prey. St. Caronne was just ahead and I need to get everything ready to take that snap shot!
Damn it to hell!
As I passed over the town a strong gust buffeted my plane hard and I found myself looking down at what looked like pig sty’s!
Suddenly the lead Albertros I had hit swung drunkenly in front of me and I opened up again on him and again he was gone, was he drunk or had he been injured in our first pass?
I scanned my sectors desperately looking for him and I spotted Kendal’s plane with a plume of smoke trailing behind him, what was I to do?
The town swung around in to my field of vision again, but the wind was not letting up and I was getting blown off course again and with Kendal in trouble I felt it was my duty to help him out, especially as another Albetros was looking to join the fight. It was a long shot but I thought if I could get his attention he would break off the pursuit of Kendal’s plane and hopefully give him some breathing room.
I fired a quickly volley, not even dreaming I could hit him and suddenly the plane was a rolling ball of flame and smoke, I was confused and looked around in a vain search for another plane that just wasn’t there.
My one shot had brought down that Albetros and it had given Kendal the space he needed, not only that but the smoke from his plane was starting to thin.
Hoping that my luck would hold I took a few snap shots as I passed St. Caronne as I passed over the town. It was clearly evident why the Hun wanted us nowhere near this place as one of the farm houses just behind the town was a sprawling network of tents, wagons and ammunition dumps.
I needed a perfect photo!
Meanwhile Kendal had got himself on the 6 of one of the other planes, but for some reason wasn't shooting. I made the decision there and then to help him out and see if he was ok and only then return to St. Caronne for the better picture.
Suddenly the Albetros was barreling directly towards me after performing a text book maneuver and I instinctively opened up only for my guns to jam as I shot over Kendal’s battered Sopwith. I heard a strange fizzing sound and saw several tears appear on my lower wing, that other plane had followed me and was now on my bloody 6!
Kendal was out of the fight, his Sopwith was ripped to shreds and it was amazing how he was able to keep the thing flying, it was incredible, then suddenly the awe of Kendal’s flying ability evaporated as a stream of bullets tore in to the stricken plane, the top right wing peeled away just before he ploughed straight in to a barn, I hope our boys had seen him go down as he was well within our territory.
As the two remaining Albetros circled round looking for me, I seized my chance and opened the throttle fully and aimed my Sopwith once more towards St. Caronne.
I will get that photo!
Again the elements were against me the Sopwith buffeted and bullied by the wind, but I had an idea, I would fly with the wind behind me, pull an Immelmann turn and fly in to a head wind, hopefully this would allow me to make the small adjustments in trim to get the perfect shot.
Lady luck was smiling and as I flew over the town I took another photo of the staging area the wind had calmed enough for me to pass directly over the target and slow enough to make sure it was just right.
"SAY CHEESE OLD BOY!"
Time to go home; pushing the throttle fully open I raced for our lines trying to put as much distance between us. As I passed over the crash site of Lt. Lewis Kendal I was gripped with a sudden rage that consumed me, how could I return home knowing that this man had given his life for me? I would avenge him and all those before him, the hun will pay!
Banking hard to my starboard I went straight at them, suddenly my plane was ablaze! I’d been hit, oh my god I’m going to be burnt to death!
Training took over and I put the Sopwith in to a steep turning dive, trying to extinguish the flames that would both consume me and the plane. Down, down, down I went, always turning to keep the flames away from me and the rest of the plane.
I don’t know how much time passed but when the flames had died I found myself facing the enemy once again and thankfully with my Camel somewhat fully intact!
As we merged in our deadly joust, my rage leaped out in a hail of bullets striking the nearest plane. I watched tracer stream back and abruptly stop as the pilot slumped forward over the controls and spiral drunkenly earth bound.
1 more to go, should I stand and fight or make for home?
Without a second thought I pulled back on the yoke flipping the Sopwith over hoping to level out on the remaining Albetros’ tail. But he was too sharp for that and again we would joust for vengeance of our fallen comrades.
He opened up maybe seconds before I did; his bullets and tracer ripping ugly scars through the fabric of my plane. As his plane filled my entire field of vision I fired and my world was filled once again with a fiery inferno, was this it? Was this to be my end?
As fast as it appeared it was gone, blue skies flooded my vision and the golden rays of the sun piercing through the clouds, I blinked not understanding what I was seeing, was I in heaven?
Suddenly I was aware of the sound of the engine and I snapped back to reality, I was alive, I had survived! I circled the wreckage of my fallen foe thinking how gallant he was to stand and fight as I had. I tipped my wings to him in respect and headed for home.
Heaven would have to wait as I was still needed in this hell.
Result:
Mission successful: Recon photos shot
Lt. Nelson Hathoway – 3 Air Victories
Lt. Lewis Kendal - shot down - Friendly territory - Injured.
Conclusion:
I can’t believe how exciting this game was, it took me a few turns to get in to the swing of things in regards to the A.I rules and they really did give me a run for my money. A few dice rolls that were the same really worked in their favor in keeping a tight formation and there was only one occasion where I had to keep them on the board.
The open shots that dealt the explosion card really gave me hope of being able to complete this mission as Kendal’s Sopwith was taking a huge pounding and I was surprised he lasted as long as he did. I took a huge risk at the end taking on the two by myself and I think if the explosion card hadn’t come up again when it did I wouldn’t have made it out a live!
Also my inexperience with space and distance of the maneuver cards made getting the plane directly over the target to get the photo very hard, but actually great fun allowing me to use the cross wind story to make up for my inadequacies.
Thank you to all those that not only took the time to make these campaigns but also the great solo rules!
Reply With Quote
Good job there isn't "Stress" counters in this game to prevent "actions" or I would never have got that photo.
Originally Posted by Skafloc
Wonderfully evocative 
welcome to the OTT campaign James A great 
Bookmarks