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Thread: OTT The Early Doors Mission 3 - Pricking the Sausage - 15th March 1916

  1. #1

    Default OTT The Early Doors Mission 3 - Pricking the Sausage - 15th March 1916

    (or 99 Red Balloons - Well 1 grey one really)

    http://www.britishpathe.com/video/observation-balloon




    The front line has suddenly sprouted a collection of observation balloons One in particular has become most troublesome. Its spotters are managing to direct both artillery and troop movements with great accuracy and as a consequence of this the order has been given to shoot that Blimp down.

    Set up

    The defenders.

    The Blimp is centred on the centre line of 2 maps. As of move 1 there are no AA batteries present , however on a role of 4 -5 every other move , a B firing AAMG becomes active. On a 6 an AA artillery piece becomes active. These can be placed within 1 1/2 rulers of the centre of the Blimp.

    The defenders of the Blimp also have a scout of your choice patrolling 2 1/2 rulers from the balloon.

    When fired upon the balloon will descend from its level 7 by 1 level every 2 Turns ( man driven winches I'm afraid !) until it reaches level 1 and is deemed to be safe.


    The Attackers

    You will have 2 planes preferably scouts , You must destroy the balloon before it gets to level 1.

    For the RFC a Nieuport if you have one must be used . For the Germans a E III would seem a good choice.
    Last edited by flash; 06-29-2014 at 10:26. Reason: Titles


    I'm learning to fly, but I ain't got wings
    Coming down is the hardest thing

  2. #2

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    Paul. Are we up to April 16 yet? The R.F.C. did not start using Incendiary ammo until that date. Should we not be using Rockets?
    Rob.
    "Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death."

  3. #3

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    It's March 16 in game terms - so we just go in without incendiaries ! I like it
    It's too early for a RFC N.16 (May16) and is it not too early for Le Prieur rockets too ? Send in the DH2 !!

  4. #4

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    You are right Dave. The Rockets were first used by the French, also in April 16. This could be harder than it looked at first glance. One AA. hit on those fragile aircraft, and it could be all over.
    Rob.
    "Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death."

  5. #5

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    Can the Germans use incendiary ammo then or did they use it later too?
    See you on the Dark Side......

  6. #6
    Last edited by Flying Officer Kyte; 06-28-2014 at 12:42.
    "Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death."

  7. #7

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    Well there you go . More fool me for reading the wrong books. I will amend the mission to no incendiary ammo. :


    I'm learning to fly, but I ain't got wings
    Coming down is the hardest thing

  8. #8

    Question

    Paul just a couple of clarifications please.
    By "Moves" do you mean One Card or one Turn (3 cards)? & do the attacking aircraft start from their edge of the mat opposite the Balloon.

  9. #9

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    Don't feel bad about it Paul. Even I was out with the start date for the Rockets. It's easy to do, when you read the article some time before.
    Rob.
    "Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death."

  10. #10

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    Quote Originally Posted by gully_raker View Post
    Paul just a couple of clarifications please.
    By "Moves" do you mean One Card or one Turn (3 cards)? & do the attacking aircraft start from their edge of the mat opposite the Balloon.
    Also, can I clarify where the balloon starts - is it on the edge of the map at the centre line, or a little way in? (just thinking about whether it is possible to fly around the rear )

  11. #11

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    Quote Originally Posted by Archidamus View Post
    Also, can I clarify where the balloon starts - is it on the edge of the map at the centre line, or a little way in? (just thinking about whether it is possible to fly around the rear )
    I put the cenre peg on the centre of the line dividing the 2 maps ie dead centre of the playing area.


    I'm learning to fly, but I ain't got wings
    Coming down is the hardest thing

  12. #12

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    Quote Originally Posted by gully_raker View Post
    Paul just a couple of clarifications please.
    By "Moves" do you mean One Card or one Turn (3 cards)? & do the attacking aircraft start from their edge of the mat opposite the Balloon.
    Sorry Baz A move is a 3 card turn.


    I'm learning to fly, but I ain't got wings
    Coming down is the hardest thing

  13. #13

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    A doozy now we have no special ammo or rockets! This is going to be harder than it looks.
    See you on the Dark Side......

  14. #14

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    watch out for that BOOM card and flying debris!

  15. #15

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    Paul would you mind if I flew the mission with 2 early doors German 2 seaters instead of scouts? They both have 1 B gun.

    Neil
    See you on the Dark Side......

  16. #16

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    Quote Originally Posted by Skafloc View Post
    Paul would you mind if I flew the mission with 2 early doors German 2 seaters instead of scouts? They both have 1 B gun.

    Neil
    Yep Play with what you have Neil , its still a little nasty mission if you don't get that balloon quick :


    I'm learning to fly, but I ain't got wings
    Coming down is the hardest thing

  17. #17

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    I have the scouts Paul but I've just painted my Rumpler CI and Aviatic CI. I would like to give them an outing to get the feel of them. A gunbus or FE2 will be the opposition.
    See you on the Dark Side......

  18. #18

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    Well that was close in more ways than one I did a Flash and drew two boom cards for a short-range burst, collided with the balloon, and had flaming wreckage nearly knock the Nieuport out of the sky

    Will try and write it up tomorrow - but a victory for the Entente after two miserable failures in past months!!

  19. #19

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    I am all agog Brian.
    Rob.
    "Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death."

  20. #20

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    Bangers and Mash for tea then Possibility of mushy peas as well ?


    I'm learning to fly, but I ain't got wings
    Coming down is the hardest thing

  21. #21

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    Three early starters and three balloon kills - we have a lot to live up to gents ! And well done Paul

    For those of you that wish to step outside the AAA range imposed by the official rules I've found this info:
    The optimal operating altitude for balloons varied between 3,000 and 5,000 feet (1,000 and 1,500 metres).
    outside of the pompom types the Ordnance QF 13 pounder Mk III anti-aircraft gun, also known as 13 pounder 6 cwt, as seen mounted on trucks, has the lowest firing altitude of the British guns of 17,000 feet (5,200 m). I haven't seen the specs for Hun guns but I'd imagine the Krupp 77mm would out perform this. Bottom line being the balloons and aircraft will be well within range of dear old Archie !
    As for AAMG - effective range of a Vickers is 6500 feet (2000m), indirect fire is double that so they too will be well within range.
    I'll find out how well that goes when I get my table back in action next week !
    Last edited by flash; 07-02-2014 at 12:27.

  22. #22

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    Quote Originally Posted by flash View Post
    As for AAMG - effective range of a Vickers is 6500 feet (2000m), indirect fire is double that so they too will be well within range.
    I'll find out how well that goes when I get my table back in action next week !
    But I bet they'll be more than a little inaccurate at those sorts of ranges Maybe draw two or three cards and apply the least damaging?

  23. #23

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    They do enough damage within the ordinary rules in my opinion. With AA only having to draw a special to hit. It is far more effective than having to gauge where the aircraft will be in two moves and at what altitude when you are playing against an opponent.
    Rob.
    "Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death."

  24. #24

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    Quote Originally Posted by FarEast View Post
    watch out for that BOOM card and flying debris!
    Do you have a webcam covering my gaming table James - one of my pilots clearly hadn't taken your advice

  25. #25

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    They do no damage at all if they're not counted as within range !

  26. #26

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    Finding the gas bag hard to put down - plenty of holes in it but it's refusing to catch fire or blow up yet - couple more turns to go to finish it off so here's hoping

  27. #27

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    As a last resort you can always crash into it Dave.
    Remember those observers may be putting band-aids over the holes.
    Rob.
    "Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death."

  28. #28

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    I'm learning to fly, but I ain't got wings
    Coming down is the hardest thing

  29. #29

    Thumbs up

    Looking forward to playing this later in the week after Col's Funeral on Tuesday & grandson Lachlan returns home to Queensland.

  30. #30

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    I am still a little confused, most questions have been answered already in this thread;
    However, the balloon descent, is it one level per two cards, or one level per six cards?
    I played the scenario last night at 1/6 which seemed quite slow

  31. #31

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    Quote Originally Posted by flash View Post
    Three early starters and three balloon kills - we have a lot to live up to gents ! And well done Paul

    For those of you that wish to step outside the AAA range imposed by the official rules I've found this info:
    The optimal operating altitude for balloons varied between 3,000 and 5,000 feet (1,000 and 1,500 metres).
    outside of the pompom types the Ordnance QF 13 pounder Mk III anti-aircraft gun, also known as 13 pounder 6 cwt, as seen mounted on trucks, has the lowest firing altitude of the British guns of 17,000 feet (5,200 m). I haven't seen the specs for Hun guns but I'd imagine the Krupp 77mm would out perform this. Bottom line being the balloons and aircraft will be well within range of dear old Archie !
    As for AAMG - effective range of a Vickers is 6500 feet (2000m), indirect fire is double that so they too will be well within range.
    I'll find out how well that goes when I get my table back in action next week !
    Ground fire that reaches that high, blooming lethal. At over 5 pegs, I counted short range as one card, but still far too dangerous. Ended up with roasted chestnuts as an acompaniment to my sausage surprise!

  32. #32

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    Quote Originally Posted by johnbiggles View Post
    I am still a little confused, most questions have been answered already in this thread;
    However, the balloon descent, is it one level per two cards, or one level per six cards?
    I played the scenario last night at 1/6 which seemed quite slow
    Its 1 level per 6 cards or 2 Turns . This reflects hand winching and gives you 36 cards to get the sausage, which with B guns, no hot ammo and an enemy to contend with can be challenging, unless you get a boom card ;


    I'm learning to fly, but I ain't got wings
    Coming down is the hardest thing

  33. #33

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    Quote Originally Posted by tikkifriend View Post
    Its 1 level per 6 cards or 2 Turns . This reflects hand winching and gives you 36 cards to get the sausage, which with B guns, no hot ammo and an enemy to contend with can be challenging, unless you get a boom card ;
    Oh I found boom cards aplenty

  34. #34

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    Doh !


    I'm learning to fly, but I ain't got wings
    Coming down is the hardest thing

  35. #35

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    Quote Originally Posted by FarEast View Post
    watch out for that BOOM card and flying debris!
    There is the report of an Italian (or was it Austrian? I don't recall) ace shooting down a balloon, and due to the circumstances ended up flying THROUGH the flaming sausage, with the result that a large portion of the balloon fabric got stuck to the wing. He had a raincoat made out of the material after he landed.

  36. #36

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    Six AAR - six balloons pricked but some at a very high cost in men and materiel

  37. #37

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    Paul, apologies if I have already mentioned this but this is a cracker of an AAR BRF. Loved flying it and it can go so many ways. Would love to have included further down the line and play it again. (hint hint Dave).
    See you on the Dark Side......

  38. #38

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    Quote Originally Posted by Skafloc View Post
    Paul, apologies if I have already mentioned this but this is a cracker of an AAR BRF. Loved flying it and it can go so many ways. Would love to have included further down the line and play it again. (hint hint Dave).
    Well thanks for that Neil.So glad you enjoyed it. Had some good feedback on this one I wish I could say it took hours of writing and play testing but it all came to me over a couple of glasses of red wine :

    Maybe we could wangle it in at the Doncaster meet?
    Paul


    I'm learning to fly, but I ain't got wings
    Coming down is the hardest thing

  39. #39

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    Quote Originally Posted by Skafloc View Post
    Paul, apologies if I have already mentioned this but this is a cracker of an AAR BRF. Loved flying it and it can go so many ways. Would love to have included further down the line and play it again. (hint hint Dave).
    We'll have rockets and incendiaries by then - well, some of us will

  40. #40

    Thumbs up

    Quote Originally Posted by tikkifriend View Post
    Well thanks for that Neil.So glad you enjoyed it. Had some good feedback on this one I wish I could say it took hours of writing and play testing but it all came to me over a couple of glasses of red wine :

    Maybe we could wangle it in at the Doncaster meet?
    Paul
    The very best of things come to one over (or through) a couple of glasses of Red Wine!

  41. #41

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    Or you forget lots of rules, baz, but have a cracking game none the less.

  42. #42

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    Here's my problem Paul, I'm only just starting to use altitude and the official rules to. How should I play the sausage?

  43. #43

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    Some have kept the balloon at a set height and just counted down the altitude taking it that the aircraft adjust height accordingly, others have lowered the balloon & aircraft as the game has gone on Si, just play what suits you most. No game is set so you have to play altitude - it is an option only.

  44. #44

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    Cheers Dave, as Paul says there's 36 phases of balloon play, I'll try an wangle an equation that makes some sense.

  45. #45

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    Six counters - remove one every two turns so should be a 12 turn game ?

  46. #46

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    Cheers Dave, sussed it, start at alt 4, remove alt marker every 2 phases, by turn/phase 11/3 will be at .4 so it keeps in with balloon ascent of 5 per alt lvl.
    P.s. yours is a lot simpler.

  47. #47

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    Completed last night, some awesome AI flying, brb.

  48. #48

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    Quote Originally Posted by Twisted_terrain View Post
    Completed last night, some awesome AI flying, brb.
    Did you live or die Si?


    I'm learning to fly, but I ain't got wings
    Coming down is the hardest thing

  49. #49

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    That would be telling, put it this way, the balloon took 22 cards...
    See the AAR, pricking the sausage aka knackering the knockwurst. Coming to a thread soon.



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