Early Doors Mission 3:Pricking the Sausage - or 99 Luftballoon - 15th March 1916
Oberleutnant Ludwig von Biettrutoffen sat in his office wondering what had happened to Leutnants Karl Toffeleiter and Johanne Zweibelsuppe. Karl was a budding violinist with the Berlin Symphony and Johanne was a good pianist. The mess would miss their musical ensembles and Sunday repertoire. But it was not good to worry about those things he could not affect. He had been tasked with destroying a British observation balloon that was looking over the area where a build up of men and artillery was to begin next week. Headquarters had informed him a 2 seater crew were being sent over for this mission and He had to provide an escort scout. Ludwig needed to get out of the office so delegated himself as that escort.
Leutnant Jacob Sturm and Feldwebel Jurgen Maas landed 30 minutes later. Whilst their aircraft was being refuelled he went over the plan. Ludwig was not surprised to find the Feldwebel paying most attention as he was the actual pilot, whilst the Leutnant was his rear gunner.
Briefing over they flew off to circle the enemy balloon and attack it from the rear perhaps that would give the anti-aircraft guns a delay before they could engage them. Well that was the plan anyway.
Ludwig waggled his wings and pointed forwards. Jurgen gave him the thumbs up and Jacob loaded a drum onto his single parabellum machine gun.
A lone Vickers gunbus, piloted by 2lt Herbert Martin and 2Lt George Johnston, were circling the balloon. They were bored, they had been up here for over an hour and their relief wasn’t due for another 45 minutes. Not for long, 2Lt Martin tapped George on the shoulder and pointed. George could just make out 2 specks flying towards them. No other aircraft were allowed in this area and they were only expecting one relief aircraft not two!
Martin swung right to head off the two seater and put himself in between both Hun aircraft!
Ludwig needed to draw the Gunbus away from the Rumpler so he banked right. George could not believe his eyes and let rip with a long range burst into the underside of the Eindecker. Easy meat he thought.
George shouted “Flip over he’s coming back at us”, as he fired a short range burst into von Biettrutoffen’s plane.
Von Biettrutoffen completed his immelman and there in his sights was the gunbus. George looked round expecting death with every bullet fired from the Hun but not one bullet hit the plane.
2Lt Martin pulled hard and flipped the gunbus round. George and von Biettrutoffen fired at the same time. Bullets ripped through both aircraft. 2Lt Martin heard a loud bang and the engine started misfiring. ‘Damn’ he thought as he knew the engine had been hit. Ludwig von Biettrutoffen was in a quandary. His Eindecker was badly damaged, should he cut and run or stick around to help out the Rumpler crew.
He decided to do the honourable thing. He would circle and help where he could knowing any more damage would send his crippled aircraft to the ground below.
Leutnant Strum knew his business. Maas had positioned the Rumpler to give him a close shot. His bullets ripped into the canopy with little effect. ‘This is going to take some doing to bring this beast down’, he said to no one in particular. Maas flew alongside the balloon as Strum poured more and more bullets into the target.
Martin and Johnston knew they had crippled the Eindecker and flew towards the balloon.
Strum felt this balloon was never going to go. He could see the ground crew feverishly winding the winch to bring the balloon down. When all of a sudden, the balloon exploded. The Rumpler was flung sideways but suffered no damage. The gunbus too was shrouded in flame but came through unscathed.
With fuel low and no sign of the relief 2Lt Martin turned the gunbus towards home. Von Biettrutofen circling joined the Rumpler and they too headed for home.
An AA gun battery now had the range and a long range shot was fired at the Rumpler. It came close but caused no damage.
Butcher Bill:
2Lt Herbert Martin pilot FB5 Gunbus: 4 damage.RTB 2Lt George Johnston gunner FB5: RTB
Balloon: Destroyed.
Oberleutnant Ludwig von Biettrutoffen: 10 damage. RTB
Feldwebel Jurgen Maas pilot Rumpler CI: No damage (B+C is from missed AA Gun). RTB.
Leutnant Jacob Strum rear gunner Rumpler: RTB. 1 kill.
SUMMARY:
1. Great mission to fly, well done Paul.
2. Played with limited ammo. Rumpler had 3 shots left, Eindecker 6 and the Gunbus 4.
3. Low rolls kept the AAA away until after the balloon went down. I'm putting it down to the allied aircraft being there.
4. Boom card saved the day.
5. Roled for position of Gunbus using a d12 and clock method. Then which way it was facing (lt/Rt) then another clock facing for its own final facing. Ended up facing the oncoming Huns.
6. Rolled for Biettrutoffen staying as he only had 1HP left on his aircraft. He chose to stay.
7. This mission is so simple yet can be played out in so many different ways it is worth flying it again later on in the campaign.
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Really top 
but without the incendiary bulllets or rockets it makes it Mission Impossible standard , that is should you choose to accept the mission 
Originally Posted by Twisted_terrain
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