Mission 11: Artillery Spotting - A Most Dangerous Game
Just over the German trenches, a Bristol F2B cut through the sky. Its pilot, Matthew Dean, rocked the wings one way and the other, looking intently at the network of trenches below. He checked the creased and dog eared map on his knee again. A penciled on X-mark lay on the area where he was now. He rubbed his chin, puzzled. They said it should be near here... He looked again. ...but I can't seem to - Wait! There was something! A neat row of black spots dotted the landscape to his 4 o'clock. He reached for the binoculars hanging around his neck and took a closer look. Yes, they were his targets: artillery bunkers. They had been making life miserable for Allied troops on the front lines for the last week. But now it was payback time.
Matthew reached over and tapped his rear gunner on the shoulder.
"Hey Acky!" he shouted over the engine. "I found the bunkers, get the radio set up!"
"Acky" nodded and pitched a wire antennae over the side of the Bristol as Matthew started them on a gentle descent to 5000 feet. Then Acky turned his attention to the bulky one-way transmitter in his cramped turret. While gazing fixedly at the bunkers below, he started tapping out their coordinates in morse code. His job demanded all his attention, so it was no surprise that Acky didn't notice the two black specks off his tail. Unobtrusive at first, the specks grew and became more menacing, closing on the Bristol like a pair of hungry piranhas...
Mission breifing:
Central units involved:
1 Fokker DVII (pilot Georg Steinbecker)
1 Siemens Shuckert D.III (pilot Noel Kappel)
Allied units involved:
1 Bristol F2B (pilot Matthew Dean, gunner Oscar Ackley)
2 Hanriot HD.1s (pilots Cover El Lavan, Paul Foncke)
Our campaign's 11th mission was set up around a scenario for artillery spotting designed by user surfimp. You can read his original thread about it here:
http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/sho...-Gameplay-Idea
The Bristol was at the far right of the table, already in a spotting solution on the ground target. In the middle of the table, the two Central fighters bear down on the Bristol. On the far left of the table, a fighter sweep of Hanriots notice the tussle and race to assist.
Joining us for our 11th mission was younger brother Shaw, who flew Steinbecker's DVII. I'd like to take this moment to say hats off to all our volunteer pilots - our brothers and cousins! Greyson and I are always glad to welcome you aboard.
The maneuvering began. Noel Kappel and Steinbecker closed in on the spotting aircraft long enough to lay a few hits. However the Hanriots, eager for a scrap, arrived quickly. Steinbecker broke away to engage the Hanriots while Noel pressed the attack on the Bristol.
Return fire from the Bristol jammed Noel's guns. Things took a turn for the worse when Steinbecker's guns jammed as well. (Steinbecker was wounded too.) The two Central planes were damaged and unable to strike back - toothless wolves you might say. But there was one bright spot: the Bristol had been attacked so persistently that it hadn't been able to make a spotting run yet.
Steinbecker dove to escape enemy fire, but Paul Foncke in his yellow Hanriot just wouldn't give him a break, firing head-on from above. Yet by this time the Central fighter's guns had unjammed.Damage was dealt to both sides. Steinbecker's DVII started to trail smoke and Paul was wounded. In the meantime, Noel had evaded Cover El Lavan's attack attempt and once again zeroed in on the Bristol.
In this nick of time, the Bristol climbed to altitude 4, momentarily losing the trailing Siemens. Both Central fighters climbed like mad, but the Hanriots constantly harnessed them. The hallelujah chorus broke loose at our game table as the Bristol made its first uninterrupted spotting run. The Allied artillery vectored in and delivered 3 points of damage to the Central bunkers.
Noel doggedly stuck on the Bristol's six while Steinbecker held off the Hanriots. Nonetheless the Central pilots were in a perilous position. Neither had very many points left and Noel's rudder was jammed to the left. Noel had a chance for only one shot - one card of damage - before the Bristol would bank left where he could not follow. Time almost stilled as he pulled the trigger. Without warning, the Bristol erupted into a ball of flame and plunged abruptly downwards! He had done it! And a good thing too, because his guns jammed immediately afterward.
Their mission completed, the two Central pilots dove for the deck on course for home. The Hanriots tried to follow but were unable to stop the Germans from withdrawing.
Debriefing:
Sorry! I forgot to photograph the damage again! Old habits die hard. I will remember next time though.
Central pilot Georg Steinbecker successfully leads an attack on enemy spotting aircraft; WIA.
Central pilot Noel Kappel shoots down Bristol F2B piloted by Matthew Dean; 1 kill confirmation requested; RTB.
Allied pilot Cover El Lavan is wounded but able to return to base; WIA. For his numerous woundings in defense of his country, Cover El Lavan is awarded the Insigne des blessés militaires
Allied pilot Paul Foncke is also wounded but able to return to base; WIA.
Allied recon pilot Matthew Dean is shot down by Siemens Shuckert piloted by Noel Kappel; POW.
Allied tail gunner Oscar Ackley; POW.
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