Bug Hunting in Ohio, APR-15

[Jager]

A quick Kettering Bug hunt at the Northern Ohio Wargamers' Society MiniCon in Berea, Ohio.

I deployed 12 bugs (thought it would be 15, but I lost count coming on the board), with 2 SPADs escorting. Trying to keep the bugs out were 2 Fokker D.VIIs and a SS D.III.
I used a house rule that if a bug takes more than half damage ( 4 points) in a single phase, it explodes, inflicting 1 D damage card to anyone in short range of the bug. This proved to be deadly to the Germans:

Here we go: 6 bugs on the board, with 2 SPADs (at the beginning of each turn, a fresh bug appeared at one of the three entry points at the edge of the mat).


A few turns later, the first bug bites it,


And takes Udet with it!


Next turn, Sachsenberg does the same, to a damaged bug:


Meanwhile, the bugs keep tooling along:


And Veltjens dodges another bug, while avoiding the attentions of Rickenbacker!


A resurrected Udet closes in on another bug:


And.....again BOOM!


Meanwhile, Frank Luke takes his escort assignment to heart:


And Sachsenberg (back again) looks like he's doing the same


But, no, he's just maneuvering into a good shot position (between 2 flying bombs??)
And it works; he flies through the blast without a mark!


And Veltjens is doing a bit of 'escorting' himself!


And the first bug escapes off the board:


While Sachsenberg bags another one, but it leave a mark!


And Veltjens just keeps pacing the bug stream (he said his wife woke him up too early that morning


And Luke flips an Immelmann as "his" bug escapes:


Straight into the firing arc of Sachsenberg, who is also trying to catch the bug on fire from his own burning plane!
Having been previously wounded downrange, Luke takes a bullet to the brain, and down he goes (no Force for him here ).


Finally, Vertjens comes out of his stupor, and shows how it's done, a long range shot right into the payload!


Sachsenberg sets himself up for a Immelmann, but succumbs to the flames (that picture disappeared):


As both Vertjens and Udet maneuver for an escaping bug, they discover why it's good to have no collision rules without altitude rules


Meanwhile, Rickenbacker, with one point of damage left, decides discretion is the better part of valor, and flies off board (also with a jammed rudder, he couldn't turn back in either


As the cluster breaks apart, and the last bug makes a "run" for it:


Udet reverses and takes a last shot....just a bit out of reach:


Final score: 7 bugs shot down, 5 escaped, 4 Fokkers "shot" down by bug explosions, and 1 SPAD shot down.

Karl

[Zakopious]

It was a good time, in spite of having to fly off of the board with a jammed rudder and only one damage point remaining.

The bugs were more effective at knocking down the Fokkers than the Spads.

The bugs were a cost effective way of destroying Fokkers.

[Jager]

I couldn't remember how many times I thought: "If those Bugs had an MG, those Fokkers would have been in trouble!"

Karl

[jbmacek]

Heh heh... bugs with guns. That appeals to my sense of the bizarre.

Good AAR. I love to see Alt-History stuff, and this has always been one of my favorites!

[Jager]

You might have to "Shapeways" a Curtiss-Sperry Flying Bomb
Karl

[jbmacek]

I could, but I'd like to make sure the Bugs work before I go making another sprue-job.