OTTED Mission 15 - Flashes Hun in the Sun - March 31st 1917

[flash]

Since his last in the middle of February Don Keye had been missing from the 'drome along with his crewman Tommy Gunn and two new chaps Harry Kane and his crewman Arthur Mowe. Word had it that they were being trained on a new type which led to much speculation on what that type was - there had been rumours of some fast new two-seater jobs from both Airco and Bristol but nobody knew much about them - You can imagine everyone's surprise when toward the end of March a socking great Caproni resplendent in PC10 and British roundels came lumbering over the perimeter fence and touched down neatly on their field and taxied toward the hangars. The chaps all gathered round to see who were the strangers that had invaded their field and the astonishment they felt was palpable when the pilots revealed themselves as none other than Don Keye & Harry Kane !
"What the blazes are you doing with that ?" asked Lt Ben Downe
"Never you mind" retorted the newly returned Acting Captain Phil MacRevis "Special job, need to know and all that - now be a good chap and get the beers in while I have a chat to these fellows - Uncle with me please and bring lieutenant Hammer & Sergeant Cade in too will you" and he led the crews into the office.

With the German forces withdrawing to the Hindenburg line the Emperor of Austria had decided that they had had enough of the war and wanted to start peace negotiations. After weeks of diplomatic machinations it was agreed that Austria's representative carrying a secret dispatch would be picked up and conveyed by aircraft to France for talks. The aircraft is the Caproni and the escort to meet them once they had crossed the Alps would be Spad VII's provided to the Bulldogs for this job.
We join them in the air after the rendezvous and bad weather has forced the Caproni further north than they intended into the clutches of the Hun in the sun .....

MacRevis leads the formation in a cdl Spad with Cade on the left flank and Hammer on the right


The Huns in the sun off their rear left quarter flying Albatros D.III are led by: Obltn Paul Kunz (Voss), to his left Ltn Hans Niethammer (Brumowski), to his right Ltn Gustav Klaiber (red/white stripe) and covering the rear Ltn Konrad Strünklenberg (White Stripe) - And they are closing fast !


Don Keye rolls the Caproni toward his enemy in the vain hope of throwing off their aim as Kunz takes a snapshot at Cade when he throws his Spad into a climbing left turn to meet the Hun.


Focusing on his target Kunz closes fast on the lumbering Caproni and his Spandaus stutter - in reply a lazy stream of tracers reaches for him from Gunn's Lewis then it whiplashes across the snout of his Albatros - the engine coughs - "Not again" rages Kunz as a thin stream of white smoke issues from his exhaust ...


MacRevis having hauled his kite round hard left pops up from under the Capronis wing and fires on Niethammers red Albatros just as he opens up on the Caproni - Gunn stitches a neat set of holes through his wing in response !


Strünklenberg pounces on MacRevis as he clears past Niethammer and pours lead in at close range - the damage is mighty but the Spandaus jam & Mac keeps flying !


Cade, having immelled sneaks up on Niethammer and gets a quick burst into the cockpit - he is satisfied as he sees the pilot stiffen in pain - got him !


Hammer gets into the fight with a shot on Klaiber but his burst is cut short as his guns jam almost immediately


Niethammer manages to get his shots off and causes some damage around the tail of the Caproni - Gunn returned the favour !


As Niethammer struggles with the realisation of his wound he gets another burst away but to no obvious affect - Gunn, however is now repaying deposits with interest !


Gunn has another pop at Niethammer as he passes - his head lolling atop his now semi-concious body


MacRevis roars up from beneath Strünklenberg and is long range effort is rewarded with a plume of smoke belching from the Albatros


MacRevis gets another squirt at Strünklenberg but for no obvious return


MacRevis turns smartly right hoping to catch Strünklenberg instead Klaiber wanders across his nose from the right... he lets fly a damaging burst into him at long range.. well it would be rude not to !


Kunz, his engine sounding very sick, limps from the field of battle


Cade whips round behind Klaiber to add a little more to his misery


Klaiber thanks his lucky stars when he becomes a Cade/MacRevis sandwich but no serious damage is done.and he heaves a huge sigh of relief !


MacRevis takes one more long range shot at Niethammer - his rounds crash through the cockpit area too and the young pilot is struck once more..


The resplendent red Albatros rolls over and heads for the ground the pilot twice wounded as the Caproni exits the battle space and disappears into the clouds - the two remaining Albatrii dive away and leave the Tommy's in charge of the sky.


Butchers Tally:
Top Right: Obltn Paul Kunz (Voss) RTB (eng) 0 Kills.
Top Left: Ltn Hans Niethammer (Brumowski) SD FT 2WIA 0 Kills;
Rolled 11 -1SD -2WIA = 8 Bruised - Skip 1 Scenario
Bottom Left: Ltn Gustav Klaiber (red/white stripe) RTB 0 Kills
Bottom Right: Ltn Konrad Strünklenberg (White Stripe) RTB 0 Kills


Caproni crewed by Pilots Lt Don Keye & Harry Kane with gunners Tommy Gunn & Arthur Mowe & VIP pax RTB 0 Kills
Bottom left: Sgt Barry Cade RTB 0 Kills
Bottom centre: A/Capt Phil MacRevis, RTB 1 kill (Niethammer)
Bottom right: 2Lt Brad Hammer RTB 0 kills


This was my first effort and entertaining it was too - the Huns were unlucky in the damage they meted out and my error was to bring them on in a box formation rather than line abreast. Kunz must be the unluckiest (or is that luckiest?) pilot in my AI - out with engine damage again and he was the closest to the Caproni. Bad luck for the Hun but good for the Brits !

I did play the game a couple more times - when I got the spacing and formation right the cards fell right for the Huns too


Thanks Neil

[Stumptonian]

Love your crew names, Dave


Oh, and (of course) your AAR was a very entertaining read, as usual.
Wish I had more "cohesive" craft to use in scenarios, i.e. all actually looking like they belong together.
I am setting up to to try Mission 8.3 using SPAD S.VII and they look like they came from a swap meet, all being different nationalities.

[flash]

Mine are somewhat hit and miss usually Pete but I did paint up my N.16 and 17's as Brits, the Spads are off the shelf other than a decal change & the cdl one which is a Shapeways one I painted years ago.

[NeilCFord]

Brilliant write up as always!

These are definitely making me need to get some early war planes just so I can try some of them out.

- Neil.

[gully_raker]

Well flown Flash!
Your chaps could do no wrong!
Just glad your second try was not the official one.
Its all in the cards isn't it!

Would give Rep but have to spread it around first.

[flash]

I always post my first game Baz (unless no one gets shot at). That was the third crack at it on the bigger table Baz once I'd figured out formation & distance, in the second I started too far away & the Caproni effectively side slipped away from the Jerries and never got touched !
PS. Check you e-mail

[Archidamus]

Well that was a white-wash in favour of the Bulldogs (even the card gods were smiling) - well flown mate

Love the PC10 Caproni BTW

[Lt. S.Kafloc]

Dave would the game be played better if the mats were joined short edge to short edge?

Neil

[flash]

No Neil, it's fine as it is, the key is getting the guns on target, hence suggesting the line abreast formation, and pulling some decent cards ! (In all of the games I played the Caproni only got one special damage and that was the boom card!) The beauty of this game, and it has to be this way, is that the action starts almost immediately and the Huns can be on the target by the end of the first turn if not sooner.
I was unlucky in that I chose the wrong formation and then my leader got knocked out with engine damage and the next closest bloke was wounded. I think we will see a number of different resolutions to this scenario.

[gully_raker]

I always post my first game Baz (unless no one gets shot at). That was the third crack at it on the bigger table Baz once I'd figured out formation & distance, in the second I started too far away & the Caproni effectively side slipped away from the Jerries and never got touched !
PS. Check you e-mail

Thanks Flash! Have done & chart downloaded!

[Dan-Sam]

Crewman Tommy Gunn is the best!
Nice AAR, Dave - easily reading.

[Dan-Sam]

Crewman Tommy Gunn is the best!
Nice AAR, Dave - easily reading.

[tikkifriend]

Nicely played Dave Up to your usual high standard of AAR repertoire.
Just out of interest Did you play all the planes as AI or just the Huns?

[flash]

Thanks Paul, I played as Phil MacRevis - everything else was AI !

[Flying Officer Kyte]

Well another fine mess you us got out of there Dave.
All power to the Bulldogs.
What an epic encounter, to echo down the annals of time in Officer's Mess's up and down the Western Front till at least tomorrow morning.
Well done.
Kyte.