OTTED Mission 17 : “GAS, GAS, GAS” – 15 May 1917 by Brambo
"We had a new man at the periscope, on this afternoon in question; I was sitting on the fire step, cleaning my rifle, when he called out to me: 'There's a sort of greenish, yellow cloud rolling along the ground out in front, it's coming ---'
But I waited for no more, grabbing my bayonet, which was detached from the rifle, I gave the alarm by banging an empty shell case, which was hanging near the periscope. At the same instant, gongs started ringing down the trench, the signal for Tommy to don his respirator, or smoke helmet, as we call it.
Gas travels quietly, so you must not lose any time; you generally have about eighteen or twenty seconds in which to adjust your gas helmet.
A gas helmet is made of cloth, treated with chemicals. There are two windows, or glass eyes, in it, through which you can see. Inside there is a rubber-covered tube, which goes in the mouth. You breathe through your nose; the gas, passing through the cloth helmet, is neutralized by the action of the chemicals. The foul air is exhaled through the tube in the mouth, this tube being so constructed that it prevents the inhaling of the outside air or gas. One helmet is good for five hours of the strongest gas. Each Tommy carries two of them slung around his shoulder in a waterproof canvas bag. He must wear this bag at all times, even while sleeping. To change a defective helmet, you take out the new one, hold your breath, pull the old one off, placing the new one over your head, tucking in the loose ends under the collar of your tunic.
The Mission
Gentlemen we have had an urgent request from HQ. As you know, we are expecting a big push from the enemy any day now and HQ has found out after the initial bombardment it will be followed by a gas attack. Our spies have found out there is a large convoy of gas drums heading to the front today. They couldn’t find out the route but one thing they did find out is that the convoy will pass through this town at 2100.
That’s where you come in, you will takeoff this afternoon and plan to be at that town at the same time as the convoy leaves. I know its a long way behind enemy lines so you only be able to take four bomb each. At the moment we only have two aicraft ready, we are working on the others and they will follow as soon as they are servicble.
Your job is to identify the gas convoy, destroy it and then confirm it has been destroyed and return. You will take this route in and back, if you meet any reinforcements on the way back, wave a green flag if successful and a red one if not. That will let them know if they have to continue to target.
Good luck gentlemen, our troops are relying on you.
Setup
Game length = 12 turns
2 x mats, long side butted together.
Friendly Forces
2 x two-seaters, each carrying 4 bombs. If one gets shot down or has left the map another will appear.
Enemy forces
1 x single-seat fighter. If it gets shot down or leaves the map, another will appear.
1 x anti-aircraft battery
6 x Convoy’s
The trucks were in the file section but I can’t find them now, so here is the one I have. Its the same size as an aircraft card.
A = Friendly entry edge
B = Enemy entry edge
C = Convoy’s set into a circle
D = Anti-aircraft gun (1 Ruler West of Centre)
SPECIAL RULES
SPOTTING
An aircraft cannot spot and bomb in the same phase.
To spot you must be within half a ruler of the target. Use the table below to see if you are successful.
The fading light will have the following effects.
TURN 1-6 you need a 3,4,5 or 6 on a D6
TURN 7-9 you need a 4,5, or 6 on a D6
TURN 10-12 you need a 5 or 6 on a D6
If you are successful you may look at the underside of the truck to determine its load.
BOMBING
To destroy a target the bomb dot must be over any part of the target. If part of the bomb card is over the target but the dot isn’t then the target may not move next turn.
Remember you don’t have to spot before you bomb, the choice is yours. If you destroy a target without spotting, mark it but don’t look at it until you spot it or until the end of the game.
CONVOY
Before you start mark the back of each convoy with one of the following:
GAS +50pts
Troops +25 pts
Troops +25 pts
Ammo +25 pts
POW -50pts
Hospital -50pts
Then shuffle them and place as per map above.
1 In the planning turn take any X Deck (XA,B,C or D) shuffle and place one card by each truck. Finish the planning for every aircraft.
2 In Phase 1 only, turn the X cards over. If it is a Climb or Dive the truck doesn’t move that turn, any other card move the truck. If at any time any part of the truck leaves the map, remove the truck from play, it got away.
ANTI-AIRCRAFT BATTERY
The Anti-aircraft battery is manned by inexperienced soldiers.
Whenever an aircraft comes into range and the gun is loaded (two rulers) the soldiers will try and identify it.
TURN 1-6 you need a 4,5 or 6 to correctly identify.
TURN 7-9 you need a 5 or 6 to correctly identify.
TURN 10-12 you need a 6 to correctly identify.
If at any time you throw a 1 the soldiers will fire anyway, friend or foe.
Mission Result
At the end of the 12th turn add the scores up for the convoys that have been destroyed, then ajust as follows:
+25 enemy aircraft shot down
-25 Fiendly aircraft shot down
To win you must have identified the Gas Convoy as destroyed and your score must be positive.
Good Luck
Reply With Quote
Good to see you at Doncaster and even better to see this cunning mission. 
Well that looks like a real "Doozy" Trev!
One question for Trev!
Originally Posted by Teaticket
I added a seventh one marked as empty ! 
Bookmarks