Uncle stood at the front of the room beside the map pinned to the easel and cast a weary eye over what could only be described as the remnant of the Bulldogs. New faces mostly amongst the scout pilots., Seymour Brown, Tom Morrow, Claude Back, older hands from the two-seater crowd. Bill Board, air gunners Jack Pott, Tommy Gunn.
"There's another big push on and we have to throw what little we have into this effort." He started, "We have a couple of SE's fit to fly and both the Bristols, All will be carrying bombs this time out and your job will be to break up the storm troopers before they can get to our lines and to protect the tanks the army has promised to send forward to see our lads into the Hun trenches.
His gaze settled on Claude Back. "Well Claude, I expect you're wondering why you're here, so I won't beat about the bush, I need you to take one of the Bristol's as we are a pilot short. It can fly like a fighter so treat it like one and you shouldn't go far wrong."
Claude squirmed slightly as he acknowledge his assignment with a stiff nod, "You'll be with corporal Gunn here, he'll keep the Hun off your back won't you Tommy?"
"Right oh, sir" chirped the corporal.
"Stick by me" added Bill Board the other Bristol pilot "I'll get you there and back" with a smile. Claude managed a grimace in return.
A couple of hours later the Bulldogs enter the fray over the trenches noting as they do so that the Eagles have come out to play ....
On the right wing 2Lt Seymour Brown in SE5a H for Harry; In the mid-field 2Lt Tom Morrow in SE5a G for George. Left wing is 2Lt Bill Board and Cpl Jack Pott in Brisfit J for Johnnie and, sticking close by, inside centre is 2Lt Claude Back with Cpl Tommy Gunn in Brisfit H for Harry.
The opposing sides rush each other - Claude exchanges fire with a Yellow Halberstadt two seater (piloted by Fwbl Hermann Goerth with Ltn August Deilman in command). Exchanged rounds causing minor damage to each machine; Claudes gun jams.
Beside him Bill Board dives his Bristol at an infantry target...
Morrow's SE, encumbered by bombs, dives towards a group of Stosstruppen, as he does so the red Halberstadt (piloted by Vzfbl Josef Bauers with Ltn Ludwig Lenz in command) drops his nose and rakes the SE with an accurate burst from above.
Brown drops his eggs bang on target with devastating effect on the Storm troops.
Morrow is equally as accurate and another group of Stosstruppen go west but he takes a rounds from Lenz' gun as he passes.
Deilman takes advantage of being slightly below and in the blindspot of Gunn's Lewis... the Brisfit spews smoke
The damage may have shaken Back's aim as he only scores a near miss with half his payload. His machine feels instantly more responsive though now some of the weight has been shifted.
Bill Board in J Johnnie also scores a near miss but it's enough to break up the infantry formation as the shrapnel sleets through the ranks. Pott snaps off a burst at an Albaltros marked with a #2 (piloted by Ltn Hans Niethammer) as it passes overhead..
The Albatrii overshoot their target and narrowly avoid collision as Niethammer struggles with his controls and is forced to turn right as his leader (Obltn Konrad Strünklenberg) turns left.
Goerth is not so lucky as he turns into Bauer, a spar cracks and his yellow machine tumbles from the sky as he wrestles vainly with the controls...
Obltn Konrad Strünklenberg lightens his load by releasing his bombs precisely on target and is grimly satisfied when he sees the metal land ship explode.
Tank #19 double teams a unit of Stosstruppen with an AAMG but little help is needed as the 6pdr QF does its deadly work.
Tank #21 wreaks similar havoc on another infantry unit and decimates it though it does take some damage from the Stosstruppen who die hard and fast between the wire.
Gunn and Lenz trade lead as their machines sweep past each other...Gunn gets the best of the exchange but only just before his gun jams
Pott, not to be left out throws a few rounds into Niethammer's #2 Albatros as they circle back past each other.
And Strünklenberg has a long range pop at Brown.
Lenz manages a squirt at Morrow's SE and scores a few hits as the part company
Meanwhile an AAMG engages the last standing Stosstruppen but the men are fleet of foot and dodge amongst the craters of no mans land
Bauer steadies his craft, cuts the speed and releases half his bombs onto tank 21 with very satisfying results; Niethammer releases his load simultaneously but not as accurately. The result is shattering to the metal behemoth beneath them.
Morrow hauls his SE round in a sharp climbing turn and peppers Niethammer's tail damaging his controls
Back slides close under Board as the latter lines up on the last stubborn infantry unit that refuses to die.
Morrow unleashes more hate into Niethammer's Albatros, his Lewis jams and Lenz tries to swat him off his colleagues tail damaging the SE's controls in th process.
Board drops his final half load onto the determined Stosstruppen and wipes them from existence.
Obltn Konrad Strünklenberg tries to avenge his infantry comrades as Board sweeps across his nose at close range but the snap shot has little effect
Seymour Brown has better luck as he hacks Niethammer's Albatros from the sky as it turns on the edge of the battle area.
As it falls Seymour sees a figure tumble clear from the broken machine - suddenly what appears to be a large bed sheet blossoms out above the figure - "Blimey he's got a brolly !" exclaims Seymour.....
Bauer & Board swap lead as they close, Bauer's gun jams and no advantage is gained by either side.
Two to one odds - the end is near (Brown is just out of left frame immelling)
The surviving tank smashes its way through the last of the German defences and creates a breach into their rear areas....
write you own jokes here !
Obltn Strünklenberg has a go at Brown as he comes out of his immel, maybe he was put off by Claude who noses up and peppers the Eagle Leader.
Back gets another go but frustratingly causes no further damage to the enemy leader.
Bauer catches Morrow who (foolishly) has returned to cover his wingman...
I really must stop doing this !
Even as Morrow rolls into a splitarse to escape Lenz puts a final nail into the SE's coffin and it rolls out of control towards the ground.
And this is why !!
Back gets in another quick burst on the lead Albatros as Strünklenberg immels
Bauer rolling away from their victory over Morrow takes the opportunity to pump lead into Brown's engine at close range - it coughs ominously and blue white vapour trails behind the SE...Are the tables turning ?
Passing behind Strünklenberg Gunn takes his turn pouring rounds into Strünklenberg's Albatros until his gun jams.
Lenz takes a parting shot at Brown as they part company but luckily for Brown no further damage is caused.
Truly battered but victorious the Bulldogs leave the field before the last light of day.
2Lt Seymour Brown in SE5a H for Harry. RTB / 1 Kill (Niethammer) - 1 Stosstruppen destroyed
2Lt Claude Back with Cpl Tommy Gunn in Brisfit H for Harry: RTB / 0 kills
2Lt Bill Board and Cpl Jack Pott in Brisfit J for Johnnie: RTB / 0 kills - 2 Stosstruppen destroyed
2Lt Tom Morrow in SE5a G for George: SD-NML / 0 kills - 1 Stosstruppen destroyed
Rolled 9 -1SD -1NML = 7 Injured - Skip 1D2 Scenario. Rolled 2 = Skip 1.
E&E: Rolled 6 -1WIC +1NML = 6 In hiding! - Skip 1D2 Scenarios. Rolled 1 = Skip 1. Total Skips 1 (R)
2 of 3 Tanks destroyed, middle by Strünklenberg, right by Bauer & Lenz (with assist by Niethammer & ill fated Stosstruppen)
- 1 Stosstruppen destroyed
Obltn Konrad Strünklenberg in his Albatros D.Va 'LO': RTB / 0 kills
Tank destroyed.
Vzfbl Josef Bauers: RTB / 0 kills
Ltn Ludwig Lenz: RTB / 1 Kill (Morrow)
Tank destroyed.
Ltn Hans Niethammer in his Albatros D.Va '2': SD-NML / 0 kills - Partial tank destruction
Rolled 11 -1SD -1NML = 9 All well when you land well !
E&E: Rolled 10 +1 NML = 11 They didn't even see me !
Fwbl Hermann Goerth: Col- EXP-NML / 0 kills.
Rolled 10 -3EXP -1NML = 6 Injured - Skip 1D3 Scenarios. Rolled 1 = Skip 1.
E&E: Rolled 8 -1EXP -1WIC +1NML =7 Landed almost home! - Skip 1 Scenario...Lucky bu... Total Skips 1 (R)
Ltn August Deilman: Col- EXP-NML / 0 kills.
Rolled 7 -3EXP -1NML = 3 Injured - Skip 1D6 Scenarios. Rolled 2 = Skip 2.
E&E: Rolled 7 -1EXP -1WIC +1NML =In hiding! - Skip 1D2 Scenarios. Rolled 2 = Skip 1. Total Skips 2 (RW)
Six Stosstruppen destroyed.
Bulldogs VP: 24pts Total.
6 x Infantry Units destroyed = 18pts
1 Scout shot down = 3pts
1 Scout damaged = 1pt
1 Two-seater damaged = 2pts
Eagles VP: 16pts Total
2 x Tanks destroyed = 8 pts
1x Scout shot down = 3 pts
1 x Scout forced to retire = 1 pts
2 x Two-seater machines retired = 4 pts
Played my usual Alt & D8 charts, randomly diced for plane positions at distances given for scenario. Machines staretd at Alt 4 and the rest of the action takes place at Alt 3. Got the chaps off on turn 10. Used 3 C decks with 1 set of 0's amongst them for bombing so cannot compare results but it got the job done !
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