OTT BE Mission #3 - Counterattack at Cambrai - 3rd December 1917

**Setarius** · 08-27-2016 08:36

Subtitled: Bloodbath near Bourlon Woods

Entente and Central Powers Noon briefings:

Lt. Forbes: Gentlemen this afternoon we are going to support our ground troops. The A-H have come up with a new unit called Stormtroopers. They are small groups of men trying to infiltrate the lines.

Oblt Gustav von Boddien: Our planes will be loaded with bombs. We are to drop these bombs on the new contraptions the Entente calls Tanks.

Lt. Forbes: It is imperative we help stop these troops from getting to our lines.

Oblt. Boddien:. I will take the new Fokker Driedekker along with Ltn. Monnington in an Albatross DVA. Vzfwbl Bohny and Ltn. Derberke take the UFAG and Fwbl Ewers and Ltn. Runge take the Roland.

Lt. Forbes: 2Lts. Callahan and Lovell take your Camels, Ltn. Getz and Sgt. LaClaire take the RE8. I'm a 2 seater pilot short so, 2Lt. Hamlett you pilot the DH4 with Sgt. Misere looking over your shoulder.

Lt. Forbes and Oblt. von Boddien: Gentlemen, this will be a tough mission. You will be giving close ground support as well as in aerial combat. Do your best and watch your six.

Cue music: Moody BLUES--Nights in White Satin

Nights in white satin
Never reaching the end
Letters I've written
Never meaning to send

2Lt. Sam Lovell: Hello, anyone there?

Beauty I've always missed
With these eyes before
Just what the truth is
I can't say anymore

2Lt. Sam Lovell: NURSE, NURSE!!

2Lt. Sam Lovell: Doctor, DOCTOR!! HELLO! ANYONE!
VOICE: Yes my son. What can I do for you?
2Lt. Lovell: Where are you? Why can't I see you?
VOICE: I'm right here. You are temporarily blind. Do you remember what happened?
2Lt. Lovell: Blind? No, no I don't.
VOICE: Let me fill you in on what I know.

VOICE: You and a group of friends met a group of A-H planes near a town called Cambrai, near the Bourlon Woods.
Does this job your memory?
Sam Lovell: No, no it doesn't.
Attachment 205750
VOICE: OK. YOU were on the extreme right of your flight when you exchanged fire with a Fokker Dr.1 piloted by Oblt. von Boddien. You were unlucky enough to have a bullet ricochet off a wheel hub and hit one of the bombs attached to your plane setting off a large explosion. You set the Fokker Dr.1 on fire. Sopwith Camel(EXP), Fokker Dr.1 (2 FLM)
Several of your companions exchanged fire with the opposition with varying results.
Attachment 205751
VOICE: As everyone went past each other the rear Gunners got a few good shots in. The DH4 (3,3) and the UFAG (0,0) exchanged shots and the RE8 (0,2) and the Roland (3,1FLM) exchanged shots.
Attachment 205752
VOICE: THE DH4 (0) and the Roland(1 SMK) got a final shot at each other as they set up for their bombing runs.
Attachment 205753
No one could get a good run at their targets. The Dr.1 (4) and the Roland (2) took additional fire damage.
Attachment 205754
VOICE: As everyone was swinging back around the DH4 took a shot at the Roland (4).
Attachment 205755
VOICE: As everyone was jockeying for position the RE8(0) and the Roland(4 SMK) collided causing the Roland to fall out of control to the ground below.
Attachment 205756
VOICE: Another collision by the RE8 and UFAG caused no Dmg to either airframe.
VOICE: On the ground one of the MG nests wiped out a group of A-H troops while the other nest did minimal damage scattering the men.
Attachment 205757
Attachment 207578
VOICE: I'll tell you the pilot/observer combination on the DH4 is a deadly combination. They hit the target dead on (10,2,6,0). We will be picking up body parts from that explosion for a long time.
Attachment 205759
VOICE: And your 2Lt. Callahan will be a crack shot. He got 2 Kills in this battle. But, that is getting ahead of myself. He hit the UFAG hard (1,3P).
VOICE:The tanks as you call them. One of them wiped out an infantry (8 SMK) unit. The other one missed.
Sgt. LaClaire got a minor hit on the Albatross (1,0).
Attachment 207560
VOICE:The UFAG (2,1 OBS) circled around and got in front of 2Lt. Hamlett's guns. While Sgt. LaClaire hit the Albatross(1,3).
Attachment 205761

**Setarius** · 08-27-2016 08:40

Oblt. von Boddien made a fatal mistake and misjudged his approach to 2Lt. Callahan and dove straight across the nose of his plane taking enough Dmg to send him crashing to the ground (2 NL, 0).
The UFAG got hit again (1 NR, 0 GJ)

Attachment 205762
VOICE: As I said before 2Lt. Callahan got 2 Kills this outing as he caught the UFAG (1,EXP) at close enough range to cause it to explode.
And Sgt. Misere exchanged fire with the Albatross(5 P) to send it crashing to the ground. DH4 (4 SMK).
With the loss of air cover and half of their troops the A-H forces withdrew.

Sam Lovell: Good. Sounds like a great victory for our side.
VOICE: IF you want to call the loss of so many young lives a victory.
Attachment 205763
Sam Lovell: So I'm blind for now. How long will I be here?
VOICE: You have no need to worry about time. It will mean nothing to you anymore. You are safe from harm.
Cue music: Bob Dylan--Knockin' on Heaven's Door.
VOICE 2: Is he ready Chromos?
VOICE 1: He is all yours Thanatos. Have a peaceful trip Sam Lovell.
Music: Mama take this badge from me
I can't use it anymore
It's getting dark, too dark to see
Feels like I'm knockin' on Heaven's door
Knock-knock-knockin' on Heaven's Door
Fade music, fade to black.

Butcher's Bill

Casualties: L-R
Roland----SD Collision NML Behind Enemy Lines Fire 16 pts dmg
Fwzbl Friedrich Ewers P
C&W Rolled 8-2 coll -2 fire -1 NML = 3 Skip 6 Skip 6
E&E Rolled 8 -1 fire -1 WIC -1 BEL = 5 Skip ~

Ltn Karl Runge O
C&W Rolled 8 -2 -2 -1 =3 Skip 2. Skip 2
E&E Rolled 6 -1 -1 -1 =3 Skip 2

UFAG SD NML EXP
Vzfwbl Ludwig Bohny P WIA
C&W Rolled 8 -3 exp -1 wia -1 NML = 3 Skip 2. Skip 2
E&E Rolled 10 -1 -1 +1 -1 =8 Skip 1

Ltn Otto Derberke O WIA
C&W Rolled Snake Eyes (2) -3 -1 -1 = -2 KIA
E&E N/A
Attachment 205764

L-R

Oblt. Gustav von Boddien 1 Kill (2Lt. Sam Lovell) SD NML FLM
C&W Rolled 7 -1 SD -1 NML =5 Skip 3
E&E Rolled 5

Ltn. Karl Monnington SD NML WIAx2. 15 pts dmg
C&W Rolled 6 -1 SD -1 wia -1 wia -1 NML =2 KIA
E&E Rolled 3
Attachment 205765

2Lt. Sam Lovell SD EXP NML
C&W Rolled 5 -3 EXP -1 NML =1 KIA
E&E N/A
Attachment 205766

RTB
L-R

2Lt. Rodger Hamlett P DH4
Sgt. Xavier Misere O
1 kill Albatross DVA (Ltn. Karl Monnington) final burst by Sgt. Misere
1trench bombed 18 pts dmg

2 Lt. Larry Callahan
2 Kills Fokker Dr.1 Oblt. Gustav von Boddien, UFAG 2 seater

Ltn. Etienne Getz P RAF RE8
Sgt. Jean-Paul LaClaire O
1Kill due to collision with LFG Roland
Attachment 205767

Totals:
Entente
SD Single seat Aircraft 2x3pts =6 pts
SD 2Seat aircraft 2x4pts =8 pts
Infantry destroyed 3x3pts =9 pts
Infantry dmg 2x1.5pts =3 pts

Total =26 points

Central Powers
SD Single seat Aircraft 1x3pts =3 pts
Single seat damaged 0x1pts =0pts
2 seat Aircraft dmg 2x2pts =4pts

Total =7 points

**gully_raker** · 08-27-2016 18:41

Wow! What a bloodbath that was Dale!
Great victory for the British & Allied forces although you lost Lt Lovell (R.I.P)
Great spin on the his tale & very inventive.
Loved the music inserts!

**Stumptonian** · 08-27-2016 21:53

I agree with, Barry, Dale - an absolute bloodbath.

Mine was intense, but only one KIA for my Eagles.
The music inserts and mysterious voices were an interesting take on the tale.

Well done!

**flash** · 08-28-2016 01:56

That was quite intense Dale, the first pass was brutal so well done on bringing home a victory for the Bulldogs !

Uncle says:

A great victory but can I ask you to please write all the Tallies out in full, it can can be a pain but the devil is in the detail, and it makes it so much easier to check them. For instance Obltn Boddien had a worse day than you thought !

Oblt. Gustav von Boddien: SD-FLM-NML / 1 kill (Lovell)
C&W Rolled 7 -2FLM -1 NML = 4 Injured - Skip 1D6 Scenarios. Rolled 5 = skip 5
E&E Rolled 5 -1FLM -1WIC +1NML = 4 Captured and escaped! - Skip 1D3 Scenarios. Rolled 4 = skip 2

On the whole pretty good though. I have replaced some Eagles for you, let me know if you think you need more.

**mikeemagnus** · 08-28-2016 04:31

Wow Dale! Guess most has been said already, but I agree - great idea for telling the tale and the Moody Blues takes me way back

What a blood bath indeed. A victory for the Bulldogs, but at some cost to both sides!

**tikkifriend** · 08-28-2016 05:40

Quite some furball you had there Dale

Interesting slant on your AAR. Wall done.

**Setarius** · 08-28-2016 10:21

Thank you for the comments and Rep everyone. The idea for this AAR came about after reading the Mission BRF. If the C&W rolls hadn't gone the necessary directions, then I would have saved the idea for later.

Please replace 2Lt. Sam Lovell with Erasmus "Elmo" Winklebleck. Dutch Origins.

Dave, on the Obltn Boddien, I was undecided on the pluses and minuses since he fell in NML, but also in the start box for the Mutts, I.e. Behind Enemy Lines.

**Teaticket** · 09-07-2016 17:37

Bloody rough outing Dale. When the music started I thought..."I hear dead people". Good tale.

LOOP · 09-08-2016 05:33

5 out of 8 blown to pieces!! Blodbath indeed

Great AAR Dale

**flash** · 09-08-2016 07:47

Originally Posted by Setarius

Thank you for the comments and Rep everyone. The idea for this AAR came about after reading the Mission BRF. If the C&W rolls hadn't gone the necessary directions, then I would have saved the idea for later.

Please replace 2Lt. Sam Lovell with Erasmus "Elmo" Winklebleck. Dutch Origins.

Dave, on the Obltn Boddien, I was undecided on the pluses and minuses since he fell in NML, but also in the start box for the Mutts, I.e. Behind Enemy Lines.

Erasmus added to your line up Dale, as for Boddien he either fell in one or the other, as you said NML that is the criteria I applied. Looking at the image you could have just as easily called it as BEL....perhaps he glided into NML trying to get home...