OTTBE-Mission 8-Bag The Big Gun-21st Feb 1918-BB401

[BB401]

14 Februar 1918. 6000 metres above the Western Front


Leutnant Dietrich Von Eschenbach leaned over the side, the large camera steadied,as the ice cold wind blasted him. The Rumpler could easily remain above enemy interception over the target, allowing the luxury of an uninterrupted, steady series of photos. What they would show would of course not be known precisely until the film was developed and enlarged, and the analysts with their lights and magnifiers could pore over its every detail. He just knew they were on target, and the clear cold air offered unparalleled opportunity to capture images this day.


18 Februar 1918. Luftstreitkrafte headquarters.


The photos were grainy, but there were several of them, and the implications were unambiguous and serious. The only questions in Kogenluft’s mind was could we intervene in time to remove this threat.




Big Bertha.The Paris Gun. Krupp was synonymous with land-based artillery of extreme performance. There was no doubt that other nation’s industries had the potential for game-changing technologies. But only they had seen it through to full operation. The British could clearly field large artillery – the Royal Navy was richly supplied with it – but they had never seemed to have the desire to field a land-based equivalent. Until these photos showed up.

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HMS Furious' sisters had put to sea with 4 x 15 inch guns in two twin gun turrets, but Furious was to be even more heavily armed, with the largest British Naval guns ever developed, the 18”/40 Mark I. Three had been produced at the Armstrong Works at Elswick, the only manufacturer capable of producing a weapon of such size. They had actually been designated as the “15 inch B” to hide its real size and destructive potential during development and production. Testing on the Furious showed the Cruiser to be unable to weather the massive overpressure, so the second turret was never installed, and Furious was to move on to other duties.




The guns, too, moved on, one each to a pair of coastal monitors, the General Wolfe and theLord Clive. The third was thought to also be headed for a third monitor, but intelligence had lost track of it.


Until now.


Facing the center of the German defenses was a weapon that could outrange anything else on the line, and overcome the need to be moved forward under a rapid advance.It could also be sited back farther than any counter battery fire. Only the Luftstreitkrafte could hope to reach it and put it out of action. Before it becomes operational. We would need more overflights to identify the nearby defenses and plan appropriately.

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“So, Hauptman Becker, your mission is to provide the attacking aircraft and necessary escort.The target is the highest priority. Your men must not know the nature of the target or its location until they are ready to depart. No chance can be taken to reveal what we know. They were not thought to be operational when photographed, and we are making regular overflights in the area, including decoy flights, to keep track of progress and to not reveal our true interest.This mission must be prepared immediately, and the larger single bombs will be delivered the night before your flyers take off. They are expected to take off well before dawn and arrive just prior, giving just enough light for proper target identification, but before normal patrols are likely to be up.” The Hauptman leaned back and scratched his neck. Herr Major leaned forward across the desk. The men would know Something Was Up. These visits were rare, and usually accompanied to falling in for inspection. Here he was with no warning,no ceremony, and no inspections. “Ja, Herr Major. You will have my plans for review this evening, and we can be ready to fly the mission in 24 hours. Can we get the bombs in time?”




“Danke, Hauptman. General Hoeppner and the staff will be pleased to know that. And yes,they are already loaded in a truck and standing by for orders. They will need to be fastened externally to your zweistizers – all of that will be explained to your Werkmeister. You will have to sacrifice some fuel to handle the extra weight. I will send my man with the bombs to ensure proper installation. Have your men standing by at 2200.”

20 Februar 1918. Adler Aerodrome, 1400 Hrs

Giving the Hauptman time to finish his phone conversation, Ziebell waited to enter the room to bring the readiness report. Mission preparations were proceeding apace, crews assigned, preliminary briefings conducted, and aircraft were being prepared for tomorrow morning’s raid. With the sound of the phone being placed in the handset, he entered. Herr Becker sat in his chair, eyes closed, lips drawn up tight, rhythmically rapping his empty pipe against his knee. “News, Herr Hauptman?” the Adjutant queried. Taking a deep breath, he spoke. “Change in plans, Adolph.” He leaned forward, made a tent with his fingers and peered over imaginary reading glasses, his voice nasal, in imitation of the Major: “The pride of reducing the Englischer Kanone to rubble has been given to Artillerie. You will support that mission aggressively.” “What – how?” Zielbell asked, confused. *“It seems, meine freund, that someone at OHL used their favors to bump us from the mission and advance themselves.”

“But Sir, surely this means one less risky low-level bombing mission….”

The Hauptman chuckled without mirth “You would think so, but no, es wird besser…..” Due to the great range involved, accuracy is compromised. Extra-large powder charges increase the variability even further. We will provide artillery spotting until All Of The Suspected Targets are destroyed.

“Suspected Targets, Sir?”

“Seems the incontrovertible photo evidence wasn’t as definitive as at first reported. To be sure they will be shelling several locations. We will overfly those locations and use the wireless to correct fire until we confirm their destruction.”

“Mein Gott.”

“Indeed. We will need His favor to bring the boys home from this one, Adolph.”

[BB401]

Max took the clipboard from Willi as they watched the planes taxi out and ascend between the flares that marked their take-off run across the pitch black field. “They’ll see dawn just as they teach their target if everything goes to plan”, stating the obvious to Willi, who had visions of crispy pork sausage dancing in his head. He was always hungry when wakened inthe middle of the night like this. “The late setting moon will help them with navigation on the way there, and the morning sun on the way back.” They strolled back to the tents to get everything in ordnung for any follow-on missions before they went to get some breakfast. “Willi, wait, let me finish the paperwork in the light. Weber in his Pfalz, alles in ordnung, check. Vogt in the new Pfalz, alles in ordnung, check. Eichner und Doerner in the ……Willi,look at this. They should have taken the Halberstadt!!! The Hannover was supposed to be in the hangar for repairs, with unresolved engine and structural issues. Mein Gott! They may not have full power, and there is a weakened strut on the right wing outboard. We must inform Herr Hauptman at once!” Willi looked asif he’d seen a ghost. This would not go well. They may not get that breakfast after all……..
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Feldwebel Rupert Eichner had to work to get the Hannover into the air,




and she was sluggish on the controls once up. “Must be the weight of that big wireless set” he thought to himself. “My goal is to fly circles while Leutnant Doerner taps away on his key with the artillery corrections”. The heavy Telefunken radio set and Flieg amplifier took up a lot of space in back. Doerner would be too busy to use the set and defend with his flexible gun at the sametime. Let’s hope Weber and Vogt can keep the Englischers off their back…..



Leutnant Weber had not seen much action since the mission returning “packages” to the British aerodrome. He had begun to feel once more the exhilaration of simply flying – the steady reassuring thrum of the engine, the whistling of the wind in the wires, the control of the machine, flying with his Jasta mates yet still solitary. The Hauptman had given him the lead and Vogt was a solid partner. Eichner and Doerner were newer to the Jasta, but they had been blooded and werec ompetent. And he would have free reign to attack any intercepting English scouts while over their target, leaving the Hannover to do the spotting and wireless communicating. Let’s hope dame fortune smiles on us today, after all, DasGlück hilft dem Kühnen (Fortune favors the bold).



“If it weren’t for bad luck…” The Battle ensues


(The Adler’s formation approaches the target area)

The flight in had gone more or less according to plan. Other than a slight delay in getting airborne, and some broken cloud cover near their cruising altitude, they had arrived close enough to on time, on target. And then it happened. Doerner in the rear seat of the Hannover saw them first, breaking out of the clouds they had just traversed, a trio of enemy scouts, Sopwiths at their altitude and behind them. Signaling frantically to Weber and Vogt, the trio split up, Eichner taking the 2-seater straight ahead to the first of three suspected target locations, and the scouts peeling off to tackle their pursuers.




Flight Lieutenant Leonard Foster was leading the flight. Foster’s successes had been a product of his meticulous preparation and precise tactics. No wild man he, his moves had a practiced elegance which, while not always the most direct, had always led him and his flight to an advantage. Now his plan to use the clouds had paid off handsomely, shielding them from enemy eyes until they were practically behind them. Now to draw in closer and takedown the observation plane and its defenders. All in a day’s work, chaps….




Feldwebel Eichner had the first of three sets of coordinates dead ahead. Holding it steady, Leutnant Doerner in back scanned the ground beneath through his large Glasses. “Sei verflucht!” (Be Cursed!) Doerner mumbled as he realized this was not the target. He hit Eichner on the left shoulder and pointed to Suspected Target two, some distance away. Fortune did not yet favor their efforts.



Weber pulled the stick into his chest and pushed the rudder bar hard forward, feeling the G’s build. The Pfalz was fast and could outdive most of their opponents, but it was not a nimble mount. He rolled out just in time to see a Sopwith crossing him right to left.




He lined up his sights in front of the plane and raked itfrom nose to tail as it flew by. He thought he could see its pilot flinch, eyes going wide, the enemy scout wobbling momentarily. Pulling up and banking hardover, he attempted to bring himself in behind his foes and not overshoot.

In his Pfalz, Leutnant Vogt had eschewed the turn and went right into a reversal,



kicking over and dropping back 180 degrees to his original course. The Englischer was right there in front of him, too close to do anything but avoid a collision.



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Weber saw his enemy rapidly turn hard to its right, disengaging. Must have hit the pilot, Pursue…no – protect the Hannover. He continued his turn to bring himself in behind a striped Sopwith, the leader. He sent a burst after him but it went wide. Patience, Gerald, patience….



Eichner had banked the big Hannover around and allowed Doerner a little straight and level to let him take in this next target area. No such luck. No big gun to be found. The third place to check would take them right through the pack of pursuers. Both crewmen checked their guns….



Weber pulled the Pfalz in behind the lead Sopwith, its pilot intent on catching the Hannover, probably thinking his now-departing partner was watching his back. A burst from his twin Spandaus got the pilots attention, but did no damage. The Game was on.



A circling fight was developing, The Hannover crossing over to scan another target zone, the Camel trying to get on its tail, and Weber round in front of his Jasta mates almost too closely to get a tail on the nimble Sopwith scout. While he couldn’t outturn, or even stay in a turn, with a Camel, he knew his own mount and was able to hit it hard with a deflection shot, perforating the fuselage behind the pilot. Now to keep from becoming a target in return.



“Finally!” Leutnant Doerner was exultant. He slapped Eichner on the back and they began their planned circling. He powered up the wireless set, letting the tubes warm up until they had full power, and they could call in the preplanned artillery on these coordinates. He could see even at this range the gun, its long barrel thrust out, ammunition stockpiles nearby,



the tracks of the vehicles and tools used to erect and prepare the beast clearly visible in the hard packed earth around it. “Herr Krupp has a present for you, I think”, he thought as he began to tap out his message.



Intent on his task, he saw the attacker just as he felt the searing pain in his lower leg, like a hot iron, his gamaschen and flight suit on his left leg rapidly wetted with warm blood. He stopped his transmission to take his wool muffler from his face and tie it to his leg as an improvised compress. It seems to have passed through cleanly, not hitting the bone, for which he was grateful, but the pain was impressive. “Geh zum Teufel!” he bellowed at the Sopwith, shaking a now bloody fist at his pursuer. Wiping his glove on his leg he went back to his wireless. The shots would be falling soon. He hoped they were on target quickly.



The sky over the target was now swirling with aircraft. Weber had come round in a hard reversal while the Sopwith leader had shot up the Hannover and was now facing him head on. He could see the enemy's guns winking as he squeezed his own trigger, feeling rounds impact his Pfalz as he watched his bullets spark off the Camel’s engine and tear into the upper wing. Meanwhile, a second enemy scout had rounded on the Hannover and proceeded to tear into its fuselage.



As the pilot Eichner continued to circle, Doerner unlimbered his gun and put a few rounds into the now banking Sopwith, stitching the back of the fuselage with Spandau steel.



Seeing a Camel turn in front of him and fill his sights, Werner Vogt pulled the trigger and sent a burst at the nimble scout while it tried not to fly into its remaining squadron mate.



The turning fight over the Artillery continued, Vogt trying again to hit a Camel, and for a rare instant, Feldwebel Eichner got his chance to be an Adler der Rache and hit a Sopwith square in the tail!



It appeared that both he and the Camel’s pilot misunderstood each other’s plans, as in turning, one to pursue, one to orbit a point on the ground, they momentarily attempted to occupy the same airspace, wings brushing and jarring their occupants, but doing inconsequential damage to each.



As Eichner and the Englischer attempted to avoid each other, his Jasta brethren had maneuvered in on each of his assailants. Weber once again had a deflection shot, this time at the blue circles Sopwith, and riddled its tailfeathers. Vogt was focused in on the Camel leader, and watched his rounds hit the fuselage, then the fuel, and the pane suddenly engulfed in flames, beginning a long, smoky spiral towards the earth below. He watched his foe descend, perhaps longer than he should have, but he could not help but wonder about the struggles of that man in the burning plane. He would hope that had it been he, that the bullets would have killed him first. He hoped the same for his foe. Some pilots had leapt to their death rather than burn......



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Weber had seen Vogt’s target go down in flames, so he had but one enemy on which to concentrate, leaving Doerner to complete his wireless transmission. He let fly but did not connect as he saw the Hannover grow larger as it approached from his right.



He could not turn hard enough to get a tail on this Sopwith, but he could get shots into his flank if he outplanned him. At close range he let fly, but the Camel jinked expertly and most of the rounds went beneath it.



In the Hannover, he message was acknowledged and the first rounds were on their way. He watched intently, waiting, waiting, waiting, there! The first rounds of the barrage were dead on plastering the area with the gun at its center with explosion after explosion, a dirty black bursts witha flickering orange interior, the booms were beginning to reach them at altitude when with a huge flash –



they must have hit the ammo supply – a large secondary explosion sent dirt, and chunks of …. Gun emplacement?.. high into the air, and they got a temporary push from underneath as the big shockwave moved past them. Back on the wireless now to report the damage…


As they banked around to make their damage assessment,Eichner once more saw an enemy enter his view, nearly out of range, but no point in going home with unexpended rounds, he let fly. He didn’t even notice Weber just in front and to the right pouring it into the remaining Camel at close range, the Camel’s nose dropping, trailing smoke, as the Pfalz followed it as far as he dared, while Rupert needed to circle and let Doerner finish the damage assessment. Well, no matter, he felt like a fighter ace for the moment. Surely now the Hauptman would agree to move him to Scouts where he belonged!
(To Be Continued)

[BB401]

The Butcher's Bill:

The Bulldogs:

2LT Allen / SD FT / / 0 Kill(s)

Crash: Rolled 8, SD -1 = 7 Pilot/Crew Injured Skip 1D2 Scenarios; Rolled 2, Skip 1 Scenarios

2LT Holmes / RTB / WIA / 0 Kill(s)

Crash: Rolled 3, WIA -1 RTB +3 = 5 Pilot/Crew Injured Skip 1D3 Scenarios; Rolled 5, Skip 3 Scenarios

LT Foster / EXP FT / WIA / 0 Kill(s)

Crash: Rolled 9, EXP -3 WIA -1 = 5 Pilot/Crew Injured Skip 1D3 Scenarios; Rolled 1, Skip 1 Scenario

-------------------------- The Kaiser's Eagles------------------------

LT Doerner / RTB / WIA / 0 Kill(s)

Crash: Rolled 10, WIA -1 RTB +3 = 12 All is Well;

Fwbl Eichner / RTB / 0 Kills




Ltn Vogt / RTB / 1 Kill



Ltn Weber / RTB / 1 Kill

[Carl_Brisgamer]

Bravo Bob, great prologue! I hope the Eagles have more luck with spotting for the artillery than their Bulldog counterparts.

[BB401]

Finished flying it yesterday and documenting it is in progress. I can say for the first time in this campaign the Adlers dominated.

Of course that was largely due to dumb luck.

But I'll take it.

[gully_raker]

Great story telling there Bob & looks like a stunning Victory for the Eagles.

[Setarius]

Excellent job and a yreal good story.

[Flying Officer Kyte]

Kept me glued to my seat Bob.
A grudging respect for your pilots.
Kyte.

[flash]

Well played Bob, your mission went much like mine - cleared the skies and mission accomplished

Onkel says:


A stunning victory for your Eagles this time out Bob, mission accomplished and pretty much cleared the skies
Couple of things in the Tally I've corrected and of course that must've been a CL.II Hannover as the CL.III is not available until March......

2LT Allen: SD-FT / 0 Kill(s)
Crash: Rolled 8, -1SD = 7 Pilot/Crew Injured Skip 1D2 Scenarios; Rolled 2.... = Skip 1 Scenario !
Escape/Evade: Not required he's in friendly territory !

LT Foster: EXP-FT / WIA / 0 Kill(s)
Crash: Rolled 9, -3EXP -1WIA = 5 Pilot/Crew Injured Skip 1D3 Scenarios; Rolled 1, Skip 1 Scenario
Escape/Evade: Not required he's in friendly territory !

Ltn Werner Vogt avenges his being shot down with a victory of his own that earns him his pilots badge and Ltn Gerald Weber gains his second victory to earn himself an Iron Cross second class - party in the mess tonight

[BB401]

Not just a CL.I I, but a CL.I I using 1-1/2 strutter stats...

Until I master the post mission stats I will continue to publish the butcher's Bill in easily edited format.

[Ken at Sunrise]

Just curious

Intent on his task, he saw the attacker just as he felt the searing pain in his lower leg, like a hot iron, his gamaschen and flight suit on his left leg rapidly wetted with warm blood. He stopped his transmission to take his wool muffler from his face and tie it to his leg as an improvised compress. It seems to have passed through cleanly, not hitting the bone, for which he was grateful, but the pain was impressive. “Geh zum Teufel!” he bellowed at the Sopwith, shaking a now bloody fist at his pursuer. Wiping his glove on his leg he went back to his wireless. The shots would be falling soon. He hoped they were on target quickly.

I thought if you wounded the observer, he could no longer take any actions.

[mikeemagnus]

Excellent story telling Bob and a good history lesson to boot. Congrats to the Eagles on another fine performance Thanks for the entertainment

[BB401]

Just curious



I thought if you wounded the observer, he could no longer take any actions.

According to the standard rules, they may not fire their machine gun; other functions are per the scenario. In the OTT:BE Campaign distinctions are made between the lower and higher crew damage cards in terms of Morale and leaving the scene (for pilots); as no specific rules pertaining to crew wounds were part of the scenario, I extended the logic of light v. heavy wound to the observer - light, wounded but able to function, heavy would mean incapacitation.

Your results may vary. No warranties, written or implied. Please refer to experienced service personnel.

[Stumptonian]

A really excellent AAR, Bob.
I saw it posted last night but decided to wait to read it until I had more time to give it justice.

I am certainly glad I did.


Excellent prologue - excellent storyline - excellent photos - and Excellent Result for our Adlers!


P.S. Did I say it was Excellent?

[BB401]

I confess, while I enjoy the game in its own right, the campaign games are for me just an excuse to make up stories.....

[BB401]

Excellent story telling Bob and a good history lesson to boot. Congrats to the Eagles on another fine performance Thanks for the entertainment

I needed a British big gun target, as I didn't have the correct entente aircraft to fly it as designed. Fortunately, history provided a not entirely implausible one.

[Setarius]

I confess, while I enjoy the game in its own right, the campaign games are for me just an excuse to make up stories.....

And you are amongst the story tellers in this campaign, and you do a really good job of it.

[flash]

...I thought if you wounded the observer, he could no longer take any actions....

There are specific optional rules that can be applied to observers in OTT so that missions that require their use are not ended prematurely by an unlucky draw:

Wounded Observer: option for obs/recon/bomb missions:
a. You knock him down for the remainder of the turn he is hit in
b. He stays down the whole next turn
c. He returns to action at the beginning of the next turn with these penalties applied.
ie 4 move gun jam, can only fire at short range & not after steep moves.
d. A second hit and observer is killed.

According to the standard rules, they may not fire their machine gun; other functions are per the scenario.....

This is incorrect - in the standard rules if an observer is hit he is incapacitated. Period. (hence the OTT optional rule)
Reference to other functions in a scenario relate to whether the pilot may be able to still carry them out with the crewman incapacitated. eg, he may be able to operate a camera, or, drop the bombs, make the recon.
I liked your ad hoc solution though, quick thinking !

[Ken at Sunrise]

There are specific optional rules that can be applied to observers in OTT so that missions that require their use are not ended prematurely by an unlucky draw:

Wounded Observer: option for obs/recon/bomb missions:
a. You knock him down for the remainder of the turn he is hit in
b. He stays down the whole next turn
c. He returns to action at the beginning of the next turn with these penalties applied.
ie 4 move gun jam, can only fire at short range & not after steep moves.
d. A second hit and observer is killed.

Are these used independently? Meaning do you choose which optional rule to use or all together?

[flash]

Players choose those they wish to apply - scenario writers can also specify optional rules to be used in a game. Most, I think, would use the wounded observer as it might mean the difference between a game and 'non-game', if you see what I mean.