OTTTBE Mission 13 Unlucky for Somme - May 5th 1918 by Tikkifriend
Adlers
Hpt F Lange Yellow/purple
Hpt S Smitt ace Yellow
Ltn J Just Udetpinstripe
Ltn K Rittinger Stark modified
Ltn H Hartmann Stark lozange
Vzwf Bl H Gruber Blue
RAF Bulldogs
A\Ltn Betts Camel H
2Lt Grinnell-Milne Se5 S
2Lt Miller Camel A
2Lt S Sumpter SE5 U
Lt T Draisy Camel (Barker)
Fl/Sgt Edwards Camel (Brown)
Lange led the 6 DrVIIs towards the front line. He knew that the Bulldogs would be on patrol over the river Uln making sure that the bridges were free of enemy troops. 4 passes East-West and then home for what did they call it Tiffin .
He timed it well ,coming up behind and to the right of the RAF scouts
He waggled his wings and the flight split into 2 sections Smitt leading his wingmen Hartmann and Just to the right ,Lange , Gruber and Rittinger heading straight ahead.
Sumpter did not recognise the planes to his rear. At first he thought they might have been the new Spads he had heard about , but looking
closer he could see the dark crosses on the highly coloured fabric of their wings. He fumbled for his Very pistol and fired of the appropriate flare.
The Bulldogs broke right to meet the Adlers. Sumpter getting off the first rounds before he
felt his rudder kick to the left. (2+LRD)
The sky became a cauldron of twisting planes.
Rittinger felt his gun jam and his tail being torn by Draisys rounds. Just suffered tail damage from Millers guns at close range as well
While the SE5s maneuvered above the Camels took the brunt of the fire fight.
Miller tailed Just, deftly turning onto his enemy further damaging his tail (2+RRD,0)
Draisy crossed Grubers LOS . A bullet lodged in his shoulder ,the rest ripped into his rudder.
(3+Pilot, 1+LRD)
Rittinger and Edwards passed close enough to throw insults at each other. Edwards Lewis punching holes in the new DrVII frame (1,5)
Just caught Betts in his cross hairs and squeezed off a long burst (5,1)
Betts was out of position to return fire but his bullets hit Gruber , black smoke confirming a severed oil line . (4+smoke)
a second close range shot saw a line of holes tear into Grubers fuselage (4)
Sumpter performed a Split S to avoid engaging with Lange and Smitt but Lange anticipated his move and caught him from above.
Edwards curses could be heard as his gun jammed
After the initial melee the planes began to spread themselves out , choosing an opponent to pursue.
Just climbed using an Immell, his chosen target an SE5
Hartmann Immelled as well
Draisy's Camel followed a slow right turn, its pilot oblivious to all around him.
Rittinger dodged passed Betts his eye on the helpless Draisly
Lange narrowly missed Sumpters plane as he passed over his head
With the German planes climbing Miller followed suit
Smitt manages a quick few shot at Milnes (1,0) (1.0) after wasting rounds on a previous attack.
Milne finally got out of Smitts LOS
Miller swings round on Justs tail but his shot goes wild (0)
Edwards fell under Rittingers guns which jam spectacularly (2+GJ, 0+GJ)
The planes continue to twist and turn in the sky each only a few hundred metres from each other , all determined to shoot down an enemy and survive.
Survival was top of Milnes' list, after losing Smitt he found Lange on his port wing. Seconds later smoke obscured his sight (4+Smoke)
A further burst from Lange ripped a hole through his wing. (5,1)
The SE5 , sturdy as it was , could take no more and stared a slow descent towards the river
Edwards glanced rearwards to see 3 Fokkers on his tail
Just first rounds against Miller have a spectacular effect tearing the tail off the Camel and sending it into a spin (XP,3) Kill Just
Betts began to climb as did Draisy but both ran into the Adlers. Hartmann hitting Draisy's fuselage (1,3)
but Betts was more fortunate , hitting Just in the lower leg while punching a large hole in the Dr VII's floor pan. (5,3+Pilot)
Gruber,his engine no longer smoking, found himself head to head with Edwards A long well aimed burst at the engine saw it seize, a piston flying past the startled RAF pilot.The Camel fell from the sky like a stone (3+eng,3+Eng) Kill Gruber
Smitt with the advantage of height , could see Sumpter's body jerk as he was hit (5+Pilot)
Draisy could see Betts way off to his right with at least 2 Adlers closing on him. no sign of the return home flare yet.
He fired at Gruber (2) who broke off and headed for home
Betts anticipated Justs moves, getting his Camel in front of the Fokker Guns blazed from both planes. Betts didnt see the striped plane erupt into flames and fall away (XP 4) The bullet struck his temple, blood clouding his vision (5+pilot 1+ RRD)
Sumpter nursed himself and his plane toward the Allied lines. Betts dazed and confused did likewise. Draisy saw his flight leader heading East followed suit leaving the sky and victory to the Adlers.
Result
Adlers
Hpt F Lange RTB/ 1 Kill
Hpt S Smitt ace Yellow RTB
Ltn Johannes Just: (Udet ) SD-EXP-FT / WIA / 1 Kill
Rolled 10 -3EXP -1WIA = 6 - Injured - Skip 1D3 Scenarios. Rolled 2 = Skip 1.....lucky, lucky b..
Awarded Wound Badge in Silver
Ltn K Rittinger (Stark modified) RTB
Ltn H Hartmann Stark RTB
Vzfwbl H Gruber Blue RTB/ 1kill
RAF Bulldogs
A\Ltn Nicholas Betts: Camel H: RTB / WIA / 1Kill.
Rolled 8 +3RTB -1WIA -1 AWIA (Already Wounded !) = 9 All well when you land well !
Grounded by M.O. for 1 mission.
2Lt James Grinnell-Milne: SE5a-S: SD-ET/WIA 0 kills
Rolled 10 -1SD -1WIA = 8 Injured - Skip 1D2 Scenario. Rolled 3 =Skip 1
E&E: Rolled 9 -1WIA -1WIC -1BEL = 6 In hiding! - Skip 1D2 Scenarios Rolled 4 = Skip 2 (WR)
2Lt Lay Miller: Camel A - SD-EXP-ET/ 0 kills
Rolled 8-3EXP = 5 Injured - Skip 1D3 Scenarios. Rolled 3 = Skip 2
E&E: Rolled 11 -1EXP -1WIC -1BEL = 8 Injured - Skip 1D2 Scenario. Rolled 4 = Skip 2 (RW)
2Lt Stanley Sumpter: SE5a-U: RTB / WIA 0 kills
Rolled 9 +3RTB -1WIA = 11 All well when you land well !
Lt Draisly Camel Barker
Lt Thomas Draisy: Camel Barker - RTB / WIA 0 kills
Rolled 9 +3RTB -1WIA = 11 All well when you land well !
Flt/Sgt Arthur Edwards: Camel (Brown): SD-ET / 0 kills
Rolled 5 -1SD = 4 Injured - Skip 1D6 Scenarios. Rolled 4 =Skip 4
E&E: Rolled 5 -1WIC -1BEL = 3 - Captured and escaped! - Skip 1D3 Scenarios. Rolled 4 + skip 2
Well that was quite a dusting for all concerned. 50% wound rate for the Bulldogs, a double engine hit and a couple of boom cards. Took 8 turns before the RAF had to leave the skies to the Adlers but a most enjoyable 8 they were.
Oncle if you would please see how the Tommie flyboys and Lt Just did
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Well we all knew it would be an all in Furball & you did not disappoint Paul!
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