Let's score a kill, son (Nightbomber - Central Powers)

[Nightbomber]

"Good to have you here with us, Hans. We need some veterans these times. I want you to take one of the freshmen we have here, to the skies and get some ducks down. His name is von Oppeln, Bolko von Oppeln, a brother of one of the fallen. Teach him how to fly and how to fight. I'm sending you to the safest possible sector where experienced enemies are hard to find, but I do hope you can find there some...fledglings as well."

Kommandeur Gabriel's speach is what Hans Tannenberg is still hearing after that unfortunate first flight with the new Jasta. The bottle in front of him lets him ease the bloody taste of failure. He is a talkative pilot but tonight, he has nothing to say. He has been repeating "let's score a kill, son" over and over again, but his friends pass by with kind of understanding. He knows he failed and must live with that kind of feeling. At least for tonight. Tomorrow he will surely join the fight, ready for action.

Let's see what happened...

Hans in his blue Albatros and Bolko von Oppeln, a rookie pilot, bounced on a pair of recon kites, that should have been an easy game...

http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=64176&d=1351707930

After first rounds fired they realized the enemies were not green ones. They were regulars...

http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=64177&d=1351707947

Both sides suffered gun jams!

http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=64178&d=1351707966

Hans pressed the trigger, but his guns jammed as well! Herr Gott!

http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=64179&d=1351707984

Enemy flight is synchronized; what our pilots shall do?

http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=64180&d=1351708002

http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=64181&d=1351708020

Bolko chose the right maneuver, but Hans lost his way definitely...

http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=64182&d=1351708038

Bolko is flying a risky style...right in front of the English pilot's nose! No shooting!

http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=64183&d=1351708058

New maneuvers planned. Hans is returning to the "0" fray...;)

http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=64184&d=1351708087

Bolko is still out of the enemy firing arc!

http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=64185&d=1351708107

Shooting ineffective...

http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=64186&d=1351708134

Planes are moving forward, the enemies are crossing the NML, but no one is in range!

http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=64187&d=1351708170

Bullets flying all around. No hits:D

http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=64188&d=1351708189

Zeroes, zeroes, whizz, whizzzz...

http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=64189&d=1351708208

Smart maneuvering - planes out of range...

http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=64190&d=1351708226

Unfortunate Hans' maneuver brings him in front of a happy English pilot! 4 points of damage.

http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=64191&d=1351708253

German pilots are lost in the air. The English pilots release merciless rounds, Bolko's plane catches fire!

http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=64192&d=1351708274

...and Hans gets a smoke trail behind him...

http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=64193&d=1351708294

Bolko is under ineffective fire, but the flames are consuming his crate bit by bit...

http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=64194&d=1351708313

The brave Englishman is colliding with Hans! C cards drawn.

http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=64195&d=1351708333

Bolko is making a sharp turn left with his flaiming kite, almost hitting the recon enemy plane...

http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=64196&d=1351708354

The fray continues.

http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=64197&d=1351708375

Flaming and smoking German scouts are trying to regroup before the final angriff...

http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=64198&d=1351708395

Hans is firing; a deadly burst of bullets hit the enemy's engine...

http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=64199&d=1351708415

But the English planes are too far behind the lines, fuel levels dropped significantly and it's hight time the brave, but unsuccesfull Kaiser's pilots fly home...

http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=64200&d=1351708434

Bolko's farewell shot.

http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=64201&d=1351708454

And the butcher's lists...

The Game:

http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=64203&d=1351708493

The (so called) Hunters:

http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=64202&d=1351708473

What can I say? That was a nightmare!

I must get a cold and long one right now. Frustration and anger is what I feel;)
Well, it's just a game, isn't it?

Thanks for reading, mates!

[flash]

So many zeroes ! Hey that's the way it goes sometimes - horribly - hope your luck improves in the next mission - unlucky 13 !! ;)

[Marechallannes]

Ok - all pilots/crews survived.

Not the worst result for 01.01.1918.;)

But the cards were against the Eagles...

Never mind - a new pilot for the Jasta.:salute:

[Flying Officer Kyte]

In some strange way, I enjoyed the fact that no one got the chop in this encounter. It seemed like so many real life sorties I have read. No score by either side. I think that for the sorties we fly we seem to get too many kills. Even the great aces did less than 30% of kills to sorties.
So good AAR. Sven. Go have a beer!
Rob.

[gully_raker]

:thumbsup: Interesting & rather intense AAR Andrezj!
You always have to watch out for well trained & experienced RE 8 crews. The AFC Squadron that flew them on the Western Front in 1918 had a much higher Kill to Loss Ratio. :slysmile:

[Nightbomber]

:thumbsup: Interesting & rather intense AAR Andrezj!
You always have to watch out for well trained & experienced RE 8 crews. The AFC Squadron that flew them on the Western Front in 1918 had a much higher Kill to Loss Ratio. :slysmile:

A very interesting input Barry. I didn't expect that:eek:

[Marechallannes]

Watching the mission result, I think it was a hard job to hunt the slower RAF RE8 with the faster Albatros D.Va.

Did you had the feeling, that is was complicate to keep the slower two-seaters in the crosshairs, Andrzej?

[Nightbomber]

That was my exact feeling. :serious: It caused a real headache. To make things worse, my rookie was obliged to discard the more "valuable" damage cards (there were some "4" and "5"s discarded :brickwal:

[flash]

I think I have found the problem.. young von Oppoln disobeyed the M.O. left his sick bed & went flying ! :eek:
Good man !! :thumbsup:

[Nightbomber]

:lol:!

[Marechallannes]

Oh, oh... :smack: