SND Wk.3: From Bad To Worse
Continuing with the theme of "'Iron Hand' Against Balloons", this week's misadventure saw the Germans attempting to take on an Entente observation site with *2-seaters*, on the assumption that the heavier units might be able to better withstand punishment.
They did -- but they ran into another problem: CP 2-seater firepower flat-out *SUCKS*. B-decks all around is not conducive to quick elimination of ground targets; and the relatively low HP of German 2-seaters means they can't last as long against concentrated firepower.
The first fight was nasty, brutish, and short. Three Rolands (all with two 0.30s) went into the fray; the plan was to ignore the guns, and instead "circle-strafe" the balloon and its gear. The plan got them massacred in seven turns -- the single-0.30s, even being able to fire to the flank, could not inflict damage rapidly enough to take out the balloon before the ground MGs took them out (the cannon were a lesser concern; the Rolands were close enough to the balloon that the cannon couldn't fire without risking hitting the balloon as well). All three Rolands were lost, and the balloon barely reached half-damage. One-nil to the Entente.
A search through the CP 2-seaters showed all of them had about the same firepower, handling, and HP; so swapping to different units wasn't going to help much. But, for variety, I swapped the Rolands for UFAGs.
Second round saw a change of tactics: The Germans would try to knock out the ground guns and open a clear path to the balloon. Inadequate firepower put paid to this idea; by the time the Germans took out the second MG position, all had taken at least half damage, and two had dead crew or crippled engines; the arrival of the B-deck Hanriots (which meant I didn't have to break out two different decks :) ) swiftly ended the Hungarian Menace. 2-0 Entente.
Third round saw the Germans pull out all the stops -- and a pair of Staakens. This time, it wasn't inadequate firepower which let the Germans down; it was inadequate speed and handling, made worse by carrying bombloads. The Staakens were shot up a treat inbound to the target; they managed to hit the balloon's handling gear and the balloon itself, but not enough; and then were blown out of the sky by AA on the extraction. Three strikes, and the CP was Out.
These missions illustrated the importance of Firepower in the WW1 game -- the B deck has a lot of 0s in it, and few to no chances of doing significant damage even if it does hit. The German heavy units are badly undergunned for their size; I find it oddly ironic that while Entente fighters usually have single-mounts and two-seats have dual-mounts, the CP are the opposite. Even the vaunted Riesens are B-decks all-around, while the Caproni and H-P have dual-mount options. The inability of the Germans to inflict serious damage in one shot meant they spent more time under fire, took more hits, and wound up being shot down in droves.
The Staaken mission illustrates that Firepower is nice, but it isn't everything; the AA cannon were easily able to place shots where the Staakens needed to be, and shot them half to glory [ahem :) ] long before they reached the target. A line from _Fire Birds_ suggests itself here: For the "Iron Hand" role, one must be "Agile, Mobile, and Hostile".
I think next week, I shall see how Entente 2-holers fare; I especially dread seeing what a three-pack of Br.14s is capable of....
Final score: Entente 3, Central Powers 0.
