Slay the Leviathan - Solo Trial
When you swarm a target, no matter how big, sooner or later...
This was my attempt to test the cunning plan. Good thing I tested it, before having a bunch of people logged on and playing. As any good tactician knows, "No plan survives first contact with the enemy!" The Leviathan wasn't that tough. Not when you continue to throw planes at it in a never ending stream. It needs an escort.
This is a before game shot, with my new-to-me Caproni CA3, and the array of scouts I planned to throw at this beast (L to R: S.E. 5a; 2 Nieuport 17s, 2 SPAD XIIIs, 3 Camels [Not shown are 2 more SPAD XIIIs, and 3 Albatros D.Va's, if I got crazy]).
I picked a path out that would have been flown by something this big, and decided that a land route would be best. The flight path was from Bitburg, Germany to Paris, France, and this would have taken it over the trenches just Northeast of Rheims. If I get really ambitious, I will put the rivers and towns onto the paper in scale to the flight path. But that is much later.
How did it play out? Check this out:
After a great shadow crossed over the trenches, the warning went out, and squadrons all over the area scrambled planes. First to arrive was a flight of Camels from the Northwest. Capt Jones signals to his wingers to press on to the target.
(What you can't tell from these pictures is that the paper on the table is moved back [from the bottom of the picture to the top] by half an inch each maneuver. The Camels are dragged across the table by that same half-inch. This is supposed to emulate the bomber moving a straight XB maneuver card each maneuver phase.)
They headed straight for the lumbering monstrosity, not knowing what it could do, or would do to them. It didn't matter, it had to be taken down. In they go...
It seemed that the plane just kept getting bigger and bigger, but it was still out of range of the scouts' guns.
Finally, shots are exchanged, and Capt Jones can barely make out his target for the streams of tracer rounds coming back at him. He had such a big target, it was hard to miss, even so. Lt McNally also takes a shot, and his tracers light up the fuselage. The return fire was ineffective.
Closing in, Capt Jones has gotten in too close, and the following fire from two of the many guns tears up his plane. His shots are almost all misses, as his joy stick breaks off in his hands! It has been shot through, and he is spinning out of control. His plane tumbles and gyrates into the ground, but at the last possible moment, it pancakes lightly. The plane is wrecked, but Capt Jones is safe. And behind friendly lines! The other two members of his flight will just have to carry on without him, and hopefully avenge him. Lt McNally gets a rude shock, as a cannon shell bursts near him! No damage is taken from it, but the machine gun has managed to walk his aim onto the Camel and the fuselage shudders. Lt Farnsworth, finally brings his nose around and takes a shot at the bomber, but ducks and covers from the return fire! He sees his Flight Leader's plane careen out of control towards the ground, as bullets riddle it.
(Upper combat, Camels are using the WoG A Deck, and the Bomber is using the WoW A Deck. Top two zeros from Lt Farnsworth, 0 & 1 from Capt Jones.)
Close-up of the Explosion Damage card and the many guns firing. Two A guns on each Camel... Oops! That should have been four A Damage cards each, not two, as they were in close range! Oh well. That's why we trial this stuff. And Capt Jones didn't need more damage, anyway.
As Capt Jones' Camel crashes to Earth, Lt's Farnsworth and McNally overlap the bomber. No shooting.
(From this point on, there is now a reference on the paper to show the movement. The burst marker showing Capt Jone's wreckage. It isn't much, at a half-inch a phase, but there is movement!)
Start of Turn 3, and Fire is raging in the fuselage of the monster.
Both Camels are trying to get some distance from the beast, so they can shoot it. But it is soo big...
Still maneuvering...
Lt McNally heads for the tail, getting under it and to the rear, without any damage. Lt Farnsworth was not so lucky. He gets the surprise this time as a flak explosion bursts near his plane, and to add insult, a machine gun tears a few chucks out of his airframe.
More fire damage as the crew desperately try to extinguish the flames...
Lt McNally Immelmanns and gets a great shot into the tail. His lower position allows him to tip his nose up and he fires into the belly. A huge explosion erupts from the plane! He must have hit a bomb, or something. Smoke and debris rains from the belly of the bomber, and smoke belches forth. The explosion must have rattled the entire plane, as the front gunner misses Lt Farnsworth completely. Farnworth notices two more planes approaching from the Southeast at great speed, and hopes it is assistance. It is! Two SPADs are racing in.
(This is a monstrous plane. Rather than "explode" it, I chose to draw a C Damage card instead. It just happens that I drew a 'monster' damage card!)
Lt McNally is too close to fire again on the tail, and Lt Farnsworth is now out of range of the machine guns of the bomber. The SPADs are not close enough, yet, to endanger the monster plane.
This doesn't last long, as the lead SPAD opens up with very accurate fire. Unfortunately, the front machine gunner is getting better at his job, and rounds slam into the engine of the SPAD. The winger of the SPAD flight turns to get in front of the bomber, and Lt Farnsworth continues his turn to bring his guns to bear, and the two planes madly dodge the SPAD Flight Leader and each other.
More fire, but the bomber crew manage to put out the flames. For now...
Dodging successful, all three planes in the front are bringing their guns into action, and the two SPADs unload at close range. Only the front-left machine gun on the bomber is within arc, and it seriously damages the lead SPAD. However, the SPAD Flight Leader takes his fair share of flesh. The SPAD winger also unloads, and does even more damage. Although both SPADs have gun jams, this is not a problem. The leviathan shakes and vibrates, and disintegrates in mid-air! huge pieces of wings and fuselage separate and fall, and the beast rains debris all over the French countryside.
The Butcher's Bill:
So, what I though would be a long tough fight, turned out to be not so difficult. Although a second Camel may have died close in earlier (with two more A Damage cards), I had two Nieuport 17s, an S.E. 5a, and two more SPADs, if the bomber was still flying. It was going down. It was just a matter of time.
Anyone with suggestions or critiques, they are most welcome. This was actually my first big bomber experience, and I may have been doing things wrong.
Mike
Reply With Quote
. Loved the way you handled the movement, great idea
. I too would stay clear of the boom and 
Neil
Originally Posted by OldGuy59
Bookmarks