Bloody April Campaign (Scenario 2 Turn 12) "Rollencourt Rumble!"
This AAR is part of Diceslinger's "Bloody April" campaign, based on the GMT Game by Terry Simo. You can follow the action HERE: http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/ent...nario-2-begins the description of the scenario setup is HERE :http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/sho...-2-Sortie-list
Josef Albers and Diedrich Knapp had no idea what was in store for them when they and the other members of Jasta 11 bounced the members of British 25 squadron that 4th day in March.
The day had began with great promise. The two had been gifted with two of the new Fokker d.VII's, blazing white, gifts from an unknown "benefactor". They had been thrilled at the new machines, but nervous at the same time. They knew of the rumors of the mysterious "White Marauder" who legend had it was rampaging up and down the front, destroying at will, and the bounty that had been placed on him. Some thought him a ghost, as reports had come in of the white machine having been brought down, only to rise from the flames like the phoenix, and begin the battle anew.
In any case, they had no wish to be mistaken for HIM, so hastily touched up the planes with some blue paint they procured. Albers in particular was thankful for the new machine. He had narrowly escaped with his life yesterday after losing two of his wingmen in the process. He had taken down a balloon, but had to flee for his life after the loss of his comrades. He wasn't sure after that close call how much more his nerves could take.
New paint jobs finished, they left for patrol that afternoon. That was when they encountered three Camels from 25 squadron and dove to attack. Each of the six from Jasta 11 paired off, chose a Camel and closed.
Albers and Knapp could see their chosen target ahead.
They closed...
...and suddenly the British machine turned...
...they had been spotted.
as the two closed...
...the Camel pilot must have decided he couldn't run and turned to the attack instead!
However, at the last moment must have lost his nerve and broke off...
Knapp dove for the attack...
Rounds ripped into the fuselage and engine.
Albers and Knapp banked away for another pass as the Camel went into a steep climb, attempting to gain the advantage of altitude.
That was when the tables turned. Suddenly the skies filled with more Camels. 43 Squadron, patrolling nearby, had seen a flare, came to investigate, and now flew to the rescue.
The two Germans knew that they had to equalize the odds quickly. They banked away from the new arrivals and attempted to close on their prey...
...as the two from 43 squadron began to climb...
...one opened fire...
...but could not draw a bead on the higher target.
Albers decides to break off, while Knapp sticks on target.
The two Camels from 43 continued to close the distance, and the red nose fired at Albers again...
doing minor damage to the tail and jamming his rudder.
The Germans go into a steep climb, using the D.VII's superior climb rate to leave their pursuers below...
While the Camel from number 25, seeing reenforcements, pulled an Immelman and turned on his would be pursuer...
...catching him in the process of climbing, unable to return fire, but missing the fast climbing target.
Albers turns on the red and blue noses, while Knapp dives to return fire on the striped.
The blue nose continues to fire at Albers, but still has trouble targeting the nimble fighter...
While Knapp puts more holes in the stripe's wings and fuselage until his guns jam.
Albers comes about, looking to get on the read and blues tails, while Knapp sticks to the stripe.
As Albers banks...
he watches as the stripe dives, clearing the way for the red to climb over him...
stitching Knapp's frame until his guns abruptly stop.
Working smoothly together, red slips away as Knapp turns to confront him, and blue takes up the attack.
As Albers continues through his power bank...
he can only watch in horror as the blue opens fire, guns blazing, ripping his wingman to shreads...
The furball unravels.
Albers banks and dives steeply, trying to save Knapp.
Hands shaking, he misses the target.
As all the combatants circle, Knapp breaks for the German lines.
But the red nose, guns now free, anticipates his move and intercepts.
Albers horror turns to pure terror as the reds fire ignites Knapps kite...
and it plunges from the sky, burning all the way...
while the red looks on...
as he smashes to the ground.
Albers was all alone.
As the hunters closed from all sides.
He only had one hope...
had to time this just right...
steady...
NOW!
As they closed around him, he jinked suddenly, slipping through the web they were spinning...
and breaking free...
leaving them tangled behind him.
As Albers fled for the German lines his cheeks burned in shame and humiliation.
Looking down at Knapp's buring wreck was a sobering reminder though of what would happen if he stood and fought.
He saw forward German troops closing on the wreck. He could only hope that somehow, Knapp had survived, but even with a miracle, he doubted it.
THE BUTCHERS BILL
Lt. Josef Albers (stripe), 1 damage, RTB, 0 kills & Lt. Diedrich Knapp (Vee) Shot down , wounded (+1), on fire (+2), "shot" (-2), roll of 5 on d10= final result 6, shot down, KIA!
Lt. Clarence Laing, 25 squadron (striped), 8 damage, RTB, 0 kills.
Lt. Humphrey Tempest, 43 squadron (red), 0 damage, RTB, 1 Kill (Knapp) & Lt. Terrance Pickthorne, 43 squadron (blue), 0 damage, RTB, 0 kills.
An exciting, fun, but hard game. Tried Flash's altitude variant again in this one, with no peg restrictions, modified climb rate rules, max altitudes, etc & it worked pretty well. I'm on a streak of bad luck lately, & it continues. Bad roll on random set up put me too far away to do much damage before the cavalry arrived, & once Knap got hit with those two big 5's it was all over.
Sorry to tie this storyline to my own OtT one, but the only D.VII's I have built are the white ones. Didn't want to substitute & felt like I had to have a "plausible" reason. But I did try to dress them a little different for this AAR at least.
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Well that was a savage encounter!
Originally Posted by gully_raker
The D.VII's are both paper. They're both the "White Marauder" (v.1&2) as seen in my OtT AAR's. Redressed them with a bit of painters tape. 
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