Bag Big Bertha - Mike's Mission 8 AAR
Over The Trenches – The Bitter End
Mission 8 ; Bag Big Bertha 21st February 1918
“Crikey, Sir. Look at that!”
“Yes, I've seen it Sgt! That mist is going to make spotting very difficult in an hour or two!”
“The what, Sir? Oh, the mist – no, Sir. I don't mean that, Sir. I mean that bloody great long thing sticking out of the trees down there. It looks like an enormous artillery piece, Sir, but I never saw ought like it before in me life!”
“Where Sgt? Are you certain you're not seeing things?”
“No, Sir” and he thought to himself, “If only the silly bugger would just turn 'is bleeding 'ead and look proper” “Down there, Sir, on our portside at about 8 o'clock.”
And finally Lt Ralph Leather extracted himself from thoughts of home and looked.
“Good Lord Sgt, I think you're right. Get a photo, quickly now, before that mist hides it!”
Later that morning, Ltn Leather and his CO were discussing the photo.
“It looks like one of those Big Bertha monsters the Huns used at Verdun!”
“But I thought they'd taken them out of commission, Sir”
“So did I Ralph, but it would appear that we are wrong.”
And just to confirm their suspicions, the orderly of the day, Cpl P N Shment, knocked and entered the office.
“Message from GHQ Sir. All 'ells lettin' loose up there, 'cos the 'un have just dropped what appears to have been one mighty big shell, almost on top of the Generals Bulldog, Sir. Gave the animal a big fright, Sir, an' 'e messed on the General's boots, who fortunately wern't in 'em at the time! So now we're being told to do something about it, Sir.”
“Really Corporal! Well I never; thank you.” And with just a hint of a smile on the CO's face Corporal Shment was dismissed.
“That's it Ralph, its' that thing you saw! It has to be. Get up aloft sharply now, and confirm its' location. If it is one of those enormous howitzers, then I happen to know they are very vulnerable to our own heavy artillery. We'll take the damn thing out before it can do any real harm! Now, get going.”
But Lt Leather and his observer Sgt Sholto Douglas MM, were unable to locate it again! They couldn't be certain, because the mist had closed in and it was getting dark, but, by the looks of things, it had already been moved. The Germans must have known they'd been spotted a few hours earlier, so had decided not to risk being shelled themselves. No, it would have to wait until the morning. Then they would have it!
“OK Ralph, the show is yours” the CO said when they returned. “First light tomorrow, up you go again in the RE8. You can have the two new boys to escort you. That'll help them settle in and learn a bit about the geography around here. Just pray you don't run into the Hun, because I'm not sure these new lads are quite up to that yet. Still, we're very short handed here and they've got to learn, and do so damned quickly. Off you go now.”
“Right you are, Sir. Good night, Sir.”
“Right, have you lads got that stuck in your thick young skulls? No heroics. Stay tight just above us and your presence should be enough to warn off any prowling Huns.” Which was in fact a bit of a pun, since the new boys themselves were often referred to by that rather derogatory nomenclature!
“Yes, Sir, got it” the two new boys answered, almost in unison.
“But I'm still not certain what we're looking for, Sir”
“A bloody great Howitzer Lieutenant Piper, a bloody great gun!”
“But I never heard of such a thing, Sir, let alone know what one looks like!”
“My God, Peter, where were you throughout 1916? The Hun used the damn things to blow the hell out of Verdun! How could you not know that?”
“Actually, Sir, I was in school. And unlike most of my friends, I had no interest in the war, Sir. Only here to support the old school. They said I should do my bit for the King , the country and the school, Sir, so here I am! I though I would....”
“Alright, Peter, shut up! I've heard enough, thank you!” “Oh Lord” thought Ralph Leather to himself. “Here we go again. How long will these two last I wonder? I wish to God the others would recover and get there butts back here. I need some experience around me again!”
But the others were all recovering from wounds or sickness, or just plain missing in action! This is what he had to work with now, so this is what he would use and, for his own sanity, give it and them not another thought, if he could avoid it!
They were kitted up and ready to go before the sun had even risen above the distant, wintery, horizon. It was bitterly cold, so even the many layers of clothing did not help much. But off they went, without mishap, heading east. First, over their own lines, where the PBI were just beginning to stir themselves, then over the enemy trenches. Heavens, it was too early to be taking these schoolboys, Lieutenants Piper and Gittisham, behind enemy lines, but no choice today!
They headed back to the area where they had first spotted something and started a routine search. It was then that Lt Ralph Leather's heart began to thump, because Sgt Douglas had patted him on the shoulder and pointed towards a group of black dots, heading their way and growing larger by the second. The Hun were already up and about and seemingly anxious to be introduced to the two new boys. Lets hope the latter could manage their manners and acquit themselves ok! If only for the old school tie – damn it!!!!
Bloody difficult to see the Hun too, with the sun rising directly ahead. He waggled his wings and waved furiously, in the direction of the approaching German aircraft, and was at least relieved to see that both were paying close attention. They acknowledged him, waved enthusiastically, then the God forsaken silly buggers broke off and headed for the Hun. “What in Christ's name are those stupid buggers up to?” He screamed back to his observer. “I told them to stick tight!” But it was too late. Things then happened very quickly!
Whether it was because the Hun were taken by surprise (they shouldn't have been, coming from the direction of the early morning sun like that), or whether it was just the good luck of enthusiastic, inexperienced and therefore relatively fearless youngsters, will never be known. Whatever the reason, Lt Ralph Leather was really surprised by the opening exchange of fire. Swinging to port, the two SE5a's headed straight towards the oncoming German aircraft; Albatros DVas, each one of them. In fact Lt Piper found himself in amongst them in a flash. Fired on by two of them, his aircraft took some minor damage, but the third Albatros flew right across his path. At long range, Piper fired a short staccato, echoing, burst and with the luck of the devil perhaps, hit something vital, with his first ever shot at the enemy. The Albatros simply exploded, before spiralling earthwards in a trail of smoke. Lt Peter Piper had his first kill and his flying experience with the Squadron was less than an hour old! Was this luck or was he potentially a very good pilot?
It didn't stop there, however, as all three DVas flew amongst our own valiant trio, blazing away rather ineffectively. Before you could say “Old school tie” again, down went another of the blighters. This time to the guns of Lt Oliver D Gittisham!
“Bloody Hell. Where did those two get their training?” thought Lt Leather!
Meanwhile, flying around in circles, he had already established that neither of the first two suspected Big Bertha locations had anything but a few frightened cattle anywhere in the vicinity. But there it was OK. There was the damned gun, half hidden by camouflage amongst some trees. No mistaking that very large barrel, aiming skyward towards Leather's own lines!
“There it is Sgt. Get on that radio contraption thing of yours and see if you call up a few shells to liven their party up a bit.”
“Not right now, Sir, if you'll pardon me for disobeying orders, Sir. But we have unpleasant company on our tail.”
Daka daka daka daka ping phut, boing. Bullets flew all around them; but fortunately nothing important was damaged and neither of our two Squadron members were hit either.
Sgt Sholto Douglas MM focused and returned fire. Satisfyingly he noted a pall of smoke suddenly billow forth from somewhere around the engine compartment of the German aircraft.
“Leave off Sgt! We have to get those reports in to our artillery.”
“Right O, Sir” replied Douglas and for a few seconds there was no sound from the rear gun. But the sergeant just couldn't resist one last short burst as the Albatros flitted so close behind them.
“Sittin' duck!” thought Douglas and let him have it. Then the gun jammed!
“Damn – I had him. Really I did! Damn, damn, damn!”
Right then, what should have been the sergeant's kill was sent spiralling to the earth with bursts from the guns of both of their supports.
“Lt Gittisham got 'im, Sir! Blimey, that's two for the young lad already, 'an they aint been wiv us for no more than a couple of 'ours! COs going to be really 'appy I'm guessing.”
“Great, Sergeant, but can we now focus on taking out that bloody howitzer. If you can spare the time, that is! We have no opposition for the moment, but that isn't going to last long and I'd quite like to do our job properly and get back before lunch time! OK?”
“Yes, Sir, understood, Sir.”
“And don't think for one minute that I shan't give those two idiots a dressing down when we get back. I told them to stick tight, not go off on their own as if they were at a fair ground! They just got lucky, that's all! If they do that again they'll not last six weeks out here!”
But the Sergeant just kept quiet and thought to himself that the two new “school kids” had just done a bloody fine job. The one they were supposed to do. He respected that!
The End (I have assumed that, for a time the remaining aircraft were unopposed and thus able to have Big Bertha destroyed – victory for the Entente)
Butcher's Bill
Entente
Lt Ralph Tolerton Leather – pilot RE8
RTB / No kills / All good when you land well
Sgt Sholto Douglas MM – Observer RE8
RTB / No kills / All good when you land well
Lt Peter Piper – SE5a “19”
RTB / 1 Kill / All good when you land well
Lt Oliver D Gittisham – SE5a “Z”
RTB / 2 Kills / All good when you land well
Central Powers
Left – Ltn Paul Beckmann WBb
SD FT / No Kills
2D6 = 5 + 2 = 7 -1SD = 6 Injured Skip 1D3 scenario. Throw 1D6 = 6. Skip 3 scenarios
Result: Skip 3 scenarios
Top right – Ltn Kurt Parschau
SD FT / WIA / No Kills
2D6 = 6 + 1 = 7 -1SD -1 WIA = 5 Injured Skip 1D3 scenario. Throw 1D6 = 2. Skip 1 scenario
Result: Skip 1 scenario
Bottom Right – Obltn Wilhelm Habich PB; WBb
EXP FT / No Kills
2D6 = 5 + 5 = 10 – 3 EXP = 7 Injured skip 1D2 scenario. Throw 1D6 = 3. Skip 1 scenario
Result: Skip 1 scenario
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Bar reading your AARs guys, which I shall start now. 
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