OTTBE Mission 18 - “A Champagne Breakfast” - 25th July 1918
OTT BE Mission 18 - 25th July 1918
“A Champagne Breakfast” or “What Goes Up, Must Come Down”
July 1918 was a period of transition. The German Spring Offensives were coming to an end and the French, with their American allies, were about to launch a counter offensive. This was to be the 2nd Battle of the Marne. A request was made, by the French, for RAF support, as a result of which a number of squadrons of IX Brigade moved from the British sector, back to the French front. On 14th July, through rain storms, nine of these flew south, from Flanders, to join the French in the Champagne district. The following happened a few days later.
Your mission
Equipment: You will need -
1 - Two mats.
2 - Three cards with “red dot” centres, representing pontoon bridges.
3 - Two AA Gun cards.
4 - One balloon.
5 - Three Entente scouts.
6 - Three Central Powers scouts.
7 - One “special” deck of 24 damage cards (see below) plus the usual accessories.
In the following photo diagrams, the attackers are the Entente and the defenders are the Central Powers. It may just as easily be the opposite way around if you prefer.
The Attacker
Diagram 1
Diagram 2
The attack, which is an “In and Out” affair, is by three scouts. Each is armed with “1” bomb; “1” belt of incendiary machine gun ammunition, sufficient for “2” rounds of fire only; and enough rounds of normal ammunition for the mission to be completed.
The start position is as in Diagram 1, on one side of the river Marne. The flight leader is at the centre of his friendly map long edge, with wingmen either side at one “short range” measure taken from base edge to base edge (Diagram 2).
Objectives: You are attempting to prevent enemy troops from crossing the river Marne.
1. Destroy the pontoon bridges over the river Marne, by bombing them from an altitude of two pegs. Only bomb cards covering the “red dot” on the bridge will be effective. All else fails. If under fire at the time of bomb release, make a D6 die roll. 1, 2, 3, 4 – the bomb deviates by one whole card left, right, forwards or backwards respectively (left or right the distance is the width of the card. Forwards or backwards, the distance is the length of the card). 5, 6 – no deviation from original trajectory.
2. Destroy the enemy balloon.
3. Return to base after incendiaries have been depleted.
The River
Two mats are used, separated, throughout their entire length, by the long edge distance of one playing card. This represents the river Marne (Diagram 3)
Diagram 3
In between are three “pontoon bridges”, placed as follows. One at the centre and one either side of this, at a “long range” distance, measured “red dot” to “red dot” on the cards. The bridges are undefended and simply there to facilitate the river crossing by infantry in single file (either advancing or retreating – your choice for the story line). This spacing should result in a measure of one and a half range sticks from the edge of the mat to the “red dot” of the bridge at either side.
The Defender
On the other side of the river is a balloon, placed by the defenders to give advance warning of activity around pontoon bridges that have been constructed across the river Marne to allow friendly troops to cross. It is placed central to the defender’s map and one “long range” measure from the long edge of their map to the base of the balloon. (Diagram 4).
Diagram 4
Diagram 5
Also, at one “long range” measure, taken from the centre of the balloon's peg column to the “red dot” on their cards, are two AA guns, one either side of the balloon.
The balloon. is also defended by three scouts (Diagram 5). These are placed, each according to their own random die throw – 1,2 centre of one side of the map; 3,4 centre of the opposite side; 5,6 centre of the long edge of their map. Diagram 5 shows the possible outcome if all three die throws
are different. Equally, they might all start from the same position, in which event, separate them in the same way as you did the attackers.
Objectives: Protect the pontoon bridges and the balloon. Destroy enemy aircraft.
Altitude
Playing the altitude rules is essential to this mission. The attackers will commence at an altitude of 2 pegs. The defending scouts will be at an altitude of 10 pegs (Diagram 6). The balloon. is at an altitude of 8 pegs.
You should use the OTT house rules for altitude, which I am certain you are now familiar with. But a brief reminder may help :-
1. A red climb card may be used as a substitute for any “straight” or “stall” manoeuvre card = 3 pegs up (one per turn).
2. A red dive card may be used as a substitute for any “straight” manoeuvre card = 4 pegs down (one per turn).
3. Any card, other than these, may be used to either gain or lose one peg, on any manoeuvre, except : No climb on a side-slip; no dive on a stall.
4. Firing is at short or long range, measured from the top of the peg columns of both attacker and target. Firing downwards requires losing at least one peg of altitude; firing upwards requires gaining at least one peg of altitude (see rules for exceptions). If the difference is more than five pegs, a climb or dive card must be used.
Manoeuvres (using D6 or D8 charts)
AI Attackers may consider their “nearest enemy” as either a pontoon bridge, or the balloon., or the nearest enemy aircraft – whichever seems most sensible, bearing in mind the objectives outlined above. Fly “straights” until within two “long range” measures of the first contact to be made.
AI Defenders may choose a “contact” heading and may fly straight until either, the enemy is contacted, or the first deviation is needed to ensure this happens. However, they do not have to and in the event they choose not to, will continue on AI selection of manoeuvres for the remainder of the mission.
Archie
OTT house rules apply i.e. normal rules, but without the same altitude limitation on fire.
Attacking the balloon. (special rules)
1. Each attacking scout may fire just two separate rounds of incendiary bullets at the balloon.
2. The range, either short or long, makes no difference.
3. The balloon. will draw two damage cards per round of incendiaries fired, taking them from a specially prepared deck consisting of the following cards only: 16 x “0” damage (to include 4 gun jam cards); 6 x Smoke “special damage” cards; 2 x Fire “special damage” cards.
(If you are lucky enough to possess two or more “A” damage decks, this should pose no problems. If you only have the one “A” damage deck then be prepared to make up a deck from any other source, using your ingenuity (e.g. From a normal 52 card deck - Two aces - “fire”, six picture cards - “smoke” and any sixteen of numbers 2 to 10 - worth “0” with, for example, four “2”s being “jam” cards). The important thing to remember is that damage values will mean nothing in this context. It is only necessary to be able to distinguish between “0” (some with gun jam), smoke and fire).
4. Results for firing with incendiary bullets are as follows:
a) Any “0” may have hit the balloon. but does no visible / apparent damage.
b) Any “smoke” is the signal for the ground crew of the balloon. to begin immediate winching down. This continues for 8 manoeuvres at one peg per manoeuvre, unless the balloon. is destroyed during the process. If all goes well for them, after 8 manoeuvres, the balloon. is grounded and safe.
c) Any “fire” starts an uncontrollable raging inferno. The balloon. will burn for three manoeuvres, exploding on the third. Any aircraft within short range during the explosion will also be destroyed, giving two points to the enemy.
d) Treat gun jams in the normal way.
Victory points
Bridges: Each one destroyed – 5 points to the attacker.
Each one left intact – 5 points to the defender.
Balloon: Destroyed by fire – 10 points to the attacker.
Hauled down due to smoke – 5 points to each side.
Intact in original position – 10 points to the defender.
Aircraft: Each one downed – 2 points to the enemy.
Each one forced to retire – 1 point to the enemy.
Diagram 6
That’s it folks – enjoy!
Happy New Year everyone
Bonne année à tous!
Frohes neues Jahr
Bliain Nua Shona
Felice anno nuovo
Iedereen Gelukkig Nieuwjaar
Mutlu Yillar
С новым годом
Szczęśliwego Nowego Roku
Feliz año nuevo
Sorry if your language is not here but Happy New Year just the same.
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by Kustenjaeger
That does look like a challenge Peter!
As we're not counting any other damage B decks will do the job. 
Hopefully tomorrow 
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