The Germans had been pushed back at Bapaume by IV Corps, but had withdrawn to defensive positions on Bancourt Ridge. The green 238 Squadron "Bulldogs" was assigned to spot for the Royal Artillery to soften up the ridge for the next assault.
Lieutenant Pete E. Boehdt led his flight of four Camels over the Somme. In the distance was the town of Bapaume, indistinguishable from the surrounding mud of no-mans'-land.
Above was the two-seater they had been tasked with escorting, along with a couple other planes, one with lozenge camouflage.
Boedht hastily formed his flight into a "finger-four" formation, Second Lieutenant "Farmer" O'Dell (controlled by me) and himself banking left while Second Lieutenants Lee K. Vosset and Mick Hannock continued straight.
Corporal Les Moore observed the artillery shells falling off target and radioed back adjustments. Second Lieutenant Chris Allis noticed two approaching Germans nearly collide with each other and fingered his trigger.
A couple of triplanes join the fight.
O'Dell breaks formation, while the others close up into a vic.
The Eindecker holes the DH4's rudder. Allis returns fire and watches as his opponent's wing shears off. As he watches the Eindecker spiral towards earth, he wonders why the other plane isn't firing.
The triplanes perform for the troops below, ignoring the fate of their fallen comrade.
O'Dell prepares for a flanking maneuver while the rest of the flight heads straight.
Allis fires at the two-seater, his rounds hitting the cockpit and sending bits of shrapnel into the pilot.
The Camels continue. Will they make it to the fight before the triplanes?
The triplanes enter the fight, but a sudden gust of wind throws everyone's aim off.
The Camels continue at full speed.
Moore can't spot with Allis' evasive maneuvers, so he takes his gun in hand and blasts some fabric off a passing triplane.
He shifts targets and flames a red triplane, his rounds igniting the fuel tank and causing major structural damage.
The Camels concentrate fire on the Hannover, adding another beacon to the flames burning in the sky. Hannock's guns jam and a stray expended round damages a rudder cable.
The Hannover's pilot expertly controls the fire.
The red Fokker burns.
The DH4 and the Fokker exchange fire with devastating effect. (The Fokker shouldn't get a +1, not sure why I put one down.)
Vosset goes berserk and tries to ram the Hannover, but fails. (I use a die to determine collisions, 5-6 is a collision. It gives the same probability as collision card but it's easier to use in solo games.)
Not quite in arc.
O'Dell appears out of the sun and shoots up the Hannover. Vosset is still trying to ram his target.
The Camels are circling, preparing for the kill.
Moore jams his guns, but fortunately the triplane's aim is off.
Vosset finally prevails and smashes off one wing of the flaming Hannover, which goes into a spin. (I messed up and forgot to resolve a collision last turn. Vosset should have rammed the Hannover to death last turn, but fortunately this didn't affect the game.)
The Fokker continues to burn.
Allis' skillful flying prevents the red triplane from getting a shot.
Boedht and the brown Fokker close in a head-on pass. Both pilots aim well, but Boedht takes a hit in the fuel tank and his Camel disintegrates.
O'Dell avenges his leader.
The artillery finally hits, destroying an ammunition dump and throwing both planes in the air, denying the Fokker another shot.
The red triplane goes into a dive and escapes over German lines.
Butcher's Bill
Bulldogs:
Lt Pete E. Boedht: EXP ET 0 kills -
C: Rolled 8 -3 EXP = 5 Injured - Skip 1D3 Scenarios. Rolled 6 = skip 3 scenarios (no -1ET on crash roll)
E: Rolled 11 -1 EXP -1 WIC -1 BEL = 8 Landed almost home, skip 1 scenario. Total skips 3
2Lt Thomas "Farmer" O'Dell: RTB/1 Kill
2Lt Mick Hannock: RTB 0 kills
2Lt Lee K. Vosset: RTB/1 Kill (by ramming!)
2Lt Chris Allis: RTB/1 Kill
Cpl Les Moore: RTB 0 kills
Eagles:
Oblt Martin Kairies: EXP FT/1 Kill
C: Rolled 12 -3 EXP = 9 All well when you land well!
Lt Christian Koch: RTB 0 kills
Lt Kurt Treiber: EXP FT 0 kills
C: Rolled 8 -3 EXP = 5 Injured, skip 3 scenarios
Vzfwbl Richard Niederhoff: COL FLM ET/WIA 0 kills
C: Rolled 4 -2 COL -1 ET -1 WIA = 0 Dead
Lt Johannes Ungewitter: COL FLM ET 0 kills
C: Rolled 7 -2 COL -1 ET = 4 - Injured - Skip 1D6 Scenarios. Rolled 4 = Skip 4
E&E Rolled 7 -1WIC -1BEL = 5 In hiding! - Skip 1D2 Scenarios, Rolled 1 = Skip 1. Total skips 4.
Results - British Win
Bulldogs: 1 artillery hit, 1 CP plane ran away, 3 CP planes downed = 15 points
Eagles: 1 British plane downed = 4 points
Kairies got pretty lucky there on his crash roll! Like others' games, the ammunition rules didn't have much of an effect, so I eventually just stopped keeping track.
April was pretty busy with spring break moved back to March, so WoG got pushed off till May. I'll get the next scenario done later this month, and I'll get around to catching up on commenting on the other AARs.
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