OTTBE Mission 21 - Flash's Contact Patrol - 5th September 1918

[flash]

Dulled by admin and running the squadron capt Ben Downe decides it's time to take to the air once more - why should all these youngsters have all the fun ? A new mission has come in - a contact patrol, that should be straight forward enough to break him back into combat flying - not quite a milk run but nothing too taxing....

The Bulldog's formation - RE8 piloted by 2Lt Harry Kane with Cpl Arfur Mowe on the gun, escorted by Cpt Ben Downe in G-George and 2Lt Trew Storey in H-Harry head out to find the mobile front as the Germans fall back.


The Eagle's formation - Ltn Konrad Strünklenberg in the 'patriotic' Fokker D.VII nearest the camera & new boy Ltn Max Guntrun to his left in another Fokker D.VII.


As the British fliers advance the Germans slew their machines across their path and a flare soars into the blue from the RE8


Storey scores first, taking a chunk out of Strünklenberg's Fokker as he sweeps down to attack the two seater. Mowe reloads the flare gun


Strünklenberg scores some minor damage until his guns jam (his luck runs as usual !) as Storey cuts in behind him and Downe rolls his SE into a Split S.


Strünklenberg gets to work on his jam, avoiding the SE's attentions as Guntrun looks for an opening.
It's not long in coming and he trades lead with Downe as he pulls out of the Split S - honours even but Ben is annoyed his machine has taken damage to its controls - he'll have to be careful.


Downe catches up to Storey and they both open up on the black, white & red Fokker - Downe sees no damage from his efforts even with his marksmanship ability but it looks like Storey has knocked bits off of it's tail.


Storey turns sharply in order to cover the RE8 but gets caught by Guntrun's Fokker and now his controls feel slack !
Arfur Mowe searches the ground and spots a recognition panel - "They're ours!" he exults and marks his map


Lifting the flare gun once more another round lofts into the void


Snatching at his weapon Mowe unleashes an accurate burst into the Fokker manoeuvring on his tail and sets it on fire - yes !


Downe hauls G-George round and pumps more rounds into the burning Fokker, Mowe reloads his flare gun.


Badly damaged Strünklenberg looks for an escape, slipping past Downe


Storey takes a pot shot but it doesn't register and his Lewis gun jams


But nothing can stop the burning Fokker sliding away from the battle and Strünklenberg starts to look for a safe place to put it down


Mowe takes a butchers over the side but cannot make out if it is friend or foe below


Downe gets his eye in and uses his skills hitting the remaining Fokker hard, grunting with satisfaction as it blows smoke.


As Mowe launches another flare Downe closes up on the Fokker and hits him for six from close range.


Guntrun's machine plummets as Downe passes overhead


A new player makes his presence felt - Ltn Friedrich Knappe enters the fray in a resplendent yellow painted Fokker and promptly sets about the RE8 in spite of Storey's best efforts to put him off.


Downe really has the bit between his teeth - he clobbers the Yellow Fokker as Storey slips beneath it


Mowe ducks as the Fokker roars past but keeps his eye on the prize and spots another recognition panel - "Ours again !" he yells.


Another flare shoots from the RE8 as the Fokker rolls into a Split-S


Downe is racing back to cover the RE8 - he drops his nose but his long range effort doesn't register


Knappe is frustratingly just out of range of his intended target


Mowe gives him a squirt as they pass, the escorts struggle to get around behind their quarry


Downe slides deeply to get on the Yellow Peril's tail


Mowe gets a nasty surprise - peering over the coaming of the cockpit he is greeted by a fusillade of rifle fire - luckily no damage done "This definitely is not one of ours !" he bellows


Knappe makes a wrong turn - and Downe pounces, his rounds drumming through the hapless Fokker


The Eagle is undeterred though and presses home a close range attack on the RE8, jamming his guns in the process.



Mowe gives him something to think about as he passes but the damage has been done and they must push off home.


Downe feels the cold hand of fear clutch at his innards as the yellow Fokker bears down on him - he got it wrong, he must be dead but no - nothing from the Hun - his guns are jammed !


As the RE8 makes good his escape Downe & Storey swing round on the Fokker
Downe clips its tail at long range


Storey finishes it off with a close range effort


Their opponent spins away as they recover and head for the barn
Kane leaves them all behind him - two units identified and an enemy located



Butchers Tally - Eagles:

Ltn Konrad Strünklenberg (top) FRTB - 0 kills
Ltn Max Guntrun (left) SD-EXP-FT 0 kills
Rolled 8 -3EXP = 5 Injured Skip 1D3 Scenarios. Rolled 4 = Skip 2
Ltn Friedrich Knappe (right) SD-FT 0 kills
Rolled 2 -1SD = 1 - KIA...

I was gutted to lose Knappe - rolled snake eyes for his crash roll, that never ends well, but he put up a decent fight and saw off the two seater before he succumbed.

Bulldogs:

2Lt Harry Kane with Cpl Arfur Mowe in RE.8: RTB 0 kills
Cpt Ben Downe in G-George: RTB 1 Kill
2Lt Trew Storey in H-Harry: RTB 1 Kill

Victory Points:
Updated:
Bulldogs get 8pts for 2 victories; 1 point for forcing an enemy scout from the battle; 6pts for finding 2 friendly infantry and 2 points for an enemy troop position spotted = 17pts

Eagles get 2 points for forcing the two-seater from the mission

An overwhelming Bulldog victory I think !

Lovely mission Peter - well done

[Flying Officer Kyte]

A most enjoyable read Dave.
Have we not come a long way since those heady days of 1914.
Kyte.

[gully_raker]

What a drubbing your lads gave the Hun it that one Dave.
Super result with good work by your Harry Tate crew as well.
I think we certainly got the jolly old Hun on the Run!

[Stumptonian]

Great result for your boys, Dave. All pluses and no minuses.

Always a good read - your AARs are what hooked me nearly 3 years ago.
Love the miniature Very (where’d you get that?) and the Union Jack buttons as markers.

Too bad about Knappe - I was lucky and got “boxcars” and not “snake eyes” on my roll for Kratsch.
As the campaign draws toward the finish I have a feeling of dread that one of my veterans will have used up all his luck.
This last one felt ominous because the Lucky Git doesn’t save you from a BOOM.

REP inbound

[flash]

Thanks Pete, very kind of you to say that. All thanks to Rob & the original chaps encouraging me to play & post AAR's in the first campaign, would not be here without them.
I know what you mean about the dread but having finally upped a few of the youngsters to ace status I hope to feature Ben Downe a bit more in the last run outs, it's a risk but he doesn't like life behind a desk !
Knappe's result surprised me - I rolled for him second, after Gunrun's EXP result, and as I did so I had that bad feeling it wasn't his day... And so it proved.
It was another bad day for the Eagles - think I have a couple of them fit to fly still but that's all.

[Setarius]

Nicely done . It's good to see that Capt. Downe got a chance to stretch his legs and remove some of the cobwebs from desk work.
A good victory for the Bulldogs, sorry for the loss of a veteran pilot.

[Teaticket]

Well done Dave. The Hun is getting tired, you battered him around quite convincingly. The poor performance of the Hun shows the end is near!

I think I messed up the VPs a bit and missed another edit from my original version designed for a convention game.

For the solo campaign there should be no -3 for getting shot down.
I think I could have been clearer that the spotters get 6 points in total for finding friendly infantry, not per successful spot.
The 2 points for side B for no infantry spotted should be 'if no friendly infantry is spotted'.
If an enemy is found, after moving it forward, it can be flared and spotted again. If the enemy has been spotted you still don't know exactly where your boys are.

I'll fix my original posting of the mission to what it should be!

Either way Dave, still a solid win!

[flash]

Thanks Peter, I have updated my VP along the lines suggested

[mikeemagnus]

Congratulations Dave on another fine performance by your brave lads Cpt Ben Downe gets a kill on his return to combat flying - well done that man. And young Trew Storey gets another kill. Can't hold your lads down for a second huh!

Pity about Ltn Friedrich Knappe - he was no doubt a very brave hun (I can't begin to imagine what sort of name his replacement will have )

[tikkifriend]

Dave have you considered coming over to the Dark side next campaign
With those tricksy painted DVII you could be Oberstleutnant by the end of the war .
Well played and well written as always Vingt sur vingt as they say in France.
:Thumbsup: sur

[flash]

Thanks Paul, I was going to switch sides at the start of this campaign but stayed with the Brits to balance things so... Next time maybe...

[Vagabond]

A very solid victory, the poor Germans didn't seem to stand a chance, especially Konrad S. That's what you get for having such a brightly painted plane, everyone can see you.
Nice use of the pipe cleaners for flares, they worked very well, a trick to try and remember.

[mikeemagnus]

Dave have you considered coming over to the Dark side next campaign

A spy - seduction -

Thanks Paul, I was going to switch sides at the start of this campaign but stayed with the Brits to balance things so... Next time maybe...

MMMMMMMMMM 5th Column maybe

On the other hand, if we all switch sides, perhaps they'll be no need for the war at all

[flash]

A very solid victory, the poor Germans didn't seem to stand a chance, especially Konrad S. That's what you get for having such a brightly painted plane, everyone can see you.
Nice use of the pipe cleaners for flares, they worked very well, a trick to try and remember.

That's usually what happens when I put a brightly painted plane on the table John "Oo, nice paint job".... Daka daka daka
Jerry scored a load of hits on the recce machine but unlike the Tommi they just didn't get any big hits that would knock it down; though they did force the RTB at the end.

[Vagabond]

That's usually what happens when I put a brightly painted plane on the table John "Oo, nice paint job".... Daka daka daka
Jerry scored a load of hits on the recce machine but unlike the Tommi they just didn't get any big hits that would knock it down; though they did force the RTB at the end.

Note to oneself, paint planes in a dull nondescript colour.