OTTBE Mission 22 - Der Kaiser muss es wissen! - 23 Sep 1918 {Vagabond}
The Germans
The situation is critical, we are being pushed back along a large sector and it is imperative that we know how far forward the enemy has penetrated, we can only send 2 machines to photograph the area and as escort Ltn Gille you will fly the Siemens Shuckert DIII.
Gilles face fell, he knew the DIII and didn’t want to risk his life in such a plane. He had never trusted the fact that half the engine rotated one way and the other half went the opposite way. It just wasn’t natural. That and the fact that the engines kept seizing up. He knew that Siemens blamed the problem on the Voltol-based oil that was used to replace scarce castor oil to lubricate the engine and that modifications had been carried out since the early days when 10 hours flying time was all you got before the engine overheated or worse seized up completely, but he much preferred to fight and maybe die in an aircraft he had confidence in.
I know what you are thinking said his commander but it’s fast, maneuverable and gains height like an angel, and besides its colour coordinated to match your baby blue eyes, what more could a pilot ask for.
One with an engine that keeps turning thought Gille, but he kept that thought to himself.
With a wry smile Heinrich Gille strode out across the grass to his machine on the left. He was quite an experienced pilot having 1 kill to his name and he hoped to make it more for the Fatherland and today he was flying shot gun for two excellent machines, the Rumpler CIV flown by Vzfwbl Hans Groos and a Hanover Cl IIIa flown by Fwbl August Schobinger.
Total digression I know but I’ve been building and painting these Rumpler Valom kits for this game, Roter Hund (Red Dog) and Schwarzer Hund (Black Dog) and it’s Schwarzer Hund that drew the honour of being flown in their first mission.
They are not quite finished as I’m trying to decide if I will paint the tail white before putting the cross in place, it will look pretty but I’m not sure how authentic it would be. I mixed and used the colours as Valom’s instructions but the plane cards and Ares planes are a much brighter green and violet/purple – any thoughts appreciated. Dave sorry for this digression – I will post these in the appropriate place when they are done.
The British
Not long in France we are a rookie squadron made up of newly trained pilots. I was top of my class in training and so rather than send me to France the Brass thought I should teach others to fly, but after a lot of pestering and probably due to losses they have sent me and the boys out here. Well we all can fly a bit but can we fight and stay alive? We shall see.
By the way I’m Ltn John Kane C flight commander and skipper to my fledgling pilots.
Before leaving Blighty we painted the nose and tail planes of our machines so we would recognize each other in a scrap and as a small piece of esprite de corps I got them to paint a Chevron on the top wing as a C Flight symbol. I know this is frowned upon but as they say, “those about to die, - can paint their plane any bloody colour they choose, well until the C.O. orders me to change it.”
The boys don’t have many hours on the Camel, a notoriously difficult plane to fly and so don’t have a long life expectancy, either the plane will get them or the Hun will. I see my job is to try and keep them alive until they can at least fly, after that – they are on their own.
“Well boys we were supposed to be getting the new Sopwith Snipe to try out today but it seems like the Brass have misplaced them so we will try some combat flying against each other in the Camels, I’ll take Cremetti and Callaghan you and Hyacinth will fly against us. The more practice the longer we live”. Don’t forget to watch those right turns, I don’t want anyone falling out of the sky today. It’s a lot of paperwork for me”
“You mean we are not going looking for the Hun” exclaimed Callaghan, “not just yet lad – we’ll find them soon enough”, I responded. Callaghan is as keen as mustard but the worst pilot of the lot. If he makes half a dozen landings without breaking something (including himself) he’ll make the grade - I hope.
The Axis planes with the Rumpler and Hanover flying in close formation and Gille hoping to provide some protection on their left flank. Whilst I am flying for the British in this mission I chose to fly as Gille, I mention this because later on I don’t want you to think it was the Solo A.I. that was doing daft things when it was me.
Final point, I write the text relating to the picture under the picture. Tally ho.
Here Kane on the left and in the distance with Cremetti nearest the camera had flown on the board headed towards the East, they were practicing formation flying in combat and Kane did an Immelmann turn and Cremetti followed suit and that’s why they are flying away from the Germans at this point. I later realized I should have flown straight towards the enemy until closer and the AI took over. It’s not the last mistake I made.
You can just imagine Gille thinking “What are these crazy British pilots thinking, are they running away, this is going to be easy – or maybe it’s a trap, this could be difficult” He doesn’t know I’m unfamiliar with the rules.
I know Barry said to have a trench system marked on the mat, but you will have to imagine it, it will be the Imagino Line and that small clump of static grass is the marker and both 2 seaters are about to go off the table prior to commencing their run down to another clump of grass to the south.
Cooo, doesn’t that Rumpler look good, I don’t know why Barry didn’t have two of them in the scenario.
Kane Immelmanned again heading straight back to the enemy but Cremetti took a long slow turn to port and is way out of it at this stage. He’s obviously not sure about the Camels lightning fast turn to starboard that’s probably killed as many pilots as it’s saved and he’s playing it safe.
Gille has to be thinking “Donner und Blitzenn it has to be a trap”.
Gille turns to port as Kane flies in, they both fire, Gille scores 4 damage points and jams Kane’s rudder, he can’t turn to starboard, but his Spandau’s jam and he ceases firing. Kane also fires a long burst into Gille and causing 3 points of damage before his Vickers jam also, not a good day for the armorers.
A long shot just to show the 2 seaters are off the table swinging round to begin the long fly south as the last 2 Camels fly in and see the dog fight in the distance.
You can just make out the other clump of grass in front of Callaghan.
Gille and Kane zoom past each other, Kane had been going to turn to starboard but with the jammed rudder had to fly straight.
Cremetti is lining up for a shot on Gille.
Gille cunning as a fox swings to port and they both close with guns blazing. Well Gille only has 1 gun as the other is jammed.
Cremetti showing his inexperience and his shooting is way off but Gille, looking for his second kill is on target, and with B damage cards, wounds poor Cremetti as well as damaging his rudder. Gille is flying and fighting with style.
(Did I mention I was flying as Gille)
The two seaters are starting the run south along the Imagino Line. Kane on the right is closing fast.
Too fast as it turns out and narrowly avoids a collision with the Rumpler, criky I hope he’s not scratched the new paint work.
Gille pulls hard to port to try and catch the British plane that’s trying to ram the pride of the German Airforce while Cremetti bleeds all over his cockpit.
At this point I realize if I carry on to port Gille is going to run into the new Rumpler.
August in the Hanover has Cremetti lined up and opens fire and causes a point of damage. Kane meanwhile has cleared his jammed guns but Gille is still working at it, must explain his flying.
Rather than fly into the Rumpler Gille swings to starboard and he finally clears his jammed guns just in time for Callaghan, (yellow tail) to open fire on him.
But Callaghan’s gunnery training was not as good as it should have been and he misses.
Cremetti was as mad as hell at being shot and forgets about the Camels vices and turns the plane on its wing tip and is able to shoot at Groos in the Rumpler but misses, British gunnery practice needs to be tightened up a lot.
Kane also turns in and gets a shot at August in the Hanover and also misses. The Hanover Observer fires at Cremetti at very close range and The Rumpler Observer fires at Kane at long range.
Cremetti is hit and wounded again, and goes down, in friendly territory, a kill to Ltn Wilhelm Thiede Observer and Gunner extordinaire, flying with August in the Hanover.
Kane is hit and set on fire by Ltn Viktor Schilling who is right on the money as the Observer and gunner in the Rumpler. (Sorry about that one)
Groos in the Rumpler looks over his shoulder to see what Schilling is whooping about and when he turns back Callaghan flies straight into him, talk about inexperience showing. In retrospect I’m not sure that this is correct but I drew the boom card for the brand new - just been built and painted Rumpler, the plane exploded and she fell to the ground like a stone. Black Dog Down. That clumsy oaf Callaghan took 6 damage and a pilot wound, I’m not sure if pilot wound is special damage but it’s the least he deserves so I counted him wounded and has to fly home (in disgrace) as well.
So the Hanover is through the British line of planes, I realized I had forgotten to check for the Siemens engine overheating so did it now, followed by panic when I threw a 6 and thought he had to go home, followed by relief when I checked and it was a 1 to go home.
Over on the left you can see Kane beating at the flames and flying all over the place to try and put them out.
He is so busy with this that he fails to see Hyacinth Roche flying straight at him like a rabbit in the head lights. Hyacinth is so mesmerized by the disaster in in front of him that he doesn’t think to try and avoid it.
I’ll be honest here and say I’ve no idea how the A.I. system knew they were all rookie pilotsbut it was a brilliant interpretation of what new pilots in their first combat might do.
It’s carnage, 2 planes down, one on fire and one headed for home, the odds going from 4 to 3 in favour of the British to 2 to 1 against and if Hyacinth and Kane collide then that’s it.
Thank goodness - they didn’t collide, Kane is still ducking and diving to keep the flames under control but Thiede is able to put rounds into the blazing plane and causes more damage.
A couple of shots back you saw Gille flying on the wing of the Hanover, for some inexplicable reason he peels off and leaves the 2 seater on its own. (Did I tell you I was flying for Gille)
Just a gratuitous shot of the burning Rumpler but in the distance you can see Callaghan headed home and Hyacinth doing a slow turn to starboard, still trying to recover from nearly flying into a blazing plane.
Kane still trying to put the flames out and still being shot by Thiede in the back of the Hanover. Over in the distance on the right you can just see Gille flying off. I must have had a plan but I’ve no idea what it was.!!!
Hyacinth is flying towards Gille and is just by the flames from the Rumpler.
I finally get my act together and Gille starts to turn in towards Hyacinth but not fast enough and H gets the first shots in, putting a burst of hot lead into Gille’s machine.
The two machines come screaming towards each other, neither man gives way but they just miss a collision, Gille rolls 1 for his engine and has to return home. Bugger!
Back with Kane, he is still on fire, but has collected 2 zeros, for fire damage, but is getting shot to bits by Thiede in the Hanover, however like a desperate man looking for water in the desert Kane turns into the Hanover and opens fire causing a small amount of damage but he takes even more punishment in return.
Kane continues his attack causing lots of damage this time and the return fire is ineffective the Parabellum jams. Thiede is incandescent with rage at the injustice of it all. He has his 2nd kill for the taking but fate intervenes.
The Hanover flies off the table nearest us and begins its turn for the final leg of the journey back along the Imagino Line.
In the distance you can see the Siemens headed right to left and about to make a big turn to starboard and home and Hyacinth in the Camel going left to right about to make a big turn to starboard and follow Gille.
The Hanover flies back onto the table this is the beginning of turn 8 and the mission is still only half complete.
The Hanover is perfectly lined up for Kane coming in for the kill and at that point I realized I had not been adding the plus 1 for firing at the same target, which meant that Kane should have bugged out and gone home, he had 3 more points of damage than I had counted, he also took the final card for fire damage and got a 4 plus smoke. You will note that I have completely forgotten to put the damage cards on the table by now, this wasn’t a conscious decision I was just so carried away in the game.
Fires out and he’s smokin’
But he’s also taken too much damage and crashes. What a hero chasing after the Hanover like an enraged bull, I expect him to be commended for a medal, M.C. at least. It may be posthumously.
Again another error in retrospect I think, the 3rd card just sent him down and the fire didn’t go out, but it seemed so right at the time that it extinguished and turned to smoke but with the flying lines burnt through he just lost control and she went down.
Hyacinth in the Camel has made his circle and is just in front, but out of range of August in the Hanover who is jumping up and down in his seat trying to get the Hanover to go faster.
Just in front of Hyacinth is Gille making his run for home with an overheated engine. Barry didn’t say anything about this but I treated it as engine damage so 1 move was a short stall each turn slowing the plane down. It’s going to make a difference because the Siemens is faster than the Camel but with this penalty I don’t know, it will be a race.
About now Hyacinth gets in a long shot does 5 damage and hits Gille causing a bad wound, oh dear!
Go Hyacinth go. I’m not sure why I am cheering H on because I’m flying Gille even though I’m overall for the British, yep it confused me too.
Gille is trying to decoy the British plane away from the Hanover, this works too well, he makes a long turn to starboard but H has got to grips with his Camel and swings round using the rotary engine to help and he is all over Gille. He fires at long range and does no damage but jams his guns.
H is still after Gille but can’t fire because he’s clearing his guns (I realized later he should have fired 1 gun, ahhgh the heat of the battle)
The Hanover is just about to complete its run. I did dice to decide which way H went and it seemed appropriate that he would chase the plane he had been scrapping with, rather than the Hanover which was important to the German mission, after all H doesn’t know that there is a German mission.
H has been chasing Gille, he cleared his jam only to be just out of range and at this point the A.I. gave H a right turn, again so appropriate. Gille flies off into the sunset bleeding badly and not a happy bunny but he has done a good job, even if I say so myself. H has obviously realized that the Hanover is important to the Axis and turns towards it.
Like knights of old it’s a joust!
The rookie 2nd Ltn Hyacinth Roche otherwise known as ‘Petal’ against the cunning and experienced pilot Fwbl August Schobinger with his deadly Observer Ltn Wilhelm Thiede. Well I know who my money’s on.
Hyacinth pulls out his father’s hunting horn and sounds the Tally Ho, he’s as mad as a hatter.
Go Hyacinth go – they are screaming towards each other at a combined speed of over 200 miles per hour, or 330 Kilometers per hour if you are August, it sounds much more impressive.
Guns blazing Hyacinth missed and August scored 2 points of damage, the first H has received.
They zoom past and Thiede fires causing some more damage, but nothing serious.
H does an Immelmann straight away and gives chase but the Hanover is fast and he can’t close the gap before August is off the table, H realized that he is all alone and is a bit worried because he’s not too sure which way the airfield is.
He flies over the two Camels to see if there is an evidence of the pilots moving and goes back to make his report.
Before I do the tally I just want to thank Barry (Gully Raker) for the scenario. I knew when I read it that it would be excellent, it seemed to me that it would be well balanced but what do I know yet. I have a strong liking for 2 seaters in this game because I think that sting in the tail gives lots of advantages, but that’s maybe because my flying is cr*p. So Barry – Thanks a lot for a most exciting game.
Thanks too to Pete (Sumptonian) for the idea on the name tags, I’ll try and make them look better next time and I hope they make the action easier to follow.
I’m in two minds on putting the damage cards down for the photos, I did mean to but forgot in the course of the game, I didn’t show the movement cards because I feel they detract from the visual aspect of the photos, although they help with understanding the direction of the fight, I chose to do that in words which you may find boring, I would like to know anyone’s thoughts on this as you all have a lot more experience of game reports for planes, which are not the most visually appealing games out there.
I chose to fly Gille because with the 2 seaters going effectively in a straight line if I had flown a British plane I would have been able to use insider knowledge of where they would be. I’ve not flown the Siemens before and I think it is a lovely looking plane, sort of stubby and rotund so that was another plus. Finally I knew it would take away any bias in the game.
This is the most planes I’ve flown in a game but using 4 camels meant using a single chart was easy so the game galloped along. Final point is that whilst I know I made a number of errors with the rules, and when I re-read my notes and realized some of them I did think I might play the game again but that would have been just plain wrong in my opinion. How could Kane’s epic fight with the flames have been any different, it is part of his history now.
My prime directive when playing a game is to make it flow, and if it feels right go with it, I make up stuff on the fly decide what the options are, roll a dice and go with that, I don’t want to be continually checking rules unless I need guidance and so I apologize if this may seem a cavalier attitude to some of you.
Butcher's Tally:
Bulldogs
Lt John F.A.Kane Camel. Shot Down in Flames in Friendly Territory SD-FLM-FT 0 Kills
Rolled 10 -2FLM = 8 Injured, Skip 1D2 - Rolled 5 = Skip 2 Scenario’s.
Friendly Territory = Good old Barry
2Lt Max Arthur Eugine Cremetti Camel. SD, 2xWIA, FT. 0 Kills.
Rolled 5+3=8 SD -1, WIA twice -2 = 5 Injured, Skip 1D3, Rolled 1 = Skip 1 Scenario.
Friendly Territory = Good old Barry
2nd Lt Hyacinth A.J. Roche Camel. RTB 0 kills
2Lt Joseph Creuss Callaghan Camel. Returned to Base 1 wound. RTB, 1xWIA 1 kill
Rolled 1+5=6 -1WIA, +3RTB = 8 Injured skip 1D2. Rolled 5 Skip 2 Scenario’s.
Dave NOTE Callaghan was not wounded in the collision therefore he is just RTB, see Barry's note below. Cheers
Eagles
Ltn Heinrich Gille Siemens Schuckert already has 1 kill, 0 Kills today. Returned to Base wounded, RTB, WIA
Rolled 2 + 1 =3 Wounded -1 RTB and Landed Safely +3 = 5 Injured Skip 1D3 - Rolled 5 Skip 2 Scenario’s
Rumpler
Vzfwbl Hans Groos “P2” Rumpler. Exploded in Enemy Territory EXP - ET
Rolled 2+3=5 EXP -3 = 2 KIA
Ltn Victor Schilling “O” Exploded in Enemy Territory EXP - ET
Rolled 3+1=4 EXP -3 = 1 KIA
Hannover
Fwbl August Schobinger “P2” Returned to Base intact RTB
Ltn Wilhelm Thiede “O” Returned to Base intact RTB, (2 Kills Kane and Cremetti)
Hi Dave, I hope this is something like you need, please let me know how I can improve and make it easier for you.
Barry – Thanks excellent, and a well deserved draw for both sides.
Well if you’re still here – you have a lot of stamina, well done and thanks for reading.
Cheers
Pilot Officer Vagabond - Out
Reply With Quote
for his efforts in defence of the Fatherland. No promotion.
something we do in OTT 
Super first OTT Mission John.
Originally Posted by Flying Officer Kyte
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