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Thread: OTT DYM Mission 8 - Operation Judgement - 27th Feb 1916---gully_raker

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  1. #1

    Post OTT DYM Mission 8 - Operation Judgement - 27th Feb 1916---gully_raker

    Operation Judgement---or Bad Luck & Trouble!

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    Lt Reginald Fife-Brand the Commander of C Flight called the Bulldogs 2 seater crews to a briefing at the Squadron hut including some new pilots & observer/gunners who had been recruited from other Squadrons especially for this mission.
    "Good Morning Gentleman!" "We have a nasty one on our plate this morning. Seems our Allies the French once again need our assistance over at Verdun"
    "Seems the wily old Hun has discovered an old railway tunnel which is allowing then to bring up reinforcements under cover" "We have been requested to destroy the mouth of the tunnel to nip this in the bud!" "Now I want to impress on you that this will be dangerous as we believe the approaches are heavily defended by both Machine Guns & Flak batteries"
    "You will be going in unescorted in a wave of 3 aircraft led by 2nd Ln Hardie & AM2 Apsland in our FE 2b followed by one of our new Pilots 2nd Lt Keen in a BE2 with Sgt Griswold as his gunner & another of our new arrivals 2nd Lt Thyme & AM2 Loane in another BE2".
    "Take off will be 0700 tomorrow morning so try to get a good nights sleep & Good Luck for the mission!"

    ( Set Up-- All aircraft will be flying at Level 4 which will prevent AAMG's to reach them however any Flak batteries either in or above the cut will be able to target them. German scouts will be rolled for starting positions each turn & will be flown by D8 AI)

    Next morning the 3 aircraft let by the FE took off into a clear blue sky & made their way to the old railway cutting which stood out like a scar on the land.

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    As they approached Lt. Oliver Hardie quipped "Bloody Hell! I can see 3 flak batteries right in line & another off on the starboard side of the cutting!"

    No sooner had he spoken than the 2 nearest batteries opened up on the British plane & their aim was spot on. The Fee stood no chance as 2 bursts scored direct hits on their aircraft.

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    The stricken Fee crashed to the ground just inside the cutting with flames erupting from the wreckage.

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    As the next British aircraft prepared to enter the cut they were met with the sobering sight of the burning Fee & of a Fokker E.III approaching.

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    They immediately came under attack from another German Flak gun but this time it burst well behind them.

    Sgt "Pudden" Griswold who was grateful of the chance to redeem himself after the debacle of his solo Aerodrome raid thumped the cockpit side & pointed back over the side of the BE to alert Lt Keen of another approaching German scout. This time a grey Halberstadt. This made 3 Hum fighters closing in on them.

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    Lt Keen took some revenge on one of the Flak batteries wounding one of the crew with his oblique mounted Lewis gun.

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    The second BE had now entered the cutting only to come under the fire of 2 of the Flak batteries which had reloaded & again disaster met the British aircraft with a direct hit sending it to crash on the floor of the cutting.

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    The lone remaining BE continued towards the tunnel mouth & exchanged shots with the cream Fokker damaging its engine but Griswold received a wound in his right shoulder from the Germans shots.

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    Keen could now see his target looming ever closer but also a green E.III closing from his starboard side. It had passed behind them but had pulled an Immleman to allow him to attack.

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    It all became arbitrary as another Flak battery opened up on them & blew the BE from the sky in an explosion of flame & smoke.
    The Tunnel would remain open for the German Troops to pass safely towards Verdun!

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    Well that one went South in a Basket real quick!
    I had the misfortune to draw 5 Flak Guns in the 8 cards & most of them were at the first section of the cut.
    The German Scouts were almost superfluous as the Flak downed all 3 British aircraft with 2 almost as they just reached the cutting!
    There will be some Empty Chairs in the Mess Tonight!

    Victory to the Eagles
    Last edited by flash; 08-18-2019 at 01:57. Reason: Title adjust

  2. #2

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    Well that was done right quick
    I had a bad feeling when you mentioned you were only going to field three bombers.

    As with my own mission, the first wave was pretty well shredded.
    I think it needs at least two waves to overrun the guns.

    The enemy scouts didn't get a single kill in my game either - it was all AA and AAMG

    I thought about trying a different peg level for my second run (mine were all at 2) to possibly avoid the (in my case) deadly machine guns, but then you would have to deal withe the long drop to the target, as well as additional guns on the edge of the cut.

    Perhaps you should have done like I did and send anonymous crews for the first wave and let your guys fly the second.
    It doesn't help that the BE.2 is such a flimsy machine when it comes to damage.

    One thing for certain, we could definitely see where the cutting was on your table.
    Mine didn't show up in the photos as well as I had hoped.

    But it was a good try, Baz.
    Rep incoming. Hopefully there is someone left to receive it.

  3. #3

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    Quote Originally Posted by Stumptonian View Post
    Well that was done right quick
    I had a bad feeling when you mentioned you were only going to field three bombers.

    As with my own mission, the first wave was pretty well shredded.
    I think it needs at least two waves to overrun the guns.

    The enemy scouts didn't get a single kill in my game either - it was all AA and AAMG

    I thought about trying a different peg level for my second run (mine were all at 2) to possibly avoid the (in my case) deadly machine guns, but then you would have to deal withe the long drop to the target, as well as additional guns on the edge of the cut.

    Perhaps you should have done like I did and send anonymous crews for the first wave and let your guys fly the second.
    It doesn't help that the BE.2 is such a flimsy machine when it comes to damage.

    One thing for certain, we could definitely see where the cutting was on your table.
    Mine didn't show up in the photos as well as I had hoped.

    But it was a good try, Baz.
    Rep incoming. Hopefully there is someone left to receive it.
    Thanks Pete! Yeah never got over loosing the Fee to the very first Flak Shots & with a 10 damage card & the dreaded Boom not much chance for the old BE's!

    I thought about running the same 3 again but decided it was not worth the trouble with 5 flak batteries in play let alone what would have been 4 Hun Scouts.
    Still I enjoyed it while it lasted & I had fun making the cut scenery.

    Probably I was lucky to only loose 3 crew.

  4. #4

    Default The BUTCHERS BILL!

    The Butchers Bill

    British Forces.
    FE 2b
    2nd Ln O Hardie Pilot. SD-ET/FLM No Kills
    Rolled 2 - 2 Flm =0 = KIA

    AM2 A Apsland Obs. SD-ET/FLM No Kills
    Rolled 5 -2 Flm =3 Inj Skip 4
    E & E Rolled 7 -1Flm, - 1 Wic -1 BEL = 4 Captured 7 escaped Skips 2

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    BE 2c Oblique Lewis
    2nd Lt K Keen Pilot SD-ET/Exp No Kills
    Rolled 2 -3 EXP =-1--- KIA

    Sgt Pudden Griswold Obs. SD-ET/EXP/WIA No Kills
    Rolled 6 -3 EXP. -1 WIA = 2--KIA

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Name:	<acronym title=BB 01.jpg  Views: 45  Size: 100.3 KB  ID: 273636" class="thumbnail" style="float:CONFIG" />

    BE 2c
    2nd Lt P.A.R. Thyme Pilot SD-ET No Kills
    Rolled 4 -1 SD= 3 Inj. Rolled 6 --Miss 6
    E & E Rolled 5 -1 BEL, -1 Wic =3 Captured & Escaped Skip 1

    AM2 O.N.Loane Obs. SD-ET No Kills
    Rolled 6 -1 SD = 5 Inj. Rolled 3 skips 2
    E & E Rolled 7 -1 BEL, -1 Wic =5 =In Hiding Skips 1

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Name:	<acronym title=BB 02.jpg  Views: 44  Size: 129.7 KB  ID: 273637" class="thumbnail" style="float:CONFIG" />

    German Forces

    Obltn W Bassenge
    CDL E.III FRTB/Eng No Kills

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Name:	<acronym title=BB 04.jpg  Views: 44  Size: 99.4 KB  ID: 273638" class="thumbnail" style="float:CONFIG" />

    Ltn W Thiede
    Green E.III RTB No Kills
    No Damage

    Ltn O Schoenfelder
    Grey Halberstadt RTB No Kills
    No Damage.

    Dave would you kindly pass a critical eye over my tallies to make sure they are correct.
    Last edited by gully_raker; 08-20-2019 at 17:29. Reason: Correction

  5. #5

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    Didn't mean to mess up your post, Baz, putting response before you got to finish your Butcher's.
    Sorry about that.

    And really sorry to see all those KIAs

  6. #6

    Thumbs up

    Quote Originally Posted by Stumptonian View Post
    Didn't mean to mess up your post, Baz, putting response before you got to finish your Butcher's.
    Sorry about that.

    And really sorry to see all those KIAs
    No sweat Pete! I had to check on the spelling of the last German Pilot which is why the BB was in limbo for a little while.

  7. #7

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    Holy wotsit Baz your lads took a proper kicking and no mistake ! Those guns were unmerciful and the crash rolls didn't go for them either did they, what a pity. Still, c'est le guerre as the French say.

    Uncle says:

    Damn shame, a real waste of men and machines on a fools errand, or, maybe more like a forlorn hope - you'll get there in the end but you'll be standing on a pile of your mates bodies...
    It didn't go our way this time.

    PM me a couple of replacement crews when you're up to it.
    Last edited by flash; 08-18-2019 at 04:30.

    "He is wise who watches"

  8. #8

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    Well, that lasted about as long as a porcupine playing with a balloon.And five out of six aircrew lost for the duration of the campaign? A fool's errand indeed. The entire rest of the squadron deserves bereavement leave.

    ...but your AAR deserves rep for clarity and conciseness.

  9. #9

    Default

    Well that was a bit short and not so sweet Barry. You were unlucky with the card draws and doubly so with the Butchers Bill, Death was certainly waving his scythe there.

    Nice go with the cutting although I missed that the game was set in winter, mine looks more like autumn
    Sorry.

    I see that the BE2c crashed with 10 damage points, the card I have says 13 I think, I've not checked the official unofficial file I just assumed the card was correct. I'll have to check but it's too late my game is played.

    Plenty of new blood in your squadron/flight for the next mission.

    Great read all the same.

    Concise says Sam, bloody short says Barry

  10. #10

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    Quote Originally Posted by Vagabond View Post

    I see that the BE2c crashed with 10 damage points, the card I have says 13 I think, I've not checked the official unofficial file I just assumed the card was correct. I'll have to check but it's too late my game is played.
    I have cards that show 10, 11, 13 and even 14


    The Unofficial stats show 10, so that's what I have used, although it seems a bit 'light' to me.
    Even the Bristol Scout gets 11.
    I think it deserves more than a Morane-Saulnier N

    Not sure how the point value is determined.

  11. #11

    Smile

    Quote Originally Posted by Vagabond View Post
    Well that was a bit short and not so sweet Barry. You were unlucky with the card draws and doubly so with the Butchers Bill, Death was certainly waving his scythe there.

    Nice go with the cutting although I missed that the game was set in winter, mine looks more like autumn
    Sorry.

    I see that the BE2c crashed with 10 damage points, the card I have says 13 I think, I've not checked the official unofficial file I just assumed the card was correct. I'll have to check but it's too late my game is played.

    Plenty of new blood in your squadron/flight for the next mission.

    Great read all the same.

    Concise says Sam, bloody short says Barry
    Hi John. The BE cards I have show 10 damage points & I have always used that although I do feel it deserves about 12.

  12. #12

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by gully_raker View Post
    Hi John. The BE cards I have show 10 damage points & I have always used that although I do feel it deserves about 12.
    Thanks Pete and Barry, I'll have to change my cards

  13. #13

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    Well pkayed, a shame to loose 3 aircraft and 5 crew. Plucky courage deserving of rep.

    Neil
    See you on the Dark Side......

  14. #14

    Default

    The unofficial stats show the BE2c as 10pts, the BE2e as 13pts - so that may be where the confusion has arisen John.
    Never trust a card - many were made before the stats were sorted.

    "He is wise who watches"

  15. #15

    Default

    Ye Gods Baz - Two archie hits and you drew two "10s", just like that. That was pure ill fortune indeed. Then blow me down if you don't go and draw a boom card against the remaining flight member. Any self respecting Roman would stay at home for the rest of the week methinks. RIP your three crew members (adding insult to injury) and commiserations to the squadron for their losses. I guess it just won't get any worse from here on in

    Then, come to think of it, although it took a bit longer and my guys did manage to get a successful bomb away at the last minute, my lot didn't fare an awful lot better. Guess I better stay at home for a week or so - and drown our sorrows in a few jars

  16. #16

    Default

    Bloody Hell, doesn't get nastier or faster than this. Looks like this mission assignment was drawn up by the Hun for you Baz.



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