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Thread: B-17s into Germany

  1. #1

    Default B-17s into Germany

    Dave brought out the big boys, a pair of B-17s! We gave them an escort of 1 Thunderbolt with intercepting force of one each of BF110, ME109K and FW190D. As usual we rolled for sides, Dave got to fly the B-17s, so he got a chance to get in a bit more bombing practice. There was one target card placed just on the far side of the city.

    First pass of the escort going after the 110 while the 109 and 190 make a bee line for the bombers.
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    Both 110 and T-Bolt survived the pass but each felt the heavy hits they both can give out.
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    Big targets are easy to hit but they do shoot back. The 109 and 190 dive straight in. The 110 tries to come in after passing the Thunderbolt.
    The 190 hits Memphis Belle hard while the 109 takes on Bit-O-Lace.
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    As the nimble fighters pass behind the slow, cumbersome bombers, they take a lot of lead from the tail, waist and turret gunners. Only the 110 can fire back.
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    Two of the three interceptors are smoking when they reverse. The Thunderbolt gets back to harass the 110 again.
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    The Thunderbolt closes too fast to take on the 110 but happily gets in a kill shot on the 190.
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    The Memphis Belle bombardier gets a bit nervous and drops the load early. Just as well as a blink later the Belle falls from the sky. (it takes a second boom!)
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    The 110 goes down as it takes it's dying shot at Bit-O-Lace. Bit-O-Lace's waist gunner Yells out, "Die you Nazi scum"!
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    No blind spot for the 109 to hide in behind a B-17. The pilot is wounded while he closes in.
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    The Thunderbolt, lagging far behind the struggle, puts the pedal to the metal to get back in.
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    Bit-O-Lace is sandwiched between the chasing 109 and a new 190. 50 cal slugs stream out of every available gun that has a target.
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    Bit-O-Lace stays on target despite the incoming attacks and drops it’s load smack dab in the barrel.
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    The B-17s tail gunner downs the 109 but not before it inflicts a killing shot of it’s own. (it can take a lot to take down a B-17 without any Booms!)
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    The 190, having planned on keeping on it’s prime target of the B-17, is taken from the rear by the Thunderbolt. The 190 cannot lose the P-47 and pays a dear price for committing to it’s mission of attacking the bombers.
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    This was another interesting fight and good bombing training for Dave. He missed the first drop but quickly adjusted and hit the bull’s eye with his second drop.

    One more mission to report on before I moved out of Maine. Next up….Dauntless on target.

    We will be starting a campaign remotely by hook or by crook in the future. We’ll figure out some way, either facetime or skype or whatever. I’m starting to put together a campaign structure linking missions together. I’ll most likely borrow from the solo campaign pilot survival procedures to see if downed pilots return to the squadron.

  2. #2

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    As always great report and game. Moving back down south soon. Hope all is well with the move.

  3. #3

  4. #4

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    Looks great, as usual, Peter.

    How does the WGS bombing compare to the err.... "discussion" we had regarding the WGF method for high altitude bombing during our Daring Young Men mission 6?

  5. #5

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    Quote Originally Posted by Stumptonian View Post
    Looks great, as usual, Peter.

    How does the WGS bombing compare to the err.... "discussion" we had regarding the WGF method for high altitude bombing during our Daring Young Men mission 6?
    WGS uses similar bombing rules as WGF. Not totally realistic but they work for the simple game that Wings is. I don't really mind how they work. It takes a bit of practice to get good at it. We weren't using altitude so the bombs only traveled one card before impact.

    I think the discussion that came about during mission 6 was too much for me. This is a simple game so I prefer to keep bombing simple.

  6. #6

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    bad day to be a bomber crewman. even the rugged 17 cant take it forever. good day to be a vermot ace.

  7. #7

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    Nice AAR but I do not understand the damage chits against the last B17. It has 10,12,0,0 and 17 C chits face down plus an A and a B also face down. Did you forget to turn them over to reveal the damage bill?

  8. #8

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    Thank you for the good A.A.R., Peter. It looks like you enjoyed yourselves.

  9. #9

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    Pretty bad day for 8th Army...

    Did you plan both bombers separately or as a formation together?

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  10. #10

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    Nice AAR! Was a very enjoyable read!

  11. #11

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    Quote Originally Posted by Baxter View Post
    Nice AAR but I do not understand the damage chits against the last B17. It has 10,12,0,0 and 17 C chits face down plus an A and a B also face down. Did you forget to turn them over to reveal the damage bill?
    I only showed the chits as a graphic to show how many it can take to down a B-17. How many As, Bs, C,s..... I guess in hind sight I should have shown the value side of the chits.

  12. #12

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    Quote Originally Posted by Dan-Sam View Post
    Pretty bad day for 8th Army...

    Did you plan both bombers separately or as a formation together?

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    Dave flew the bombers separately if I remember correctly. There was only one target card so it was obvious where they were heading.

  13. #13

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    Another great AAR Peter. Thanks for posting it!

    I was kind of hoping at least one of the B17s would make it home, but those two BOOMs on the same plane ended my hopes in flames. The B17s are tough birds and it was interesting flying them. It is vastly different then escorting some dive bombers, etc. The B17s can fend for themselves for a turn or two while the escorts are jockeying for position. As Peter indicated, I flew them as separate planes . This was because they needed to fall in line to hit the single small target. I’m also am proponent of keeping my bombers close together for mutual Fire support. That is tough when they are flown as drones. I agree it does add complexity to the game. Being able to concentrate on the escort planes would probably be more fun.... and maybe, just maybe, I would stop turning too late.

    I really need to start playing with altitude! So many things will make more sense.

  14. #14

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    Quote Originally Posted by Dak21 View Post
    Another great AAR Peter. Thanks for posting it!

    I was kind of hoping at least one of the B17s would make it home, but those two BOOMs on the same plane ended my hopes in flames. The B17s are tough birds and it was interesting flying them. It is vastly different then escorting some dive bombers, etc. The B17s can fend for themselves for a turn or two while the escorts are jockeying for position. As Peter indicated, I flew them as separate planes . This was because they needed to fall in line to hit the single small target. I’m also am proponent of keeping my bombers close together for mutual Fire support. That is tough when they are flown as drones. I agree it does add complexity to the game. Being able to concentrate on the escort planes would probably be more fun.... and maybe, just maybe, I would stop turning too late.

    I really need to start playing with altitude! So many things will make more sense.


    now theres an issue that never occurred to me. them being in formation wouldve been fine for dropping on the same target in reality as the "ground footprint" of a tight formation wouldve put most of the bombs in the target area (within reason). using a 1/200 a/c on a smaller scale maps means most of a formations bombs would be wasted if they salvoed in formation as was regularly done. maybe we need a house rule for multiengine formation bombing so they dont have to give up the safety of the formation chasing accuracy.

  15. #15

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    Quote Originally Posted by milcoll73 View Post
    now theres an issue that never occurred to me. them being in formation wouldve been fine for dropping on the same target in reality as the "ground footprint" of a tight formation wouldve put most of the bombs in the target area (within reason). using a 1/200 a/c on a smaller scale maps means most of a formations bombs would be wasted if they salvoed in formation as was regularly done. maybe we need a house rule for multiengine formation bombing so they dont have to give up the safety of the formation chasing accuracy.
    Another way is to have a larger target area or a cluster of target cards so a formation would can stay in formation.

  16. #16

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    Quote Originally Posted by Teaticket View Post
    Another way is to have a larger target area or a cluster of target cards so a formation would can stay in formation.
    That's a good idea Peter, I was going to suggest that only the lead/pathfinder aircraft need be the one to do the accurate bomb drop as everyone else then keys their drop off him, couple that with your cluster of target cards idea and it might fit the bill. Nice game by the way.

    "He is wise who watches"

  17. #17

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    Quote Originally Posted by flash View Post
    That's a good idea Peter, I was going to suggest that only the lead/pathfinder aircraft need be the one to do the accurate bomb drop as everyone else then keys their drop off him, couple that with your cluster of target cards idea and it might fit the bill. Nice game by the way.
    Exactly. As in the real thing, the lead plane would aim for the target while the formation would drop on signal. I'll have to try this with my six B-24s in formation.

  18. #18

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    Quote Originally Posted by flash View Post
    That's a good idea Peter, I was going to suggest that only the lead/pathfinder aircraft need be the one to do the accurate bomb drop as everyone else then keys their drop off him, couple that with your cluster of target cards idea and it might fit the bill. Nice game by the way.


    thats the way they did it in reality. later in the war many of the bombers not in the lead did even have bombardiers, just enlisted "toggleirs" that hit the pickle switch when they saw their flight lead salvo.

  19. #19

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    Quote Originally Posted by milcoll73 View Post
    thats the way they did it in reality. later in the war many of the bombers not in the lead did even have bombardiers, just enlisted "toggleirs" that hit the pickle switch when they saw their flight lead salvo.

    I can just imagine a young ground crew member just being asked "you want to fly in a bomber?" "Sure" And then going into the bomber and being told "when you see the plane in front of us drop their bombs just hit this button." And then he goes up with them and endures a 10 plus hour mission, with lots of fighters and flak, just to be able to hit a button.

  20. #20

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    Quote Originally Posted by Future Pilot View Post

    I can just imagine a young ground crew member just being asked "you want to fly in a bomber?" "Sure" And then going into the bomber and being told "when you see the plane in front of us drop their bombs just hit this button." And then he goes up with them and endures a 10 plus hour mission, with lots of fighters and flak, just to be able to hit a button.


    id take that over being crammed in the ball turret!!



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