Preliminary setup:
Rolled 1D6 for altitude for Eagles vs Bulldogs
1-2: Lower 3-4: Same 5-6:Higher
Rolled 4 so all would be at Level 4
I used my ‘chits’ system, similar to Dave's Simplified Altitude, and rolled 1D10 for each aircraft to set their actual altitude.
Altitude changes every 16 chits.
Both Fokker E.III and Airco DH.2 have a Climb Rate of 6
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After a non-eventful period of three months, the Adler are setting out for yet another routine patrol.
None of the pilots has managed to add to their victory count and all are hoping to rectify that. Just like the day before ….
The Halberstadt D.II that they had been using on a trial basis over the winter have been recalled for another unit to evaluate, so it’s back to the Fokker E.III again.
Leutnants Felix Eisnhardt, Günther Giesebrecht, Till Huebner and Dietrich Oelker are flying north over the German trenches in a ‘finger four’ formation.
The Bulldogs have been fortunate in having a bit of ‘R&R’ in Blighty to try and shake off the rut they too had found themselves in.
Now back at the front after several weeks they are flying in a ‘V’ formation over some relatively still pristine countryside. scanning the air around them looking for the ‘Hun’ …
Huebner has spotted menacing movement off to their 2 o’clock and tilts his wings to draw the attention of his wingmen.
In formation they fly toward their foe who seem to have noticed them as well.
Lewis and Moore fly a quick reversal back toward the lead enemy aircraft.
Tikka tikka
Da da da
Oelker and Fitzgerald trade tentative shots, both doing minor damage.
A wisp of oil black smoke begins to stream from Oelker’s Fokker.
Huebner pulls up to avoid Fitzgerald’s DH.2 and finds himself just out of arc for a decent shot.
Tikka tikk …
Oelker curses as his LMG 08/15 jams!
“Verdammtes Stück Mist!”
<Damned piece of crap >
Oelker furiously pounds on his jammed gun – perfect opportunity missed!
Tikka tikka
Eisenhardt fires his first tentative burst.
Fitzgerald hears his Gnôme Monosoupape begin to misfire badly.
“Bloody hell! That’s put paid to my day!”
He will be forced to retire, leaving his squadron mates badly outnumbered.
Oelker pulls his Eindecker around in a quick Immelmann turn and ends up right beside Lewis’s DH.2
He cannot see through the billowing black smoke just how close he came to catastrophe!
Tikka tikka tikka
Giesebrecht uses his honed sniper skills with a shot at Lewis, damaging his rudder control slightly.
Da da da da
Lewis returns the favour and is rewarded with the sight of smoke turning to flame from the E.III.
“Flammen!”
Giesebrecht remembers his last time dealing with a flaming Fokker ….
The fire eats away bits of fuselage and inner wing.
Another aircraft will be forced to flee the battle.
Fitzgerald sees Huebner’s green Fokker trailing him and hope he can elude him as he heads toward a low series of hills.
Tikka tikka
Dada dada
Giesebrecht and Moore exchange some damaging shots.
Da da da da
Moore keeps the smoking green Eindecker in his sights and sees his bullets stitch up the side.
Did he see the German jerk in his cockpit?
“arrgh!” Oelker feels sharp pain and struggles to keep his Fokker under control.
As the warm blood begins to fill his flying boots he realizes he must break off – and soon!
Huebner sees his prey getting away and is unable to fire a parting shot – so close, yet so far …
Fitzgerald and his wonky engine will live to fly another day.
Da da …
“Damnit!”
Moore’s Lewis jams as he empties his drum in what could have been a kill shot into Giesebrecht’s flaming machine.
Giesebrecht is seriously considering a forced landing as the flames spread across his right wing.
But the decision is not his to make.
His Fokker can take no more and twists awkwardly toward the ground.
While Moore works on clearing his jammed Lewis, Lewis lines up Oelker, who is trying to use his belt to stem the blood flowing from his thigh.
“There!”
Moore has cleared his jam, but now realizes he has an empty drum and begins swapping it out.
Oelker tries hard to maintain his focus as he exits the field.
Tikka Tikka Tikka
Huebner damages Lewis’s Airco.
Da da da “Verdammt!”
Lewis’s return fire strikes Huebner in his right shoulder, and at the same time damages his controls.
This is not the Adler’s day!
A second pilot is forced to withdraw!
This leaves Eisenhardt alone to fend off the Bulldogs!
Tikka tikka tikka
BOOM!
Finally something goes their way as Eisenhardt’s shots reach the fuel tank of Moore’s DH.2
Moore doesn’t know what hit him and finds himself plummeting to earth!
He quickly releases his flying harness and ducks into a lightly wooded area as his aircraft disappears in flame and smoke.
The fierce flames keep the nearby Germans away.
“Keine Chance für diesen armen Mistkerl“
< No chance for this poor bastard > Moore hears a German voice say as they leave the flaming wreck to burn.
Keeping still he hopes he has seen the last of them and decides to remain hiding until nightfall.
Da da “Damnitall!”
Lewis jams his namesake.
Huebner is glad to see that Lewis has changed his attention toward Eisenhardt.
[The mission called for Bulldog reinforcements when a plane started smoking, flaming or drew the dreaded boom card. Because the Eagles were down to only one aircraft I decided to roll 1D6 to determine if there would be any: 1-2-3 = No, 4-5-6 = Yes. I rolled a 5 and decided that just one more DH.2 would arrive and rolled again for the location. 2Lt John Moncrieff arrives from the right section of the countryside map.]
Situational overview: Huebner is planning his escape.
Lewis finishes clearing his jam but now must replace his drum.
Moncrieff is selecting his target.
Eisenhardt is following Lewis.
Lewis madly works on replacing his drum.
Lewis has swapped out his drum and Immelmanned, but is just out of range.
Likewise Eisenhardt has no shot.
Moncrieff is closing on Eisenhardt but is out of range as well.
Huebner pulls away and the Bulldogs lose sight of him.
Lewis and Eisenhardt pass.
Eisenhardt salutes Lewis and prepares to follow Huebner.
“Diskretion ist der größte Teil der Tapferkeit ...“
< Discretion ids the better part of valour >
Eisenhardt spots Huebner and aims his Fokker toward his friend.
“Ich werde dich vor den Engländern schützen!“
< I will protect you from the English >
Eisenhardt shouts over his shoulder to Huebner, but Huebner cannot hear him.
The two remaining Adler make their way back to their airfield, relieved to have eluded the British.
Lewis and Moncrieff also head for home.
Lewis has the lone victory for the Bulldogs, his 4th kill, but they can all feel proud of their victory in blunting the German attack so completely today.
Lewis is concerned for Moore, having seen the smoking pyre below.
Hopefully the plucky Canadian will be all right and be back in action soon.
===============================================================
Butcher’s Tally
Bulldogs
Airco DH.2
Duncan Moore : EXP ET 0 kills
C&W: 10-3 EXP = 7 : Injured 1D2(6) = Skip 2
E&E: 9 -1 BEL -1 EXP -1 WIC = 6 : In Hiding 1D2(3) = Skip 1
Total: Skip 2
Airco DH.2
Lt Robert Lewis : RTB / 1 Kill : E.III (Giesebrecht)
Airco DH.2
2Lt John Moncrieff : RTB 0 kills
Airco DH.2
Lt Edward Fitzgerald : FRTB-E 0 kills
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Der Kaiser’s Adler
Fokker E.III
Ltn Günther Giesebrecht : SD FLM FT 0 kills
C&W: 9 -2 FLM = 7 : Injured 1D2(3) : Skip 1
Fokker E.III
Ltn Dietrich Oelker : FRTB-W 0 kills
C&W: 6 +1 RTB -1 WIA = 6 : Injured 1D3(4) : Skip 2
Fokker E.III
Ltn Till Huebner : FRTB-W 0 kills
C&W: 8 +1 RTB -1 WIA = 8 : Injured 1D2(6) : Skip 2
Fokker E.III
Ltn Felix Eisenhardt : RTB / 1 Kill : DH.2 (Moore)
Eisenhardt has his first kill!
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Results
Bulldogs
FRTB 2 x 2 = 4
SD 1 x 3 = 3
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Total : 7
Adler
FRTB 1 x 2 = 2
SD 1 x 3 = 3
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Total : 5
Bulldogs Victory
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Well that was not the greatest start for my Adler ...
I was dreading the Butcher's Tally rolls ....
But all survived, and Eisenhardt got his first kill.
Lewis is one away from his first ace.
I think I like my altitude system, it played out really well using the numbered cards to track the total.
I started out with Giesebrecht and took over another as each pilot left the field.
What should have been a great outing turned into what was looking like a disaster!
But at least no one died (on either side).
Might need a new pilot for the next one, depending on what is required.
Thanks for a simple, but entertaining, start to the new campaign, Dave.
Looking forward to seeing how the rest of you fare with this one.
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