OTT CYM - Mission 1 - Flash Back to Front - 5th July 1916
They'd spent the best part of a couple of weeks transiting back to France and their old stomping ground, packing the squadron in its entirety, shipping it's all it's contents and the men, then unpacking to be ready for the arrival of the pilots, their crew and machines at the landing ground they'd occupied just a few weeks ago. Accepting the aircraft, checking them, servicing them, preparing them for war once more.
It felt good to be back and on familiar ground too, the machines ready, the pilots keen to get back to their hunting ground, over the trenches.
To that end the Bulldogs go on patrol over the lines to reacquaint themselves with the lay of the land and note any changes to the positions, or, local landmarks...
And to see what, if anything, else they can find.
Lead: 2Lt Phillip Atterley (CDL tail); L: F/Sgt Robert Pynne (CDL); R: 2Lt Alan Keye (PC10)
Uncle had warned them that their old nemesis 'The Kaiser's Eagles' were reportedly back at the front too, maybe they'd get lucky and bump into them. Maybe they should be careful what they wish for.
Lead: Obltn Willi Kirmaier (green); R: Ltn Walter Gandert (plain); L: Ltn Stefan Loerzer (striped); 2L: Ltn Walter Gandert (red)
The patrol had been uneventful for the most part - the ground war had stagnated in terms of movement but the considerable expenditure of artillery ammunition had changed the look of the area in the weeks they had been away, blurring the lines, obliterating landmarks - soon it would be time to turn for home, that's when they saw them on a reciprocal course dragging their coat tails over the front lines. Wings waggled - guns test fired and both sides angled for an attack.
Alan Keye wrong footed their leader and opened up but did no appreciable damage to the green Fokker - their wingmen had better luck - rounds crashing through the fabric of both his and Atterley's DH.2's.
Then all hell broke loose - as the opposing sides fully engaged.
Keye traded ineffectual blows with a dirty red Fokker as the striped one ducks beneath him to avoid a collision. Atterley turned into the Hun leader and exchanged heavy close range bursts - each jamming their gun - Pynne adding to the tally when he loosed off a long range effort on the green Fokker as the plain Fokker slid past him.
Pynne dropped a fraction and unloaded another long range effort - this time on the lower striped Fokker as the green one slid over his nose.
As the protagonists parted company to clear jams and assess the damage the striped Fokker climbed rapidly & whipped into a turn - his nose pointing down.
( I don't give him a shot unless he's at close range)
Pynne tried to keep on the enemy but they are slippery Fokkers !
Atterly had better luck though and clobbered the stripey Fokker for no damage in return
(realised he wan't at short range when prepping AAR so ignore that 2 !)
Meantime all the Fokkers have reversed course & are heading back to the fight, Pynne hoped to swing around behind them & decided to change the pan on his Lewis
Keye met the dirty red Fokker head on - he set it ablaze but is wounded in the brutal exchange of lead
Atterley was caught by the green Fokker as he changed the pan on his Lewis and just had to take the hit
Moments later Keye is in the same boat and also took a close range blast from the Hun leader
Who flashed past & climbed into a fancy reversal allowing him to pour fire into Keye's helpless machine and knock it from the sky.
Pynne finally got into position with a fresh pan in place - dodged the stripey Fokker as it reversed again and got a close range burst into the plain one as it vainly attempted to avoid him
He also avoided the victorious green Fokker which latched on to Atterley's machine at long range but did no damage
His gun recharged Atterley sharply reversed and drilled the green Fokker in much the same as he had done to Keye, it seemed the pilot flinched - he returned fire but no discernible damage was done - was he hit ?
Pynne swapped ineffective fire with the dirty red Fokker as it turned across his bow.
Passing the green Fokker Atterley picks out the plain Fokker for some attention and his rounds clattered through it's cowling, the engine faltered... it was time for it to escape,
Attracted to the smoke and flame like a shark to blood in the water the follow on flight of Bulldogs appeared on the scene looking to get in on the action
Lead: Lt Bill Foldes (N.11); L: 2Lt Ali Gaither (N.16 - D); R: 2Lt Cam Paine (N.16 - F)
They are soon in the thick of it as the wounded Hun leader is headed for home and he engaged Foldes as they closed, damaging his controls
Again all hell breaks loose as the formations pass each other.
Gaither exchanges heavy blows with the green Fokker; Foldes gets shot up by the plain Fokker as it limps for home with a duff engine, he jams his gun firing back; Paine puts a shot into it in support of his leader; Atterly takes a close range burst from the stripey Fokker even as he puts in a long range shot on the now burning dirty red Fokker as it slid past Pynne.
Passing the green Fokker Gaither then batters the plain one who did no damage in return
The green Fokker - it's pilot seemingly wounded - made good it's escape followed shortly by the plain Fokker & the dirty red Fokker, it's fire out but badly damaged took it's cue from it's leader to leave the battle area. The pilot of the stripey Fokker chanced his arm by turning back to face the Tommy's...
But a near miss with Pynne & the turning Nieuports was enough to convince him it was time to go home too and he dived away
Butcher's Tally:
Eagles:
Obltn Willi Kirmaier (green Fokker) FRTB-W 01 kill
Rolled 6 +1RTB -1WIA = 6 Injured - Skip 1D3 Scenarios. Rolled 5 = skip 3. Total Skips 3.
Ltn Walter Gandert (plain Fokker) FRTB-E 0 kills
Ltn Stefan Loerzer (striped Fokker) RTB 0 kills
Ltn Walter Gandert (dirty red Fokker) RTB 0 kills
Bulldogs:
2Lt Phillip Atterley (DH.2 CDL tail) FRTB-D 0 kills.
2Lt Alan Keye (DH.2 PC10) SD-EXP-ET / WIA / 0 kills
Rolled 7 -3EXP -1WIA = 3 Injured - Skip 1D6 Scenarios, Rolled 2 = Skip 2
E&E: Rolled 8 -1EXP -1WIA -1WIC -1BEL = 4 - Captured and escaped! - Skip 1D3 Scenarios. Rolled 4 = Skip 2 . Total Skips 2
F/Sgt Robert Pynne (DH.2 all CDL) RTB 0 kills
Lt Bill Foldes (N.11) RTB 0 kills
2Lt Ali Gaither (N.16 - D) RTB 0 kills
2Lt Cam Paine (N.16 - F) RTB 0 kills
Victory Points:
Bulldogs - 2 x FRTB = 4pts
Eagles - 1 x SD = 3pts
- 1 x FRTB = 2pt
Eagle victory 5pts to 4pts !
I flew Pynne's DH.2, I was pretty hopeless, when I did get a shot the results were less than spectacular but at least I made it back intact !
I was fairly pleased with how the game played out & how well the flight leader's did in the scrap, even the arrival of the latecomer's did not unduly effect the outcome - most of the damage had been done prior to their arrival.
I used my Alt & the Lewis ammo rules, which were painful !
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Well that was a less than auspicious start to the new Campaign Dave!
Originally Posted by flash
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