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Thread: OTT CYM Mission 2, Bring Them Home If You Can – July 12th 1916 (ShadowDragon)

  1. #1

    Default OTT CYM Mission 2, Bring Them Home If You Can – July 12th 1916 (ShadowDragon)


    OTT CYM Mission 2 Bring Them Home (If You Can) - by Teaticket

    “Grandad, tell us another one of your stories about flying in the Great War.”

    “War’s no bleedin’ joke, kids”

    “Jacques, watch your language with the children.”

    “Right you are dear. Alright, kids. Did I tell you the one about how we got the name the X-Men? No? It was shortly after I got posted to a new squadron, the X Squadron of the Royal Naval Air Service that was sent to help the Royal Flying Corps over the Somme. The Naval Air Service in those days had squadrons with all sorts of different aeroplanes, but ours was simple. It had a flight of six Nieuport scouts, what you young’uns would call fighters, and a flight of three tandem or two-seater Sopwith 1 ½ Strutters. You remember the story I told you about how Uncle Bruce bagged two Huns. That was when there was just the scout flight, but soon after we were joined by the three strutters. The crew of that flight were all proper Englishmen as our flight commander, Flashman, put it – well except for one Welshman, a chap called Ian David-Lloyd. Soon after they arrived their flight commander, Arthur Percy Hastings, was sent out with his observer, Reggie Simpson to take ‘important’ pictures, as the brass always puts it. He had so much camera equipment they had to take the machineguns off his plane. Thankfully he was a great pilot – a really great pilot. The brass are all heart so the sent a second strutter as an escort with Ian David-Lloyd as the pilot and Charles Bazzden as the rear gunner. It seems the brass thought that wasn’t enough because soon enough Flashman summoned Jock MacDonald and me to go and fetch the strutters.”


    "Jock and Jack, you two go and bring back the Strutters. Ha! Ha! Jock and Jack went up the hill....each as hapless as the other."

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    As Jock and I neared the rendezvous and we spotted two Huns - two Fokker Eindeckkers. One headed towards us and the other, a grey one, headed towards the Strutters. In the distance we spotted what we though was a French Nieuport on patrol. He sure would be welcome help as he was close to the Strutters.

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    Jock signalled that he’d take of the one Hun heading towards us and that I should help the Strutters

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    Jock and the Hun had a OK corral type shoot out. I can't say either came out on top.

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    Ahead of me it looked like the other Hun, the grey one, would beat me to the Strutters

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    As I got closer I could see that the Nieuport wasn’t French but one captured by the Huns. Luckily Ian had noticed the black crosses.

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    Arthur managed to evade the grey Hun at the last minute so that Hun missed his chance for a shot. That was fortunate ‘cuz Art's and Reggie's Strutter was unarmed

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    You know, kids, combat can be noisy and confusing. Sometimes you can’t hear a thing with all the din. I fired at the grey Hun or at least I coulda sworn I did.

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    I passed the grey Hun and fired on the captured Nieuport. At least I thought I had.

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    Air combat is a confusing business, kids. One moment you’re flying in a crowd, trying to avoid being crash into another aeroplane and then next you’re alone in the great, blue sky.

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    But Ian and Charles were still having a go at the captured Nieuport.

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    I had just a breather after the scrum of friend and foe when I saw no one escorting the Strutter with the photographs. We had better get there pronto as there were two Huns between us and the unarmed Strutter.

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    It was up to me because Jock, Ian and Charles were still tangling with the one Fokker that had met Jock at first.

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    Well they ganged up on that poor Hun and were giving him a right bloody nose.

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    They finished off that Hun alright. His plane was a mass of canvas, wood and metal, but I saw a sight I’ll never see again. As the plane plummeted that Hun pilot was falling with the bits and pieces. He started grabbing bits of canvas and what not, wrapped ends of it around his wrists and fashioned the world’s first parachute. He floated to the ground just as if he was on a feather bed. I swear it’s a true story, kids. I saw it with my own eyes.

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    I followed the other two Huns. The one with the Nieuport was closest. I fired and fired, but I still couldn’t hear my Lewis machinegun. I kept shaking my head to see if that would help.

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    Just then I saw that the lanyard that pulled the machinegun’s trigger wasn’t connected and that the gun had also jammed.

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    I was told a trick a RFC pilot, I think his name was also Jack. He had suggested to keep a mallet in the cockpit for such times. So there I was standing up in my Nieport, chasing that Hun, fixing the lanyard and banging away at the Lewis. A rare bit of darn good flying that was.

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    But none of that was of any help to the Strutter as the grey Hun was on his tail like a hound on a hare.

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    There was funny thing about the air war in those days. There was a magic line the enemy wouldn’t cross. If you made it across the line, the enemy wouldn't follow. Rather like being home free in a game of hide and seek. It was like that part of the world wasn’t there....sort of the edge of the world as it were. Really, 'struth, kids.

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    I finally got the Lewis working. Just in time too. I made that sneaky Hun pay dearly for tricking us. I fired and must of hit his fuel tank because the poor blighter blew up right in front of me. Nearly took me out too.

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    That left just one Hun, the grey one, and he high tailed it like a dog that stuck his nose in a porcupine's behind.

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    Ian and Charles had to escort Arthur and Reggie, so they followed them across the edge of the world. That left Jock and me to chase the grey Hun. He Hun dove down lower and lower with me following him, edging closer and closer to him to get him in firing range.

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    Finally he was in range...

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    He went lower and lower and this way and that way but couldn’t shake me. I shouldn't of followed him as there was a danger of ground fire, but my blood was up.

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    It got to where I was starting to feel sorry for the poor desperate lad.

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    Well fate intervened. My Lewis jammed. I took that as a sign it wasn’t that poor Hun’s time and turned to head back to the station.

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    Well, that’s the story. It made the local rounds and soon enough we were being called the X-Men by the Frenchies and Belgians. I’m not sure about the RFC lads – perhaps they still saw us as interlopers on their turf. Still I was awfully grateful to that chap, also called Jack, who recommended the mallet as an essential bit of a pilot’s kit. As for the Hun, I hear their Adler squadron had lost it’s second commander, so they was hopping mad and out for blood….but that’s a story for another time. Now go give your Grandma a kiss goodnight and off to bed you go.”

    ****************************************************

    Results = the photographs brought back safely = a victory for the Seadogs.

    Note: I used my recently built Fokker E.II but flew them with E.III stats.
    Last edited by ShadowDragon; 04-14-2020 at 06:14.

  2. #2

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    Butcher’s Bill

    The Seadogs

    Sopwith 1 ½ Strutter
    Flt Cdr Arthur Percey Hastings / RTB / - / Photographs successfully returned
    LM Reggie Simpson / RTB / - / Photographs successfully taken

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    Sopwith 1 ½ Strutter
    FsLt Ian David-Lloyd / RTB / - / -
    AM2 Charles Bazzden / RTB / - / 1 kill

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    Nieuport 11
    FsLt Jock MacDonald / RTB / - / -

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    FsLt Jack Wilde / RTB / - / 1 kill

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    The Adlers

    Nieuport 11
    Oblt Rudolf Hausmann / EXP-NML / WIA / -
    C&W = Roll 7 - 3 EXP - 1 WIA – 1 NML = 2; KIA

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    Fokker E.II
    Ltn Reinhold Piechulek / FLM-FT / - / 0 kills
    C&W = Roll 11 - 2 FLM = 9; All’s well when you land well

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    Fokker E.II
    Ltn Hans Bohenkamp / FRTB / - / -

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    Last edited by ShadowDragon; 04-14-2020 at 06:02.

  3. #3

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    Seems your tandem crews have suffered role reversal Paul - you have mechanics flying the planes and the "Rodney's" taking the pics !?
    Great images but not a fan of the additional clutter, makes it overly busy; plus if you add the story into it & you lose the images you'll have lost the whole story.


    Uncle says:


    Well done chaps, got the snaps and gave the Hun a bloody nose too !

    Ltn Fritz Böhning will be promoted to lead the Eagles.
    Last edited by flash; 04-12-2020 at 01:01.

    "He is wise who watches"

  4. #4

    Thumbs up

    Another good victory for you seadogs Paul
    Whilst I enjoyed your storytelling & humour woven into the AAR I must agree with Dave that it got a bit too "Busy" with all the added dialogue.
    Anyway have some Rep for a great AAR.

  5. #5

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    Quote Originally Posted by flash View Post
    Seems your tandem crews have suffered role reversal Paul - you have mechanics flying the planes and the "Rodney's" taking the pics !?
    Great images but not a fan of the additional clutter, makes it overly busy; plus if you add the story into it & you lose the images you'll have lost the whole story.

    Uncle says:

    Well done chaps, got the snaps and gave the Hun a bloody nose too !

    Ltn Fritz Böhning will be promoted to lead the Eagles.
    Yes, I made the role reversal by mistake. I guess I got too used to the AH where it was reversed. Totally overlooked the P2 / O designations in my roster. Oops.

    I was thinking promoting Ltn Fritz Böhning was the thing to do.

  6. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by gully_raker View Post
    Another good victory for you seadogs Paul
    Whilst I enjoyed your storytelling & humour woven into the AAR I must agree with Dave that it got a bit too "Busy" with all the added dialogue.
    Anyway have some Rep for a great AAR.
    Thanks, Bazz.

    Thanks for Dave's and your frank views on the photos. I will wait for other feedback to see what changes I make in the future.

  7. #7

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    Well done, Paul.
    You definitely gave our Adler a thrashing!


    I tend to agree with Dave and Baz that there may be just a bit too much 'clutter' this time around.
    Maybe tone down the comic book dialogue a bit.

    I know that Dave had specifically asked that we not put too much extra (storywise) in the photos due to potential loss of the pictures, as has happened in the past.
    I changed my format to match the 'norm' for this early war campaign.

  8. #8

    Default

    Have to agree with the above. A bit too busy for my enjoyment. I dropped out and caught the result in the Butcher's Bill. In the past with all the German text in the story I found it a pain to read around. I guess we all do it for our own enjoyment first. That said, mine are probably too simple and boring for you!

    I really like your photos and the red shooting arrows.

    I usually try to make my scenarios a challenge but so far its looking like it will be any easy go of it. Oh well, its good to win one easy once in a while!

  9. #9

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    Okay, chaps. I've revised my AAR after some off-line discussion and your feedback above. I can easily fix the role reversal too, but as the Entente spreadsheet has credited Ian with a kill I won't do that as that would mean the AAR and spreadsheet would end up misaligned.

  10. #10

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    Uncle can correct the roster in a trice Paul. It should be Bazzden's victory.

    "He is wise who watches"

  11. #11

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by flash View Post
    Uncle can correct the roster in a trice Paul. It should be Bazzden's victory.
    Then make it so, please. AAR has been corrected with proper roles for the aircrew.

  12. #12

    Default

    'Tis done.
    Thanks for taking the time to re-craft your images.

    "He is wise who watches"

  13. #13

    Default

    Thanks you Paul, soooo much better. Well done. Gotta love those rear gunners.(when they have a gun) Good shot they are!

  14. #14

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    Quote Originally Posted by flash View Post
    'Tis done.
    Thanks for taking the time to re-craft your images.
    You are welcome.

  15. #15

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    Quote Originally Posted by Teaticket View Post
    Thanks you Paul, soooo much better. Well done. Gotta love those rear gunners.(when they have a gun) Good shot they are!
    Thanks for pushing me. It meant I could review somethings (e.g., name tags) which were useful at one time but had outlived their purpose because I now take different types of pictures - e.g., ones with all the cards, etc. and close ups that are hopefully clean 'action' shots - which means it should be clear who's whom. Cut out all dialogue balloons that I felt didn't add to the story - a case of less is more.
    Last edited by ShadowDragon; 04-14-2020 at 10:37.

  16. #16

    Thumbs up

    Quote Originally Posted by ShadowDragon View Post
    Thanks for pushing me. It meant I could review somethings (e.g., name tags) which were useful at one time but had outlived their purpose because I now take different types of pictures - e.g., ones with all the cards, etc. and close ups that are hopefully clean 'action' shots - which means it should be clear who's whom. Cut out all dialogue balloons that I felt didn't add to the story - a case of less is more.
    !

  17. #17

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    Much, much better, Paul.

    Thanks for the changes.

  18. #18

    Default

    Well, you can please some of the people some of the time, some of them all of the time, but no way can you please all of them all of the time. I have to say I really enjoyed your tale and the presentation. Didn't see it as clutter in the least. But hey ho, there you go.

    Love the Nieuport repaints, except for the captured one that is - huh! Sneaky hun. "What me, SNEAKIN", I can here him say.

    Question is, do you have real grand children? If so, I bet they enjoy story time I certainly did

    REP inbound.

  19. #19

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    Quote Originally Posted by mikeemagnus View Post
    Well, you can please some of the people some of the time, some of them all of the time, but no way can you please all of them all of the time. I have to say I really enjoyed your tale and the presentation. Didn't see it as clutter in the least. But hey ho, there you go.

    Love the Nieuport repaints, except for the captured one that is - huh! Sneaky hun. "What me, SNEAKIN", I can here him say.

    Question is, do you have real grand children? If so, I bet they enjoy story time I certainly did

    REP inbound.
    Don’t forget you’re seeing the revised version. You do need to reflect on it if you’re pleasing none of the people...I reviewed and decided for something’s less was more.

    My view of the tale is that this is the way Jack remembers it. Now whether or not it was that way...we’ll, memories are tricksy.

    Nope...no grandchildren.

  20. #20

    Default

    It looks as if I'm seeing the revised edition so can't comment on how it looked before but this is in my opinion excellent. I really like the presentation, the firing lines and the bits of graphics indicating damage are great and the little speech bubbles are fun.
    I presume you had the crews names included in the photos, which probably created some 'clutter' but I always get confused as to who is who in these game reports, we each refer to our pilots in the action and assume everyone else knows who we are refering to but it's certainly not true for me so I followed Petes lead with the name tags but it's not perfect by any means. I like that you have included the damage and names discreetly down in the corner, I think that's a neat answer to the problem.

    Anyway a damn good read, as well as a good result for the old sea dogs and I'm pleased the old mallet trick worked for you as well, we're going to be in trouble if the Hun discover our secret, but they will probably design a specific tool for the job rather than use an old wooden mallet.
    Cheers

  21. #21

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Vagabond View Post
    It looks as if I'm seeing the revised edition so can't comment on how it looked before but this is in my opinion excellent. I really like the presentation, the firing lines and the bits of graphics indicating damage are great and the little speech bubbles are fun.
    I presume you had the crews names included in the photos, which probably created some 'clutter' but I always get confused as to who is who in these game reports, we each refer to our pilots in the action and assume everyone else knows who we are refering to but it's certainly not true for me so I followed Petes lead with the name tags but it's not perfect by any means. I like that you have included the damage and names discreetly down in the corner, I think that's a neat answer to the problem.

    Anyway a damn good read, as well as a good result for the old sea dogs and I'm pleased the old mallet trick worked for you as well, we're going to be in trouble if the Hun discover our secret, but they will probably design a specific tool for the job rather than use an old wooden mallet.
    Cheers
    Thanks, John.

    Yes, you are seeing the revised edition. I'm reasonably happy with the end result. Of course, there's plenty of room for improvement. My philosophy going forward is - does it complement or add to the story and the reader's experience? If not, it's out. In my more recent AAR I've taken to cutting down the number of photos. I think I could do a lot better in that regard, but the game and the photos come before the story so it is a challenge.

    So far - from the last AAR the Huns haven't figured out the mallet bit.



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