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Thread: OTT-CYM Mission 7: Snap the Trap! - 19th August 1916 – by ShadowDragon

  1. #1

    Default OTT-CYM Mission 7: Snap the Trap! - 19th August 1916 – by ShadowDragon


    OTT-CYM Mission 7: Snap the Trap! - 19th August 1916 – by ShadowDragon
    Original scenario by gully_raker

    https://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/sh...by-gully_raker

    Evening was a sacred time on the Dundee-Wilde Winery & Vineyard. The extended family would gather on the veranda of the large house that dominated the estate to chat, tell stories, sing songs, play games. It was an Australian wintery evening, which is not like a Canadian wintery evening, was a little different as most of the family had retired. The only current resident of the veranda was Tom Dundee but he was waiting to be joined by his brother. Bruce Dundee. and his father-in-law, Jack Wilde, both veteran pilots from the Great War. Bruce and Jack has these occasional rituals and this evening was one of them. Most of the family was banned but Tom was allowed in as an ‘observer’ as he was an former fighter pilot from WW2. Soon enough Bruce and Jack appeared in the RNAS kit. “Still fits the both of them pretty well”, thought Tom.

    “Hi, Tom”, said Jack, “How come you didn’t let on to Angelique that one of your passengers on that flight up north as Bing Crosby? You know how much she adores the man.”

    Tom chuckled, “That’s exactly why I didn’t tell her. You know how she would have rushed down to the airfield and fawn all over him. Sort of like an elderly version of one of those Beatles fans.”

    Jack, nodded.

    “Say, do you mind telling me the story behind tonight’s ritual?”

    “Naw, that’s Bruce’s job. I was still making my way back to the station from the Dover fiasco.”

    “Yeah, Jack”, interjected Bruce, “Having a lark, swimming in the channel while the rest of the squadron had work to do.”

    “Ouch!”, replied Tom.

    Ok, here’s the tale. While Jack and Jock were coming down the Dover hill with Fergis, the CO, ole Rumsbottom…er, Rumsbottle, called me and the two flight commanders, Flashman and Arthur, into his office. It seems that he had been chatting with some of the RFC squadron CO’s who had been trialling a new tactic and Rumsbottle was all keen to show the RFC chaps that the RNAS was equal to the task. The plan was that one of the two-seaters would pretend to be on a photo-recce mission while two scouts hid in some clouds to bounce any Hun scouts that would take the bait. That seems all well and good but the tactic was totally new to the us and little did we know that the Huns had new scouts – Halberstadts. Rumsbottle explained what he wanted and requested that I, as the squadron’s only ace, be one of the two scout pilots. He asked Flashman and Arthur to pick ‘volunteers’ from their respective flights.

    Arthur responded first, “I wouldn’t ask one of my chaps to do a job that I wouldn’t take on. I’ll fly the Strutter and see if any of the observers will volunteer or else they’ll draw straws.”

    “Art, I’m no more a slouch than you. I’ll fly the second scout”, offered Flashman.

    As for the ‘volunteer’ observer, Reggie Simpson, who was Arthur’s partner, wouldn’t let anyone else fly shotgun. So that was that and soon enough we were flying this new-fangled tactic when a couple of Huns showed up in their new Halberstadts.

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    We didn’t have much time to be on the Huns before they’d be on the Strutter, but I was fortunate. I dropped out of our cloud cover right behind a CDL Halberstadt.

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    I was on his tail trying to get a bead on him. I was doing some damage but not nearly enough to at least chase him off. Flashman was a bit further back and doing his best to catch up to the Halberstadts.

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    These new Hun planes looked pretty robust and while they didn’t seem faster than our Nieuports they were closer to Arthur’s and Reggie’s Strutter. So Huns were on the Strutter before we could take them out.

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    Reggie was firing back like mad but it didn’t seem like he was doing much damage but at least he got the CDL Halberstadt smoking.

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    I kept focussed on the Hun I was tailing; I was starting to get the range and doing some damage.

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    Finally, I took a deep breath – and thought, “For Art and Reggie”. A burst of fire and the CDL Halberstadt exploded. (I remembered at this point that Bruce had the sniper ace ability – this was the only time the skill was used and to deadly effect.)

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    Now for the second Hun. My aim was in the groove and I got a good shot in on the camouflaged Hun. I think I did some engine damage as he headed home – well, either it was that or he didn’t fancy the odds.

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    But as he turned he fly past Arthur and Reggie and gave them a farewell shot that set the Stutter on fire. We could see Arthur struggling to keep his crate going long enough for a safe landing but it was a long shot as it was No-man’s-land beneath us.

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    The Hun still had to get past Flashman and me though.

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    We did our best but all Flashman could do was to shake his fist at the Hun as they passed each other.

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    Then it was a chase. We would have had no chance of catching him except that it seems that I likely did some engine damage as the Halberstadt was noticeably slower.

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    I had no chance but Flashman got a good burst from his Lewis.

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    The Hun pilot was good and his manoeuvring spoiled Flashman’s aim.

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    Finally close enough to fly down under the protection of his air defences, the Hun dove down and was beyond our reach.

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    We didn’t know what had happened to Arthur and Reggie until a few days later when Reggie showed at the station. Reggie only had a scratch and got out quick enough – avoiding the Hun fire from the trenches but the enemy fire kept our boys from rescuing Arthur. He didn’t make it. It was our squadron’s first loss.

    With that Jack poured them each some of the estate’s brandy. He raised his brandy snifter. “To a brave and gallant comrade, Arthur Percy Hastings”. With that they all tossed back the brandy and without another word retired for the night.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCkGnQ0AZv0

    Victory Points

    Seadogs = 1 X 6 (enemy scout shot down) + 1 X 4 (enemy scout FRTB) = 10 points
    Eagles = 1 X 10 (two-seater shot down) = 10 points
    A DRAW

  2. #2

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    Butcher’s Bill
    Note that I made some errors when doing the photos – as noted on the photos – which was due to my placing the damage cards on the wrong plane’s card. Although I did play it correctly despite this goof up.

    The Seadogs
    Sopwith 1 ½ Strutter
    Pilot: FCdr Arthur Percy Hastings / SD-FLM-NML / 0 kills
    C&W = 4 – 2 FLM – 1 NML = 1; KIA

    Observer: LM Reggie Simpson / SD-FLM-NML / 0 kills
    C&W = 11 – 2 FLM – 1 NML = 8; Wounded, 2 = skip 1
    E&E = 9 - 1 FLM - 1 WIC +1 NML = 8; Almost home; skip 1

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    Nieuport 11
    FCdr Nigel Flashman / RTB 0 kills

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    Nieuport 11
    FSL Bruce Dundee / RTB 1 kill

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    The Adlers
    Halberstadt D.III
    Obltn Fritz Böhning / FRTB-E 1 kill

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    Halberstadt D.III
    Fwbl Willy Rautter
    C&W = 6 - 3 EXP -1 NML = 2; KIA

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    It seems my C&W dice are very deadly! But an enjoyable scenario.
    Last edited by flash; 09-25-2020 at 01:03. Reason: Tally adjust

  3. #3

    Default

    Nicely done Paul, your chaps did well to pull out the draw from that melee !


    Uncle says:


    My goodness that went sideways quickly chaps, we'll have to think hard about this tactic before we try and employ it again, can't have the Hun taking the bait then swallowing it whole, that won't do at all. At least we got one of them but it's no consolation for the loss of a pilot and his machine.

    meanwhile, across the lines, ObLtn Fritz Böhning is awarded his Pilots badge for his first victory.
    Last edited by flash; 09-25-2020 at 01:10.

    "He is wise who watches"

  4. #4

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    Nice one, Paul.
    We'll take the draw.


    Rautter definitely drew the short straw, which only emphasizes how lucky my own Adler were in the end after flying this mission.
    The cards can be ruthless. And so can the dice.

    Funny how fickle they can be for two-seater crews as well.
    RIP Percy Hastings, while Simpson shows only a scratch.

  5. #5

    Thumbs up

    Well Paul that was a real dust up!
    Sad to see Flt Commander Hasting buy the farm but that's the luck of war. RIP.
    The Germans also lost a brave pilot so that was a deadly mission for both sides.
    Those new Halberstadts are a big improvement on the Fokkers!

    Some Rep winging its way to you.

  6. #6

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by flash View Post
    Nicely done Paul, your chaps did well to pull out the draw from that melee !


    Uncle says:


    My goodness that went sideways quickly chaps, we'll have to think hard about this tactic before we try and employ it again, can't have the Hun taking the bait then swallowing it whole, that won't do at all. At least we got one of them but it's no consolation for the loss of a pilot and his machine.

    meanwhile, across the lines, ObLtn Fritz Böhning is awarded his Pilots badge for his first victory.
    Dave, thanks to your mission for adjustments in the starting positions as it meant the Seadogs got a decent drop. With the original positions it's possible the Strutter would have been downed and the Adlers heading home before the Nieuports got into action.

    Well deserved award for Fritz. In the background to my stories he's become the nemesis of the Seadogs - seeking revenge for the havoc wrought by the C&W dice on the Adler roster.

    Although I see the worm is turning as the Seadogs have lost a plane in each of the last two missions against tougher opponents than aging eindeckers.

  7. #7

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Stumptonian View Post
    Nice one, Paul.
    We'll take the draw.


    Rautter definitely drew the short straw, which only emphasizes how lucky my own Adler were in the end after flying this mission.
    The cards can be ruthless. And so can the dice.

    Funny how fickle they can be for two-seater crews as well.
    RIP Percy Hastings, while Simpson shows only a scratch.
    My dice certainly are fickle. I've organized play-by-email Napoleonic games with chaps from around the globe and they have to suffer the results of those fickle dice too.

  8. #8

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by gully_raker View Post
    Well Paul that was a real dust up!
    Sad to see Flt Commander Hasting buy the farm but that's the luck of war. RIP.
    The Germans also lost a brave pilot so that was a deadly mission for both sides.
    Those new Halberstadts are a big improvement on the Fokkers!

    Some Rep winging its way to you.
    The Boom card and the early engine damage card made it much easier to deal with the Halberstadts - this time around, but you can't count on that continuing.

  9. #9

    Default

    Another great tale although with a sad end. RIP FCdr Arthur Percy Hastings and Fwbl Willy Rautter. The full uniform and toast were a nice adjunct to the main story, good thinking.

  10. #10

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Vagabond View Post
    Another great tale although with a sad end. RIP FCdr Arthur Percy Hastings and Fwbl Willy Rautter. The full uniform and toast were a nice adjunct to the main story, good thinking.
    It game results didn’t lend themselves to a late night tale for kiddies - not unless one wants them to have nightmares.

  11. #11

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    Quote Originally Posted by ShadowDragon View Post
    It game results didn’t lend themselves to a late night tale for kiddies - not unless one wants them to have nightmares.

  12. #12

    Default

    Nice one Paul. Shame about Hastings and Rautter. RIP both of them But, as has been said, a great result under the circumstances. A brief reply I'm afraid as I have a lot of reading to do to catch up . Rep inbound, I hope

  13. #13

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by mikeemagnus View Post
    Nice one Paul. Shame about Hastings and Rautter. RIP both of them But, as has been said, a great result under the circumstances. A brief reply I'm afraid as I have a lot of reading to do to catch up . Rep inbound, I hope
    Thanks, Mike. No worries about short replies. I've managed less than 4 hours of sleep each night for the last week. So, running on petrol fumes at the moment. Played mission 11 - soooo many errors, mistakes, oversights, ugh! I think the final result is fair but what it should truly have been, God only knows.



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