OTTCYM - Mission 11 - Attack Plane Surprise - Sept 19th 1916 - teaticket
(One of the tandems I flew was a Roland C.II but was used as an Albatros C.III. It caught my eye on the shelf when I was getting my Fokkers. I just had to put it on the table, what can I say.)
Ltn. Rudolf Mulzer lead the strafing mission with Ltn. Dieter Rosenfeldt occupying his back seat.
Right behind them, piloting the light blue Albatros was Obltn. Hans Steinhäuser with Ltn. Gottfried Esswein as observer.
The mission to strafe the enemy trenches and cause as much mayhem as possible went rather smoothly. Were the Poilu confused at the low flying aircraft thinking they were friendly? That should have ended quickly once they were fired upon. Were they low on ammunition and not putting up the usual wall of bullets? Either way, the pair of Eagle tandems were happy to return from the strafing runs with no real damage to their aircraft or themselves.
Just as they were making their last pass and about to turn for home they were jumped by three Nieuports.
The Frenchmen could have crept in closer as coming in with the sun at their backs they were unseen. Maybe they got excited and fired too soon, and they did with little effect other than to alert the Hun that they were there.
“OY”! Steinhäuser screamed when he saw tracers flying past him with the immediately realization what was happening.
Esswein checked his Parabellum and readied it for action.
Mulzer and Rosenfeldt were surprised to hear machine gun fire. They turned to look back and did not like what they saw diving down on them.
While looking back Mulzer then heard the zip of incoming rounds piercing the canvas on his wings. He jerked his head around to find a tricolor Nieuport diving down to his front!
Off to the east were Ltn. Alfred Müller and Ltn. Reinhold Schäfer on patrol about to reach the lines. They spotted some activity ahead and flew closer to investigate. Once close enough they realized it was a pair of their own tandems being attacked by a swarm of French N11s. They knew they had to help and closed the distance as quickly as they could.
Esswein sprayed a burst towards the closest Nieuport. No serious damage but enough to distract it’s shooting at him.
Mulzer and the tricolor traded bursts at close range. Both felt their controls stiffen a bit with the Nieuport taking a bit more damage.
Esswein takes aim and plugs the French pilot just before he is engulfed with black smoke.
Steinhäuser licks his chops as the tricolor flies right past his nose. Hans’ rounds hit heavily on the engine and the tricolor sputters as it loses power.
(not sure where that +1 counter came from! This trips me up as you'll soon see.)
Rosenfeldt has a perfect line up the tail of the Nieuport and pours lead into it.
The Nieuport lurches downward in an uncontrolled spin. The Frenchman fights to get his plane under control and disappears out of sight.
Rosenfeldt shakes a fist at the tricolor thinking he has a kill.
Baux miraculously gets control of his spinning aircraft just before is slams into the ground. With the severe damage Baux know how lucky he is and heads for the barn.
(I can’t give a kill credit as at this point only 9 points of damage have hit the N11. Somehow while playing I thought it was 10. I will count it as Forced From The Battle instead of a kill.)
The pair of Fokkers finally reach the fray.
Schäfer’s gun immediately jams, giving the Frenchman an easy shot. Dubois doesn’t hesitate and shoots into the helpless Fokker flying right in front of him.
Müller watches in horror as flames pour out of the Schäffer’s engine.
Esswein and his tormentor keep trading long range shots. No critical hits but the small damage begins to add up.
Müller can’t get a clean shot as Schäfer is too close to his enemy. He quickly aims at another Nieuport but the quick shot hits nothing but air.
Two Nieuports now fire upon the blue Albatros and hit the engine as well as the controls.
Esswein puts up some stiff resistance and keeps hurting the closest Nieuport to him.
Steinhäuser prays that Müller and Schäfer can engage these Nieuports and take them off his back. He can feel the Albatros weakening under the continued attacks.
Müller, now clear of Schäfer, has a clear shot at the red N11. He takes an extra moment to line it up. The little Nieuport takes some serious damage.
The red Nieuport turns to try to shake Müller but cannot get away from the stream of bullets.
The fire takes a bite out of the Fokker D.II.
The damage to Lienhart’s Nieuport (marked Tasse) has reached it’s limit. Lienhart turns for home hoping he can nurse his badly shot up plane back to base.
Esswein has other ideas and delivers the final blow to the N11.
Müller sees the Albatros in trouble but takes one more shot at the red Nieuport before turning off.
Dubois turns to help his wingman but a little too late as Lienhart has fallen. Esswein quickly adjusts to the new incoming Frenchman and hit the pilot, knocking him unconscious.
As Dubois blacks out, he falls forward and pushes the firing button. Steinhäuser feels a hammer blow to his shoulder as the struggling Albatros can take no more and slips from the sky. Little do Steinhäuser and Esswein know they were shot down as a result of Esswein’s own shot.
The wounded Barbaza (marked Martin) grimaces in pain during his Immelmann maneuver. The pain prevents him from taking what would have been an easy shot at the Hun.
Müller and Rosenfeldt try to take out their revenge on the drifting Nieuport but it flies straight on.
Rosenfeldt slaps his jammed gum thinking he had his second kill slip through his fingers.
The Nieuport takes Dubois away from the battle, probably saving his life.
Dubois is shaken to when the Nieuport crashes in no-mans-land about a mile from where he was shot.
Schäfer’s fire lessens as he twists and turns.
Barbaza, wounded and his red N11 barely able to stay in the air, heads for home. Seeing a burning Fokker in the distance he thinks he is home free.
Müller won’t let the Frenchman off so easy and sends him down into no mans land.
Schäfer’s fire ends with minimal damage.
Schäfer and Müller form up above and behind Mulzer and Rosenfeldt. The trio hurry home as fast at they can to bring the bad news about Steinhäuser and Esswein.
Butcher’s Bill
Bouledogues de la Republique
Cpl. Basile Baux: FRTB-E 0 Kills (FRTB Not shot down!)
FRTB rolled 2 & 6 = landed safely
Sgt Marie Dubois: SD-NML / WIA 1 Kill
C 12 -1SD -1(wia) -1(nml) = 9 - All's well when you land well
E 4 1-(wia) +1(nml) = 4 captured but escapes! 3 = Miss 2 Missions
s/Lt Pierre Lienhart: SD WIA NML 0 Kills (subbed for Tasse)
C 12 -1(sd) -1(wia) -1(nml) = 9 All's well when you land well
E 8 -1(wia) -1(wic) +1(nml) = 7 - Landed almost home! - Skip 1 Scenario
s/Lt Jean Barbaza: SD NML 0 Kills (subbed for Martin)
C 10 -1(sd) -1(nml) = 8 injured, 4 = Miss 2 Missions
E 8 -1(wic) +1(nml) = 8 - - Landed almost home! - Skip 1 Scenario
Kaiser’s Eagles
ObLtn. Hans Steinhäuser: SD FT WIA 0 Kills
C 9 -1(sd) -1(wia) = 7 injured, 1 = Miss 1 Mission
Ltn. Gottfried Esswein: SD FT 1 Kill
C 5 -1(sd) = 4 injured, 6 = Miss 6 Missions
Ltn. Rudolf Mulzer: (P2) RTB 0 Kills
Ltn. Dieter Rosenfeldt: (O) RTB 0 Kills
Ltn. Reinhold Schäfer: RTB 0 Kills
Ltn. Alfred Müller: RTB 2 Kills
Mission score
Entente
1 plane shot down 3
Total 3
Germans
3 planes shot down 6
2 planes FRTB 1 tandem home 3
Total 12
Eagle victory!
Reply With Quote
for his service & victory for the Kaiser 
Good to use Lienhart and Barbaza instead! Note to self, do not have 2 beers ever again before flying a mission!
Originally Posted by Teaticket
A really great action filled 
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