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Thread: BELGIAN MISSION 1918 : take the picture ! (part 1 / part 2)

  1. #1

    Default BELGIAN MISSION 1918 : take the picture ! (part 1 / part 2)

    On the Belgian front, a two-seater RAF RE.8, escorted by a Sopwith Camel, is in charge of a photographic reconnaissance over the cabaret "Chez Lulu", to try to bring back a picture of a group of Teutonic dancers. With Tiopepe at the controls.
    To take the picture, the two-seater have to fly over the big building in the middle of the mat, stalling at an altitude of 2 or 3.
    An Albatros DVa and a Pfalz DIIIa are dispatched over the All Woman's Land, under the direction of Monse.
    All planes start at altitude 3.

    First run


    1) The Camel flies toward the two black-crossed attackers which maneuver with discipline and without fantasy.


    2) First gun shots between the Albatros D.Va and the Camel with a visible consequence of smoke for the latter.


    3) The Pfalz collides with the RE.8, an action sanctioned by the drawing of a C damage card for each (and yet we had agreed to play with altitude).


    4) The German Siamese continue their parallel dance with an Immelman followed by an exchange of fire between the RE.8 rear gunner and the Pfalz, which receives engine damage: one stall per turn until the end, handicapping the Pfalz whose speed is the same as the RE.8.


    5) A stall card brings the RE.8 to the vertical of its target.
    The picture is in the box, all that's left to do is to return, but not without having gratified the Pfalz with a new strafing attack from the rear. The Pfalz is not in a position to shoot back (consecutive fire, +1 point of additional damage) but is happy to see his opponent's gun jammed.


    6) The two German planes continue their symmetrical ballet and jointly fire on the smoky Camel : coup de grâce for the unfortunate scout which has cumulated high damage having suffered only 5 shots.


    7) Excited by this first victory, the Germans commit a maneuvering error : at the same altitude with climb counters, the second collision of the Pfalz is fatal (12 points lost on shock) and two wrecks now lie side by side.


    8) The RE.8 has to go back to its camp on the opposite side with the fruit of its mission and tries a daring maneuver by turning left towards the edge of the mat, its lower speed than the Albatros allowing it to turn in a smaller space.
    But the Albatros fires a shot at the edge of its range, which is fatal for the two-seater

    One plane left, the German get the victory.
    Last edited by monse; 05-04-2021 at 16:07.

  2. #2

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    Sorry Tiopepe, no pictures of the 'talent' for you. If you want to see the show you have to buy a ticket.

    Nice AAR Simon. Now I want to get my Belgians on the table!

  3. #3

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    I like the idea of an photographic reconnaissance over the cabaret " Chez Lulu "

  4. #4

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    Thanks for the AAR. I enjoyed the action.

  5. #5

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    Nicely done Simon, poor Belges, they did their best.

    "He is wise who watches"

  6. #6

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    Enjoyable AAR.

    I'm happy to see Belgian planes in action.
    I laugh in the face of danger - then I hide until it goes away!

  7. #7

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    Nice AAR: shows how deadly teamwork can be. Unless, of course, you do it wrong. Then it's still deadly, just for the 'wrong' side.

  8. #8

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    Thank you for your kind and funny comments.

    Second run with identical planes and pilots.


    1) Determined to obtain its favorite photo, the Belgian staff makes two new crews take off.
    To avoid the collisions of the previous mission, the Albatros takes a climb counter from the start, in order to benefit from a bonus+1 shot against its opponents at the lower altitude level.


    2) Irresistibly attracted, the RE.8 and the Pfalz reproduce the suicidal behavior of their predecessors.
    Boom, the routine, C damage cards for everyone, both planes being at altitude 3 without a climbing counter.


    3) The RE.8 programs a straight instead of a stall and misses its picture. A new approach has to be made.
    The Camel moves away from this badly frequented area.


    4) An interesting situation : a Split-S brings the Pfalz to altitude 2 and into the RE8's blind spot ; the two-seater cannot aim at the Pfalz, which gives it a long-range shot because of the altitude difference.
    The RE.8 can nevertheless shoot at the Albatros also at long range (both at altitude 3).


    5) The RE.8 returns to the objective and is targeted by the Albatros now at altitude 4 (+1 shooting bonus).
    The two-seater returns fire on the 2 German aircrafts with its front and rear machine guns.


    6) Having successfully experimented his famous series of three 90° right turns, the Camel eventually decides to participate in the celebrations and uses its machine guns on the Pfalz.
    The Albatros makes its first programming error with a stall followed by a straight (instead of an Immelman card) which delays its turnaround maneuver (the Split S is transformed into an Immelman): the aircraft is getting dangerously close to the edge of the mat.


    7) The Pfalz performs an Immelman and expresses its grudge on the Camel during the following maneuvers but without a consecutive shot.
    It suffers a jam on the 3rd shot.


    8) The phography is taken, direction home for the RE.8 without being able to shoot on the Albatros (alt 4), the bases overlapping.


    9) The Albatros and the Pfalz (which can fire again) maneuver to attack the RE.8 on the return.


    10) Against all odds, the RE.8, skilfully manoeuvred by Tiopepe, rushes in front of its attackers, causes smoke on the Albatros by the rear gunner and caught the Pfalz with the help of the Camel : the first orange flames of the game appear on the yellow-tailed plane.


    11) Another programming error by the Albatros, which leaves the playing field in disgrace.
    The Pfalz has to intercept the RE.8 before it reaches the edge of the mat despite identical speeds ans drawing a damage card A at each flame counter removal.


    12) Just before leaving the game area with the precious photo, the RE.8 dives with panache to reach the same altitude as the Pfalz and tries to shoot it down, but it receives 1 point of damage from the Pfalz shot, enough to destroy the two-seater.


    13) The Pfalz, which has cumulated a large amount of damage, is shot down by the Camel at the end of a turn.

    The result : a German survived the first mission, a Belgian survived the second.
    In both, the photos burned in the wreckage of the RE.8.
    The management of the altitude gave some interesting scenarios during the second round (rear blind spot of the two-seater, loss or gain of counters with the Split S and Immelman).
    And always those fatal manoeuvring errors.

  9. #9

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    Thanks for posting, Simon.


    As others have said, it's good to see the Belgians in action.

  10. #10

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    Tough ones for the Belgians on this pair of scenarios. Well-done to those invovled, though!

  11. #11

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    Fell at the last fence!

    Another cracking AAR - thanks for posting it.
    I laugh in the face of danger - then I hide until it goes away!

  12. #12

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    Really enjoyed both of those encounters An amusing tale of missed opportunities. Guess we shall never get to see the picture either. What a shame

  13. #13

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    Quote Originally Posted by mikeemagnus View Post
    Guess we shall never get to see the picture either. What a shame
    Here is what could be saved from the camera in the wreckage of the RE.8.
    Was it worth loosing three planes ?!!!

    Click image for larger version. 

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Views:	15 
Size:	27.6 KB 
ID:	301787
    Last edited by monse; 06-10-2021 at 14:26.



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