BOMB THE BRIDGE, September 1917

**monse** · 05-19-2021 23:07

Players and planes
The Allies.
Het (author of the Cockpit & Dogfight blog) will control the green and sandy Dallas RAF SE5a, as well as the Collishaw brown Sopwith Triplane.
Waxfrance (author of the Vortexzone blog) will fly the grey Spad VII (23 squadron) and a grey Sopwith Camel (repainted by Taybo).
Betadouglas will support its English allies with representatives of a Belgian squadron (Coppens blue Hanriot HD1) and a French one (Madon Spad XIII with red fuselage). These 2 planes were chosen with bright colors in order to be visible, the English being famous for committing friendly shootings.

On the German side, 4 aircraft also repainted by Taybo, the master of the place, artist of the paintbrush and of the generous welcome.
Monse is entrusted with the green Gotha, as well as one of Taybo's creations, a grey Handley-Page captured by the Germans (inspired by the authentic misadventure of the H-P O/100 having landed by mistake on a German field).
Taybo will be the pilot of the purple-fuselage Gotha and a black and yellow Fokker DrI triplane.

Briefing
The presence of the 2 triplanes (British Triplane and German Fokker DrI) allows to date the scenario to September/November 1917.
A bridge over a river in Flanders must be destroyed by the Germans: the red dot on the target card placed in the center of the mat must be covered by a bomb card.
The Gothas carry 3 bomb cards each and the H-P has 4 bomb cards.
In case the target is completed too quickly, the 2 Gotha must each make 2 flights over the airfields represented on the East and West WOW mats.
Each bomber shot down is worth 10 points to the Allies, the destruction of the escorting Fokker is only rewarded with 1 symbolic point.
Collision rule : the planes involved must be at the same altitude (same number of pins) with either no climb counters or climb counters (WOG rules & accessories booklet - advanced rules p15) and the centers of their bases must overlap (additional rule proposed by Waxfrance, to limit the breakage).
All aircraft start at altitude level 3 (3 pegs).

The game

1) The assault is launched !
While the Allied fighters converge in 2 groups on each side of the theater of operations, the Handley-Page and the Green Gotha position themselves in the axis of the target after having made the appropriate turns (these large bombers, which are not very maneuverable, do not have the "slide left and right" movement cards of the fighters and the small two-seater bombers, which are very useful for refining the placement on a target).
The Belgian and French planes play it safe behind their British wingmen and climb to altitude level 4, the climb cards making them slow down (one can never be too careful against a stray bullet from the perfidious Albion). On the other hand, they will benefit from a +1 damage bonus against planes at the lower level.

2) Without consulting each other, the 2 Gotha (piloted by Monse and Taybo) are placed against each other. You will have to think about programming a climb card for one of them, in order to gain a climb counter and avoid a collision.
The Handley-Page is lowered one altitude level to launch its bombs at the minimum altitude.

3) Too sure of himself and despite the use of the Bombing Charts, Monse misjudges the distance to the bridge and the drop fails miserably : the bomb cards of the green Gotha and the H-P touches respectively the rear and front ends of the target card. The foundations of the bridge barely shake.
The Allied planes make a magnificent pincer movement, while the black and yellow Fokker DrI, which was trying to lure the French plane within machine gun range of the Gotha, has the honor of receiving the first bullets of the game from the red Spad XIII.

4) The shooting continues between fighters and bombers : a Gotha, the Hanriot and the SE5a end up with their machine guns jammed.
The Fokker DrI having caught the attention of several opposing fighters, the Gotha's are able to move away to fly over the airfield before returning to the target.

5) Some of the effects of the Spandau and Vickers work are starting to be visible and allow to decorate the figures with nice colored attributes : the orange decorations of the H-P suggest a rather dark future.

6) Unimpressed by the diversionary maneuvers of the Fokker DrI, Waxfrance and his Camel set off in pursuit of the Gotha, still flying wing to wing at the same altitude with a defiant casualness.
After some ballistic friendliness on both sides, the rear gunner of the purple Gotha succumbs, as do the two engines of the aircraft : a stall card will have to be programmed each turn. The journey to the bridge is going to be difficult.

7) On the upper part of the picture below, a drama is unfolding (the purple Gotha card is under the green figure) : the green Gotha pilot's gestural communication did not allow him to make his purple wingman understand that it was impossible for him to turn left (damage to the rudder), the collision between the 2 aircraft is sanctioned by the drawing of a C damage card for each of the 2 bombers. But the negligence of not having changed levels only results in 1 damage point for one of them and nothing for the other. Ach, wir sind Glücklich !
On the Handley-Page front, the outbreak continues, with the SE5a joining in for solidarity. The Hanriot at the higher altitude remains out of reach.

8) The Gotha have made their first flight over the airfield but continue to accumulate damage points : the purple Gotha is caught in a vice-like grip by the two Betadouglas planes, whose shots cause a fire to start.
A respite for the green Gotha, which has been generously served by the Camel whose machine guns will be silenced during the next 3 movements.

9) In the background, the Spad VII despite its single machine gun, has just finished its show of force with the fragile Fokker DrI which falls with dignity. It is preceded by the Sopwith Triplane, which was not involved in the hostilities due to a damage to its rudder and whose smoke release has stopped.
In the center, the Hanriot (card under the purple Gotha figure) gives the coup de grace to the Handley-Page ravaged by flames.
In the foreground, 2 flying wrecks : the Camel is burning under the heavy fire of the green Gotha, itself next victim of the twin machine guns of the red Spad XIII in the next movement.

10) Last representative of the German air force on the playing field, the pilot of the purple Gotha seizes his chance : a descent to altitude level 2 chained to a turn brings the aircraft to the right distance of its target which brutally receives the explosive tributes of the Kaiser.
The bridge collapsed, followed in its fall by its destroyer, which was ruthlessly attacked by the British and Belgian pack.

Total air victory for the Allies who did not lose any aircraft (even the Camel survived) and cleared the sky of all black crosses.
Consolation for the German camp : the enemy troops will have to swim across the river.

The looping (additional rule) was used by Het with success and allowed it to stay within firing distance and return to the last bomber at the time of its bomb release.

Some comments from the protagonists (when they got off the plane or from their graves):
- "the SE5 is a superb plane, fast in pursuit, it charges at its prey but remains relatively maneuverable thanks to its sharp turns and glides, the only way I have indeed found to stay at a good distance from the bombers' shots, which are very slow."
- "the Sopwith Triplane is a very nice plane, its maneuverability gives a great pleasure to play with."
- "My Fokker sucked !!!" (the choice of a more resistant Albatros DV would have been indeed more relevant).