Friedrichshafen G.III

[Baxter]

As we are still in lock down, I have been reading the Wings of War Flight of the Giants instructions (using the last resort read the instructions rule). I found this particularly interesting and realised that although I have a balsa Friedrichshafen G.III we have never played this plane according to the airplane management card. The booklet says that there is a man in what would normally be the co pilots seat who can move to man the unmanned rear gun. To start with he has a gun that can fire in a 90 degree arc to the forward right hand side. So, to move him you take his forward gun out of the action (until he returns) then for 3 movement cards he is deemed to be crawling to the rear. The rear gun can fire as long he stays there but if he crawls back then it is considered to be unmanned. As I get older I am frequently amazed by the amount of stuff I do not know

Has anyone else applied this "shared gun position" rule in their games? I guess it would be the same as having one man for two waist guns but from front gunner to rear gunner seems a bit different.

[ReducedAirFact]

Even better: he could man the upper rear (dorsal) gun or the lower rear (ventral) gun. On the G.III there was a hinged door in the ventral position but in the G.IIIa they had a hollowed out tunnel to give a better field of fire, like the one on the Gothas but not extending all the way to the top deck.

[zenlizard]

The Germans certainly were innovative in find solutions to the problem of defending their aircraft.

I only remember one game, though, way back when, that involved a Friedrichhafen, and that was a case were the various arcs were drawn out, but I really don't remember how they were used: but with a crew of only 3, I would think that time delay in switching positions would be mandatory.