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Thread: C.27 airship vs Brandenburg W.12s

  1. #1

    Post C.27 airship vs Brandenburg W.12s

    Played a scenario with a historical basis last night:

    Historical background

    On the 17th of December 1917 the RNAS C-class airship C.27 was on patrol when it was attacked by 2 or 3 Brandenburg W.12 float planes from Zeebrugge. They managed to set fire to the airship and destroy it.

    Set up

    Quick and dirty - I drew the airship by hand so that I could adjust the guns and firing cones before printing a nice copy. 2 float planes are also hand drawn for now, based on this:

    https://linen.miraheze.org/wiki/Brandenburg_W.12

    I don't have a K manoeuvre deck, so we approximated it by using the D deck without the steep sideslips, immelmann and right angle turns.

    The airship had a single machine gun on the top and a further one or two machine guns in the gondola. We used an A-firing gun with 360° coverage for this game. The airship gun had a range of 1.5 rulers, which may have given it too much of an advantage, see below...

    The float planes should have B guns, but we used A since I don't have a B deck.

    The airship started heading towards the German end of the table and immediately turned (45° per phase) and headed back towards the English end of the table. The idea was that if she made it she would have climbed away from us or reached the safety of friendly coastal defences.

    The battle

    We started heading towards the airship and flipped a counter to determine which direction she would turn.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    I got a shot at the airship, only to have my guns jam immediately. My manoeuvres along the starboard side would have resulted in more damage to the airship, had I not been trying to clear the jam! My son's W.12 remained out of range for now, but we both took some damage from the airship given its long range.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    We then both mis-calculated and ended up manoeuvring overlapping the airship card, which is large...

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    By this point the airship was approaching the end of the table, so we had to turn and have a final blast at it. One W.12 had its guns jammed, but the other managed to deal the final blow when the pilot aimed his gun at the tail fin and the gunner hit the envelope. The unlucky airship drew the explosion card, and down it went.

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    A fun scenario to play, it felt close, although the airship would have got away with 16/40 hit points had it not drawn the explosion card...

  2. #2

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    According to Windsock Datafile 61, three Brandenburg W.12s were involved in this mission. And you really need to get a B damage deck. But it looks like you had some fun and that's what counts.
    So how many books are in your personal library?

  3. #3

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    Nice little action Dom.

    Rob.
    "Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death."

  4. #4

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    Good way to improvise when you don't have the exact tools needed. Good effort!

  5. #5

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    Quote Originally Posted by RJG173 View Post
    According to Windsock Datafile 61, three Brandenburg W.12s were involved in this mission. And you really need to get a B damage deck. But it looks like you had some fun and that's what counts.
    Yes, three W.12s with B guns would probably be about right. The main problem was that the airship card was too big. The airship and the planes are to scale, but the range ruler is not, with the result that the "sweet spot" of being in range without overlapping is actually quite small. Also, the airship doesn't fit in my Wings of war box! So when I make a version to print it will be smaller.

  6. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by Spoonfrog View Post
    Yes, three W.12s with B guns would probably be about right. The main problem was that the airship card was too big. The airship and the planes are to scale, but the range ruler is not, with the result that the "sweet spot" of being in range without overlapping is actually quite small. Also, the airship doesn't fit in my Wings of war box! So when I make a version to print it will be smaller.
    Dom you could make the airship as a folding print so it fits your box.

    For the damage decks there are some chit counters in the files section for A,B,C and D decks. I don't know where they are but if you want to see what they look like I've just posted a game report in the OTT section and the pictures show them in action. If you're interested in the chits and can't find them in the files section send me a PM with an Email address and I'll get my copies to you. Basically it's a number of printed sheets stuck onto card and cut out to size. I wrote A,B etc on the back and coloured the edges to distinguish the different decks.
    Cheap but useful.

    Glad you're improvising and enjoying the game.

  7. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by Spoonfrog View Post
    Yes, three W.12s with B guns would probably be about right...
    I have a home print of a WoW B deck you can have if you PM me your address Dom.

    "He is wise who watches"

  8. #8

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    Thanks! I came across this in the Burning Drachens rulebook, so might give it a go:

    If you do not have a B deck, such as the one included in the Watch Your Back! set, when a target is hit by a B-firing machine gun, give it an A damage card, but halve the damage points (rounding up). To keep track of this, place the halved A cards sideways on the game board. Treat special damage results normally.

  9. #9

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    Hmmm...

    Not the right scale, but probably big enough for a tabletop game.
    Link: www.modelairships.com - North Sea-Class (UK)
    Mike
    "Flying is learning to throw yourself at the ground and miss" Douglas Adams
    "Wings of Glory won't skin your elbows and knees while practicing." OldGuy59

  10. #10

    Default

    Interesting. That looks different to Baxter's airship, which I think it's also a North Sea class.

    As for me, I'm sticking to cards. I made a proper one for the coastal class airship - have a look in my album. I'll post an AAR when I play this again with the printed airship and planes.

  11. #11

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    Dom,
    Perhaps a card for the plane might help?

    Link: GunTruck's Central Powers Aircraft Cards - H-B W.12 Card
    Mike
    "Flying is learning to throw yourself at the ground and miss" Douglas Adams
    "Wings of Glory won't skin your elbows and knees while practicing." OldGuy59

  12. #12

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    I already printed some. Mine are based off Guntruck's, but Wings of war style, because I'm a purest...

    https://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/al...p?albumid=4731

    Played this again today using the new printed aircraft and airship cards, the airship didn't make it, but it could have gone either way. Now using B/B guns for the airship, which comes to the same thing but means it doesn't get completely silenced by a single jam card.



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