OTT BYM Mission 4 - Fly By Night - 27 October 1916 by Hu Rhu
BYM OTT Mission 4 - Fly by Night - 27th Oct 1916 – by Hu Rhu
Oberleutnant Stephan Koch strolled into the Mess with a frown on his face. The other pilots noticed, and the usual hubbub of noise quietened to a hush. “Gentlemen, we have been given another difficult mission from Luftstreitkräfte HQ. They have a spy in the British War Department, who has discovered that the Tommy’s are working on a secret weapon. Fortunately, our spy managed to secure a copy of the crucial documents and started to make his way back to Germany. The bad news is that he has been chased and almost caught.”
Koch unrolled a map and laid it out on the mess table, whilst the other officers crowded round. “Our man has reached the outskirts of this town” said Koch pointing to a point some 100 miles behind the lines. “He can go no further by land so must be flown out. We apparently have some agents in the area who will assist both him and you.”
Horst Langer spoke up. “But Herr Oberleutnant our planes can’t fly that far and back without refuelling, possibly twice”. Koch looked up. “Exactly. Gentlemen, this if Luftstreitkräfte HQ’s brilliant plan. Tonight after dark, three aircraft will take off, a two seater without an observer and two scouts as escorts. They will fly across the lines, landing here” he pointed to an area on the map about half-way between the aerodrome and the spy’s location. “After landing, one set of agents will provide the three aircraft with enough fuel to get to the pickup location and back to the safe area. Once they have returned, they will be topped up and sent on their way back here". Koch looked around the room at the incredulous faces of his pilots. “I did say it was brilliant did I not” he laughed humorously.
“But Herr Oberleutnant, that means flying at night with little or no aids, finding two landing strips in the dark and then making our way back across the lines before dawn,” said Karl Ziegler.
“Exactly, which is why I’m picking my most experienced pilots for this one. A few of you have some experience of night flying”. Langer and Ziegler exchanged glances, knowing what was coming. “Fwbl Scholtz will fly the Roland and do the pick-up. You two (he indicated Langer and Ziegler) will provide the escort. Oh, and just to make life really interesting, the Tommy’s have an airfield in the vicinity, here, where they provide night flying training to their own crews. You’d best avoid the place since it is well protected and apparently has a number of searchlights that are used to aid the British Pilots. The Adjutant has all the coordinates for you to mark your maps. The very best of luck to you” and then muttered under his breath ‘you’ll need it’.
A few hours later Fwbl Scholtz peered left and right but couldn’t see his escorts. They had taken off together after refuelling but had then lost sight of each other in some low cloud. To the left he could make out the airfield which had its landing area illuminated with torches. ‘No sign of the searchlights, thank god’ he muttered to himself. Sighing, he decided to make the best of a bad job and headed due south to the rendezvous point, losing height as he did.
Meanwhile on the ground, the Duty Officer rushed into the Mess, where the Bulldogs, who found themselves visiting the 59th Night Training School, where in the middle of a rousing chorus of It’s a Long Way to Tipperary’. “Chaps, Chaps” he screamed at the top of his voice. “There are Jerry planes over the airfield”. “How do you know they are Jerries” asked Blenkinson, the senior officer present.
“We have only one plane airborne tonight, a One and a Half Strutter, and there are at least two planes overhead” said the Duty Officer. “You have the only scouts in the area, can you intercept them?” he asked. Blenkinson made a swift decision. “Ok, Arnold and Davies you’re with me. The rest of you stay put until we get back”. The three pilots rushed to their planes, where the ground crew having been already roused by the Duty Sgt were finishing off their preparations. Jumping aboard, the three pilots started to taxi across the lit runway when they saw the searchlights sweeping across the sky trying to locate the German aircraft.
Meanwhile Langer found himself in a bit of a bind. He had wandered off course after hitting the low cloud and found himself almost over the enemy airfield. He could see a lot of activity in the illuminated runway, and around the sheds. ‘It looks as if they are preparing to take off’ he thought. ‘Could it be a routine training flight or have they discovered one of us?’ He decided to take no chances and started to descend to intercept anything taking off.
Meanwhile Ziegler, who had also got lost, saw the searchlight arcing across the sky and assumed that they were searching for his comrades. Given he was meant to provide cover for the Roland, he decided to head towards the airfield to prevent an interception. Scholtz was too far south to see the activity only registering the glow of the searchlights behind him as he descended down towards the pick-up point.
Having crossed over the runway at too high an altitude to do anything Lange executed a split S to lower his height (2) and make a return pass. Just as he did so his plane was lit up by a searchlight and he could see tracer arching up towards him, fortunately doing slight damage. He returned the fire but being partly-blinded by the searchlight he could not make out if it had any effect.
The Bulldogs continuing their take-off routine, were slightly disconcerted seeing the AAMG to their left opening fire. Blenkinson in the lead turned sharp left as soon as his wheels were off the ground, hoping the others would follow suit.
Langer continued his run over the airfield, but the searchlight had locked onto him and the AAMG took another chunk out of his plane. However now he had adjusted to the light and was able to deliver a devastating burst on the MG and searchlight crews, silencing the MG and shattering the light completely.
Scholtz continued towards the pick-up point, and the agents started to light up the landing area, which allowed Scholtz to line up his approach.
Meanwhile Ziegler continued to approach the runway, with both Blenkinson and Arnold turning left to catch up with Langer’s aircraft and neither saw the approaching DII which continued to lose height. Davies meanwhile, flew completely under Ziegler, neither of them seeing each other.
What none of the other aircraft had seen was the training flight aircraft coming back into land. 2Lt James Lightbody, had been up on a routine night navigation exercise and was returning to base. Although he could tell by the waving searchlight beams that something was up, he had no choice but to continue his approach as by now he was low on fuel and there was no other airfield nearby on which to land.
Langer having shot out the searchlight was enjoying being hidden from view again and turned down the length of the runway to see if he could catch any British planes taking off. He fired at the other searchlight but to no effect.
Meanwhile the Bulldog crews were slowly gaining height and extending their search pattern but so far could see nothing. Ziegler continued on his course running parallel to and just to the south of the airfield, benefitting from Langers destruction of the searchlight and AAMG covering that approach.
Suddenly looming up at very close range, Ziegler saw a Nieuport 17 cross his bows and instinctively fired a long burst into it. It was the unfortunate Arnold, who having turned back towards the airfield, was engulfed in a storm of bullets. He was struck several times in the chest and legs and the one bullet struck the fuel tank and the plane was engulfed in a mighty explosion and plummeted to the earth. Kill to Ziegler. However the flash of the explosion was so close that it lit up his plane for all to see.
Scholtz lines up his landing. He thought it was going to be tight but held his nerve and succeeds in landing his plane at the very end of the hastily prepared landing site.
Meanwhile, Blenkinson has spotted the flares and sets off in pursuit of the Roland, diving to a level where he can strafe the stationary aircraft.
The other aircraft continue to operate over or near to the airfield, where Lightbody attempts his approach.
Scholtz swings his aircraft round and waits for the agent to climb in. It takes a little while for the bulky parcel he is carrying to be stowed properly which gives Blenkinson time to close the range.
He is just about ready to begin his take-off, when Blenkinson opens fire at long range, fortunately not doing too much damage.
Lightbody in the 1 ½ Strutter realises that he has drifted too far right of the runway and completes a number of sideslips to re-align himself.
Ziegler hasn’t found any more British planes, starts to head over to the pick up point to cover the Roland’s take-off, whilst Lange and Davies continue to hunt for each other but without any luck.
Lightbody now has aligned his plane and begins his landing. It’s going to be close.
Too close. He realises that he is not going to land on the runway and dithers. A very light is fired to warn him off but too late and he overshoots the runway into the darkness and hits the ground heavily, flipping the aircraft on its nose.
Scholtz realises that he can’t stay still and so accelerates down the runway to start his take-off. This closes that range with Blenkinson who continues to fire at the Roland, causing heavy damage. Scholtz fires in return and manages to both jam Blenkinson’s rudder and hit the pilot.
As the two planes pass each other, Blenkinson jinks to the right to avoid a collision but the agent who is hanging on for dear life, is too panicked to fire the rear gun at him, probably saving him from another damaging blow.
Ziegler see the exchange of fire over the pick up point and heads towards the Roland to help. Meanwhile Davies and Lange continue to miss each other in the dark.
Scholtz now airborne, swings away to avoid the British Airfield and climbs steadily, trusting the darkness to cover his departure. Behind him the flares are extinguished at the pick-up point, which told Ziegler that the Roland is safely airborne. Having not seen a crash, he assumes that Scholtz is on his way home and follows suit.
Blenkinson, cursing his wound makes a very slow turn back towards the airfield, realising that he won’t be able to catch the German two-seater.
Davies and Lange suddenly spot each other and open fire with Davies taking some damage but failing to hit the Albatros. Scholtz seeing the exchange of fire, climbs again.
As Davies passes underneath the Roland, Scholtz wisely decides to hold his fire and continues his way. Ziegler and Blenkinson miss each other again. Lange checks his fuel and starts to head for home. By now all three German planes are heading for home with none of the British planes able to see or intercept them. An uneventful flight home brings all three German planes back to their home airfield just as dawn is breaking.
Butcher’s Bill
Adlers
Horst Lange: Cam Albatros DII – RTB – 0 Kills
Karl Ziegler: Yellow Albatros DII – RTB 1 Kill (Arnold)
Jurgen Scholtz: Roland C.II – RTB 0 Kills – Extracted Agent
Bulldogs
Basil Blenkinson: N17 #1 – RTB / WIA - 0 Kills
Rolled 8 -1WIA =7 Injured - Skip 1D2 Scenario. Rolled 1 = Skip 1 Scenario
Arnold Arnold: – N17#2 – SD-EXP- WIA - 0 Kills
C&W Rolled 8 -3EXP -1WIA -1DRK = 3 Injured - skip 1D6 scenarios. Rolled 2 = Skip 2 Scenarios
Robert Davies: – N17#3 – RTB – 0 Kills
James Lightbody – Sopwith 1 ½ Strutter – RTB 0 Kills Missed Runway
C&W (crashed on landing) Rolled 8 -1DRK =7 Injured - Skip 1D2 Scenario. Rolled 4 Skip 2 Scenarios
Victory Points
Adlers:
Agent Extracted 10
Enemy Shot Down 5
Total 15
Bulldogs 0
Adler Victory
I played the scenario with searchlights only around the airfield, tied to the AAMG arcs. A dice roll randomised their search pattern but once they had a plane in the beam, they had an improved roll to remain focussed on it.
The various markers on the plane shows the current altitude (small white dice) and if a plane is currently illuminated (red splash)
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for his third victory for the Kaiser 
Originally Posted by Teaticket
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