Get that Zep!

[Biggles downunder]

Tuesday night was ‘Hunt the Zep’ night at my place with our gang of 5 with me piloting the Zeppelin and Mark, Baxter, Windy Jack and Robot spark providing the opposition.

The opposition was flying Sopwith 1 ½ Strutters (masquerading as Pups) plus a lone DH2, all using incendiary ammunition. Yes, one DH.2 did actually down a Zeppelin – R.H.M.S. Saundby shared in the downing of L.48 on 17/6/17.

We flew using my ‘homegrown’ set of rules that incorporates a set of simplified altitude rules. This assumes 3 bands of altitude – below the Zep, level with the Zep and above the Zep. Aircraft need to perform a sequence of 3 maneuver cards to change an altitude band. This prevents an attacker being targeted by both gondola guns and top or tail gunner positions.

The scenario has the Zeppelin making for the coast and being intercepted by the British aircraft and it was a close-run fight with the Zeppelin downing 3 of the attackers before succumbing to gas cell damage before reaching the coast.

The hunted and the hunters:



Two of the Pups begin clawing for altitude while the third continues in low while the DH2 also claws for altitude while circling near the coast hoping to ambush the Zep if it gets past the Pups.



One Pup begins a head-on attack while the others attempt to fly past the Zep and hook in on a beam attack.





The Zeppelin gunners draw blood...



But don’t have it all their own way...





The Zep gunners continue to dish it out:



The Pup manages to take out one of the Zeppelin gunners!



But the first Pup bites the dust:



Meanwhile another one of the Pups begins a strafing run at the Zep -



The Zep continues to be pounded from both sides, keeping the gunners on their toes.



The DH2 finally joins the fray but with disastrous results!



One of the Pups gets in more punishing shots by tactical use of an Immelmann.



Meanwhile, on the other beam:



And the beat(ing) goes on…



Somewhere in there, the Zeppelin lost another crew man!



A Pup continues to pour a stream of incendiary lead into the Zep -



But pays the price...



But all the attacks have worn down the Zeppelin and too many gas cells have been punctured, which send the Zepp into a deadly spiral to meet its fiery end.

[Baron Rolf]

That is an awesome looking game Wayne. Thank you for sharing this AAR .

[Baxter]

Yes it was a really great game Wayne and thanks for all you effort. I was driving the DH2 and going down as a result of the collision and subsequent fire damage. A bit of poetic justice for me having knocked our new player Tom down by collision last week

Well done to Mark for finally sealing the Zepps fate.

[malachi]

Wonderful game, guys, and a close-fought contest

[CrashCraig]

Great AAR and that Zep is freaking awesome

[Stumptonian]

Good one, Wayne.

[milcoll73]

a zep always looks good on the table!

[Windy Jack]

Part way through the game it looked as though there was no chance that the Zep would be downed. But once a few gas cells have been destroyed and A damage cards have to be taken for each of them the damage starts mounting up fast.
The Zep still had 20 damage points remaining at the end of the game, but went down because 12 of its 16 gas cells had been destroyed.

[Flying Officer Kyte]

That looks a lot of fun and I must knock out one of those flame markers for my Zep Wayne.
I have some of that orange acrilic left over from when I did the markers for my observation balloons.

Rob.

[Biggles downunder]

That looks a lot of funand I must knock out one of those flame markers for my Zep Wayne.
I have some of that orange acrilic left over from when I did the markers for my observation balloons.

Rob.

I bought from the store years ago to use with my balloons but it goes well with a Zeppelin!

[Flying Officer Kyte]

They are the ones I designed for Keith.
You can see mine in use here with an added smoke marker I also made.



I bent them to fit the gasbag with Mrs K's hot air gun she uses on her design work for textile hangings.
You can also see in the picture of the downed blimp what happens if you let the hot plastic touch your model whilst it is still hot.



Rob.