OTT EYM Mission 4 - Bombs and Blondes - 4th February 1917 by Baz
Part One
Obltn Tilkowski had called the men together for a special briefing. “After the pilot reports from the last mission, Kogenluft has grounded all of the new D.III’s for inspection and upgrade fitting. Until this has been completed we will need to use the older machines we have for patrols. This means in our case, using the Halberstadt D.III ‘s we have been using for training purposes until further notice.” There was an audible groan in the audience as this was taken in and Schulz commented under his breath to Schnellinger “It also means losing all the advantage of the twin guns we have been having!”. Tilkowski continued, “the Kaiser has announced the resumption of U-boat attacks on shipping as a means to end the war quickly. Now we all know that aircraft is the solution to that, but we have been tasked with defensive patrols of the coastal ports where we have our submarine pens as we are expecting an attack following this declaration. As such, Grabowski, Schulz and Schnellinger will patrol the Zeebrugge area using the Nieuwmunster airfield, keeping an eye out for enemy activity.”
Meanwhile at British HQ just over the lines in France, the Bulldogs were being given their orders. Henry Foot and Ernest Gammon were to fly the Short bomber to Zeebrugge, however due to High level Archie activity in the Bruges/Zeebrugge area, they were to take a southerly route past Bruges then turn North to the Zeebrugge target pens in the harbour.
Escorts would be provided by two Sopwith Pups(John Ansell and Horace Elliott). In addition, a Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter piloted by newcomer Gerald Smuts, would accompany them to the area for a spy extraction for the Belgian network (La Dame Blanche) that had been compromised.
On the allotted day, the Eagles begin their patrol in line, flying the coastline
The Bulldogs approach from the SE as planned.
The Eagles have still not seen the Bulldog planes, so continue to Zeebrugge.
The Bulldogs manoeuvre to get a good position for the bomb run with the Short bomber climbing to avoid Archie.
The Eagles have now spotted the British formation so turn to intercept.
The escorts turn to face the incoming Eagles to protect the high flying bomber. Meanwhile the Strutter in the background dives to seek out the landing strip prepared by the partisans.
With the bomber starting to turn onto its bombing run, the escorts close with the Eagle patrol and the Strutter dives again.
Ltn Willi Schulz in the Green/Mauve Halberstadt and Ltn Karl-Heinz Schnellinger in the Green/Brown Halberstadt get the first shots unanswered at Lt John Ansell’s Pup Nr.1, causing smoke to stream from behind the plane.
Schulz gets a consecutive unanswered shot against Ansell, causing more damage. (Missed a shot from overlapped Pup into Schulz here)
Even if they weren’t already occupied with the escorts the bomber is too high to reach and the Strutter is too low at this stage trying to find the strip.
Ansell’s luck does not get any better as Grabowski hits him for minor damage, but the cumulative hits means that Pup Nr. 1 will have to head for home.
The bomber drops its payload from height, whilst 2Lt Horace Elliott in Pup Nr 2 Immelmanns, firing at Schulz and succeeding in jamming his guns.
The Strutter finds the runway but is too far left so will have to circle round. By this time Schnellinger has become aware of the Strutter and is making moves to intercept, wondering what it is doing.
The next instant, the harbour is a mass of flames as the bombs hit their target.
The bomber turns away attracting the Archie teams, but their flak is ineffective against the high flying bomber.
The Eagles are now engaged, Grabowski with Elliott’s Pup Nr.2, Schnellinger chasing the Strutter and Schulz chasing the departing Pup Nr.1 of Ansell.
Schnellinger dives again chasing the Strutter who is heading out to sea, Pup Nr.2 closing to help but too high.
Grabowski puts an ineffective shot across the tail of Elliott and jams his gun.
..and Elliott dives to fire an effective long range shot at Schnellinger.
Meanwhile, the Short and Pup Nr.1 are making their way homewards off the south of the board, avoiding Bruges defences again, but being chased by Schulz
The Strutter has performed an Immelmann to line up with the landing strip again, but Schnellinger gets in a shot at long range but misses from the higher altitude. Grabowski dives to stay on the tail of Elliott but still has jammed guns.
Clear of Zeebrugge, the Short has lost altitude and Schulz overlaps as he seeks to attack, Ansell’s Pup now to far away to catch.
The Strutter dives for a safe landing on the strip with Grabowski overlapping at a higher altitude still chasing Pup Nr. 2.
The Short and Schulz are close to a collision but the Eagle is keen on staying on the six of the bomber, who’s observer is frantically trying to find the Scout over the edge of the fuselage.
…to prove this point Schulz gets in the blind spot behind the bomber and pumps some damaging bullets at short range, but annoyingly, jamming his gun. Ansell meanwhile is returning to the airfield.
Over the town, both Schnellinger and Elliott Immelmann, with Elliott catching the chasing Grabowski with a long range shot, which does nothing but jam his gun, but the return fire is also ineffective. smuts continues his landing but seems to be running out of mown grass!
…indeed Smuts overshoots the landing strip, but suffers no damage. Gammon in the Short gunners seat fires a close range shot at Schulz who has appeared from behind his tail.
The other scouts jockey for position.
Schulz Immelmanns taking another long range shot from Gammons gun.
Elliott dives into range of Grabowski who pulls his trigger but misses from close range, distracted by the group of local resistance manhandling the Strutter back onto the runway.
To be continued
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Originally Posted by Baz
Never mind.
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