Mission 4 Report
I modified the mission a bit. To have it geographically more in align with the channel front I played it on two mats, one countryside and one coastal, joined along the short sides. Entente enter on the western edge while the Germans are on patrol over the port.
The British had received intel from one of their spies in Belgium that there was some new construction going on in the port of Zeebruge. With the war going badly against the U-Boats ,anything to slow them down had to be done. These new pens, if attacked now, could have their use be delayed considerably. High Command wanted to send all the bombers available but as thing were, the whole fleet was already well overextended. Another mission was cut back on and one Handley Page 0/100 was made available.
Not the pounding force HQ wanted but it was better than nothing. But the bad news continued. The spy that had passed on the information had been compromised and was on the run. A rescue effort had to be made for this valuable asset. Luckily there were options here and a Sopwith Strutter could be sent to a chosen location when needed. And the bad news continued. Activity in the air along the British front has been extremely active when the weather allowed flying. All scout squadrons were taxed to the limit and were not available for escorting the bomber or clandestine mission. A second bit of luck found a French escadrille able to release a pair of scouts to help out, and so we find Sgt. Henri Guerin and sous/Lt Lucine Cordonnier flying on each flank of the HP 100. The French weren’t told what the Strutter’s true mission was. Only that it was picking up something in Belgium.
If there were any Hun in the air they would be kept busy trying to protect the harbor work and the Strutter could slip in and rescue the spy, if all went as planned…..
Henri, flying to the right of the formation in #9, could not believe the size of the British aircraft. The Handly Page 0/100 was quite intimidating for Henri even though he was a little above it and there was no threat of a collision. Still, he didn’t like his proximity to it and swung a bit more out to the right. As he did he thought he saw something in the sky near the bomber’s target. He hoped Lucien Cordonnier saw it too.
Flying on patrol over the port of Zeebruge was a trio of Eagles, Paul Wolff, Werner Hengst and Hans Pfeiffer. Recently the withdrawal of the Albatros D.IIIs left them to bring out their old mounts, some older than they wanted to be up in again. They didn’t mind so much flying the Albatros D.IIs and even the D.I, but the short stick was pulled by Pfeiffer and he got a Fokker D.III.
As they flew over the new port facility under construction, Wolff spotted something ahead. At first, he shook his head, not being able to understand what he saw. Then it dawned on him, it was a very large aircraft. Larger than anything he had seen. Larger than anything he knew his own side flew.
Henri turns back towards the HP 100. He clearly saw the approaching Hun, three he thought he could make out. “I really hope Lucien sees them now”, he thought.
Lucien did see them. He peeled off left hoping to draw off a Hun scout of two from the bomber.
The Hun trio didn’t want Lucien turning on them from the side so took the bait. They kept flying straight towards Lucien as he had hoped.
Paul Wolff fires first and Lucien’s Nieuport lurches to an abrupt stop. Oil pours out of the hot engine and on it as the plane billows a thick black smoke. As the Nieuport slowly slides tail down towards the ground, Pfeiffer’s bullets ignite the oil as Lucien’s plane, the broken bits of it, now burn as it falls.
(the 0 and 1 on Wolff didn’t happen. Wolff’s itchy trigger finger that I almost forgot, took down Lucien before he got his shot off.)
The bomber’s crew were shocked at how quickly the Hun had dispatched one of their escort. The front gunner tries to retaliate but his gun immediately jams.
As Wolff swings in on the HP’s the rear gunner gets in a very lucky shot and the Albatros D.II begins to burn.
Henri had almost forgotten about the other British plane flying with them. The Strutter caught his eye as it slipped by below reminding him that there were two missions to protect.
Wolff slipped past the HP and into Guerin’s guns. After firing Guerin couldn’t keep hie eyes off the burning Albatros.
Guerin, only concentrating on Wolff, didn’t see Pfeiffer come around the HP and pays for it with a solid hit to his Nieuport.
When Guerin turns towards where he instinctively thinks the bullets came from, he almost meets Pfeiffer in person. A close call! A good thing Pfeiffer was on the ball and turned off.
The HP 100 pilot lines up the lumbering bomber to its intended target. The front gunner signals for the release. The pilot is a little concerned it’s too early but pulls the lever anyway. The large bird feels the release of the bombs and lifts upwards a few feet.
Hengst now gets a run at the bomber.
Again the rear gunner comes up empty with return fire.
And again comes up without finding Hengst as he flies past behind.
Wolff’s fire looks bad but does little to the D.II.
As Pfeiffer sets up an Immelmann to get back after Guerin he notices the B Squadron Strutter below.
After their long drop the bombs finally hit the ground. Some of them miss, some of them hit the edge of the target. The pilot sighs with relief that at least some damage is done.
Hengst once again sees the flashes of the rear gunner’s guns but nothing touches his Albatros.
Hengst does little, too little for the HP to notice other than a touchy rudder.
The pilot didn’t plan on flying over water on the way home but the sticky rudder made that decision for him.
Guerin sees Hengst setting his sights on the bomber. He knows the bomber will be an easy target so plans to get on Hengst’s tail.
A well placed deflection shot riddles the Albatros but the potential damage is cut short by a jam.
“Damned that jam”! Guerin punches the cockpit ring padding.
Hengst realizes how lucky he is. He flies straight and fast away from Guerin’s quiet guns.
Guerin can only hope the Hun returns the favor someday in the future.
Pfeiffer tries to signal Wolff that there is another plane below. Wolf is too busy with his fire to notice.
Guerin peels off Hengst’s tail and out over the water watching out for the bomber as the Strutter below makes its landing approach.
Pfeiffer starts to dive down after the Strutter while Wolff eyes the big bomber.
Caught off guard by Hengst’s Immelmann, Guerin is horrified when his Nieuport spits out flames.
Even though on fire, from Guerin’s position he could see everything, everywhere, all at once.
The RFC bomber was making its way home.
A German with a red tail appeared to be making for the bomber.
The RFC Strutter was landing in a field below with a German diving down after it.
The Hun that set Guerin’s N24 on fire hammered away at his machine guns.
Luckily the fire looks more threatening than its bite.
Maybe Wolff did understand Pfeiffer’s gesturing and begins to follow Pfeiffer. Guerin takes advantage of Wolffs disregard for him and lines up a decent shot.
Hengst slips just under Guerin as he finally clears his gun jam.
Wolff will regret his decision to fly past Guerin. Henri continues to fire into the red tailed Albatros and it shudders under the impact the incoming bullets. The hammer blow sends Wolff spiraling downward.
Just as the Strutter touches its wheels to the ground Pfeiffer is on him. When the Strutter stops. Bullets come in fast and furious.
“Blimey, where in the Holy Ghost did he come from?” Lt. Nigel Stosham cried out to no one.
Looking to the edge of the field he sees the spy just at the woodline and signals to him to hurry over.
Guerin doesn’t like what he sees below so stalls to begin an overdive. It will get him down to help the Strutter and possibly dampen his fire.
Hengst meanwhile feels he is ever so slowly is catching up to the HP 100 as the pair fly west as fast as they can. Too slowly for his liking.
Hengst realizes he will not catch the bomber so turns back towards the port.
The fire flutters as Guerin starts his overdive.
Pfeiffer finds a plane on the ground is too easy a target. He punishes the Strutter as it turns around in the field. A pair of figures dive to the ground.
Nigel gets out of his cockpit to help the spy turn the Sopwith around. With another blast of incoming bullets, Nigel knowing the spy was worth more than he, as he had been told to by his CO, jumped on the spy to protect him with his own body.
“Get your damned bloody hands off me!” squealed a high pitched voice.
Nigel freezes in confusion as to where that voice came from. Maybe he didn’t hear correctly as the German plane passes mere meters overhead.
“I thought you were here to save me, not grope me!” the shrill voice grew angry.
Nigel jumped up and saw that the spy had long blond hair flowing over his shoulders.
“Oh my, I’m so very sorry”, Nigel now realized the spy was a woman!
Nigel froze again, totally flustered not knowing what to say, especially not having been face to face with the opposite sex in almost a year.
“Are we going to stand here until that Hun strafes us again”? The slightly calmer and now reconizeable female voice excitedly questions.
Hearing another airplane diving in Nigel instinctively jumps on the spy, knocking her to the ground, covering her with his body.
No bullets came down this time as it was a French Nieuport.
The spy again screamed. This time Nigel jumped up without thinking.
“I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry”, muttered Nigel.
“Well”, was all she said. With the Strutter already turned in the right direction, she climbed into the observers position.
Nigel blinked and came to life. He had left the controls secured in the start position so he gave the prop a pull and the engine kicked on. He ducked under the wing and nimbly climbed into the cockpit.
The Strutter began to roll across the field, picking up speed.
Guerin breathes a sigh of relief as he levels off from the dive, the fire has blown out.
Pfeiffer skims the ground flying just feet over his target.
The spy had already hopped into the observer position and finds the Lewis gun ready and loaded. She has had enough training with weapons to know how the Lewis gun worked but her experience shooting was thin.
The spy, never having fired a weapon from a moving airplane before sends up a wild spray of bullets in the direction of the attacker zipping past. One lucky, depending on who you were, bullet strikes Pfeiffer in the backside. A few more find crucial spots and do serious damage to the Fokker. A trained gunner couldn’t have done much better!
(the upside down 1s are for the 1 less damage inflicted by the inexperienced spy shooting from a moving plane. I also gave the boom as half damage.)
Guerin is a little late to prevent the Hun from shooting up the Strutter and makes a bold move in flying just over the Strutter as it picks up speed in its takeoff. Guerin gets in a long shot and it strikes home. Pfeiffer is now well aware of the trouble he is now in.
Pfeiffer knows something important must be happening with the plane that landed so does not give up on it and hopes he can throw off Guerin.
Guerin was not about to let that happen and reverses. Pfeiffer now has to take evasive maneuvers. If he stays on the Strutter Guerin would surely down him so he turns in tight just over the Frenchman and takes a few rounds before getting to a safe place.
By the time Pfeiffer gets turned around the Strutter and Guerin are beyond catching. Probably a good thing as his old Fokker D.III has taken a beating.
Now the only threat to the Strutter comes from the oncoming Hengst up ahead.
The spy, looking over Nigel’s shoulder spots the plane heading towards it and the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.
Nigel knows he can’t outrun the Albatros so turns into him, surprising not only Hengst but also his passenger.
The spy screams, “What are you doing”! Nigel hears nothing over the roar of the engine.
Knowing she is watching makes him more nervous than if he were alone facing the Hun.
At that long range, neither have much of a chance to hit their target.
Guerin is helpless to intervene at this distance but still has hope he can be of help.
Hengst slips past the port side of the Strutter and is stunned to see the long blond hair of the observer blowing in the propwash. Hengst has a double take and sees that the spy is a woman! He nods in her direction and in return he gets some lead thrown in his direction. The spy fires away until the Lewis gun jams.
After the pass at the Strutter, Hengst notices Guerin coming up fast. Like Peiffer, he know if he turns to chase the Strutter Guerin will have an easy time and riddle him from behind.
Guerin’s hope is fulfilled as he sees the German turn his way letting the Strutter go. Now his new hope is for his N24 to survive the imminent encounter.
Their head on pass is frightful with both taking severe damage.
Guerin does a quick visual check and sees his Nieuport has taken its share of hits and prays he can make it home.
Getting past Hengst is one thing but if he immediately reversed it could be big trouble for Guerin.
For some unknown reason Hengst gives up the fight and flies back to check on his wingman Pfeiffer.
Guerin salutes his foe and catches up with the Strutter to escorts it home. As he pulls up along side he pulls up his goggles to see what he isn’t sure he’s seeing.
A slender hand holds back the long flowing hair while the other waves a thank you.
Guerin smiles and nods. “That bloody Brit risked our lives for what? Whats he up to? I’ll probably never know”.
Hengst and Pfeiffer lick their wounds and head home with their tails between their legs. Both RFC planes got away to their dismay and their flight leader Wolff went down. Not a good outing for the Eagles today. The only positive was they did down one French scout.
Butcher’s Tally
Kaiser’s Eagles
Ltn Paul Wolff: Red Tailed D.II - SD-FT / 1 Kill (Cordonier)
Rolled 7 -1SD = 6 injured, Injured - Skip 1D3 Scenarios, rolled 4 = Skip 2
Ltn Werner Hengst: White Circle D.I - RTB / 0 Kills, 1 Probable (Guerin FRTB-D)
Ltn Hans Pfeiffer: Fok D.III - FRTB-D / WIA / 0 Kills
FRTB 2 & 4 lands ok
C 8 -1WIA +1RTB = 8 - Injured - Skip 1D2 Scenario, rolled 6 = Skip 2
Bouledogues de la Republique:
s/Lt. Lucien Cordonnier: N24 #14 - EXP-ET / 0 Kills
Rolled 6 -3EXP = 3- Injured - Skip 1D6 Scenarios, rolled 4 = Skip 4
E&E rolled 11 -1EXP -1WIC -1BEL = 8 - Landed almost home! - Skip 1 Scenario
Sgt. Henri Guerin: N24 #9 - FRTB-D / 1 Kill (Wolff), 1 Probable (Pfeifer FTRB-D)
FRTB 5 & 5 = crash on landing
Rolled 6 -1FRTB +1RTB = 6- Injured - Skip 1D3 Scenarios, rolled 3 = Skip 2
Independent Force
HP 0/100 - Partial hit of target
Rear gunner sent back for gunnery training.
Front gunner sent back for drop timing practice.
B Squadron
Lt. Nigel Stosham: Sopwith 1 ˝ Strutter - RTB 0 kills - retrieved spy
WIA - red mark where he was slapped in the face
Victory points
Entente:
Near miss +10
Scout shot down +5
Scout FRTB +2
Spy returned to base +10
Total 27
Central:
Scout shot down +5
Scout FRTB +2
Total 7
Clearly an Entente victory point wise but my scout pilots lose more time recovering than the enemy, so I see it as a loss for the Bouledogues. Maybe more a draw as both the French and Germans both downed one, sent one home and have two pilots in recovery. The only winners could be the British, both planes returning, getting back their spy and somewhat damaging the port construction.
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