This is the one of the scenarios I was really looking forward to playing. It was a repeat of one I was in last year. I did well in that one, placing 2nd as one of the German pilots. That was my 2nd or 3rd game ever, and it taught me the importance of changing altitude when attacking bombers. Unfortunately, the decision was made that we would not use altitude rules for this one, which would have implications for me later on.
The start was normal - start on the edge and fly right at each other.
The first problem: as the Germans we're actually outnumbered here 6 to 5, in addition to the bombers. Although it could be said that this was historical, it made for (in my opinion) a rather dull game.
At the merge. Coming to this point is where I would have changed altitude. I wanted to be one level above or below the bombers when I came to the merge and turned into the bombers. It would also have saved my bacon a couple of cards from now because the long range shot that shot me down wouldn't have been possible if I had been up or down a level.
And the blood is drawn quickly. The FW on the left is hit by one of the bombers and is smoking. Toward the center, two of us split a P-51 kill (I'm in FW #6). Unfortunately for me, the stricken P-51 chose me as his target and managed to really shoot me up.
I should have plotted an Immelmann, but I didn't choosing to turn into the bombers. This was, again, not one of my better ideas.
And down I go.
This was as close as I got to a bomber. I sat out the two-card wait to get back in - and got to move once before the game was called due to time.
This was a frustrating battle for me, and the one I enjoyed the least. It's hard enough to take on the B-17s with them having so many guns, and to be outnumbered by the Allied fighters on top of it just really took the fun out of the scenario. Our team did get one bomber kill because one of the other guys got a shot at one of them and drew the explosion chit. Other than that we didn't accomplish much. If they run this again next year I think the Germans should have a slight number advantage in fighters - the firepower coming from the bombers will make up for the difference.
This made two straight missions where I didn't fly particularly well. What I didn't know then was that my luck was about to change.
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