AAR - Photo/Recom mission "Running the Gauntlet"
Lt. Regis Briggs glanced sideways toward his observer Philbin Stratton. They both recognized the grim expression on Major Frank Savage's face. Something was up. "Our intelligence indicates the Germans may be establishing a supply depot here," the major said as he slapped the wall map with his riding crop. "Could be fuel and ammunition for tanks. We don't know for certain. That's where you come in. We need clear photographs of this area."
Briggs spoke up. "No problem, Major. We'll zip in and out with the photos before the Germans know we were there."
"Look, you two...if there is a supply depot there, it will be heavily defended. This isn't going to be a milk run."
"One question, sir....will we we have an escort?" Lt. Stratton asked.
"Yes," the major replied. "The 94th is sending a Lt. Rockwell Bullwinkle in of their scouts."
"Rocky Bullwinkle?" Briggs exclaimed. "We were classmates at Princeton. His nickname there was 'Moose'"
Game setup: the DH-4 piloted by Lt. Briggs enters the game mat from the lower right corner. His observer is Lt. Stratton. In the upper left are an Albatros DVa and a Pfalz DIII on patrol. The target area is defended by a B-firing anti-aircraft machine gun and a battery of three air defense artillery pieces. The mission objective: The DH crew is to take two photos of the target area and then leave the game mat at the lower right edge. Lt. Bullwinkle is flying a Spad XIII escort scout. I am managing the DH and the Spad. Janet is managing the German scouts and the artillery. Janet also placed the ground machine gun. The artillery shots will be placed on the mat after maneuvers are selected. The arty shots will detonate on the second maneuver on each turn.
Initial game moves.
The arty fires its initial ranging shots. The German scouts spot the DH and Spad. The Spad veers away from the DH in an attempt to distract the Germans.
Bullwinkle's plan seems to work....at first. He engages the Alby, inflicting little damage, but receives fire from the Pfalz and from the ground gun.
The DH starts a photo run as it exchanges fire with the Pfalz. The Spad zooms past but takes fire from the ground gun.
KA-BOOM!! A close arty shot riddles the DH with shrapnel, while the ground gun takes a shot at the DH but misses. The DH observer manages to fire on the Pfalz but misses.
Before the next maneuver, we cleaned things up a bit.
Bullwinkle is chagrined to find his rudder jammed...no right turn. The DH banks right to escape the ground gun's fire.
Near the edge of the mat, Bullwinkle pulls back on his control stick, then kicks a hard left rudder to execute an Immelmann turn. The Alby is on course to engage the DH.
The Alby and the DH exchange fire. No damage to the DH, but the DH forward gun hits home on the Alby. The Alby also is inadvertently hit by the arty fire. The Alby suffers engine damage and is on fire. Meanwhile, the Spad strafes the ground machine gun.
The Alby is on fire but manages a burst at the Spad. But the DH observer also gets in a burst at the Alby. The Alby draws a 1 from the A damage deck due to the fire.
As the DH swings around to make its second photo run, the ground gun fires on the DH but is jammed. As the heavily damaged DH swings around for a second photo run, it exchanges fire with the Pfalz. The Pfalz delivers the coup de grace.....
Briggs struggles to regain control of the falling DH-4. Just before hitting the ground, he manages to level out, but the DH overturns onto its back.
Arty fire booms as Bullwinkle circles the wreckages. He sees no sign of Briggs or Stratton.
In his anger, Bullwinkle takes a shot at the Alby the crosses in front of his guns, but his shot goes wide.
And the Albatros answers in like manner.
Bullwinkle breaks off from the fight. The mission has failed. The Alby has the Spad in his sights but holds his fire.
The final tally:
Epilogue: Lt.s Briggs and Stratton escaped injury but remained guests of the Kaiser for the remaining months of the war. On returning to the USA, they went into business together manufacturing small engines. Lt. Bullwinkle also survived the war. Back in America he failed at a number of business ventures, but eventually gained some success in animated cartoons.
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