OTT-EYM - Mission 12 - Last Man Home - March 27th 1917 {Stumptonian}
Original briefing https://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/sh...-1917-by-Flash
Obtln Bernhard Wienand was starting to get concerned.
Ltn Helmut Schüter had been dispatched to escort an Albatros C.III of FF(A) 245 on a routine photo mission.
He had just hung up the phone with the adjutant of the tandem unit and confirmed they had not yet returned.
Pacing back and for the he mutters “Sie hätten mittlerweile zurück sein sollen ....“
<They should have been back by now>
Adding to his aggravation was the presence of his latest pilot, Ltn Reiner Steinhoff.
Steinhoff was the heir apparent to a prestigious Bavarian confectionary company and was just a little too pretentious for Wienand’s liking.
‘Arrogant and Haughty’ were the adjectives that came to mind.
Not only that, he had arrived in his own Albatros D.III, custom painted with ‘candy stripes’ similar to the Steinhoff famous “Zuckerstange” Candy Cane Christmas treat.
“Ich muss diesen Pfau in Aktion sehen ..“
< I need to see this peacock in action>
He shouts at Steinhoff, perhaps more harshly that was warranted,
„Steinhoff! Seien Sie in 15 Minuten flugbereit!“
< Be ready to fly in 15 minutes >
As it was, Schüter in a Halberstadt D.III and the C.III flown by Fwbl Siegfried Nixdorf and his usual Observer Obltn Leonard Wiechers, were on the final leg of their mission.
Their Albatros had been hit with anti-aircraft fire, wounding Nixdorf and causing serious damage to the lower wing.
Unseen by Schüter, the newest member of RFC Squadron 52 „Bulldogs“, 2Lt Malcolm Eddy, on a lone scouting patrol, was circling behind the Halberstadt.
Steinhoff had flown away from Wienand, anxious to get some action.
He turned back as he reached the edge of No Man’s Land and saw what looked like a British Zweisitzer a few hundred meters ahead.
It was, indeed, a Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8 (flown by Lt Douglas Winterbottom with AM3 'Billy' Holder in the observer seat.
Eerily similar to the Albatros C.III’s situation, the R.E.8 had also been hit with anti-aircraft fire that had wounded Winterbottom and torn a chunk out of the fuselage.
2Lt Robert Howe was providing close escort in a Sopwith Tripe, while 2Lt Percy Herbert was providing a screen to the flight’s starboard side, also in a Tripe.
Wienand could see the tandem and Tripe, but had not noticed the second tripe behind him.
Schüter is oblivious to Eddy’s Triplane.
As is Wienand to Herbert.
The ‘Bulldogs’ see the brightly coloured Albatros closing from across No Man’s Land.
“Blimey, can you imagine what Uncle would say if we dolled up our machines like that!” Billy Holder shouted toward Winterbottom.
“Just get your Lewis gun ready, Holder!”
Winterbottom was in no mood for a fight – his left thigh was throbbing from the shrapnel imbedded in it.
Steinhoff is closing, but not yet in range.
“Watch out, Man!”
Winterbottom yells at Howe who has cut right in front of the RE.8
Luckily there is no contact.
Ratatatat
Tikka tikka
Howe is so focused on the striped Albatros he hadn't even realized how close he had come to taking both machines down.
“Aaargh” sounds the same in either German or English.
Steinhoff has been hit!
The German’s return fire does minor damage to the “Kuttelhund”.
The wound is serious enough he will have to break off the engagement.
Schüter his seen his foe and flown an Immelmann.
Eddy has closed the gap and the two pilots exchange short bursts.
“Aargh”
The Brit – or should I say, Kiwi – takes a nick to his shoulder and his return fire does some decent damage to the Halberstadt.
Da da da da
Holder’s Lewis barks at the 'Candy Striper'.
Eddy flies dangerously close to Schüter, just about scraping wings.
Status after Turn 2.1
Eddy has Immelmanned, but his wound prevents him from taking a shot.
The two tandems find themselves very close and take shots at each other.
[And as I write this I wonder why they don’t have two cards each …]
Ratatatat
Tikka tikka
Neither Howe nor Steinhoff see any damage for their effort.
Ratatat
Eddy get a hit on Schüter.
The tandems very nearly finish each other off!
Howe gets in the way of Herbert’s shot at Steinhoff.
Tikka tikka
A quick burst from Wienand at Howe.
The tandems trade shots again, and this time Wiechers gets a hit.
Tikka tikka
Wienand finally does some serious damage to Howe’s Tripe.
Howe is focused on Steinhoff
Ratatatat
The Albatros engine starts to howl!
Schüter is out of range for a shot.
Dadadada
Ratatatat
Schüter is caught between a ‘Harry Tate’ and a Bulldog!
“Aargh!”
Schüter’s turn to feel some hot lead, and his Halberstadt’s engine mimics Steinhoff’s Albatros.
He is definitely done for the day ….
Ratatat
Howe hits Steinhoff for some serious damage.
Tikka tikka
“Rauch …” Wienand sees Howe’s triplane start to smoke.
Steinhoff manages to squeak away.
Tikka tikka
“Gnadenstoß!”
What could have been the German equivalent of a “Coup de Grace” leaves Wienand feeling flustered.
Winterbottom feels much the same way as his bullets fail to hit their target and Schüter is still flying.
Tikka tikka
Wienand wills his rounds into Howe’s smoking Triplane …..
“Flammen!”
Things are definitely turning, and not in Howe’s favour.
In fact the flames didn’t even get to take hold before Howe’s Tripe plummets to the ground below.
Dadadada
Winterbottom gets some more lead into Schüter.
[and the edge is so close!]
Schüter feels his aircraft slipping out of his control and he joins Howe in the fields below.
Status at the end of Turn 5
Winterbottom and Wienand exit.
... and Nixdorf & Wiechers ‘near as damnit’ to exit
Herbert and Eddy are left alone and will head to the barn.
Butcher’s Tally
Bulldogs
Sopwith Triplane
2Lt Robert ‘Bobby’ Howe: SD-FLM-FT / 0 Kills, 1 Probable (Steinhoff FRTB-E/W)
C&W: Rolled 9 -2FLM = 7 - Injured - Skip 1D2 Scenario. Rolled 5 = Skip 2
Sopwith Triplane
2Lt Percy Herbert: RTB / 0 Kills
Sopwith Triplane
2Lt Malcolm Eddy: RTB / WIA / 0 Kills
C&W: Rolled 8 +1RTB -1WIA = 8 - Injured - Skip 1D2 Scenario. Rolled 1 = Skip 1
Royal Aircraft Factory R.E.8
Lt Douglas Winterbottom: (P2) RTB / 1 Kill (Schüter)
[Note: Per scenario rules the C 6 Wound does not trigger a C&W roll]
AM3 William 'Billy' Holder: (O): RTB / 0 Kills
Adler
Halberstadt D.III
Ltn Helmut Schüter: SD-ET / WIA / 0 Kills
C&W: Rolled 5 -1SD -1WIA = 3 - Injured - Skip 1D6 Scenarios. Rolled 4 = Skip 4
E&E: Rolled 7 -1WIA -1WIC -1BEL = 4 - Captured and escaped! - Skip 1D3 Scenarios. Rolled 1 = Skip1
Albatros C.III
Fwbl Siegfried Nixdorf: (P2): RTB / 0 kills
Obltn Leonard Wiechers: (O): RTB / 0 kills
[Note: Per scenario rules the C 6 Wound does not trigger a C&W roll]
Albatros D.III
Obltn Bernhard Wienand: RTB / 1 Kill (Howe)
Albatros D.III
Ltn Reiner Steinhoff: FRTB-W&E / WIA / 0 kills
Rolled 6+2 = Stuck the landing
C&W: Rolled 7 -1WIA +1RTB = 7 - Injured - Skip 1D2 Scenario. Rolled 6 = Skip 2
Both tandems made it back to base, and each side lost one scout, so I'd say this was a draw.
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by flash
. 
Happy New Year 
Bookmarks