AAR AAR (SND) Week 3: Argy-Bargy

[csadn]

With the arrival of the newest crop of WW2 minis, I decided to enact a couple of "harbor raids" from the Mediterranean Theatre, which each side alternately taking the role of attacker.

Attacking force: One twin-engine attack plane (Axis: Me-110; Allies: Bristol Beaufighter)
Defending force: Three biplane fighters (Axis: Fiat CR.42; Allies: Gloster Gladiator)

Mission: Cross the playing surface, destroy a "barge" (in this case, a repurposed WW1 balloon counter), and exit the side one entered from.

Setup: Place the "barge" with one short edge adjacent to the edge of the playing surface, and the center aligned with the center of that edge. Attacker enters from the side opposite the "barge"; Defenders enter from the side with the "barge".

A flip of a token provided the following order:

First battle: One Me-110 attempting to destroy a barge, which is defended by three Gladiators. (Malta?)

It quickly became apparent: Biplanes are just Too Damned Slow, and Too Damned Undergunned. The -110 took exactly three shots from the Gladiators, and zero damage; while the nose armament made short work of the barge. The -110 was then able to depart the area unmolested; even with "everything open but the toolbox", the Gladiators couldn't keep up.

Second battle: One Beaufighter attempting to destroy a barge, which is defended by three Falcos. (Pantelleria?)

The fight played out almost identically to the first: The defenders were too slow to keep up with the attacker; and when the defenders did fire, they had no effect (and I mean *no* effect; the Falcos managed only one shot on the Beau, and whiffed). The only major difference was when one of the Falcos botched a "turn into the attack", and wound up in the Beau's front arc; even with the "fighter tax" on the cannons*, the Falco was vaporized (and it didn't even need Ye Olde Boome Carde).

[*: C- and D-deck shots against fighter-based units are taken at one range increment higher.]

Result: A very-minor victory for the Allies.

I suspect the biplane minis will only ever be usable for "oddball" scenarios, or those set in "minor theatres" of the War; against anything available after 1939, they're just taking up table space.

[Carl_Brisgamer]

Hi Chris,

I have not had the chance to give the new planes a run yet. I think the main opponents for my biplanes will be the other side's biplanes, along with Stukas and some of my other unofficial early war bombers like the Blenheim.

Was this a solo game?

I believe this one should be in the WW2 section of the forum.

Cheers,

Carl.

[csadn]

I have not had the chance to give the new planes a run yet. I think the main opponents for my biplanes will be the other side's biplanes, along with Stukas and some of my other unofficial early war bombers like the Blenheim.

Definitely.

Was this a solo game?

It was; but I don't use the rules posted up here, as I find them too "crufty" for my tastes. I get as-good results using basic fighter tactics as a movement guideline -- first question: "What moves can I select to get my guns on target?"; second question, if the first proves impossible: "What moves can I make to avoid having his guns on me?". Then it's a simple matter to figure out what card(s) to choose next.

In the case of the destroyed Falco: The Falco was turning into the attack, to force the Beau to overshoot. In the confusion, I misjudged how far the biplane was going to move; rather than the center being just out of the forward arc of the Beau, it was just *in*, and at short range. One volley of cannon later, no more Falco.

I believe this one should be in the WW2 section of the forum.

Yes, but HTrain hadn't posted yet, and I needed to get it down before I forgot.

In fact, there isn't even a SND section in the WW2 Campaign Discussion conference.... [hint, hint, hint]

[Marechallannes]

Nice AAR, Chris.

Showing that a duel between a twin engined plane and (many) biplanes is really one sided.

Any special rules like AA or ground fire near the target.

If your ME110/Beaufighter didn't carry bombs, the would be vulnerable when reducing the altitude to strafe the target.

I believe this one should be in the WW2 section of the forum.

I think Saturday Night Dogfight makes no difference between WW I & WW II.

[csadn]

Nice AAR, Chris.

Thanks -- no pics, yet, as: 1) I still haven't worked out my camera yet; and 2) pics of a beige bridge-table-top with WW2 acft. engaging a WW1 balloon card *just* doesn't quite measure up to the standards being set here. :)

Showing that a duel between a twin engined plane and (many) biplanes is really one sided.

Really, all it does is show why biplanes went away as quickly as they did -- slow as a moose in molasses, and hopelessly-inadequate firepower (the folks doing the Spanish Civil War scenarios illustrated that with the Legion Kondor -109s against the SB-2s, as well).

Any special rules like AA or ground fire near the target.

Not this pass -- dealing with four acft. by my onesie was complicated enough. I figured the AA types were busy sleeping off last night's debauchery. :)

If your ME110/Beaufighter didn't carry bombs, the would be vulnerable when reducing the altitude to strafe the target.

Another complication-reduction measure -- two of them in fact: The attackers didn't use bombs, so I didn't have to work out the bomb-dropping rules as well; and the entire scenario was at low level, so I didn't have to futz with altitude. :)

(And if you've seen pics of the altitudes at which the Beau in particular operated.... >:) )

I think Saturday Night Dogfight makes no difference between WW I & WW II.;)

It doesn't yet -- but since there seems to be only one person doing WW2 at the moment.... ;)

[HTRAINo]

I have been watching this closely in regard to WWII. If someone was willing to run it for WWII, then it might be possible to just copy and paste the guidelines over into the appropriate forum. Keith would be the one to ask about making a new sub-forum for it in WWII.

Maybe a poll is in order to gauge it's possible popularity?

Interesting AAR, and glad to see you putting new mini's through their paces

[Omegalazarus]

Nicely done. Putting up the mission once for each side is a great way to ensure a balanced fight/score!

[csadn]

Nicely done. Putting up the mission once for each side is a great way to ensure a balanced fight/score!

Well, it was (as so many of my games are these days) experimental in nature -- to see how the biplanes measured up against "mere" early-war heavy fighters, in this case. If nothing, it illustrates part of why Malta damned-near fell during the course of the war; the Gladiators were flat-out not up to the challenge. Perhaps next week, I try the heavies against something faster and better-armed.