Reinventing my WW1 Air War campaign

During the summer I fought out a 1917 air war campaign. The format was simple, I re-read the Biggles novels set during WW1 and devised twenty scenarios from that to randomly assign to my patrolling Sopwith Camels.  The 1:600 Tumbling dice worked really well, and in one game I had over thirty aircraft mixed in a tremendous dogfight.

How to improve on that?  Well I decided that I needed 1/144 scale planes and to focus more on a small scale game.  The flying got lost with more aircraft on table, and to be honest it was far too complicated.

The Blue Max

The campaign objective will be to win this most coveted medal.  The first pilot to get to 10 kills will be awarded the Pour Le Merité, the Blue Max, and win the game.  Getting to ten wins will be rather difficult, especially since, as George Peppard discovers during the movie, getting a kill confirmed can be difficult. 

It's 1916.  The Fokker Scourge has lasted almost a year. The British have finally responded by forming "scout" squadrons.  21 Squadron has been formed as one of these, flying DH2 single seaters.  Winning the air war is critical since the long awaited British offensive at the Somme is planned for July.

The German response has been Fliegerabteilung Douai (Flying Detachment Douai). This unit of six fighter pilots was the precursor of German fighter squadrons. They have connected a front line observation post to the Jabbekke airfield, as a tactical air direction centre.  They also have the new twin machine gun Eindekkers.

Both the German and British scout squadrons will have six pilots, earning resources through their missions.  In effect they are proving their worth to the top brass and gaining recruits, replacement aircraft, fuel and ammunition.

My new 1916 1/144 planes

4 Fokker Eindecker 
2 Rumpler
1 Roland
2 Albatros D (late 1916)

The British

4 DH2
1 RE8
2 FE2b
1 Sopwith Pup
1 Nieuport 11

40mm hex bases
4 cm height rod
3 cm height rod
Magnets on rods
Magnet tape on planes.

21 Sqn DH2
"The Bullingdon boys"

Maj Piggy Kammeron
Capt Boris Knobson
Backstabber Grove
Nigel Porridge
David Davis Davidson
Joan Redwood
Jacob Reece-Fagg  (character card)
Timmy Martin Weatherspoon
Jimmy Dyson

FE2b RE8 Squadron
Ian and Duncan Smythe
Dominic Rabies and Andrew Leadsome
Peter Patel and B.F Mosley

RNAS Sopwith Pups
Lt. Kenneth Clarkie  (character card)
Lt. Joey Johnston

Algy Soubry

The Pumphosen Staffel
Jasta 7 - flying Eindekkers

The Baron Manfred von Pumphosen  (Character card)
Max Todtraum
Hans Frei
Helmut Rashe
Hans Untergloves
Fitz Sexpest
Sigmund Wank (character card)
Dieter Foffenhoff
Gunter Munter

French pilots flying Nieuport 11s

Maurice Le Coq, Ace (Character Card)
Pepé le Pew
Jean Pierre Gautier
Louis Vite-on
Christian Dio (character card )
Pierre Cardigan
Cocoa Channel
Yves Saint Lawrence 

Reinforcements for the Bishop's War

Using a few spare "Call to Arms" 54mm ECW figures I have added to my En Gardé setup.  These figures rely heavily on Parliamentary Pikemen, but once again the weapons I need are mainly swords to fit with the ethos of the game.

I started with arm and head swaps, and shaped wooden swords.

 Some filler goes a long way to hide the gaps.

 This guy will be "Poins" and has a longsword and sack bottle at arm's length.

Undercoating in Burnt Umber, bases are poker chips

The feathery Sir Toby Belch.  I worked on that handguard after this was taken.

Young Pikey, with his half pike.

Poins offering the sack around.  His handguard needed fixing too.

Catch, demonstrating the hand on hip "Mincing" style of fencing.

Fowler with his double barrel birdgun.  Some highlighting needed on this boy.

The Swordsman and duelist Rathbone.

Name tags going on top of sand coloured textured basing.

And the finished figures...

And three of Captain Quilp the smuggler's crew: left to right... the powerful Foreman, and the decidedly dodgy Master Bates and Seaman Staines

Sir Toby Belch and his men, Catch and Pikey.

Rathboné and his men, Poins and Fowler.

1917: Bertie's seeks revenge

 1917: Bertie vs the German Ace

Scenario 16, the German Ace

Briefing from Colonel Raymond Air Intelligence. 

Settle down Gentlemen, please help yourselves to some Strychnine Absinthe.  As we all know, young Lieutenant "Squiffy" Simpson has gone west.  Captain Bertie Farthingdale, your Squadron commander has taken the loss of his chum hard.  Damned hard.  He has what that Austrian Psychiatrist calls a "Hamlet Syndrome."  

Bertie blames the German we know as the "Yankee," Leutnant Bruno Klattermeir from Grand Forks, Iowa.  Fair enough really since that Hun swine shot down Squiffy and most of his friends.

Lt. Farthingdale took his camel up at dawn this morning swearing he would bag the Yankee blighter or die trying.  IS any of this sounding familiar?

If he succeeds we will celebrate with champagne in the mess tonight.  If he fails I shall auction off his personal effects in the mess tonight.

Meantime Gentlemen, get some rest.  The Squadron is sitting this one out, its a battle of the Aces.

"B" Flight 70 Sqd. France F1 Sopwith Camels

Flight Leader  Lt "Bertie" Farthingdale  (Ace)  F1 Sopwith Camel

Jasta 3

Leutnant "Yankee" Bruno Klattermier (Ace) DR1 Fokker Triplane

	Sopwith Camel	Fokker Dr I
Speed	7	6
Manoeuvrability	6#	6#
Ceiling	11	11
Rate of Climb	3	3
Robustness	2	2
Size	1	1
Front	4	4
Rear	0	0
Left	0	0
Right	0	0
Notes Rotary engine torque...	#The Camel can snap turn to the right	#The Dr1 can also snap turn to the right

Two planes that are really well matched, with a slight speed edge for the camel!

Two well matched pilots, both lucky, but the Yankee German has lured Bertie over the Lines, and is positioned to the south to try to get into the sun, giving the German an advantage.



Turn 1

Brave Bertie crosses the lines

Bruno comes over the lines at height 9

But what is this?   A yellow Albatros appears.  The Hun are not playing fair.

Bertie sweeps around, take that, and that and that... good shooting.  Holes appear in that Fokker...

But in comes the Albatros 

Bertie is hit.

But before the Yankee German can escape Bertie gets an excellent burst in, knocking out the engine and sending the German into a spin.

But the Yellow Devil gets a good burst into Bertie.

One of those odd circle combats reported by WW1 pilots begins

But Bertie hard turns using the Camel's rotary turn to get onto the Hun.

Unseen across the table the Yankee German comes out of his spin and heads for home.

The Yellow Albatros gets a last burst at Bertie, but it is pretty poor.  Bertie makes for home, convinced he has killed the Yankee German.

A victory for the RFC.  Bertie gets his DSM for this one...

• 
  

Harpoon: Cuarteron Reef.

---INCOMING COMMUNICATION---

Z1153Z5OCTOBER 
FR: CINCPACFLT
TOP SECRET

The Independence battle group has been tasked to undertake a vigorous clearance of Chinese naval forces in the area. Your main contribution to this effort will be to deploy your Tomahawks against an enemy submarine base.

Update:

The Chinese naval command is attempting to resist recent US and Allied movements into the Spratly Islands region. They are deploying a large number of submarine and surface combatants to attack incoming US and Allied forces as PacFlt moves north to engage enemy positions in and around the Spratlys.

Intel:

Reports indicate a large number of Chinese submarines in the area are being serviced and supplied at a temporary submarine base near Cuarteron Reef. Destruction of this base would significantly hinder the Chinese effort to interfere with US and Allied operations.

CIA information recently uncovered information that the Russians have been supplying the Chinese with more advanced classes of submarine. Naval Intelligence also suspects this. However, exactly what classes of submarine the Chinese are receiving is unknown at this time.

Orders:

Proceed to a position approximately 300 miles south of the Chinese Cuarteron Reef submarine base to launch 12 Tomahawk missiles. In-flight guidance will be provided by Seahawk aircraft. All enemy units encountered on route to the launch zone are to be sunk or disabled.

Weapons:

26 Mk. 48 ADCAP Torpedoes.
12 BGM-109 Tomahawk Missiles.

Waypoint Alpha-

Patrol the area and proceed to Bravo.

Turn #1 Intermediate 22nd October 1450rs

Plotting  

Make the turn to 180° - Clearing the baffles.

Movement

25 knots

Detection

Passive Sonar reports “Tonal contact, center bearing 73° on the end-fire beam,” 

The contact is designated "Master 12"

“Blade rate indicates Master 1’s speed is steady at eighteen knots, identifies as Han#142”

Turn 2 (Tactical) 1400hrs

Plotting Phase

“Torpedo room, fire control, make tubes one and two ready in all respects and open the outer doors. Waiting on Firing solution."  Reduce speed to 10 knots Turn 05°

Movement Phase

10 knots turned 05°

Planned Firing Phase

Detection Check Phase
Master #12.  Firing solution awaiting bearing check.  70°, estimated 11000 yards

Air movement Phase

Reaction Fire Phase

Resolution Phase

Turn 3 (Tactical) 1400hrs

Plotting Phase

Reduce speed to 5 knots Turn 75° “Lock firing solution shoot tubes one and two. 

Movement Phase

5 knots turned 75°

Planned Firing Phase
Firing two Mk. 48 ADCAP 

Detection Check Phase
Master #12.  Firing solution awaiting bearing check.  70°, estimated 11000 yards

Air movement Phase

Reaction Fire Phase
Han Master 12# snap fires two torpedos bearing 250°

Resolution Phase
Torpdoes in the water

Turn 4 (Tactical) 1400hrs

Plotting Phase

Flank speed  Turn 200° Release noisemakers.
Movement Phase

25 knots turned 200°

Planned Firing Phase
Noisemakers 

Detection Check Phase
torpedoes have acquired. 70°, estimated 11000 yards

Air movement Phase

Reaction Fire Phase

Resolution Phase
Han Master 12# destroyed

Waypoint Bravo-
Patrol the area and proceed to Charlie.
Clear

Waypoint Charlie-

Turn #1 Intermediate 22nd October 2230hrs

Plotting  

Arrived at VLS Launch site.  Make the turn to 180° Clear the baffles.

Movement

15 knots

Detection

Passive Sonar reports “Tonal contact, center bearing 9° on the end-fire beam,” 

The contact is designated "Master 13"

Using an Alfa model as a Kilo

“Blade rate indicates Master 1’s speed is steady at eighteen knots, identifies as Russian North Fleet Kilo #14”

Turn 2 (Tactical)  2240hrs

Plotting Phase

“Torpedo room, fire control, make tubes one and two ready in all respects and open the outer doors. Waiting on Firing solution but we can`t fire at a Russian Sub unless it shoots first, no matter what the CIA say."

Movement Phase

15 knots 

Planned Firing Phase
Galveston's orders are clear.  She cannot fire on the Kilo.

Detection Check Phase
Active Pinging from Master #13.  Firing solution locked bearing 7 degrees, 17000 yards

Air movement Phase

Reaction Fire Phase

Resolution Phase

Kilo has gone deeper, below the thermocline.

Turn #3 Intermediate 22nd October 2242hrs

Plotting  

Diving to deep level
Movement

15 knots

Detection

Passive Sonar reports “Tonal contact below the thermocline, center bearing 6°” 

Contact is "Master 13"

Turn 4 (Tactical)  2243hrs

Plotting Phase

Lock firing solution. 

Movement Phase

15 knots 

Planned Firing Phase

Torpedoes in the water bearing 6° The Kilo has fired on Galveston

Detection Check Phase
Active Pinging from Master #13.  Firing solution locked bearing 7 degrees, 17000 yards

Air movement Phase

Reaction Fire Phase
Shoot tubes one and two.  Galveston snap fires two Mk. 48 ADCAP 

Resolution Phase

Kilo turning.  She has released noisemakers

Turn 5 (Tactical)  2243hrs

Plotting Phase

Turn end on.  release noisemakers, Come to periscope depth.  Increase to flank speed 

Movement Phase

15 knots 

Planned Firing Phase

Torpedoes in the water bearing 6° Mk. 48 ADCAP have acquired
Noisemakers released.
Detection Check Phase

Kilo has increased to 30 knots

Air movement Phase

Reaction Fire Phase

Resolution Phase

Kilo running.  She has released noisemakers again

Turn 6 (Tactical)  2243hrs

Plotting Phase

Maintain periscope depth.  

Movement Phase

30 knots rising

Planned Firing Phase

Kilo's Torpedoes distracted by noisemakers. 
Mk. 48 ADCAP have acquired and are closing on the Kilo
Detection Check Phase

Kilo at 30 knots

Air movement Phase

Reaction Fire Phase

Resolution Phase

Kilo destroyed

Turn 7 (Tactical)  2243hrs

Plotting Phase

Dead slow.  Contact Seahawk.  Launch 12 BGM-109 Tomahawk Missiles

Movement Phase

5 knots 

Planned Firing Phase

12 BGM-109 Tomahawk Missiles launched

Detection Check Phase

Kilo breaking up

Air movement Phase

Reaction Fire Phase

Resolution Phase

Proceeding to Delta.

Waypoint Delta-

Rendezvous with the USS Independence.