1916 Squadron vs Staffel

WW1 Air Campaign

Overview

Two opposing squadrons are formed in early 1916 as dedicated scout units, one at Jabbecke one at Abeele.  Up until that time units of mixed aircraft types were used.  These squadrons start out that way but will gradually obtain scout aircraft.  Each side must carry out missions earning resources, with the final aim to be earning 30 "General Staff Interest Points"

During a mission an aircraft will use up a drum of fuel, if it empties its machine guns it will expend a case of ammunition, and if bombs are dropped they too must be replaced.  Points may be exchanged for resources but obviously that will lessen the number of points adding towards General Staff Interest Points."

Points must also be used for spares to allow the unit fitters to repair damaged aircraft, and to train new pilots.

Missions	Success Victory Points	Squadron Morale	Difficulty
Scout Patrol (Includes balloon busting)	1	3	2
Dawn patrol	1	2	1
Artillery Spotting	3	0	2
Troop Movement Spotting	2	0	1
Bombing the Railyards	2	1	2
Bombing Supply dumps	3	1	3
Landing a Spy	3	0	4
French Patrols	2	2	3
RNAS Patrols	2	2	3

In addition to these missions aircraft from other units may appear as random events, including the RNAS and the notorious Maurice le Coq, French Cowboy and Ace, or Hun Ace Oswald Boelcke (pronounced "Ball-licker?") from Jasta 8.

The Pumphosen Staffel Jasta 7

Resources		Pilots Roster	Availability
Fuel Drums	20	The Baron Manfred von Pumphosen A1	✓ Ace
Ammunition cases	20	Fitz Sexpest C1	✓
20lb Bombs	20	Max Todtraum A2	✓
Fitters		Hans Untergloves B1	✓
Gefrieter Otto the Spanner		Hans Frei B2	✓
		Sigmund Wank B3	✓
		Dieter Foffenhoff	Pending
		Gunter Munter	Pending

Aircraft
Types	Operational	Under Repair	Awaiting Delivery
Fokker Eindecker E1	2		2
Roland C2	1	1	1
Rumpler CIV	2	1	2

21 Sqn DH2 "The Bullingdon boys"

Resources		Pilots Roster	Status
Fuel Drums	20	Maj Piggy Kammeron	✓ Ace
Ammunition	20	Capt Boris Knobson	✓
20lb Bombs	20	Backstabber Grove	✓
Fitters		Nigel Porridge	✓
Sgt Jimmy the Wrench		David Davis Davidson	✓
		Joan Redwood	✓
		Jacob Reece-Fagg	Pending
		Timmy Martin Witherspoon	Pending
		Jimmy “the Quitter” Dyson	Pending

Aircraft
Types	Operational	Under Repair	Awaiting Delivery
BE2	1	1	1
FE2b	4	1	1
Airco DH2	2		2

The Airfield
Jasta 7
A Flight
Eindecker A1
Hauptmann The Baron Manfred von Pumphosen
Eindecker A2 Lt. Max Todtraum
B Flight
Rumpler B1 Lt Hans Untergloves
Rumpler B2 Lt. Hans Frei
Rumpler B3  Lt. Sigmund Wank
C Flight
Roland C10 OberLeutnant Fitz Sexpest

21 Squadron RFC Airfield
A Flight
DH2 A1 Maj Piggy Kammeron
DH2 A2 Capt Boris Knobson
B Flight
FE2b B1 Backstabber Grove
FE2b B2 Nigel Porridge
FE2b B3 David Davis Davidson
FE2b B4 Joan Redwood
C Flight
BE2 Artillery Spotter Unit C1 Algy Soubry

2016 Week	15	Missions	Aircraft Allocated
Monday	Morning
	Afternoon
Tuesday	Morning
	Afternoon
Wednesday	Morning
	Afternoon
Thursday	Morning
	Afternoon
Friday	Morning
	Afternoon
Saturday	Morning
	Afternoon
Sunday	Morning
	Afternoon

Pre Combat Events
D10
1   Pilot DNIF
2   Navigation Error
3-4 Archie
5-7 Aircraft Encounter
8-0 Aircraft Malfunction


In Combat Events
D10
1   Friendly Reinforcement
2   Enemy Reinforcement
3   Friendly Guts test
4   Enemy guts test
5-6 Good things happen
7-8 Bad things happen
9   Good things for friendly character
0   Good things for enemy character

Good or bad things happen 
1   Lose or break formation  
2-3 Gun Jams
4-5 Positive event occurs for a pilot
6   Engine overheats
7   morale check
8   Guts test
9   Archie hits plane
0   Battle drops on altitude level

Squadron Morale

-1   Loss of two aircraft
-1   Loss of a popular pilot
-1   Loss of a flight leader
-1   Outnumbered 2:1
+1  Enemy lose two aircraft
+1  Mission is defending bombers
+1  Pilot has Leadership trait
+1  Prussian or Etonian
+2  Flight Leader is Staff rank
Victory Points

Resources and Requisitions	Cost
20lb Bombs	1
Fuel Drum	1
Ammunition Case	1
Aircraft repair	1
New Pilot Posted	1
Fitter posted	1
Replacement Aircraft	2
General Staff Interest	(Banked total)

To win the Campaign a player must bank a total of 20 Victory Points in General Staff Interest.

The reward will be either a Knighthood, or the award of the lapsed title Margrave Flatulenz.

German Personnel Files

Oberst von Wießmehr
Special Skill Leadership
Ordered not to undertake air operations, but may choose to disobey for Squadron morale.

Eindekker A1 (A Flight Plane 1)
Aircraft A1 has the new twin machine gun configuration that all Eindeckkers are to be converted to in the near future.
Hauptmann The Baron Manfred von Pumphosen
Ace
Aristocrat
Jovial, Popular
Interests.  Gluttony
Special Skill Leadership

Roland C10 OberLeutnant Fitz Sexpest
Fanatic
Revenge
Up from the ranks
Special Skill Crack shot

Eindekker A2 (Single machine gun until it is given to the fitters for 24 hour conversion)
Lt. Max Todtraum
Cunning Popular
Supports the Kaiser
Up from the ranks

Rumpler B1
Lt Hans Untergloves
Inept
Religious

Rumpler  B2
Lt. Hans Frei
Haughty
Artist

Rumpler B3
Lt. Sigmund Wank
Cocky
Interested n Wealth
One of the Dusseldrof Wanks

Lt. Dieter Foffenhoff
Mercurial Popular
Hedonist

Lt. Gunter Munter
Daring
Engineer
Family connections.  The Hamburg Munters

RFC Personnel Files


Pilots Roster
Lt Colonel Quilp
Special Skill Leadership
Ordered not to undertake air operations, but may disobey for Squadron morale.

DH2 A1
Maj Piggy Kammeron
Meek Popular
Position
Special Skill Leadership
Privledged

DH2 A2
Capt Boris Knobson
Corrupt  Popular
Wealth
Special Skill Rabbits foot
Privledged

FE2b B1
Backstabber Grove
Unsupportive
Position
Privledged

FE2b B2
Nigel Porridge
Fickle Popular
Government
Up from the Banks

FE2b B3
David Davis Davidson
Egotistical
Alcohol
Special Skill Eagle eye
Privledged


FE2b B4
Joan Redwood
Pragmatic Popular
Family
Privledged

Pending
Jacob Reece-Fagg
Lazy Popular
Position
Privledged with top hat.

Pending
Timmy Martin Witherspoon
Aggressive
Government
Military Family

Pending
Jimmy “the Quitter” Dyson
Haughty, Deeply unpopular
The Arts

BE2 Artillery Spotter Unit C1
Algy Soubry
Daring Popular
Religion
Privledged
(Algy flys solo to lessen weight but this is a dreadful aircraft)

The Sopwith Pup appears: Day 3, 1916

The Sopwith Pup appears: Day 3, 1916

1916, continuing game three.  The Germans have the Rumpler of Sigmund Wank and the Eindekker of the Blue Baron von Pumphosen up over the Somme.  The Allied answer is to send in the veteran Lt Kenny Clarke.

Kenny is pictured here in his designer Sopwith Pup.  A nice well armed aircraft, fast enough to match the Eindekker.

Kenny sideslips to get onto the Rumpler.  A good burst damages its engine and kills the rear gunner.

Sigmund spins down but recovers and levels it out, turning for home.

But the time wasted bagging the Rumpler has allowed the Blue Baron to re-appear.  He gets onto the side of the Pup and delivers a belt of Mg bullets into Kenny.

Exit Kenny Clarke down in flames..

Reviewing the picture of this I realise that the Baron wasn't lined up properly, so I may spare Kenny, however the Baron has now downed five enemy aircraft!  A promotion and Ace status...

The Rumplers cross as Sgmund leaves and Fitz Sexpest arrives on table, proving incidentally that I have two models!

But arriving on the scene... Maurice!
Some people call him the French Cowboy
Some call him the Hamster of Love,
he's a joker,
he's a smoker,
he's a mid-night toker...*

* the Marshal Petain Gentleman's club do not advise the use of hallucinogenic substances whilst flying the Nieuport 11 Scout aircraft... or any aircraft...

Head to head the Baron gets a better shot in, but he is now down to half his ammo

Maurice hard turns and threatens the Rumpler

Another of those spinning WW1 dog fights.  Impossible to call but Maurice is outnumbered.  The rear gunner on the Rumpler performs poorly...

The Blue Baron gets on the side of the Nieuport, but again his shooting is poor.

Maurice however kills the Rumpler with an excellent shot.  Some people call him the French Cowboy...

The Eindekker however is a decisive weapon.  The Baron Manfred von Pumphosen gets onto the side of the Nieuport and gets a shot into its engine.

More twists and turns as the Rumpler goes in, but the Baron uses the last of his ammo and misses again.

The Baron turns, diving for home at height 3 and a promotion.  It occurs to me that the blue Robust dice is a bit pointless.

With its engine on fire Maurice coaxes the Nieuport back over the lines.

The Allies

The Hun (added another Eindekker after the game)

Hauptmann The Baron Manfred von Pumphosen and Leutenant "Rot" Max Todtraum of Jasta 7.
"Red" Max may be a Sprog, but that is a dangerous aircraft...

Day 3 over the Somme 1916

The third in my series of practice games.  I decided that I can`t start a proper campaign without gathering enough completed aircraft.  Meanwhile I`m running through some ideas for games
The RFC have decided that their usual BE2 artillery spotter planes are far too vulnerable.  Accordingly an escort of FE2b two seaters has been arranged from 21 Sqn.  As a large but well armed aircraft it is felt that this can keep the attacks by the Roland to a minimum.

Little do the RFC realise but I`ve just completed a pair of Rumpler two seaters, which have both a forward firing machine gun and rear gunner.  

Steady Algy Soubry in the BE2 on an Artillery spotting mission again flying solo to save on weight, with just his shotgun for company.

The Rumpler of Leutenant Sigmund Wank, of the infamous Dusseldorf Wanks

Poor Algy doesn't see the Rumpler closing in

Too late he turns but Sigmund Wank is all over him and spurts out a pair of hits.  Algy is down in flames, but amazingly survives the crash.

RFC FE2b of 21 Sqn DH2  "The Bullingdon Boys"
Lt. Dominic Rabies and 2nd Lt Andrew Leadsome
Lt. Peter Patel and 2nd Lt B.F Mosley

Sigmund leads the FE2bs over the lines.

Lt. Rabies plane falls off its magnet.  The huge FE2b is the only plane I have problems with.  Its centre of balance is terrible and the small piece of steel has trouble holding it.  On the newer model I used a 1 cent piece that gives a far better grip.  I take this as a spin.  Dominic drops to the ground , but I gave him the chance to recover it, which he did...

Patel and Mosely press on.

With a great field of fire the FE2b should have an advantage, but not with shooting like that.

And again.  Lt. Rabies gets the plane into position but 2nd Lt Mosely's shooting is dire.  

Recovered from the spin Lt Rabies climbs to get back in the fight.

Not looking good for the Rumpler as Sigmund heads for the table edge in a cynical attempt to flee

Ah, but the Blue baron has been upgraded to a Fokker Eindekker

Von Pumphosen fires, oblivious to the fact that he is three bands too high

But the Rumpler comes back and gets a sly burst into the side of  Rabies and Leadsome.

But the damn thing comes off its stand again.   I`ll take that as a kill then!

Meantime the Baron kills off the other FE2b,  Here is the grisly undershot.  I haven't bothered with the undersides too much, no roundals, but that cent coin makes a huge difference in terms of stability.

A win for the Hun!   

Next game... Enter the Sopwith Pup.

Day 2 over the Somme 1916

Day 2 over the Somme 1916.  The Blue Baron, Manfred Von Pumphosen, is scouting over the lines.  He wants to shoot down Allied spotter planes.
Named the Blue Baron because of his swearing Manfred sees a British patrol and gains height to creep up on it.

The Baron, trying out bigger height, ammunition and aircraft robustness dice.

The RFC patrol, Dominic Rabies and his gunner Andy Leadsome in the escorting FE2B and Steady Algy Soubry in the BE2 on an Artillery spotting mission.

 The BE2 had real power issues, and frequently a pilot would fly solo without the spotter to save weight and give the plane some kind of better performance.

Up against German Engineering technology however...

The blinds go down.

Dodging around the balloon the Baron spots the RFC patrol below him.

The British split up, the FE2B goes for the German, and Steady Algy tries to get clear.

But the Blue Baron sweeps in, and that gunnery speaks for itself.

The FE2b goes down in flames.

The Baron moves in, and I finally realise he's too high to shoot.

Algy dives for the deck, and fires his shotgun with predictable results.  The Roland CII is far too high anyway

The Baron dives  over the lines but Steady Algy Soubry is already too low.  Next turn he makes it off table.  The Baron is on three kills.  Time to upgrade him to a Fokker Eindekker I think.

In the next game Algy will once again be the bait in the trap, but in the spirit of Anglo French cooperation the Baron will be facing Maurice Le Coq in his Nieuport 11.