The Hangman
12 March 2024, 08:38 PM
After Action Report: Balloon Busting over Verdun
Custom scenario played solitaire using both Richtofen’s War and Dawn Patrol rules.
September 1917, near Verdun. A German Drachen balloon floats above the blasted hellscape at 900 meters, protected by three AA 77mm flak cannons and six MGs. Upon sighting enemy aircraft, the observers will bail out and balloon pulled down at 150 meters per turn. If lowered to 300 meters, it will be considered too dangerous to be attacked with all its ground MGs in range.
Commentary of each turn to be found under photo.
Sergeants Willi in Albatross DVa (#3) and Ernst in Albatross DVa (#4), are flying combat air patrol at 1500 meters. Starting on Turn 1 on a D6 of 4-6, they will enter from Northeast of the map to check on the Drachen. On every successive turn a +1 will be added to their 1D6 roll.
Sous-Lieutenant Jean Marc in Spad XIII (# 1), with his wingman Sgt. Serge in Spad XIII (#2) enter West on map at altitude 1500 meters.
https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/431319659_3725836934400651_9030121996866035368_n.j pg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=5f2048&_nc_ohc=1-PgcJxorHwAX8ZRu4o&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDZphhjJHJqOtL9VQ7D2jA-f6qbCMYqVtNlTotFMWX7Eg&oe=65F5759B
Turn 1
Upon entering the map the French Spads achieve initial surprise, and the Balloon fails to spot them. Both planes dive to 900 meters to close in. The Albatrosses do not make their entry roll. So far, so good.
https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/432561456_3725837584400586_7826789445891717679_n.j pg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=5f2048&_nc_ohc=e0LshNIdYzsAX-UtKPw&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfB3JrtYiPeTL4rH4QcZnRC-fWGtgjOk9bPzBeuSHCR8IA&oe=65F5FCC1
Turn 2
Now alerted, the observers spot the Spads and quickly bail out of the balloon. As the ground crew begin to pull it down, the 77mm flak guns open up. Jean Marc in Spad #1 closes in on balloon and opens fire, as his wingman covers him.
He gets four hits on the Drachen, but his incendiary bullets fail to ignite it. Jean Marc’s Spad is bracked by AA bursts, and suffers six damage points, along with a critical hit to his engine reducing his speed by four movement points. Usually bad luck, even considering how dangerous it is to attack a heavily defended balloon.
The Albatrosses make their entry DR, and appear. The Germans pilots dive to intercept Jean Marc’s Spad. Serge bravely climbs to face both Albatrosses alone to protect Lt. Jean Marc, who dives his shot-up Spad to head back to his lines. The Drachen descends to 750 meters.
https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/432500491_3725837471067264_727604401566526330_n.jp g?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=5f2048&_nc_ohc=V1bfZtUpMJYAX-EJhXM&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBkYOWJsUBA834W56zImwIVZSAV0jDDdfnZbCsGAY8I ww&oe=65F51D9C
Turn 3
Serge goes for an angled frontal attack with Willi’s Albatross and makes a deflection shot outside the German’s arc of fire. His shooting is poor, making only one hit.
Willi, apparently the more experienced pilot, adroitly performs a loop, and gets on Serge’s tail. Ernst breaks off from his wingman to go after Jean Marc’s crippled Spad. Balloon descends to 600 meters.
https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/432561368_3725837137733964_6914250894831729913_n.j pg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=5f2048&_nc_ohc=-tD22D69jWcAX9asO5P&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBIMvOIy2qOh3qPgHww2WrKNMEGzLtr6QhO7LMpPKif cQ&oe=65F5BE17
Turn 4
Jean Marc desperately dives his Spad, trailing white smoke down to 500 meters to gain speed to escape. Willi’s split-second decision after his loop fails to anticipate Serge’s escape maneuver, and he circles left while Serge turns right.
Meanwhile Ernst pursues after the ailing Jean Marc’s Spad. The balloon descends to 450 meters, leaking gas. Feldwebels on the ground scramble about to make sure no one has a lit cigarette....
https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/432536807_3725837917733886_5566570563822144819_n.j pg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=5f2048&_nc_ohc=KREL5ePXfF8AX_nfrtp&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDRia4NkXlepawe88PoVxzbULCqS9kkxeybYVrD1lF6 _Q&oe=65F57777
Turn 5
Ernst gets two hits on the Jean Marc’s already ailing Spad. Serge desperately races to engage Ernst to get him off his wingman’s tail. The Drachen now arrives safely at 300 meters, unlikely to be attacked again with multiple ground MG’s in range to protect it.
https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/432496758_3725837697733908_3864148159862210515_n.j pg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=5f2048&_nc_ohc=JuteOBbN6LUAX_24AG9&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDBw2ph0tnvenvJD_KBSOaIlxGpglPygDQCKDo5tADa pQ&oe=65F5355B
Turns 6 & 7
Willi maneuvers his purple and green-winged Albatross to vector on Jean Marc’s escaping Spad. He speeds full throttle, and takes a tail shot, getting two hits on the already bullet-perforated French fighter. Jean Marc’s Spad is now a flying sieve with only one damage point remaining.
Serge has a perfect shot at Ernst's Albatross at close range, but he must have flunked marksmanship while attending Pau flight school. His potential kill shot fumbles into a mere single hit.
Ernst is not going to give the Frenchie a second shot. He pulls his yellow and green-tailed Albatross in a tight loop, turning the tables on Serge and gets on the Spad's six o’clock position.
https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/432507323_3725837351067276_8073347904660061031_n.j pg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=5f2048&_nc_ohc=WF76zAbjdG4AX9kHWhG&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDWcXrPC4WvHKORLbFGY89ik_XQqb9mTvRD1fh_GApK MA&oe=65F5164E
Turn 8
Willi dives to 450 meters after Jean Marc, who hugs the ground at 200 meters. He fires his twin Spandau's. In the middle of the burst, his MG’s jam. But it’s enough to give Jean Marc's Spad the coup de grace. Despite the low attitude, luckless Jean Marc does not survive the crash.
Meanwhile, Serge takes advantage of his Spad’s awesome strength, and pushes his stick forward to dive steeply, arriving a mere 50 meters above the ground. Ernst deduced Serge would dive, does the same. But his DVa wings are not robust like the Spad’s to conduct the same steep descent, so the distance between them widens...
https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/432604341_3725837831067228_3227574673626794935_n.j pg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=5f2048&_nc_ohc=jycMh8CF1fcAX_h0SXB&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfB__xus6ZH1EZBLDPksrDsE8AuMxamvwuhdWQS68mfM eg&oe=65F52A29
Turn 9
Scraping the nape of the earth, Serge opens up his throttle for all its worth. The Spad’s mighty 220HP Hispano-Suiza roars like a lion and leaves Ernst’s pursuing Albatross DV5a far behind, heading for friendly territory. Ernst sees the futility to pursue his prey, and turns back to return to his Jasta’s airdrome.
Custom scenario played solitaire using both Richtofen’s War and Dawn Patrol rules.
September 1917, near Verdun. A German Drachen balloon floats above the blasted hellscape at 900 meters, protected by three AA 77mm flak cannons and six MGs. Upon sighting enemy aircraft, the observers will bail out and balloon pulled down at 150 meters per turn. If lowered to 300 meters, it will be considered too dangerous to be attacked with all its ground MGs in range.
Commentary of each turn to be found under photo.
Sergeants Willi in Albatross DVa (#3) and Ernst in Albatross DVa (#4), are flying combat air patrol at 1500 meters. Starting on Turn 1 on a D6 of 4-6, they will enter from Northeast of the map to check on the Drachen. On every successive turn a +1 will be added to their 1D6 roll.
Sous-Lieutenant Jean Marc in Spad XIII (# 1), with his wingman Sgt. Serge in Spad XIII (#2) enter West on map at altitude 1500 meters.
https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/431319659_3725836934400651_9030121996866035368_n.j pg?_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=5f2048&_nc_ohc=1-PgcJxorHwAX8ZRu4o&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDZphhjJHJqOtL9VQ7D2jA-f6qbCMYqVtNlTotFMWX7Eg&oe=65F5759B
Turn 1
Upon entering the map the French Spads achieve initial surprise, and the Balloon fails to spot them. Both planes dive to 900 meters to close in. The Albatrosses do not make their entry roll. So far, so good.
https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/432561456_3725837584400586_7826789445891717679_n.j pg?_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=5f2048&_nc_ohc=e0LshNIdYzsAX-UtKPw&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfB3JrtYiPeTL4rH4QcZnRC-fWGtgjOk9bPzBeuSHCR8IA&oe=65F5FCC1
Turn 2
Now alerted, the observers spot the Spads and quickly bail out of the balloon. As the ground crew begin to pull it down, the 77mm flak guns open up. Jean Marc in Spad #1 closes in on balloon and opens fire, as his wingman covers him.
He gets four hits on the Drachen, but his incendiary bullets fail to ignite it. Jean Marc’s Spad is bracked by AA bursts, and suffers six damage points, along with a critical hit to his engine reducing his speed by four movement points. Usually bad luck, even considering how dangerous it is to attack a heavily defended balloon.
The Albatrosses make their entry DR, and appear. The Germans pilots dive to intercept Jean Marc’s Spad. Serge bravely climbs to face both Albatrosses alone to protect Lt. Jean Marc, who dives his shot-up Spad to head back to his lines. The Drachen descends to 750 meters.
https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/432500491_3725837471067264_727604401566526330_n.jp g?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=5f2048&_nc_ohc=V1bfZtUpMJYAX-EJhXM&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBkYOWJsUBA834W56zImwIVZSAV0jDDdfnZbCsGAY8I ww&oe=65F51D9C
Turn 3
Serge goes for an angled frontal attack with Willi’s Albatross and makes a deflection shot outside the German’s arc of fire. His shooting is poor, making only one hit.
Willi, apparently the more experienced pilot, adroitly performs a loop, and gets on Serge’s tail. Ernst breaks off from his wingman to go after Jean Marc’s crippled Spad. Balloon descends to 600 meters.
https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/432561368_3725837137733964_6914250894831729913_n.j pg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=5f2048&_nc_ohc=-tD22D69jWcAX9asO5P&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBIMvOIy2qOh3qPgHww2WrKNMEGzLtr6QhO7LMpPKif cQ&oe=65F5BE17
Turn 4
Jean Marc desperately dives his Spad, trailing white smoke down to 500 meters to gain speed to escape. Willi’s split-second decision after his loop fails to anticipate Serge’s escape maneuver, and he circles left while Serge turns right.
Meanwhile Ernst pursues after the ailing Jean Marc’s Spad. The balloon descends to 450 meters, leaking gas. Feldwebels on the ground scramble about to make sure no one has a lit cigarette....
https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/432536807_3725837917733886_5566570563822144819_n.j pg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=5f2048&_nc_ohc=KREL5ePXfF8AX_nfrtp&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDRia4NkXlepawe88PoVxzbULCqS9kkxeybYVrD1lF6 _Q&oe=65F57777
Turn 5
Ernst gets two hits on the Jean Marc’s already ailing Spad. Serge desperately races to engage Ernst to get him off his wingman’s tail. The Drachen now arrives safely at 300 meters, unlikely to be attacked again with multiple ground MG’s in range to protect it.
https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/432496758_3725837697733908_3864148159862210515_n.j pg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=5f2048&_nc_ohc=JuteOBbN6LUAX_24AG9&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDBw2ph0tnvenvJD_KBSOaIlxGpglPygDQCKDo5tADa pQ&oe=65F5355B
Turns 6 & 7
Willi maneuvers his purple and green-winged Albatross to vector on Jean Marc’s escaping Spad. He speeds full throttle, and takes a tail shot, getting two hits on the already bullet-perforated French fighter. Jean Marc’s Spad is now a flying sieve with only one damage point remaining.
Serge has a perfect shot at Ernst's Albatross at close range, but he must have flunked marksmanship while attending Pau flight school. His potential kill shot fumbles into a mere single hit.
Ernst is not going to give the Frenchie a second shot. He pulls his yellow and green-tailed Albatross in a tight loop, turning the tables on Serge and gets on the Spad's six o’clock position.
https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/432507323_3725837351067276_8073347904660061031_n.j pg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=5f2048&_nc_ohc=WF76zAbjdG4AX9kHWhG&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfDWcXrPC4WvHKORLbFGY89ik_XQqb9mTvRD1fh_GApK MA&oe=65F5164E
Turn 8
Willi dives to 450 meters after Jean Marc, who hugs the ground at 200 meters. He fires his twin Spandau's. In the middle of the burst, his MG’s jam. But it’s enough to give Jean Marc's Spad the coup de grace. Despite the low attitude, luckless Jean Marc does not survive the crash.
Meanwhile, Serge takes advantage of his Spad’s awesome strength, and pushes his stick forward to dive steeply, arriving a mere 50 meters above the ground. Ernst deduced Serge would dive, does the same. But his DVa wings are not robust like the Spad’s to conduct the same steep descent, so the distance between them widens...
https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/432604341_3725837831067228_3227574673626794935_n.j pg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=5f2048&_nc_ohc=jycMh8CF1fcAX_h0SXB&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfB__xus6ZH1EZBLDPksrDsE8AuMxamvwuhdWQS68mfM eg&oe=65F52A29
Turn 9
Scraping the nape of the earth, Serge opens up his throttle for all its worth. The Spad’s mighty 220HP Hispano-Suiza roars like a lion and leaves Ernst’s pursuing Albatross DV5a far behind, heading for friendly territory. Ernst sees the futility to pursue his prey, and turns back to return to his Jasta’s airdrome.