Next Tuesday, 5th December, there’s a late 1917 game of Knights of the Sky, the club WW1 aerial dogfighting multiplayer game. This will be a dawn patrol over the trenches in December 1917, with a free for all dogfight between the French, British, Belgian and German pilots. If you have a flight stand and suitable model plane (late 1917) then bring them along. If not, there will be a number available on a first come first served basis.
Tally Ho!
There’s been a slight change of plan for the Bag the Hun multiplayer game on Tuesday 21st but otherwise it’s all systems go for a late war scenario, actually set on 21st November 1944.
The new scenario is based on the exploits of the 336th Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Group, the fabulously named ‘Rocketeers’. This will involve a dogfight at medium to low level in heavy over cast conditions, with the 336th in their P51-D Mustangs engaging a formation of FW-190’s and Bf109’s to the West of Merseberg in Saxony-Anhalt.
The historical action featured three kills for the 336th ‘Rocketeers’ CO Captain Fred Glover, who will make an appearance as a Junior Ace in the game. The Luftwaffe will be appearing (and disappearing) in strength, as they zoom in and out of the overcast. The scenario will make use of some lightly tweaked rules for flying in cloud cover and will inevitably involve some ‘bogeys’ to add a bit of fun!
Tally Ho!
On the 21st November there’s another Bag the Hun 2 game at the club, this time featuring a combat box formation of 8th Air Force B17G’s being attacked by the fighters of the Luftwaffe, somewhere over Germany in early 1945.
There are seven players already signed up to play and one place remaining for anyone who would like to fly for the Fatherland or for good old Uncle Sam. Alan will be leading the Luftwaffe while the job of USAAF fighter leader is up for grabs!
The game will feature P51D Mustang, P38J Lightning and P47D Thunderbolt ‘Little Friends’ as escorts for the ‘Heavies’, while the Luftwaffe will be flying FW190A8’s, FW190D9’s, Bf109K’s and Me262’s, in an attempt to shoot down the ‘Dicke Autos’. There may even be some Me163 Komet rocket powered interceptors!
Pauke! Pauke!
The Royal Air Force won a decisive victory against the outnumbered German Imperial Air Service in the club 1918 Knights of the Sky game this week. Despite an aggressive and effective defence by the pilots of Jasta 5, the Allied British and Belgian aircraft managed to knock out four out of five ground targets, with a Croix de Guerre being awarded to the lone Belgian pilot in his Hanriot HD-1 for exceptional trench strafing skill.
In the end, the arrival of RAF reinforcements meant that most of the Fokker DVII’s had been shot down by the end of the game, although several RAF machines had also been brought down in flames to crash in No Man’s Land. The ground attack rules seemed to work well but will be beefed up a bit for the next game to make damage from AA fire a lot more likely when aircraft are attacking ground targets (yellow specific dice rather than white general dice for damage will make it a bit less comfortable for the RFC!)
Thanks to everyone who took part. There will be another game in the run up to Xmas, which will be a seasonal scenario set in late 1917, setting the Royal Flying Corps and Aviation Militaire against the Luftstreitkräfte over the trenches of the Cambrai salient. The Germans will be counter attacking and will get the chance to do some trench strafing of their own this time round. More details will be posted closer to the event but you have plenty of time to glue together an Airfix, Esci or Revell model plane for the game!
I say old chap, on the 17th October there will be a multiplayer WW1 aerial game using the excellent club house rules Knights of the Sky.
The date is set for October 17th 1918, in the closing weeks of the war on the Western Front. The British, Americans and French are about to launch an offensive on the River Selle against the German front line.
In support of this assault, the RAF will be flying a ground attack mission by Sopwith Camels, with top cover from Se5a’s. The Germans in their Fokker DVII’s and Albatros DVa’s will be tasked with interception of the ground attack aircraft and disruption of the covering RAF scout machines. The odd Belgian may also be stooging around looking for a chance to settle some scores.
There are ten players signed up for the game but one place still remains for any aviators who want to Bag a Hun or Down a Tommy before the war ends. All aircraft models, rules and record sheets wil be provided but, if you have your own flight stands, then they would be very handy.
Tally Ho!
The Bag the Hun Two club multiplayer game, set in the skies over Berlin in April 1945, ended in a decisive victory for the Allies despite being slightly outnumbered by the Luftwaffe.
The Spitfire XIV’s of 610 Squadron did particularly well, using a combination of the ‘bounce’ and close range cannon fire to great effect. A DFC has been awarded to P/O Renfrey in recognition of his skill and leadership. Jolly Good Show!
Not to be outdone, Chuck and Bud of the 336th Fighter Squadron flew their P-51D’s in true ‘Rocketeers’ style, blasting the Krauts out of the sky. Although Bud has as yet failed to return from the mission, it is likely that he may have survived a crash landing in US held territory, so has been awarded a Purple Heart for wounds sustained in action. Yee Ha!
The Soviets also achieved some success in their light and agile La-7’s, and have claimed fourteen anti-fascist kills for no loss in he latest edition of Pravda! Major Martynovski has been awarded the Order of Lenin with dangly bits for his demonstration of inevitably superior proletarian tactics and for trouncing the decadent western capitalists at their own game. Huzzah!
However, it was a disappointing dogfight for the Jet Jockeys of 616 Squadron, whose Meteors failed to live up to expectations (although they didn’t actually blow up or plummet to the ground in a flat spin). The boffins at Farnborough are expecting a full report from Squadron Leader Stephens, as soon as he lands, in order to explain the Meteors apparent lack of air to air combat success. I say old chap, bad show!
The Luftwaffe put up a stiff fight but, unfortunately, ran out of time and fuel by the end of the game. The Fw190D ‘Dora’s did perform well and were able to hold their own, with the Me262’s also contributing to Allied losses. The late arrival of Fw190A8 and D9 reinforcements was just too late to swing the balance in the Luftwaffe’s favour.
In the final analysis, a lack of co-ordination and some serious ‘spotting’ failures meant that the enemy were able to inflict some telling damage on the Luftwaffe defenders, including the loss of the Top Ace Me262 rotte leader. Donner und Blitzen!!!!
Here are the overall Victory Points awarded by the Intelligence Officers back at HQ:
RAF = 17
USAAF = 11
VVS = 4
LUFTWAFFE = 18
Grand Total
AXIS = 18
ALLIES = 32
Tally Ho!
There’s a Bag the Hun 2 game on the 26th September.
This will be an April 1945 free for all dogfight over the outskirts of Berlin featuring the RAF, USAAF, VVS and, last but not least, the remnants of the Luftwaffe.
The game is fully booked up with players, who will each be assigned a pair of aircraft to fly, with the objective being to shoot down as many of the enemy as possible before their fuel goes ‘Bingo!’
If you’re coming along, please bring a pen or pencil and plenty of D6. If you have your own copy of the rules that would be really handy. Jim will provide all the aircraft, record sheets, cards and tiddly dice.
Tally Ho!
It’s all going Napoleonic next Tuesday with a game of General de Brigade, featuring two real, live French and British players.
‘Zut Alors!’ or should it be ‘Cor’Blimey!‘?
Anyway, the honour of France is a stake, so there will be no doubt be some close fought action, with plenty of colourful infantry and cavalry units to admire. A close run thing or a walkover for the massed French columns? We will have to wait and see!
Bof!
Gary is putting on his leather gear, polishing his helmet and whipping out his big forky thing to run a multiplayer game of Spartacus – A Game of Blood and Treachery on Tuesday this week. This has been a big hit at the club on a number of outings, with several players competing to be the top lanista, or the ‘host with the most’ (the most being dead rivals and top notch gladiatorial champions…..or at the very least a gladiator still in one piece by the end of the game).
All done in the best possible taste, of course.
This Tuesday we’re off to the North Atlantic for a 1/3000 scale multiplayer convoy vs. wolf pack game.
Convoy SC 75 was reported as sailing on the 18th March 1942 from Halifax NS with 30 ships and 5 escorts. This is a slow convoy, trying to maintain 8 knots. Wolf Pack Ziethen II is being formed in the North Atlantic all commanders in the area are expected to rendezvous as directed for an attack on the night of the 28th March.