|
J.D. Webster
United States
Unspecified
Unspecified
-
I put together this imaginary narrative based on 110-2's performance in the second main battle of the Ramrod to Berlin Mission game. The first battle has already been chronicled. Everything in the narrative can be traced to actual game play and die roll results. Note that this battle was fought with the WD rules
==============
Ride of the Valkyries
Ramrod to Berlin – second engagement
From the perspective of a green Bf 110G-2/R3 pilot.
I had been sitting in the ready shack with my section leader for over an hour, playing cards and listening to the adjutant field various telephone calls when the alert came at 1020. A large bomber formation with escorts was inbound and seemed to be angling toward Berlin. All air defenses are put on high readiness. My section leader and I are both relatively new to the squadron, but we have managed to complete all our qualifications on the big Zerstörers in better than average time. Today our 110s were loaded with rockets and they had been fitted with an extra battery of 20mm guns under the belly. These extra weapons made our planes clumsy but formidable at the same time. Looking at each other furtively, my section leader and I suited up and ambled to our aircraft. Already our gunners were there, checking their equipment. I climb into the cockpit and ready all the switches. I strap in with my “batman” helping me. At 1040 AM the scramble klaxon sounds and we fire up the engines. My section leader’s plane pulls out and taxis across the grass to the take-off position. I wave at my ground crew and they pull the chocks. I follow my leader. We line up side by side, check with control and are cleared to take off. Our orders are to join up with another group of heavy fighters and follow them into battle.
Our take offs are without incident and I pull in beside my leader. I check the intercom and my gunner responds that everything is ready. He is on the radios with control. We climb slowly to 22,000 feet and follow the course given by sector control. My section leader looks in my direction every now and then and gives me the thumbs up. We are ready to defend the Fatherland. For twenty minutes we turn this way and that. I have not seen the other heavy fighters. Control wants to know our fuel state. We are fat on the gas. Suddenly on the intercom, my gunner shouts “fighters!”. I turn around in my seat. “Where?”. “Right rear, high and closing in”. I call my section leader and he immediately starts a turn to the right, both of us looking around and then I see them. A flight of four fighters, curving toward us. “Get ready!”. But my section leader suddenly rolls out and waggles his wings. One of the fighters responds with a waggle and then I realize that they are comrades. Still my heart is pumping. They fall in behind us and slightly high. They are 109s, with cannon pods. Well, this is a good thing. Now, we have help.
We climb higher until contrails start streaming back from our engines and my leader descends again until they stop. Without warning, my section leader accelerates and I fall behind slightly, then the 109s behind jettison their belly tanks. We must be close. I look ahead and finally I see flashes in the distance. Tiny explosions far away. Then I make out the enemy bombers. Lots of them. One or two tumble away in flames. There is a fight going on! My leader picks a group of enemy bombers and curves in behind them. He gives me the hand signal to spread out and get ready to fire rockets. This is all happening so fast. Ahead of us, the bomber group seems somewhat dispersed. Some of the planes are trailing smoke. I see a few minnows darting among the big fish. Fighters. Far below I see some silver fighters with elliptical wings diving away. Thunderbolts! But now I must focus on my attack. My leader has steadied up driving straight into the rear of the enemy formation. He fires his rockets and they explode without effect among the enemy. I pick a bomber and fire my rockets as well. There is noise and flashes of lights as they streak away and then four large puffs of black smoke appear ahead of the formation. Nothing! But I have guns and lots of them. Ahead of me is a bomber. Its tail is sparkling. It takes a second before I realize that the tail gunner is letting us have it. I have no time to think. I am very close, too close! The bomber seems enormous. I am pointed at its wings and I barely touch the trigger, unleashing the power of my four 20mm and two 30mm cannons, when suddenly there is a violent blast and a large orange ball of fire and smoke blossoms in front of me. I fly right through it and parts of the enemy bomber bang off of my plane. Something shatters the canopy behind my head, between myself and the gunner. Somehow, I avoid hitting the bigger pieces of the broken and blazing enemy plane. I turn sharply left, and a 109 passes over me, guns blazing away at some target to my right.
In front is another bomber. I am caught off guard when my leader slides in front of me blazing away with all his cannons at it and I see chunks fly off the enemy bomber. Then he turns aside and it is my turn. This is all happening in mere seconds. I tap the triggers again and the effect of my cannon cluster is impressive. The B-17 dips and then its right wing folds upwards and it is instantly lost to my view. But beside it is another bomber and I close in to point blank range. Enemy tracers are zipping across my canopy, inches above my head. I place my gunsight squarely on the center of the enemy bomber from slightly below. I fire and there is an enormous flash of light and a thunderous boom. My aircraft is jolted severely and tossed around by a sudden shock wave. My shots have detonated the enemy bomber’s bomb load and it has simply disappeared from sight.
My airplane is behaving strangely as I pass to the left of the bombers and try to turn. A quick glance shows large tears and numerous holes and scorch marks on my wings. Fuel is streaming back from one wing. My plane has been badly damaged by the blast of the enemy’s bombs. But my engines are still running and battle lust has its grip on me. I turn to parallel the bombers for another pass. Bad move. The impact of enemy machine gun bullets brings me back to reality. The gunners have the range again. I bank away.
Over the radio I hear a warning. “Mustangs!” As I struggle with the plane and enter a dive, I see a 109 also diving not far away. I call on the radio for my leader. “I am disengaging” he replies. The bomber formation is forgotten for the moment. Turning sharply I finally spot my leader, quite some distance away, diving vertically. Then with a chill, I see two small planes chasing him. “Mustangs on your tail” I shout. But there is nothing I can do to help. He is too far away. I go into my own dive. I call my gunner. He is silent. Checking the mirror I can see him moving but there is blood around the cockpit. Then, with a start, I see a stream of tracers pass off to the side. I turn sharply, followed by more tracers. Crap! A Mustang from out of nowhere overshoots to the outside of me and I reverse under him. My damaged plane protests every move with shuddering and creaks. Again I reverse keeping the Mustang at bay. But this cannot last. For a second I lose sight of it. Maybe he has given up on me? I am wrong. Seconds later, a fusillade of bullets tears into my plane ripping into the wings and tail. I can no longer control it. Total fear grips me. “Get out! Gert out!” I shout into the intercom as I release the hood of my canopy. The horizon is spinning crazily and for a moment I am stuck to the side of my cockpit. With some effort I pry myself loose and suddenly I am falling in silence through the air, the sound of an airplane engine receding in the distance.
Luckily my parachute works okay and in a few moments I am clumsily thumping down into a farmer’s field. I sit on the ground dazed for a few minutes then struggle up. I see a motorcycle with a sidecar in the distance heading my way. In a few hours I will be back on my way to the squadron. My injuries are slight. I am lucky.
Later I will be credited with three bomber kills on my very first intercept and given a promotion and congratulated for my efforts. Sadly, my gunner’s body is recovered from the wreck of my plane. He never bailed out. My section leader and his gunner are also lost. They were badly shot up by the two Mustangs that chased them and crashed while attempting an emergency landing. My only thoughts are that I haven’t a chance in hell of surviving this war…
Oblt. Alex R.
===========
More details of the battle will be posted once this gets okay'd by the BGG honchos.
J.D. Webster
-
Steve Bishop
United Kingdom
Lytham St. Annes
Lancashire
-
Oh No! This one is now calling to me from the shelf and I have sooooo many unplayed games
What a great AAR.
-
J.D. Webster
United States
Unspecified
Unspecified
-
This battle was part of a long term mission game played by a group of players over the last few years using PBEM. The mission was just recently completed. It took 47 operational game turns to play. There were three major fights with the bombers and a number of small skirmishes between opposing fighters or German fighters and straggling bombers. This particular AAR was created from the second main bomber fight. The first one's AAR has been sitting here in BGG for quite a while. Since the mission was just completed, I've been compiling all the statistics and results and am able to report more of the outcomes.
JD
-
J.D. Webster
United States
Unspecified
Unspecified
-
Summary of the fight in game terms:
Op-turn 17 (1040AM), the two 110s take off from their airfield and climb to 6,600 feet. Other fighters take off from other fields to start forming up.
Op-turn 18, the 110s climb to 22,000 and trail after other flights of 410s and 109s that are heading left down the operational mission track to meet the incoming Americans.
Op-turn 19, the Germans decide to back-track to the right and form a single large attack group. all player controlled 109s join into one formation. Two flights of 190s join together. And a random en route event delivers four extra cannon armed 109s which join on the 110s who have climbed to 24,800. These extras will remain in play through op-turn 21.
Op-turn 20, The Americans are getting closer and flying at 24,000. All German formations climb up to 25,000+ to start the final grouping and discover from the referee that they are now contrailing. The 110s are not yet in the same OMT dot position as the others and cannot join up.
Op-turn 21, The Germans preempt the bomber formation and move first to an intercept position while dropping down below the contrail level. The 410s will lead the attack and they are joined by the 109 group and the Fw 190s. Due to formation join up limits per game turn, the 110s and their extra 109s cannot join the main battle group. They will attack separately.
In the intercept and combat phase the 410 led attack group succeeds in intercepting as do the 110s. But since the 110's intercept later their attack becomes a second battle arriving 3-4 minutes after the first. The first battle is completed as written up before, with six bomber losses and several bombers shot up in less than two minutes of combat time. At the end of the first battle, only three P-51s remain with the 16 surviving bombers in the formation. This is when our two 110s and the four cannon armed 109s arrive.
JD
-
J.D. Webster
United States
Unspecified
Unspecified
-
Summary of the fight continued:
Moving to Tactical Scale play - the 110s and their 109s arrive on the Tactical Maneuvering Gridd (TMG) on the flank of the bombers and a lucky position roll puts them in a range band close to the bombers. They take one tactical turn to maneuver to a position for a rear attack on the B-17 formation. The Americans spot them coming and they have the option of detaching the three Mustangs to hit the incoming group and force a separate battle. They decide not to as the odds would be three Mustangs against six German fighters and besides, they need the Mustangs to hang with the bomber formation as the distance to Berlin is still quite large. So the Americans pass on initiating combat and let the Germans commence their rear attack. This is a tactical mistake by the Americans, but they did not know that the extra 109s would be disappearing at the end of this op-turn anyway so a chance to spare the bombers another devastating attack is lost.
Setting up Combat Scale Play: The Americans set up their bombers and park their Mustangs about 2500 to 3000 feet higher off to the left side of the bombers. This is another tactical error as it will take the Mustangs about four to five turns to get into attack position on the inbound Germans and the Germans get to set up close enough to the bombers to start firing on game turn two. Though the bombers initially set up in tight formation, the Germans get die rolls to cause "scatters" which disperse the formation a bit and which produces some stragglers. The Germans decide to have the low B-17 squadron on the right side of the formation opposite the Mustangs scattered a bit and set up so as to attack this ragged side. All six Germans are in the rear of the bombers and they know they have 3-4 turns of grace to do their thing.
The Germans open up with a rocket volley from the 110s but bad dice result in all misses. Now it is up to the duel between the heavily armed German fighters and the big gun 110s. The 110s are very lethal due to their twin belly cannon packs and mix of 20mm and 30mm nose guns. Against this type of firepower, the twin fifty tail guns, turret guns and single waist guns are quite outmatched.
On turn two - the Germans close in to gun range.
To be continued:
JD
-
oystein eker
Norway
Unspecified
sola
-
Great read!
Must be Mission 250 -6 march 1944 with the heavy losses on both sides. And no escort in front it could be the disaster inbound formation split over Osnabruck.
A brave or stupid 110 pilot who attacks B17 from behind. No surprise end to this awesome AAR.
Guess you go up in game time scale if you fly wide around for a second head on attack? Takes alot of game turns just for a half second burst.
Almost impossible to hit with rockets. (Not sure how the timing is simulated). All you can hope for is to open the formation and maybe create a straggler or two.
-
J.D. Webster
United States
Unspecified
Unspecified
-
Turn by turn summary: Game turns 1 to 4.
Note that due to damage and losses in the first battle, the former high squadron, bombers 7 to 12 have moved into the leading position, swapping places with the former leading squadron. Former leader Bombers 1 (bombsight disabled), 3, and middle squadron, bombers 21 and 22 now form the new high squadron. Bombers 13 to 18 form the low squadron.
Game Turn 1:
The Germans close the distance to firing range.
Defensive fire engages both 110s and three of the 109s. Due to being at the limits of defensive gun range, damage to the Germans is slight. Both 110s suffer 1 hit each and 109-1 is missed. The other 109s are out of range of available defensive guns (most fire on the 110s).
110-1 fires rockets and misses
110-2 fires rockets and misses
109-1 fires on Bomber 12 but misses.
109-2 fires on Bomber 18 but misses and jams one wing cannon pod.
109-3 and 109-4 are not yet in range.
The Mustangs roll into inverted banks and start dropping their noses into dives. So far the Americans have been lucky.
Game Turn 2:
Due to their high closing speeds, the German fighters move in to very close ranges on their selected targets. The Mustangs are now in vertical dives picking up speed. Some bombers are in slips to try and close up formation and this affects their fire.
At these ranges defensive fire is hot and heavy. 110-1 is hit hard (4 hits) and its right engine is set on fire (minor fire). 110-2 is also shot up for 4 hits and 1 critical hit (hollow space). 109-1 is missed and 109-2 and 109-3 each take one point of damage. 109-4 is ignored as no unused defensive guns are left to fire on it.
110-1 blasts Bomber 9 for 17 hits and 9 critical hits and the rugged bomber survives but one of the hits is a wing spar hit.
110-2 fires on Bomber 16 and the target's fuel tanks explode (lucky critical hit), this is kill no. 1. However, the 110 is too close and explosion debris hits the 110 for 4 hits and a cockpit critical that wounds the gunner and puts him out of action. In a mere 2 turns this plane has suffered 9 points of damage.
109-1 fires on Bomber 12 getting good hits but none fatal.
109-2 fires on Bomber 18 again, this time getting good hits.
109-3 fires on Bomber 10 inflicting slight damage.
109-4 lines up on Bomber 12
Game Turn 3:
Mustangs 1 and 2 angle for the leading 110 but are still out of range. Mustang 3 draws into range on 109-3. The German fighters are in the midst of the bomber formation, passing up some bombers to attack those further up front. They are engaged by defensive fire from all sides.
Defensive fire is not blessed with good die rolls. Both 110s are missed as is 109-1. 109-2 gets smacked hard by defensive fire for 6H/2C suffering a fuel leak and a hollow critical. 109-3 takes 2 hits and 109-4 is ignored as no guns are left to engage it.
110-1 flies past the Bomber 9 of and turns toward bomber 1. The rear gunner of 110-1 fires on Bomber 9 but misses as they pass it.
110-2 passes up the low squadron and turns toward Bomber 9 and fires at medium range, doing 5 hits and 3 critical hits of damage. One critical is control cables severed and another is a wing blown off resulting in bomber 9 going down. This is 110-2's second kill.
109-1 has a great shot ripping bomber 8 for 18 hits and 8 critical hits but somehow the bomber staggers on.
109-2 (a recruit pilot) manages only to do 3 hits and 1 critical on Bomber 13.
109-3 also fires on bomber 8 scoring hits, but it defies death. This bomber is now severely damaged.
109-4 finally joins the action, firing at bomber 12 and doing some damage.
P-51-3 fires on 109-3 at long range and misses. But next turn, the Mustangs will be pulling into range.
In a stroke of luck, the fire in 110-1's right engine blows itself out.
Game Turn 4:
Consternation about the Mustangs closing in affects the Germans. 110-1 turns toward the high squadron and goes into a dive. 109-2 flies past the low squadron and puts his nose down in a dive. 110-2 presses on into the leading squadron and closes to point blank range on the severely damaged bomber 8. 109-1 passes up bomber 8 to fire on the formation leader bomber no. 7. 109-3 breaks sharply right from the leading squadron and attacks bomber 14 at point blank range. This attack has dire consequences for it. 109-4 shifts from firing at Bomber 12 to firing at Bomber 10 (due to over-running bomber 12).
Defensive fire is hot and heavy still: 109-4 is hit in the engine and suffers a coolant leak. 109-3 takes a full burst into its nose which seizes its engine and disables its nose machine guns. 109-1 takes a single hit and 109-2 is ignored as it dives away. Bullets rip into 110-1's other engine causing a step loss in power and defensive fire totally misses 110-2 despite it being at range 0 to Bomber 8.
110-1 fires on Bomber 1 but misses automatically since it was out of his vertical gun arc (player miscalculation).
110-2 fires on Bomber 8 doing sufficient damage to finish it off, but also detonating the bomb load. Again explosion damage rips the 110, this time for 4 hits and another 2 criticals. This 110 is now severely damaged. 110-2 is turning out to be his own worst enemy by consistently blowing himself up along with his targets (Wile E. Coyote or Yosemite Sam comes to mind). This is 110-2's third kill. Note that none of the other Germans have scored kills in this fight.
109-1 empties the last of his wing cannon ammo into Bomber 7, but the bomber shrugs off the heavy hits.
109-2 dives out
109-3 fires its remaining guns into bomber 14 even as it's windmilling prop slows down. Then via bad luck, 109-3 also collides with the bomber which destroys the 109. Its pilot is able to bail out later. The Bomber, largely unhurt by previous action, survives the collision though it suffers heavy damage from it.
109-4 rips big holes in Bomber 10 but again, no fatal critical hits are inflicted.
P-51-3 redirects his flight path to get behind 110-2. Mustangs 1 and 2 swing toward 110-1.
At this juncture the main German attack is over as the Mustangs are joining the fray. The 110s can't out maneuver Mustangs and the cannon armed 109s are also at a disadvantage. 109-1 has no wing gun ammo left and only one shot of nose cannon left. 109-2 is already headed out. 109-3 has been destroyed and 109-4 has a coolant leak forcing him to throttle back sharply. The 110s are not in position to make an additional attack on any bombers due to their speed as they will next fly out the front of their respective target formations.
JD
-
J.D. Webster
United States
Unspecified
Unspecified
-
Conclusion of Battle:
I don't have enough notes to reconstruct the remainder of the fight in total detail but here is the gist of it.
On turn 5 109-2 is declared disengaged as he speeds away.
On turn 6 both 109-1 and 109-4 also disengage. 109-4 will eventually suffer an engine failure from his coolant leak but will make a safe emergency landing.
Both 110s go into dives with a pair of Mustangs following 110-1 and Mustang 3 following 110-2. On turn 5 defensive fire inflicts 1 more hit on 110-2.
110-1's fate - all things considered, 110-1 is not in bad shape. Only 1 engine is operating at reduced power. The Mustangs aren't as close to him as the single one was to 110-2. A vertical screaming dive takes the 110 to lower altitudes where its maneuverability is better. Through a combination of good moves and good initiative luck, 110-1 keeps the Mustangs at bay for and unable to fire for 12 game turns. However, the Mustangs eventually do close in to gun range and on turn 17 Mustang 1 opens fire and misses then overshoots. Mustang 2, a green pilot can't seem to get into a decent position. With clever negative-gee pushes and nicely timed pitch backs the 110 masterfully keeps Mustang 1 off balance. Not until turn 22, does anything happen. The Mustang's wingman manages to hit the 110 for 1 point and then again on turn 23 for a few more points before overshooting in the opposite direction. Through excellent play the 110 enters a dive and succeeds in getting an earned disengagement 5 turns later out pacing the Mustangs. The Mustangs break off and climb back toward the bombers. Though 110 has survived the fight it does have a damaged engine, requiring it to do a landing incident check when it returns to base. In a stroke of bad luck, he rolls a landing incident which ends up being a fatal crash. All that work for naught.
110-2's fate: Being severely damaged, this 110 cannot dive that fast. It only takes a few game turns for Mustang 3 to catch up with it. On turn 10, the Mustang pulls into range and fires a long shot but misses. The 110 dives and rolls away and a few turns later (T14) the Mustang closes in but with a high angle shot and misses again. Risking overstress, the 110 turns sharply while diving and rolling and keeps the Mustang out of position, but its energy is bleeding fast. Finally the Mustang gets into a tailing position and the 110 cannot dodge its next attack which occurs on turn 19. A good burst by the Mustang causes the 110 to take hits exceeding its max capacity and it is destroyed.
Based on its shoot down altitude the 110 crew is allotted three chances each to bail out. Each failure to bail out is a negative modifier to the next try. 110-2's pilot fails his first two attempts and only on his last try does he make a successful die roll. The gunner, having a negative modifier for being wounded never makes it out.
In the operational game there is a table for the fate of bailed out air crew. The table varies depending on the territory. Being over Germany, the pilot's fate is rolled on the "friendly territory" column and results in the pilot being rescued. The only other possibility is the slight chance of the pilot going MIA, which would mean his parachute failed to open or he landed in woods broke his leg and starved to death or some other such imagined fate like being mistakenly shot by civilians confusing him with American fliers.
That concludes this AAR.
JD
-
|
|
|
