Attack the Hun Aerodrome

This is an attempt to use Wings of Glory on a hex mat. We use hexes in order to simplify play over the Internet while staying isolated at home. Each aircraft has a number of different manoeuvres it can perform, but instead of being represented by arrows they are represented by hexes traversed.

The Hun aircraft had been getting a little too cocky, so Army HQ decided to give them a lesson and put them in their place. An Airco DH.4 was loaded with four 112 lb incendiary bombs and sent off to attack the Hun's hangers. Captain Jack "Casanova" Yates and Lieutenant William "Billy the Bishop" Tempest were given the job of escorting the DH.4. 

The DH.4 will be flying using my autopilot rules.

Captain Jack "Casanova" Yates would fly his grey-nosed Sopwith Camel. Lieutenant William "Billy the Bishop" Tempest had a new red-nosed Camel onto the top wings of which he had yet again persuaded his erks to paint two red hearts. The erks were still trying to find out the reason behind these two hearts, but it is still a mystery to them.

They took off from the aerodrome and headed towards the Hun aerodrome in line abreast. Approaching the aerodrome, they spotted two Fokker D.VII scouts heading straight towards them.

Turn 1:
The DH.4 and Yates both turned left while Tempest slipped left. Even the Fokkers both slipped left.

Turn 2:
The DH.4 turned back, lining itself up with the aerodrome. Yates turned back in. Tempest and both Fokkers moved straight ahead.

Turns 3 & 4:
The two sides continued to close, with both Fokkers heading straight for the DH.4.

Turn 5:
Both Camels turned in on the Fokkers as the Fokkers went head-to head with the DH.4.

The Fokkers dealt out lots of damage to the DH.4 before Blue Fokker's guns jammed.

Jack Yates made some nasty holes in Red Fokker as did the DH.4. Even Billy the Bishop got in a long range burst at the Red Fokker before even his guns jammed.

Turn 6:
Both Fokkers performed Immelmann turns, but the DH.4 managed to dodge them by turning to the right, away from the target. Both Camels turned sharply right but missed the Fokkers.

The observer in the rear of the DH.4 got of a quick burst but the aircraft's tail hindered his shooting. 

[When playing without altitude rules, we count two-seaters firing directly to their rear in what could be the blind spot as long range. Also we ignore all special damage for aircraft on autopilot.]

Turn 7:
The DH.4 turned left, back towards the target. The Red Fokker turned right towards the DH.4. All other aircraft flew slowly forward.

The observer in the DH.4 continued to fire at the Blue Fokker but without much success this time.

Turn 8:
The DH.4 turned left which surprised the Fokkers who both expected the bomber to continue straight forward. Jack Yates performed an Immelmann turn while Billy the Bishop turned in towards the Red Fokker. 

The DH.4 opened fire on the Blue Fokker. Billy the Bishop opened fire at close range on the Red Fokker, it was a good shot and he saw his target burst into flames.

Turn 9:
The DH.4 continued straight ahead and the Blue Fokker performed an Immelmann in order to get the bomber in his sights. The Camels attempted to get the Fokkers in their sights but failed. The Red Fokker performed a side slip.

[We have a house rule that if an aircraft that is on fire performs a side slip, then it draws a B damage card instead of an A damage card.]

The Blue Fokker exchanged fire with the observer in the DH.4 while the pilot of the DH.4 fired a short range burst into the already flaming Red Fokker.

This was more damage than the Red Fokker could take, and it plummeted earthwards in flames.

Turn 10:
The Fokker turned onto the tail of the DH.4. Both Camels guessed that the Fokker would try to finish off the DH.4. 

Jack Yates got into a tailed position and opened fire on the Fokker, but his guns jammed rather badly. Even the observer in the DH.4 opened fire on the Fokker. The Fokker fired a close range burst into the DH.4 hitting the observer.

This was too much for damage for the DH.4 to take, it flipped over and dived earthwards.

Turn 11:
The Fokker was now badly damaged, so it performed an Immelmann turn in the hope of getting away.

Turn 12:
Both Camels turned after the Fokker.

Billy the Bishop opened fire. Jack Yates was trying hard to unjam his guns.

Turn 13:
The Fokker decided it wasn't possible to escape both Camel's, so he performed an Immelmann turn.

Billy the Bishop turned left, expecting the Fokker to try to dodge. Jack Yates guessed correctly and flew slowly forward.

Jack Yates and the Fokker exchanged bursts of machine-gun fire!

This was too much for the Fokker to take, Captain Jack "Casanova" Yates now had his third kill.

The Hun pilots had sacrificed themselves to shoot down the RFC bomber and saved their aerodrome's hangers from destruction!

Both RFC scout pilots returned safely to their own aerodrome, but no sign was seen of the bomber crew.

Captain Jack "Casanova" Yates celebrated his kill by taking out his matching pair of Holland & Holland double-barrelled shotguns and taking "Billy the Bishop" with him on a rabbit hunt.

Lieutenant William "Billy the Bishop" Tempest, having been the pilot that set the Fokker aflame, and noticing that the DH.4 crew hadn't returned, put in his own claim for the kill. 

The other two-seater pilots in the squadron questioned this, and whether Billy had actually tried to defend their comrades' DH.4, because Billy's Camel didn't have so much as a single bullet hole in it! All the two-seater crews believe that Billy hated the DH.4 pilots because one of them, when landing, ran over Billy's dog, Half, which was sleeping on the runway. Billy had two dogs, one named Half and the other Nelson. Half is buried behind the Officers' Mess.