Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Photographs of Glory

Tonight at the club our Wings of Glory mission was to conduct a photographic reconnaissance.  I had control of a Sopwith Snipe and Bristol Fighter, the latter carrying the all important camera.  In support was a Sopwith Camel piloted by Greg. His plane was fresh out of the box and had just been purchased today, neat.

The British faced three Fokker triplanes under control of the two Steves.

The Bristol Fighter with its two escorts heads towards the target (lower left hand corner).

The Bristol Fighter survives the first pass of the Fokkers and has a clear run to the target.

Snap.  The first part of the mission is accomplished.  Note wreck of a previous attempt to photograph the location.

The Fokkers swarm the Bristol Fighter, hoping to down it before it can return home with its precious photographic plates.

The Bristol Fighter toughs it out.  One of the Fokkers starts to burn.

A Fokker explodes after being shot up by the Snipe.

Perhaps it is time to head for home?

Nah, there is time for the Camel to get in its first kill - great result Greg for your Camel's maiden flight.

Snipe and Camel.

The last Fokker takes more damage from the Snipe and goes down in flames.  Game over.

We were playing with altitude, but all started at the same position and no one dived or climbed.  I thought about diving with the Bristol Fighter when it started its home run, but considered that wouldn't be sporting.

For this game we were using opportunity fire.  Basically, if planes could have got in a shot during their movement, we allowed them a single card shot if they didn't have a target at the end of their move.  If it was a head on, as can be seen in the first photo, we allowed a double card shot.  In that particular case the planes end up with their bases just overlapping.  Under the normal rules this would have meant no shot, but clearly they had plenty off opportunity to fire on their approach.  Opportunity fire seems to work, but more games are needed to confirm practicality of the mechanism. 

All planes and terrain from Stephen N's extensive collection, but the Camel was Greg's.

6 comments:

  1. Very nice. I like the clear a/c bases over the map, very effective. As are the flame markers!

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    1. I can't take any credit for them. I like my smoke markers and need to make some flame markers, one of these days.

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  2. It's pictures and terrain and reports like this that make me want to play this period. they bring back memories of my teen years playing Avalon Hill's Richtofen's War. Lovely stuff.

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    1. Thanks. My motivation is mainly so that I have a record of games etc to look back on in my Autumn years (should I be so lucky), but I actually have fun doing the write ups and if someone likes reading them, well, that's a double plus good.

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  3. Nice pictures! I particularly like the shots where you are in among the planes. The shot of the Halberstadt a few posts back being one that was particularly good.

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  4. I've just started using a new camera. When my mum wanted a camera a few years back I got her one the same as mine, just a slightly newer model. Mines been a bit dodgy for a while and as she can no longer use her camera I have taken to using it as an early inheritance.

    My old one was silver and this new one is black. I think that makes all the difference :-)

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