Bloody April - 1917 is a campaign game from Terry Goodchild’s ‘Wings over France’ rules for solitaire play of WWI aerial combat during the Battle of Arras. Like all the combat of the war the offensive took a terrible toll, but in the air the Allied losses were especially heavy compared to those of Germany. This campaign attempts to recreate that bloody month . . .

ASSIGNMENTS & REPORTS


To the Men of the Amiens Sector:

We are about to undertake a great offensive. It will prove to be a challenge for all of you and your aircraft. Because of the defensive nature of the Hun air strategy we must take the battle to him, which we will do with the utmost vigor. Remember always our primary responsibility is to provide assistance to the ground forces; this is the highest priority, and to do so, we must do everything possible to protect our reconnaissance and observation aircraft. Set forth and do battle knowing that with you are the confidence and heart-felt appreciation of a grateful nation.
Colonel J.B. Wagner-Stowe DSO
Commanding Officer, Amiens Sector

Wednesday, 7 July 2010

19 Sqdrn. 'B' Flight - Photo Reconnaissance - 9 April, 1917.

Objective: Photo Reconnaissance (Zone “B” - Marshalling Yards)
Taking Part:
Pilots:
Lt. G. Kipp-Parr
Lt. Henri LeMaris
2nd Lt. Wendell Austen
2nd Lt. P. Fellows
2nd Lt. A. Randell

Two-Seater Aircraft (5 Sqdrn.):
Sgt. Brian Cornell w/ Lt. Paul Pressing
Sgt. David Emmett w/2nd Lt. Cecil Hamilton

Comments:
• We began under very heavy cloud and there was some thought of aborting the mission altogether but I hoped it would clear somewhat by the time we reached the objective. I decided to give it go and kept the flight at one thousand feet for the entire time. As it turned out the whole mission was in heavy cloud with thunder and lightening at times.
• About eight miles out the motor in Sgt. Cornell’s DH-4’s started acting up and he signaled they were returning to Amiens. This left us with only one two-seater.
• East of the lines 2nd Lt. Randell (temp. replacement) was slightly wounded in the arm by machine gun fire. Given the choice to return to the emergency field or continue on, he elected to stay with us. As No. 5 were beginning to expose plates Sgt. Emmet’s DH-4 was hit twice, the first chasing him off, and while photographing he was hit in his wing. And then 2nd Lt. Randell took another round wounding him in the leg.
• Because the weather wasn’t improving and with Randell needing medical attention I aborted the mission after Emmett indicated he had exposed four plates.
• As it turned out all were worthless and the only information we could give was what we saw. (When we crossed over the lines outbound we were within sight of Vimy Ridge and it looked like a very intense battle was taking place in what was apparently a snow storm.)
• We saw no enemy aircraft, but seven different times we were hit by machine gun fire. In hindsight I realize I was wrong to keep us at that altitude; had we climbed a little we could have avoided it and faced only the occasional archie round.

(Signed) Lt. Giles Kipp-Parr, ‘B’ Flight, 19 Sqdrn.

Mission Points:
Photos (4 - useless): - 10
Scout pilot severely wounded (2nd Lt. Anthony Randell: - 20
Mission Deduction: 0
Mission TOTAL: - 30
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