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, 29 September 2010

19 Sqdrn. 'B' Flight - Artillery Spotting - April 12, 1917.

Zones 'A' & 'B'

Taking Part:

Pilots:

Lt. Harry Brandt

2nd Lt. Wendell Austen

2nd Lt. Peter Burnett

Two-Seater Aircraft (5 Sqdrn.):

Sgt. Brian Cornell w/ A/M Paul Pressing

Sgt. Owen Cadell w/ 2nd Lt. Max Faraday

Comments:

• What I feared would be a bright sun-lit day quickly began to deteriorate and by the time we reached our first assigned spotting area (‘B’) northeast of Mercatel it was raining. It took the 5 Sqdrn. lads a bit of time (archie was particularly heavy and Sgt. Cadell was driven off once). Finally Faraday contacted the battery and called in fire. We had turned to leave when we were jumped by an Alb. D-III and an Alb. D-II. I was in a long dogfight with the D-III but nothing came of it. Pressing caught the D-II as it climbed for another dive and apparently blew away some of its control lines; it abruptly climbed into the mist.

• We headed north to Zone ‘A’. Archie continued to be intense and for a short time I had to leave the flight fearing my craft might have been damaged. The rain let up and we had clouds at varying altitudes. We were close to the spotting site when Cornell (with Pressing) had to abort with engine damage (again archie). I sent Lt. Burnett to see them to the northern emergency field. After Faraday directed artillery fire we left and returned to Amiens by the back route, first passing over the northern field where we spotted neither of our planes.

• (This is the story Lt. Burnett related: after leaving us they were over the lines when two Alb. D-III’s attacked. Burnett tried to stay between the Huns and Cornell but one D-III was such a good flyer that the two of them ended up in a dog fight and he was unable to assist Cornell. (During the fight which lasted quite a long time Burnett said he only once had a shot.) Cornell caught a burst from the D-III that required they set the a/c down a couple hundred yards or so behind our side of the lines - but during their descent Pressing put enough rounds into the Hun to cause it to leave the fight. (You’ll remember it was Pressing that sent Richthofen limping home.) Cornell landed between shell craters and neither of the two was injured, and the plane, after some patching up will be back in service by tomorrow. Burnett was able to extricate himself from the dogfight and on his way to Amiens over-flew Cornell and Pressing who were on the ground talking with infantrymen.)

(signed) Lt. Harry Brandt


Mission Points:
Two zones spotted: 40

One Enemy a/c made to abort (Pressing): 3

One DH-4 aborted (Cornell/Pressing): -5

Mission deduction: 0

Mission TOTAL: 38

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