Watch Your Six – AAR. May 29, 2009
BRITISH BOMBING RAID ON TONDERN
I shivered a bit and then shivered again as the parson continued to read the last rites for our departed leader. I don't think he much liked any of us. As a matter of fact he hated most of us. Waltz consider us unmotivated louts with little potential as pilots. Well, maybe that went for most but, as it turned out he had a pretty good opinion of myself.
Leutnant Friedrich Waltz was a solid military officer that really cared about how the unit performed what the unit accomplished. Waltz tirelessly worked to improved the pilots and crews of this unit from the day Kek Walz formed to the moment he crashed into a large oak. Waltz labored day and night to improve not only our flying skills, but also our theoretical skills. He also insisted that we conduct ourselves as officers gentlemen. In the case of Beltz that was a significant task indeed. Waltz always did too much, he led by example and he set a most distinguished example for the men under his command. In the this exemplary leadership proved to be his undoing.
After our raid on the British aircraft launch ships, most felt that the British raids would cease simply because British had been detected, they knew they been detected, and they could be attacked not only from the air but by our naval forces. No one expected that they would be back so soon and with such force. Late in the afternoon yesterday the weather was overcast and it looked like rain. No one would be flying in that kind of weather!
Then, with a warning, engines were heard approaching our airfields! Waltz didn't hesitate a second and ordered his mechanic to roll out his Rolland C.II. He called to Beltz and myself to do the same. Taking off in the fog can be risky business. We talked a lot about this after the collisions occurred when we attempted to bomb the British launch ships. Our new standing operating procedure dictated that one plane should take off at a time and that each aircraft would turn to the left or the right after attaining 500 feet of altitude. This way collisions could be avoided and we could then climb above the clouds to form up at predesignated altitudes.
Waltz was away in a flash! Try as I might I couldn't match the speed with which he got his aircraft off the ground. Nearly a minute passed before my wheels left the ground. Beltz followed closely after me. We never caught up with Waltz as the fog limited our vision. Indeed, we could hardly find each other.
Another KEK was visiting our airfield at the time of this raid (Jamie) and they too flew Rolland C.II's. Jamie's KEK began launching after our own little flight. Their flight leader's aircraft could not be started! This delayed all of the aircraft in the flight and ultimately, only two inexperienced pilots took to the air from Jamie's KEK.
When we finally broke through the fog, Waltz was already engaging a flight of Sopwith 1 ½ Strutters that were headed for the zeppelin ships. This unequal struggle tied up the entire British escort formation for a considerable period of time and allowed the rest of us time to try and detect the British bombers. The fog was breaking up and visibility improved by the minute.
Waltz exchanged gun fire with at least two of the British two-seaters doing damage to both. In return his Wahlfiche's engine collected a few slugs from his opponents.
Trailing smoke, Waltz broke off his attack and headed back towards Beltz and myself. Not long thereafter, black smoke belched from his engine and we could see he was having a hard time keeping his nose up. It was obvious that Waltz was trying to keep this plane airborne for a little longer in an attempt to land his plane after the fog cleared a little more. Alas! Waltz was too low and his aircraft was going too slow for him to make the airfield. His plane fluttered out of control and plummeted nose down into a small forest west of the Zeppelin sheds. Waltz and his observer both died when his plane impacted the trees.
This left four very inexperienced pilots facing two flights of Sopwith Strutters; single seat bombers (Sheldon ) and two seat escorts (John). Aircraft in these flights were inferior to our own but the pilots are much better. As we engaged the British, one of the escort pilots put on a flying clinic that scattered the four of us in every direction. When we tried to reform, British aircraft would disappear into the fog and reappear magically out of nowhere. Somehow it seemed we were the ones that were always surprised by the airplanes appearing out of no where. Instead of engaging the bombers, we were fighting for our very lives!
As the British bombers approached the Zeppelin sheds, the fog cleared away entirely. Our defense aircraft were scattered all over the area but none were in the vicinity of the vulnerable Zeppelin facilities. This allowed the British bombers an easy approach to the their targets. Several hits were scored on the Zeppelin sheds and hydrogen production facilities nearby. It seemed like the entire world was erupting into flames!
As darkness fell we had little trouble landing. Flames from the burning Zeppelin facilities literally lit up the night! Almost all of us had taken some damage during the fight, none of it was serious. The British 1 ½ Strutter's are incapable of delivering a significant amount of firepower. It is only by the greatest of luck but they do any damage at all. Sadly luck had run out for Waltz this day.
Now my shaking fingers reopen the letter from the Naval office. I'm trembling now I really don't know why. Is it cold January winds, having to face the mortality of a respected leader, or is it because I've been recommended to take command of KEK Waltz?
Analysis:
First and foremost, Watch Your Six is a game of his position. In this game, the German aircraft operated with two significant handicaps; First they had to scramble from ground level in an attempt to engage and drive off aircraft with a significant height advantage; Secondly the Germans because of the fog had to take off one at a time. This prevented the Germans from operating as a group and greatly delayed the time it took to get all of the German aircraft in the air. If that wasn't bad enough losing a flight leader because his engine wouldn't start doomed the German efforts from the beginning.
The only thing we had going for us was the ground fog. As long as the fog held, the British bombers would be unable to locate their targets and we would have time to form up and chase them off.
The British played a great game. Bombers came in first essentially unescorted. This was a gutsy move because a Sopwith Strutter carrying 300 lbs of bombs is little more than a flying bath tub. Only the greatest of exertions can coax the bombing version of the Strutter to maneuver, or accelerate.
The British two-seat Strutters trailed the bombers. The flight characteristics of these aircraft differ little from the bomber version. The escorts made no attempt to find and engage the Germans. Instead they followed well behind the bombers looking to engage Germans that might attempt to attack the bombing aircraft from the rear.
Generally engaging three opponents is not a good idea. In this case Waltz was flying a better aircraft and as an experienced pilot, he could easily out fly his opponents. The interrupter gear that synchronize the forward gun of the significantly diminishes the fire power of this aircraft. Only the luckiest of shots would damage Waltz' aircraft. This day, luck was definitely with the British.
The way things worked out, the fog cloaked the bombers until they neared their targets. Then, as if entirely scripted, the fog cleared and not a German plane could be seen for miles. The Strutter bombers lumbered into an ideal position to begin their bombing run and virtually unmolested, deposited their eggs with considerable accuracy.
The German aircraft that did manage to get airborne were generally operated by inexperienced pilots. Schreiber had four Pilot's Dice. As things turned out he was the best the Germans had to oppose the British for much of the fight.
When the fog cleared, the British pilots translated their superior position (and some fantastic die rolling) into a huge advantage over the intercepting Germans. Rather than pouncing on the British bombers, the German aircraft were forced to scatter away from the relentless attacks of the British escort Strutters.
British victory, in spades!
experiments to find a better way to mount aircraft for wargaming.
