Wings Over Sinai

It was ANZAC Day yesterday in Australia, so I thought I'd set up and play my small Spandau & Lewis scenario covering Australia's first air to air combat. This was on November 11th 1916, in the aftermath of a bombing attack on Beersheba. You can read the scenario HERE.

Here's the planes at the start, with the two Turkish Fokkers to the left and the Australians to the right.

Guilfoyle is in the Martinsyde in the distance whilst in the foreground Wackett is flying the Be2 with Turner as his observer/gunner.

The Turks split up, each going after one of the Australian planes. The idea was that if one of them gained an advantage that could be translated into a kill, the other could then make a run for the Australian board-edge and chase the escaping bombers.

In a terrible start for the Australians, a Fokker got in a close-range shot on the Be2, and killed Turner, rendering the Be2 weaponless.

Fortunately the Turks couldn't exploit this advantage, and they struggled to bring their planes to bear for another attack. Guilfoyle brought the Martinsyde over to cover Wackett's escape in the Be2 - there was no point in the vulnerable two-seater remaining in the area.

One of the Turks left the playing area, their return uncertain.

Wackett escaped in the Be2, and the remaining Turk, a novice, failed to intercept him.

This left Guilfoyle fighting both Turks, as the other pilot quickly brought his aircraft back into the area.

A head on pass with the novice Turk saw both planes hit. The Turkish pilot was wounded, but Guilfoyle was killed.

All the Turks now had to do to win was exit the board before the end of the game. This is random, though, and time ran out just as they reached the edge. This meant that the bombers would now be too far away to intercept.

So despite losing a plane and two out of the three crew involved, the Australians had held the Turks to a draw, albeit a close-run thing.

I had to play some of this game using scribbled notes I'd found for various changes to the game currently published here, so I will make an effort to get them written up and a new version of Spandau & Lewis posted for download.