The Fokker Scourge

I organised another game of Spandau & Lewis at the club last night. I made the scenario a little smaller than last week's, but still pitched it at four players.

This one was set in 1915 and was designed to use a couple of my newly painted planes and to also showcase some of the early attempts at arming planes. It featured everything from rifle-armed observation aircraft to that pinnacle of 1915 military technology, a Fokker Eindekker.

Each player had one observation aircraft and one escort/hunter (depending on how you planned to use it).

The British had a Vickers Gunbus escorting a BE2 mounting a machine-gun firing into the rear-arc only, plus an unarmed BE2 escorted by a Bristol Scout which had a Lewis gun firing forward from an off-centre improvised mount. This latter plane counted as having a front-firing gun, but counted as restricted (which gives it a firing penalty in Spandau & Lewis).

The Germans had two observation planes, both Albatros B types where the observer had a rifle only. One was escorted by an Albatros C1, with a machine-gun toting observer, and the other by a Fokker Eindekker with a proper front-firing machine-gun.

The mission was the same as last week's game; each side had two targets on the opponent's side of the board. Each observation aircraft could observe each target once and for each observation they could get home they'd score 3VP. each side also scored 2VP for shooting down an enemy plane and 1VP for each enemy plane still over the board at the end of 20 turns, or for each enemy plane that had taken half or more hits.

Here's the British aircraft - from left to right the Scout, two BE2s and the Gunbus. They came on in a single formation to improve spotting, looking to close-escort the two-seaters to each of the targets in turn.

They spotted the Germans and moved more cautiously.

The Germans had entered in  two groups, each aiming at one of the targets. Stuart was running the Fokker, and having spotted the British sent the two-seater on its way and threw the Fokker straight at the enemy.

I had the Albatros C, and didn't spot the British for ages.

The BE2s took evasive action whilst the Bristol and the Gunbus moved to shoot at the Fokker. Stuart kept his eye on the prize and went after the BE2s.

The Gunbus closed up for a shot at the Fokker. And its gun jammed.

The Fokker did better, damaging a BE2.

Peter tried to bring the Bristol Scout into action, but couldn't get a clear shot. To make matters worse the observer's rifle on one of his BE2s also jammed.

Peter's observer quickly got his rifle back into action. Not so the observer of Daniel's Gunbus, who found that the Lewis was now totally broken. The Gunbus was now simply a Bus.

Although unable to shoot, Daniel used the Gunbus as a spoiler; interposing it between the Fokker and the BE2s to make the German shots more difficult. Stuart was left with the choice between taking less effective shots at the two-seaters or hoping to shoot down the Gunbus to get it out of the way.

Meanwhile my aircraft had finally spotted the action. The Albatros C peeled off to attempt to add its gun to the fight, whilst the Albatros B, well away from the action, continued on its mission.

Peter had some difficulty turning the Scout back into the fight, and it soon got left behind. Stuart used the Fokker to aggressively pursue the BE2s, firing steadily at one of them. This had a machine-gun and could shoot back, but also had a novice crew which limited their effectiveness.

Stuart got in close to Daniel's BE2 ...

Boom! Its engine caught fire and down it went.

I had my Albatros C in the fight now, and was adding some ineffective shots as Stuart closed in on the second BE2

Sensibly Daniel (who was now running Peter's planes, since he'd had to leave) decided not to make a run on the second target and to simply try and get the BE2 home. He banked sharply around a cloud, encountering my Albatros B returning home as well. I spotted one target and decided that a safe 3VP in the bag was better than risking 6VP by going after the second target as well. The Bristol was still lurking around that area and I wasn't up for the fight.

The two-seaters passed at close range, obscured from each other by the cloud.

Stuart brought his Fokker round in pursuit of the BE2, whilst Daniel tried to stay covered by the cloud. It wasn't enough. In the next turn the Fokker downed the second BE2.

The Gunbus was now heading for home, whilst the Bristol Scout was slowly heading towards the action.

My Albatros C wasn't up to a chase, so I turned it for home, closing up with my observation aircraft. We made it back with no issue.

This now left the Bristol Scout facing Stuart's Fokker. The Germans had got three observations home, and already had two kills, so had certainly won the fight. But the British could still achieve some honour if the Scout could shoot down the Fokker. Stuart was looking for his third kill of the evening, but only had a couple of bursts left in his gun.

A head-on pass saw both planes damaged. The Fokker was now looking a little shot-up, having suffered various small amounts of damage throughout the action.

Both aircraft circled around for another pass.

Another head-on attack saw some damage on the Scout but nothing else. The Fokker was now out of ammunition.

It ran for home with the wrong-footed Scout unable to pursue effectively. The Scout was too far from its home edge to get off the board before Turn 20.

So the Germans got all four planes home, although the Fokker was out of ammunition and on its last hit. They made three observations for 9VP, and Stuart shot down two planes for 4VP. The Gunbus was damaged for 1VP, and the Scout still on the board at the end of the game for another 1VP. So a total of 15VP for the Germans. The British scored 1VP for the damage to the Fokker. 

Not a good day for the RFC. They were unlucky though. The Gunbus losing its gun early on significantly reduced the British firepower, and meant that the Fokker was in far less danger. In addition some poor movement rolls saw the Scout out of the fight at a critical stage; the two BE2s were basically fighting alone at the time when they should have been observing objectives. Stuart was man of the match, using the Fokker very aggressively and getting two kills for his trouble. My crews simply did their job - go to the target, complete the mission and come home.

Thanks to all involved for a great game and especially to Daniel for providing some of the photos you saw above.