Friday, 16 May 2025

'Harry Tates' and Halberstadts

I've been thinking about another scenario for Algernon Pulls It Off! - this time focussing on two seater aircraft, air to air observer gunnery and perhaps bombing - with the RE8 or 'Harry Tate' being the aircraft of choice. I considered using formations but, in the end. have decided to go for a single aircraft sortie which is something I've used successfully in Bag the Hun. It's not been quite so easy to find a good historical example, however, but I did stumble across this unusual action on the 9th June 1918:

'Lieutenants Roderick Charles Armstrong and Frank Jelly Mart from 3 Squadron AFC were carrying out artillery reconnaissance in their in RE8 (D4689) near Meaulte-Gressaire Wood – Warfusee Abancourt. At about 1140 they were alerted by AA fire to a Halberstadt two-seater flying towards its own lines. 

Armstrong flew to head off the aircraft, and the German pilot made only a token effort to escape. Eventually Armstrong shepherded the aircraft back to the 3 Squadron aerodrome.  The aircraft was captured entirely intact and the feat later gained the congratulations of Lieutenant-General Sir John Monash.  The crew Gefreiter Hausler and Vitzfeldwebel Mullenbach were unharmed and taken prisoner.' 

(from AirWar:1914-18)

With a bit of tweaking, this would be a really different scenario assuming the German crew put up more of a fight and give the Australians a run for their money. I can work in some special scenario rules to make it interesting but I think there's enough here for a good game, with both the RE8 and the Halberstadt going head to head to see who can force the other to surrender in mid-air. In the meantime, I'll crack on with more reading to see what else I can find for scenario material?

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