Algernon's Got a Big One

 

I've been doing a bit of scenario research for Algernon Pulls It Off! and I reckon I have enough to put together a couple of scenarios featuring the Spad XII in 1917-1918. One of these involves top French ace George Guynemer and the other the equally famous Rene Fonck, but I also might be able to include a lesser known ace or two, if I can get some more details squared away. The main stumbling block is identifying the opposition, as records are a bit sketchy about who was shot down, but I can always use some educated guesswork to fill in the blanks.

Jasta 18 Fokker DVII Decals

I've ordered some 1/285th scale decal sheets for Jasta 18 Fokker DVII fighters from a German company, to use with the 3D printed models I acquired a few months ago. The decals are highly recommended by other people and look very accurate, but it will be a challenge to apply them and not muck then up I think? The designer has just added  similar sheets for Jasta 18 Albatros DV fighters and August Raben's Fokker Dr.I, which I will order once I've had a try out with the Fokker DVII equivalent. Excellent!

https://www.siebenschwabenspiele.de/shop?store-page=Kaiserliche-Luftwaffe-c187617262

Les Cigognes

I had a tip off about this book by Norman Franks the other day and went on the hunt for a second hand copy on eBay, managing to find one for about a tenner. I am determined to add some French aircraft to my 1/600th scale air forces, despite Tumbling Dice only having a very limited range and no SPAD VII or XIII. Not to be put off I've asked Paul Sulley to add some more French models to the range and he tells me he's going to get round to it later in the month, despite being busy with shows and painting commissions. In the meantime, I'm going to start reading around the subject to identify potential scenarios for Algernon Pulls It Off! which makes this new addition to my library well worth while.

SPAD XII Special Rules for Algy

Here are the rules I've devised for the cannon armed SPAD XII in Algernon Pulls It Off!

SPAD XII

SPD 7

MAN 3

CLG 10 

ROC 2

ROB 3

SIZ 2

F/F Front  2 or 8*

*Vickers 7,7mm machine gun (35 seconds of ammo ) or 37mm S.A.M.C. (single shot / 12 rounds)

Only available to Junior Ace or Top Ace pilots. 

Only one aircraft may be deployed per game.

Vickers machine gun and 37mm cannon cannot be fired at the same time.

37mm Cannon

Burst Duration - divide maximum length of burst in half, rounding up (representing time to aim)

Modify Fire Factor for Length of Burst and the usual +/- die modifiers. 

Calculate Attacker / Defender hits vs saves as usual.

If a hit is scored, refer to the Hit Effect table (10.1)

Results

Firer Sideslips = as normal

Overuse of Anmo = cockpit fills with smoke and pilot is disorientated. 

Make a Pilot Control Test counting the test as a Hard manoeuvre and apply the results.

M* or M = C

C = 2C

2C = X

X = X 

Shift columns to the right on the Critical Damage Table accordingly.

Note: Pilot Hit = Pilot Killed.

The 37mm cannon must be reloaded after each firing (9.7) 

Vickers 7.7mm machine gun

The Vickers machine gun may be fired instead of the cannon unless cannon is being reloaded.

Use the normal firing procedure.

PC10 Painting Challenge

I was reminded by one of the regulars on the Algernon Pulls It Off! group that I hadn't set up a competition for a couple of months, so I came up with this. The October challenge is to paint a model or models in a scheme that includes PC10, or protective covering ten to give it the full title, an elusive shade of dark green over which much discussion has been had by aviation nuts. 

I use Foundry Phlegm Green Shade for this but there any numerous alternatives, so it should be a simple task for people to have a go. It's obviously aimed at RFC or RAF aircraft c1916 to 1918, so there's lots of choice to be had. I'm picking up some Tumbling Dice 1/600th DH2 scouts of No24 Squadron and a single Be2c for late 1916, which is a slight change of plan but a good thing to get sorted. Tally Ho!

The Spad XII for Algernon Pulls It Off!

I've been playing around with ideas to make it possible to use the 37mm cannon armed Spad XII in Algernon Pulls It Off! over the last couple of days. This was a development of the Spad VII but in many respects was a very different machine, armed with an engine mounted Puteaux 37mm Semi Automatique Moteur Canon and a single Vickers machine gun. It was much heavier than the Spad VII, making it a tricky aircraft to fly, especially as there was no control column, while aiming was particularly difficult:

"The machine I mention is the only one of its kind in the American service, so I am very anxious to try it out. They gave it to me when Putnam was killed. Guynemer had one and Fonck and Deullin each have one, and have used the with fair success. . . This special gun is difficult to use, but if a shot ever hits a Hun he might just as well say his prayers and give up, if he has time to think about anything at all." 

Charles Biddle, 13th Aero Squadron

The cannon breech was located between the pilot's knees and was loaded and fired one round at a time, producing a cloud of smoke in the cockpit with each shot. Only twenty were produced and these were allocated to experienced pilots only, most of whom were already aces, including Guynemer, Fonck and Biddle. It's a real beast of an aircraft and the armament requires some adaptation of the firing and damage rules in order to work. The Vickers was often dismounted to save weight but I will also need to factor it in to the firing options.

I've worked out what I think is needed to make the steps in the firing and damage procedure fit the 37mm single shot armament. This includes a change to the length of burst modifier mechanism and a revision of the process for critical hits, the latter borrowed in part from Bag the Hun. I also need to adapt the numbers for Rate of Climb, Speed and Manoeuvre ability, which is relatively simple. Finally, I am considering some one off rules for having a smoke filled cockpit, which caused real problems for pilots trying to retain situational awareness, to to mention control of their aircraft!

...more on all of this in a later post.

Battle of Pacocha Ships Finished

I'm calling these finished, give or take a flag or two, so will start working on a scenario draft for Dahlgren and Columbiad over the next few days. I also need to devise the ship record sheets for HMS Shah and HMS Amethyst, for which I've already done some preliminary scribbling. I'm looking forward to a game at some point fairly soon.

Big Cats for Armoured Storm

Despite the long wait for the order to arrive from Heroics and Ros, I was impressed with the ex-Skytrex 3mm tanks, so have put in a follow on order for some Tigers, StuG III's and Churchills for the Russian Front. I will have enough Panthers and Tigers for a company of both, but will wait a while until the Tigers turn up before I paint them up in one go. I also have some super Oddzial Ozmy T34/76 Model 1943 tanks enough for two or three platoons, which I will paint up to use as an alternative to the Tumbling Dice T34/85 company.

Algernon Pulls It Off! in 1916

 

It's been a bit quiet on the Algernon Pulls It Off! Facebook group of late so, in a change of plan but sticking to the 'finishing off loose ends' motif, I'm going to switch over to painting some Tumbling Dice 1/600th stuff for mid-1916, rather than the Winter War Finnish aircraft for Bag the Hun. I started on some DH2's, Albatros DII's, Roland CII's and a single Be2c back in April but then got side tracked off to 1918. I'm also going to add a few French Nieuport 17's to the set up, using the Tumbling Dice Nieuport 11 model with some minor tweaks, as I don't yet have any French aircraft for scenarios. Tally Ho!

H&R 1/600th Tanks for Armoured Storm

TD T34 vs H&R Panther and Tiger 

H&R Tiger vs O8 T34/76

H&R line up vs TD Panzer IV

In an attempt to expand my meagre 1/600th Soviet and German tank forces for Armoured Storm, without having to order stuff from the EU, I took a punt on the old Skytrex range of AFV models, available from Heroics and Ros. I have matched these up against both Oddzial Ozmy and Tumbling Dice models and think they look compatible with both, give or take. I'm particularly pleased that the Tiger, Panther and Churchill seem to look in scale with the Tumbling Dice T34 and Panzer IV models, which means I can paint them up as reinforcements for my existing tank companies. Not too expensive but delivery took a couple of weeks, so not fast either.