Lost over Russia

As you know I can't keep focused on one front or even one type of battle.  Last weekend I used my Grun Hartz squadron with Squadron Forward.  They have actually only had two other missions but have done reasonably well.  I say "reasonably" because 12 kills on the russian front is not all that great.  Matter of fact I play that germans don't reach Ace status until 6 kills. ( Romanians are different. )
A note on my tactical rules.  I use Bag The Hun but have tweaked everything about them so the only part still original is you roll lots of dice.  My goal was to differenciate every type of aircraft.  For Example:

On my to do list is to publish this in a special entitled "Bling the Hun". 

On to the battle:
Characters:
OLT Wilke    addict/enginering              Vet
SFW Nordman  lazy/ glutton                 Vet
FW  Heil           cultured/ position          Vet
FW Schmidt      addict/ women              Avg

" Lost!  They were flipping lost thought SFW Nordman.  We are too deep in Ivan's territory.  Herr officer is going to get us killed!"  " Sir, I wonder if we need to move back west?", Nordman asked over the radio."
" Bandits 12 o clock level", FW Heil broke into the conversation.  There appeared to be several dilapidated bombers and 3 LA-5s already bearing down on them.

Grun Hartz finger four.  Wilke is in #1 and Nordman is in #2.

Wilke was at least decisive.  "Nordman, you go after the bombers.  I will take the fighters."

The Russian pilots were not very good and did not turn fast enough.  Both Wilke and Schmidt got shots and sent Ivan down on silk.  They chased the lead and damaged him but he kept running from the battle.

Meanwhile Nordman was chasing the bombers.  Just as it looked like a blow out, I rolled a random event and...

3 Yak-9s arrive after flying towards the sound of guns!  ( The red one is a veteran pilot which helps a lot to get initiative.)

Nordman and Heil rush past them and manage to down two of the bombers. 

A dogfight ensues and Nordman downs a Yak for his second kill of the day.  Immediately afterwards his fuel line is cut by a russian round.  I refer to our " All Knowing Odds Table" and it is possible for him to make it back to German lines.  He does!  It is then very unlikely that he will make it back to the airfield.  He won't!  Now he is really swearing at OLT Wilke with his mike off for taking them deep into russian territory.  He decides to crash land rather than bail out.  It is probable that he can find a nice field.  He does!  Then the moment of truth arrives as the ME-109G sets down and goes screeching across the field.  He looses a wing and most of his tail but the cockpit is intact when the plane stops!  15 minutes later a german truck finds him smoking a cigarette looking at the sun.  He is back at the base 20 minutes later.

Great game with an exciting finish!  Now the background; I rolled a pre engagement event that was "navigation error".  I thought, okay on a fighter sweep what am I going to do with that?"  For the sweep I rolled encounter transport/recon aircraft.  I then rolled and it was 3 transports.  Way cool!  Wilke had a navigation error that led them deep into russia where they encountered a general moving to a new HQ.  SFW Norman, who is fat and lazy would not want to risk his life deep in russia.  One transport would have the general in it and I would roll which plane at the end of the game.  ( they missed him!)  With the 3 LA-5s easily dispatched I thought it was going to be a turkey shoot then a random event shows up; 3 Yaks!  This made for a neat battle that I hadn't even envisioned.  When Nordman had his fuel line cut and had to get back this became a great battle!

Post game the squadron did not earn a cool point because they were not where they were suppose to be. FW Schmidt becomes a veteran.   OLT Wilke goes down in the squadron's eyes while lazy slug Nordman is re evaluated.  He shoots down two planes and nurses his damaged plane back to German lines and crashes it without a scratch to himself.  Probably a good guy to have in a fight!

Enjoy

Joe