The Twenty Minuters, part 2
We left of last turn (you can find it here) with the Brown Albatross' observer firing on Berty at close range. The first burst caused no damage passing safely past the plucky aerial newcomer. However, the second burst drew a damage card that saw Berty's aircraft suffer 2 points of damage and his rudder hit. This caused him to lose the ability to undertake right hand manoeuvres for the next three phases. So, for this next turn, Berty's manoeuvring options will be limited.
TURN 3
The Germans, being managed under the scenario AI rules, randomly choose their movement cards for this turn.
Phase 1
The British movement this phase sees Lord Flashheart closes in on his quarry. Whilst Berty sets himself up for an Immelmann Manoeuvrer so that he can turn back on his Hun quarry. Meanwhile the experienced German pilots push to put as much distance between themselves and the British so that they can complete their mission.
Flashheart and the White Albatross' observer exchange fire whilst Berty just manages to avoid another burst of fire from the Brown Albatross' observer.
Flashheart makes use of his Sharp Eye ability firing at the White Albatross at long range as though it were at short range. However, fate strikes Flashheart as his gun jams as he fires. The White Albatross suffers little damage as a result but fortunately for Flashheart his SE.5a suffers very little damage in the return exchange of bullets.
Phase 2
Flash proceeds to work on his jammed gun whilst manoeuvring to get onto the tail of the White Albatross. Berty meanwhile commences the climb on his Immelmann Manoeuvre. Both of the Albatrosses turn to their right hoping to avoid taking more fire from the British.
The observer on the White Albatross fires another short burst at Lord Flashheart for good measure, his SE.5a taking another 2 points of damage.
Phase 3
Lord Flashheart eye's his quarry as it gets out of range, all the while working the mechanism of his gun to expel the accursed jammed bullet.
Berty comes out of his Immelmann Manoeuvre and chases after the Brown Albatross. Both of the German aircraft turn again to their right in an attempt to circle the British and come up on their tails. As a result, the Brown Albatross comes into close range of Flashheart.
The wounded pilot of the Brown Albatross gives Lord Flashheart a spray. Bullets fly around the cockpit of Flashheart, causing splinters and shards of glass from his windshield and instruments to injure the British Ace. Distracted by fixing his gun, the Squadron Commander of the Twenty Minuters didn't see it coming. Checking his nether regions to ensure that all was still intact and well, he lets fly a series of curses at the Bosche for their impudence and for his own lack of situational awareness.
So that's 3 points of damage the SE.5a took in that exchange. Berty, now that the turn has come to an end, is able to fix his rudder issues and will now be able to turn to the right. Turn 3 comes to an end with Lord Flashheart shouting obscenities at both the Bosche and his aircraft.
TURN 4
The British aren't having the best of the flying today. The Germans meanwhile have a few issues of their own, with the pilot of the Brown Albatross injured from earlier gunfire.
Phase 1
Lord Flashhearts' colourful language somehow helps him to finally clear the jam in his gun. However, he has missed a golden opportunity to tell the wounded pilot of the Brown Albatross just how much he appreciated the German's recent gift of bullets as the aircraft escapes from his gun sights. He decides to undertake an Immelmann turn in order to share his feelings with these Hun interlopers.
However, the Brown Albatross' observer / gunner has the SE.5a in his sights and, at short range, lets off another series of unanswered barks from his machine gun. Once again, Flasheart's poor SE.5a gets additional tares in the fabric as bullets pass through them doing just 2 points of damage.
This enrages Flashheart even more. His SE.5a has now suffered a total of 9 hits out of the sixteen hits the aircraft can take before it drops from the sky. And all of these recent hits have gone unanswered due to his gun jam. To add insult to injury, Flashheart is now sporting some wounds himself. Ah well, the ladies will swoon even harder of his risking life and limb for Ol' Blighty.
Phase 2
Flash climbs and rolls over in the Immelmann Manoeuvre getting onto the Brown Albartoss' tail so as to let them know what he thinks of the impudent Hun.
The White Albatross heads for a cloud bank with the hopes of breaking LOS with the British as Berty pursues it.
Flashheart meanwhile now has the Brown Albatross in his sight. Flash's Immelmann turn has him now on the Brown Albatross' tail at long range. However, his Sharp Eye skill grants him the ability to shoot as though the long range was actually short range.
Incredibly, Flashheart's gun jams yet again doing no damage to the Brown Albatross. Being injured, Flash is going to have to take a total of four phases now to clear this new jam. Moreover, he has now used up his Sharp Eye skill for the game and seen no benefit for it, having a jammed gun on both occasions he has used the skill.
Meanwhile Berty and his targeted White Albatross exchange blasts of machine gun fire at long range. Berty's bullets shoot past the pilot and slam into the observer killing him outright and taking the rear gun out of action. This means too that the White Albatross can no longer gain a victory point for undertaking an observation run of the Entente lines. Berty's Sopwith Camel meanwhile takes a single point of damage.
Phase 3
Berty and the White Albatross head into partial cloud cover meaning that any shooting can only be conducted at short range and will be treated as though being conducted at long range. That said, both aircraft will get a shot off at one another this phase.
Flash completes the Immelmann Manoeuvre snarling at the smug German crew in the Brown Albatross. Across even this distance and the roar of their engines, he can hear the Hun taunting him. "Ah, ze famous Lord Flashheart. You should have put bullets in your gun before battle!" Then the observer opens fire again at the British Ace.
The observer on the Brown Albatross fires away at Flashheart's aircraft and does a single point of damage. Flash's SE.5a has now taken a total of 10 hits.
Berty meanwhile cops a heavy burst of gun fire receiving 4 points of damage. The spray at short range, even though it's treated as being at long range due to the partial cloud cover, shocks the Twenty Minuter throwing off his aim as he does no damage in return to the German aircraft. Definitely not a good day for the British aviators.
As Turn 4 draws to a close, Berty's Sopwith Camel has suffered a total of 9 points of damage out of the fifteen points it can take. Flashheart's SE.5a meanwhile has suffered a total of 10 points of damage out of the sixteen points it can take.
The German Albatross's however have only suffered light damage. But the observer on the White Albatross has been killed and the pilot on the Brown Albatross has been injured. Should that pilot take another injury it will kill him outright and the aircraft will tumble to the ground.
Flash has also suffered injury, but he has the Charmed and Fated Life special rule for this scenario and, as the Red Barron is not present in this game, he won't be killed here if he takes another wound. He will crash though taking him out of the scenario. Lord Flashheart does have three more gun jammed tokens that he has to remove and so won't be able to shoot through the entirety of Turn 5 either. He will probably shoot one of his mechanics when he returns to the British Aerodrome assuming that the fool didn't load his gun belt correctly as he is a German spy. He would probably be right there too. Two jams in as many attempts at shooting is unacceptable.
Things indeed are looking grim for our British airmen. The Germans on the other hand are feeling upbeat that they can get the intel needed and make it back safely across the German lines. What happens next is anyone's guess. Stay tuned!