Meet the Fokkers!

 Today was the last day of our club till late October, as the hall is getting redecorated!

We therefore as usual had a 'Beer and Pretzel' game day, Phil and I chose to do Wings of Glory WW1, one of the club's favourite games!

(As always, we use a house rule, measuring from plane stem to plane stem rather than from base to base, which makes it harder to 'get a bead')

The solo system would run our opponents, 2 SE5a's.

Phil wanted to do Germans, so chose a Fokker DVII...

...I got another!

Both are fast aircraft by the standards of the day...

...we were very quickly getting to gun range!

Phil didn't get a shot as he whizzed past one of the SE's.

I got a shot, but caused zero damage for my trouble!

Phil Immelmanned to get a long range shot.

He actually caused some damage!

I Immelmanned to join Phil.

Humph, must be mating season!

Phil eventually managed to extricate himself!

We headed for different SE's.

The other one had taken a lazy turn round to engage me.

Phil went to intercept the other SE which was gunning for me.

Phil 'distracted' the pilot - but caused no damage.

I felt I was getting sandwiched between the 2 SE5's, so raced off.

Phil was able to slip behind one.

The SE's easily evaded and moved off together.

I rejoined Phil.

The SE's were mirroring their manoeuvres...

I turned off to engage them again.

Unfortunately I overturned and got hit.

Phil followed me.

I turned, he Immelmanned as the SE's turned.

I continued my turn to get to the rear of our opponents.

Phil and the British passed through without getting a shot.

I was now in the best position to engage them.

Both SE's tried to turn on me.

I turned in and caught one of them!

Phil was covering my rear.

I managed to slot in behind the SE.

Phil joined in, but I was less effective...

We managed a magic attack sandwiching the trailing SE.

It went down in flames!

I began to engage the last SE.

The wonderful manoeuverability  of the DVII really showed here.

The SE managed to slip away though...

...and headed for home!

It was a fun game, though the SE's failure to roll high dice didn't help them use their best manoeuvers!.

We did a couple of other games, again playing the Central Powers.

The second game had us using Roland 2 seaters...

My rear gunner got the first 'Bang' of the day against the Camel.

My pilot bagged the Snipe, after Phil's had nibbled it to death first!

Our final game had 2 solo run Nieuport 28s

Phil had a DRI and I 'The Red Baron'

I got unlucky soon into the game when I got hit in the flank as I engaged a Nieuport, which caused a fire (This eventually meant I lost 10 points from this one hit!)

I went out in a blaze of glory though, taking Rickenbacker down with me!

Phil survived, taking the last Nieuport down after some fancy flying!

So, that's it till October 23rd!

I may get a solo game or two at home though like during lockdown!

Another roll with the fates!

Today, we had a rematch after last week's debacle, with Phil using the Russians again against my Prussians.

I had written a new army list for Phil, as he wanted to use the Corps of Observation in it.

Despite the list giving the Russians an advantage in light horse, the Prussians got the initiative, so again the Russians had to deploy first, but in their choice of side.

 The table today.

I deployed a weak left wing today, as I intended to refuse the flank.

My right, with the advantage of having the flank sector.

Phil deployed on the hill, with his strong left wing cavalry behind.

His right, including the corps of Observation screened by converged grenadiers!

An overview of the lines.

My command and control was good today, I only had one Incompetent. Even he managed to get the Prussian line advancing.

My left was less active, forcing the cavalry to filter through the wood to deploy.

Phil advanced his line off the hill, leaving a heavy gun behind...

Its first shot disordered IR6 (The Potsdam Grenadiers)

As my Hussars advanced, the Russians got most of their horse out to face them.

His right was slow, only the Kalmyks moving out through the woods.

My HR1 engaged the Serbsky Hussars.

The Prussians outnumbered them, but the Russians won!, my Hussars retreated.

My infantry got the best of the first round of Musketry.

My Grenadiers on the right in particular.

I tried a charge, but the Russians held, casing heavy losses on one of my battalions.

My Grenadiers stormed the gun, but despite beating the Russians facing them, the Russians just retreated. (What does it take to rout them!!!)

The second line of Russians were able to counter my Grenadiers.

My first Kuirassier regiment met their Russian counterparts...

...and beat them heavily. But the Russians again threw high on their morale, and only retreated.

Phil's infantry now took a risk and closed to point blank...it worked! a run of high die rolls shredded my infantry!

The key point occurred when my overlapped left was hit by two Russian Grenadier battalions, and routed. I threw three 1's in succession and my front line collapsed like a bag of overripe fruit!

You can see them fleeing in the background!

As an aside, the Kalmyks skirmished with my Frei Korps!

So, with my front line hung up or routing, I called it a day!

Again I was Kyboshed by the dice!