Gallwitz Returns!

Overwhelmed by British sorties and heavily outnumbered, Jasta 12 calls in their old pilot Hauptmann Gallwitz, (leading ace from their days of Arras last April) who recently joined Jasta 2.

Gallwitz climbs to intercept the British photo reconnaisance mission: Two Bristol Fighters escorting a RE8. One of the Bristol Fighters has begun very high indeed, but has scorned the chance to dive on Gallwitz's Albatross III.

The other Bristol Fighter pilot takes a more measured approach, staying level and gunning at the Albatross at extreme range to attempt to put Gallwitz off.



Gallwitz is not to be disuaded and with a calm eye, taking full account of the RE8 speed and deflection puts several bursts into the British two-seater, as well as shooting up the Bristol Fighter as the RE8 zooms by. One of his shots kills the observer in the RE8, and as Lieutenant Barker passes over the recon target he realises that the mission is a bust.



He speeds up and turns away into a dive, attempting to get away from Gallwitz, but he need not fear. Gallwitz has completed his mission and steals away himself.

The Fokker meets its match

27th November 1917

With minor repairs, Loffler heads out once more in his Fokker Dr.I; coming across two Bristol Fighters, he is unsure of the wisdom of engaging, but when one of the British surges ahead of his wingman, Loffler decides to take his chance.



Despite inflicting heavy damage on Lieutenant Milne's Bristol Fighter (which has jammed its forward gun) Loffler finds himself being shot up by overlapping fields of fire. The Fokker is quite fragile all things considered. He decides to turn for home.



With his wing struts making alarming noises, Loffler pushes the Fokker into a dive, safe from Lieutenant Olly's guns. A speculative shot from Milne's rear gunner sends the German pilot to his doom.



Good old Bristol Figher! Manouevrable and with a sting in the tail...

Classic Duel

Sopwith Camel vs. Fokker DrI
27th November 1917

Lieutenant Light is out testing his new Sopwith Camel, when he spots a German plane below him in the distance.



Leutnant Loffler climbs up towards his enemy in the new Fokker DrI.



As Loffler rolls through Light's initial attack and climbs up behind him, Light curses the lack of a rear gunner in the nimble single-seater Sopwith.



From above the small and nimble shape of the Fokker Drei-Decker is apparent.



Light attempts to scuttle back to safety over his own lines, but the Fokker's twin machine-guns take him down.



Does a new Fokker scourge menace the Royal Flying Corps?

The Battle of Liebertwolkwitz

The Battle of Liebertwolkwitz
16th October 1813

Saxony, October 1813. Napoleon’s Grande Armee is concentrating around Leipzig in anticipation of a major action against the combined allied armies. On the 14th, the lead elements of Schwarzenberg’s Army of Bohemia appear to the South of the French positions. Needing more time to assemble his forces, Napoleon orders Murat to fight a delaying action around the village of Liebertwolkwitz. Meanwhile Wittgenstein, leading the advance guard of the allied army, believes that he has caught the rearguard of the retreating French, and quickly deploys believing that he needs to bring them to battle before they slip away.

The Prussians open with a grand cavalry charge on their left flank. Attacking the forward infantry division of the French, and taking the small village of Crobern, which was overlooked by the hill dominating the rest of the battlefield.



In the centre the Russian infantry begins the long march against the heavy French battery opposite, careful of what might be behind that hill.



The Austrian flank march reaches the outskirts of Liebertwolkwitz, but it will be some time before they recover enough to make a concerted attack on the French forces there.



Prussian hussars charge into the French lancers, who are unable to retire or countercharge against the attack, and are pushed back.



More hussars decimate the French infantry who form square against the marauding Prussians.



Prussian Curaissiers advance slowly threatening that French division and its neighbours with a devastating charge.



The Prussian's order up their horse artillery to pound the French square, now vulnerable. [Textbook stuff!]



A massed charge by the Prussians disperses the front line of the French corps, but will they be able to keep the impetus of their attack going against the supported artillery?



In the centre, Murat makes his move, with French lancers attacking the Russian battery. Their elan is not sufficient to the task, and they are halted by the cannon fire. Indeed they are decimated by the continued barrage from the guns and retreat.



A second attack by another divsion of lancers, this time commanded by Murat himself is too much for the gunners, and they withdraw with heavy losses.



A brave advance by the Russian infantry sees off those French lancers, and reforms the Russian line in the centre.



Over on their left, the French make ready to attack the first column of Austrians, lancers and infantry combining to take the hill overlooking Liebertwolkwitz.



Without any means to coordinate with the Austrians [who cannot act during Turn 1] the Prussian continue their advance on the left.



Blown and overextended one of the gallant Hussars divisions is thrown out of Crobern and attack in the open by infantry.



Both hussars divisions are now in retreat, and block two batteries which had been moved into supporting postitions.



Back on the French left the lancers charge over the hill only to be halted by canister fire from the Austrians, who continue to pour fire into the striken division, wiping it off the battlefield. It's supporting units advance to take the hill and the threatened French infantry forms in square and hopes for relief.



Coming under fire from the second Austrian column the French artillery withdraws into Liebertwolkwitz.



That Austrian corps now marches along the outskirts of the town to cut off the French force on the hill.



Gathering his last divisions together, Marshal Murat himself readies a charge to rescue almost certain defeat.



Sending his cavalry corps against the Austrians could be his only hope, and despite riding over open ground the Austrian artillery is unable to stop the French charge.



The French cavalry attempts to make good on its gains by sweeping up the infantry divisions, but forming square they repulse the charge, and then immediately form into line again to hammer the French back.



A crushing victory against Murat!
Onto Leipzig!

Afternoon Revenge

Afternoon Revenge
25th November 1917

Lieutenants Pratt and Light take up their Bristol Fighters and they find two German Albatross IIIs at a disadvantage, one of them being at very low altitude indeed. All four aircraft pass each other with some gunfire but with no great effect.



"Don't worry" says Hautpmann von Tutscheck, "no one of any note has ever been shot down by a rear gunner"

As Plange climbs up at best speed, his wingman Papenmeyer takes fire from both Pratt and Light's fighters. Trying to stay in the fight despite the four guns trained on him he takes a glancing shot from Pratt's rear gunner.



The shot clips "old Pape" on the head and his Albatross spins out of control and into the French countryside. Plange is alone.



Plange seeks to break contact with the British pair, but they work well together denying him an escape route and threatening shots at every opportunity.



With the advantage of altitude over his opponent, Light does some serious damage to Plange's aircraft, enough to force him to turn back towards British lines towards temporary safety.



Plange jumps at the opportunity to get on Pratt's tail, keeping within the thin shadow of protection afforded by the Bristol Fighters tail rudder. Pratt begins to take damage along his fuselage.



Lining up for another shot, which should take care of the British pilot, Plange is surprised when the twin-seater executes a perfect diving half-loop to aim his guns directly at the amazed German. Both pilots depress their triggers at the same instant, but only Pratt survives the exchange.



The British have recovered their honour from Bloody April, but the Germans will no doubt be back for more...

Morning Patrol

Over Cambrai
The massive British offensive at Cambrai in 1917 uses tanks en-masse for the first time. The Royal Flying Corps goes on the offensive to scout and to harass the Germans in support of what surely will be the decisive breakthrough...
Will the British avenge their stunning defeat of April? Or will the Hun be too cunning for them again!?

Morning Patrol
25th November 1917

Captain Luxmore-Curtis of 48 Squadron takes his Bristol Fighter up on morning patrol. Below him and climbing is a German Albatross III from Jasta 12. These two formations have crossed swords before, over Arras sixth months earlier.
His speed is too great though, allowing the German aircraft to bank behind him as it climbs.



Ober Leutnant Plange slots in behind the Englishman, who allows himself to be tailed far too easily. Even with the Bristol Fighter's rear gun threatening, he does not require a second invitation.



The German sticks to his tail, coasting in very close and doing terrible damage to the sturdy British aircraft.



As Luxmore-Curtis tries diving for the lines, another burst from the Albatross destroys the airframe, sending him to a fiery death.



Squadron 48 immediately sends up another section to take back control of the skies from the Germans...

Battle of Hillsboro

General Withers, confident after his victory at Pelham, pursues his opponent to Hillsboro. There General Palmer has prepared well against the expected advance, and instead of awaiting the Confederates, decides to attack.

A large force, under General Hazen advances across open ground in the centre.



On the Union right, rival cavalry regiments eye each other along the road. But leave the early advances to the infantry, preferring to exploit success. The Union manage to take control of a hill overlooking some Confederate regiments, and seek to support their fellows' advance.



On the Union left the action is opened by a gallant charge to take the Confederate guns overlooking the river. If these are taken the entire Confederate right will be open. The attack is singularly unsuccessful, despite the leadership of General Cruft and the regiments are cruelly beaten back, as are the supporting infantry regiments.

The Confederate instead cross the river themselves and seek to turn the Union instead.



So as to help ensure the success of this demonstration a larger attack is planned closer to the centre of the battlefield.



In the centre proper, a large Union "grand battery" supports the assault by General Hazen.



As a Union infantry regiment makes towards the Ward's Farm on their extreme right, two Confederate cavalry regiments pounce with telling effect. The decimated regiments rushes to relative safety within the farm buildings and fences.



The Union cavalry rushes to relieve their comrades, with the aid of another infantry regiment and the Confederates withdraw slightly.



In the centre, General Hazen's assault is initially successful, though with losses. The Confederate counter-attack is insufficient to throw them back.



The brave infantry regiments take the hill and threaten the line of retreat of the Confederates.



On the right, despite the successful cavalry attack by the Confederates they are left weakened and unable to exploit. Union forces are similarly disadvantaged and a lull ensues.



In the centre, General Hazen leads a brigade to a nearby ridge which commands the remaining Confederate battery at Peterson's Farm.



Despite direct intervention from General Manigault, his Brigade is broken by the assault.



On the Union right a large assault is made by General Grose, pushing back the Confederates with sever effects.



The brave counter-attack cannot change the course of the battle, as General Withers withdraws back to Pelham.