Enemy Coast Ahead (dambusters raid)

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

There are some fingers of light mist clinging to the sides of the hills surrounding the reservoir but the water's surface is still clear.  Maudslay completes his orbit of the dam.  There are no balloons present and he can't make out any searchlights but the flak guns are already coming to life as he lines up on his approach vector...

UCG, you can initiate an attack run now or you can circle.

If you do start a run, you need to decide if you want to turn your Aldis lamp on or keep it off.  Once that's decided, you need to roll 1D6 to check the quality of your initial approach.

[undercovergeek]

Is there an advantage to circling?

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

If other bombers are present in the circling near box when you make a run, they can glean some information that will give them a bonus on their run should you release a bomb but miss.  They get no bonus if you pull up without releasing or if successfully score a hit.  You can also fire off another Very Light flare if you spend the turn circling but that's only useful if there's fog.   Circling now means that your other bomber in the circling far box could move up to watch your run next turn.

[undercovergeek]

I'll make a run and switch the lights on

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

OK, roll 1D6 for your approach.

[undercovergeek]

tis a five

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

A five gets you right into the slot and you're set up perfectly on your initial run-in.  AJ-Z has a veteran crew so you get to draw 3 speed and 3 altitude chits and keep the best one of each.  (I'll get VASSAL to randomly draw the chits.)

Maudslay:  "Right lads, let's not waste time.  Urquhart, watch those Aldis lights and let me know when we hit 60 feet.  Tytherleigh, get on those guns and get Jerry's head down, will you?"  Maudslay banked AJ-Z hard, lined up on the dam's two towers and throttled back slightly. 

Uruhart:  "We're still too high skip!"   

"and too bloody slow." muttered Maudslay after risking a quick glance at the airspeed indicator."

AJ-Z comes in at 65 feet and 216 mph.




20mm flak guns on the dam open fire.  The flak level at the dam is 3 so they will score a hit on a 4,5, or 6 on 2D6.  Because your Aldis lights are on, they get to roll a third die and then keep any two dice whose total combines to equal a hit.

[blockquote]Rolled 3d6 : 4, 5, 2, total 11[/blockquote]

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

4 and 2 equal a hit.  You can try to evade by sacrificing your speed or altitude chit or you can stay on target and take the damage.  If you try to evade, you roll 1D6 and avoid damage if the result is even but still take the damage if the result is odd.

[undercovergeek]

ill stay on target - im in a flying tank!

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

Perspex shatters in the cockpit and front gunner's position as 20mm rounds rip into the Lancaster.  "Gunner, knock out those bloody guns!  Nav, what's our altitude?"

AJ-Z is now damaged so another hit will be lethal.  The bomber moves into the near release box.  You can make one adjustment to either speed or to altitude.  Which would you prefer?

 

[undercovergeek]

ill take 'altitude' for 500 bob

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

Maudslay edged the bomber up slightly.  Uruhart called out "altitude is perfect! Hold her steady there!"

Altitude is now at 60ft.



The flak gunners fire again.

[blockquote]Rolled 3d6 : 3, 5, 4, total 12[/blockquote]

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

A stream of tracers whipped past the nose of the Lancaster as the front gunner opened fire.

The flak gunners missed.  Your front gunner is now close enough to attack the flak batteries.

Roll 1D6, you need 3 or less to score a hit.


After that roll, you can decide to release the bomb now, pull up and declare a dummy run, or fly closer and risk a late release (50% of muffing it, 33% chance of a normal drop, and a 16% chance of a bonus, if you survive the flak).

[undercovergeek]

another 5,

lets release now

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

OK, your altitude is perfect at 60 ft so you get to draw three release chits for that.  Speed is a little slow at 216 ft so you get two chits for that.  I'll get VASSAL to draw chits.

Here are your attack modifiers:
+4 bonus for your altitude
+2 bonus for speed
+2 for veteran crew
-1 for Lancaster damage


Roll 2D6 for your attack run.  You need a 15 or better to score a hit.  You have a total bonus of +7 so you need an 8 or better after modifiers. If you roll a 2 or a 3, it's a very bad drop and you end up damaging your bomber.