Action Over Walmington-on-Sea, 25 Aug 1940 (Picture Heavy!)

Captain Mainwaring passed the binoculars to Sergeant Wilson. "This is it, Sergeant " he declared ominously. "Invasion!"

Sergeant Wilson took a long look at the formation of aircraft approaching Walmington-on-Sea over the Channel. "Oh dear." He handed the binoculars back. "It might just be an air raid, sir. But I'll mobilize the men. And I think we should lock up the bank."

"Hmph. Quite so. Look after it would you? I'd better go put my uniform on."

Squadron Leader Doug McKenzie, callsign Lumberjack, was approaching from the west. A calm feminine voice in his headset vectored 419 City of Stratford Squadron RCAF towards the threat. 

"Lumberjack, bandits at bearing one-seven-one, Angels 4 through 6. 20 plus."

"Roger Control I see them. Climbing to intercept."

"Lumberjack. Be advised callsign Gentry coming from the North East."

McKenzie called out to his squadron of Hurricanes, in formation to either side of him. "Hallo bus, keep up with me and go for the bombers first. But watch your backs." He pushed the throttle on his Merlin engine and pulled back on the column, his Hurricane clawing at the air to get to the German bombers. 

Callsign Gentry. 6 Spitfires 

419 Sqdn in formation 

German He111s. Me110s leading. Me109s on either flank. Blue dice mark altitude 

Fighter schwarms race ahead

419 Sqdn RCAF closes with the bombers 

"Bandits 10 o'clock!" Me109s turn to intercept them

"Break left!" Spitfires try to get behind 109s 

"A Flight follow me!" SL McKenzie turns to face the oncoming escorts. "B Flight get those bloody bombers!"

109s get caught between two sections of Spitfires. Tracer rounds stream through the sky. A Messerschmidt pilot is killed at his controls. 

McKenzie leads his vic tearing through the German fighters machine guns blazing! A novice German pilot loses control and will swerve out of formation 

The Me110s go after B Flight 

A good fall of cards for the RAF. A cheer goes up from the citizens of Walmington-on-Sea watching from their gardens. The Schwarmfurher's wingman is killed in his seat, his aircraft plunging into the ground. The Schwarmfurher himself has a wing blown off. He bails out to be rounded up by Cpl Pike and an angry farmer. A 3rd 109 takes engine damage and turns for France with his wingman. This action takes both German Aces out of the game. A heavy blow for the escorts. 

Blue section starts an attack run on the He111s but the Me110s get behind them. 20mm cannon shells tear into them. Blue Leader is now leaking fuel and Blue 3 has his instrument panel shot up. Blue section turns for home. 

"Tally ho!" Green section charges into the bombers. Green Leader gets caught in a murderous crossfire and explodes!

Yellow section hunts down the German sprog desperately trying to regain control of his damaged 109. Instrument panel destroyed he bails out over the English countryside. Sgt Wilson has borrowed the butchers van to send patrols out to collect German parachutes. 

The survivors of Green section get on the tails of some He111s seeking revenge!

SL McKenzie leads Red Section in a diving attack into the bombers MGs blazing. Heavily damaged one of the He111s has to turn for home. 

"Gentleman Johnny" Flasheart has his canopy shattered by a tail gunner. But he's so close he can't miss. The Heinkel explodes.

Dakka dakka dakka! Spitfires and Hurricanes weave among the lumbering bombers seeking a firing angle 

Escorting 109s trying to drive them off. A Messerschmidt crosses in front of SL McKenzie and he squeezes the button. KABOOM!

Blue section running under the dogfight. Red 1 SL McKenzie lines up a Heinkel 

The Sprogs are getting into the fight now. Green 3 is elated to see a Heinkel fall apart under his guns  but that is short lived as cannon shells from the Me110s sneaking up behind him damage a fuel line.

Spitfire Red2 got separated from Gentry when he failed a maneuver test. He tries to pounce on damaged He111s but is driven off by a pair of Me110s 

Green 3 is shot to bits before he can escape. His Hurricane crashes before he can bail out. 

Heinkels trailing oily smoke and flames as tailing Spitfires pour in more fire.

Two He111s explode in short sequence. SL McKenzie bags another kill!

Overview. Blue section bottom running for home. Yellow section in the middle dueling with the last 109. At the top the survivor of Green section breaks his tail on the wounded He111 to turn on the Me110s chasing him. Damaged He111s trailing black smoke turning back to France. 

Losing altitude over the Channel. Will he make it?

Reverend Timothy Farthing looks up as a Heinkel trailing oily smoke passes low over the rooftops. As he's watching a Hurricane piloted by SL McKenzie swoops in, the Messerschmidt spouts plumes of red flame. "Huzzah boys!" He shouts, spilling his tea. "Give them some wellie!"

"Where is he? Where is he?"
"Watch out Johnny, he's behind you!" 
Dakka dakka dakka! The last 109 bags a Hurricane. 

Another He111 explodes 

SL McKenzie empties his last rounds into the burning Me110. As he passes out of its smoke he sees it explode.  A Spitfire shoots down its wingman at the same time. 

The survivor of Yellow Flight gets onto the 109, heavily damaging the engine. 

The Me109 tries to run for home but rolls a 1, engine failure. He crashes outside of town. He is rounded up by Mrs. Bromridge armed with outrage, a trowel and a tea pot. Dazed he gladly trades his pistol for a cup of tea while Mrs Bromridge calls the Police. 

The youngsters of the town cheer as two bombers go down nearby. One splashes into the Channel. "Oi!" shouts the oldest lad. "Look! Ones on the beach. Let's go 'av a butchers." Trailed by an anxious Bobby they head off to collect souvenirs and German airmen. 

Last He111. Fuel line hit. Tail gunner dead. Cockpit shot to hell. +5 on next damage roll and tailed by a Spitfire with still half of his ammunition. It is not looking very good.

"Lumberjack to Control. Out of ammo, heading for home. Form up everyone but watch for strays!"

Gentry is also out of ammunition and they form up to go home too. 

Sergeant Wilson sees another group of bedraggled German airmen herded into the church hall. Privates Sponge and Godfrey are guarding them with a shot gun and a rifle with only 5 rounds. He turns to Captain Mainwaring. 

"Perhaps we should call Regional Headquarters and see if someone could come and collect these chaps."

"Hmmm... right you are. See to it would you? I wonder if the Women's Institute have made any tea and sandwiches?"

I started this game New Year's Day and played it to the bitter, bloody end until lunch on the 2nd. That's a plus to playing solo, you can take your time and fight a battle out instead of calling the last turn at midnight and then arguing about who was winning. 

Out of the German formation 2x Me110s, 2x Me109s (1 damaged) and 2x He111s both damaged, made it home. 16 aircraft shot down, pretty devastating losses. 

RCAF losses are 5x Hurricanes shot down. 4 pilots KIA.  3× return damaged. 1x Spitfire damaged.

Of the 8 Sprog pilots 3x got kills, 2x of them surviving to impress the girls at the pub about their exploits.

Sqdn Ldr McKenzie bagged 5 of the 8 kills his squadron claims for today's work.

Each Spitfire section got 4 kills.

Perhaps a bit ambitious of me. I was getting confused at points and forgetting to note damage etc. I'll have to formalize a colour code for pipe cleaner damage markers. 

Two take aways today. Aces really dominate. The Germans losing both of theirs early on I think really hurt their defense. Also, bombers are really hard to shoot down. They can soak up a lot of damage.