It's not dead!Battle Report, Early Winter 1915This turn sees completely new planes take to the skies for the first time! The KPAF have deployed a single squadron of their new
Equilibrium Fighter Monoplane (also called the Equilibrium Monoplane Fighter by some). The Equilibrium is a single-seat monoplane that’s both faster and more manoeuvrable than the Feather-1914. Its most important feature, however, is the Type 11 LMG firing directly forward through the propeller arc, with the aid of a rudimentary synchronisation gear. This allows the pilot to actually use the iron sights on the Type 11, which should improve accuracy. Of course, the synchronisation gear does decrease the firing rate of the LMG drastically. Two other pieces of equipment also make their appearance in the Kolechian squadrons this turn: the
K-09 “Dogbite” Mortar Round, which is a 155mm high explosive mortar shell that is being used as a makeshift bomb, and the
KF-15 Signal-Illumination Flare Pistol, which is a single-shot flare pistol that fires a variety of Rainbow flares, which come in eight different colours.
On the other side of the lines, the Verusan Sky Crusaders haven’t been slacking either. This turn sees the deployment of two squadrons of the new
VRAC A.1 “Emu” (the VRAC A.1 stands for Verusan Royal Aviation Company Aircraft 1). The Emu is a biplane like the Rhino, but that’s where the similarities end: it’s a larger two-seater, powered by a straight-eight engine and a four-bladed prop in a pusher configuration. The pilot sits in the rear seat, while an observer in the front seat fires two Bolt Machine Guns on swivelling mounts: one covering a frontal arc, while the second on an elevated mount covers aircraft attacking from above and to the rear. The aircraft does not, and did not ever have gem-encrusted sword sheathes, and anyone who suggests that it should will be reassigned to aerodrome-sweeping duty. Some Rhinos have also been outfitted with
Bar’s Shelf Bomb Racks, extremely simple bomb racks that hold up to two “Bottled Fury” bombs under the fuselage, which can be released by pulling a cord. Verusan pilots are also now equipped with the
Firefly Flaregun where necessary: it’s a flaregun very similar to the Kolechian one, but more limited in the variety of flare colours. Finally, all Sky Crusader aircraft have become much more
fabulous this turn, with aircraft given squadron-specific paintjobs in eye-catching colours, making them absolutely unmistakable in the sky. The Verusan Ace, Alderic, gives his plane a single blue stripe at the wingtips. In addition, the leaders of each flight are now outfitted with multi-coloured streamers attached to their wings for easier identification.
The Northern MountainsWinter storms begin to roll in from the mountains, and the weather over this section of the front takes a distinct turn for the worse. Airfield personnel are busy shovelling snow to keep the landing strips clear, and a thriving black market in warm boots and gloves springs up among the pilots. Combat in the air this turn is often hampered by inclement weather, as neither side has planes capable of reliably flying through stormy conditions yet.
The major development here this turn is the Flight of the Emus: two squadrons of the VRAC A.1 “Emu” are deployed here this turn to secure air superiority. The two-seater configuration is a first for the Sky Crusaders, and some issues are immediately apparent.
“Do you see anything?” “No.” “Do you see anything yet?” “No!” “…how about now?” “No, there isn’t anything, shut up – wait, LEFT, LEFT! Three Feathers, left level! No, not that far left, RIGHT! Okay, steady, steady, I’m aiming – I said hold steady!” “THEY’RE SHOOTING AT US, HENRI!”
Despite some coordination problems between pilot and observer, the Emu performs superbly. Despite its greater size, it matches the enemy Feathers in manoeuvrability and faster to boot, driven by a powerful engine. Its real advantage, however, is the observer and his Bolt Machine Guns on swivel mounts. Even inexperienced, these observers are far more accurate than the Feather pilots, and the ability to swivel the gun gives the Emus a great advantage in a turning fight. To top it all off, the Emus have the numerical advantage too, facing off against only one Kolechian squadron. Feathers fall from the sky in a manner entirely unlike feathers, and several bad jokes about birds and feathers are made.
However, despite the near-absolute air superiority the Verusans have on this front, they’re lacking in aircraft to take proper advantage of it. A single squadron of Sky Eyes is used for artillery spotting here, allowing the army to reclaim some ground toward Derboise.
The Central PlainsThe battle in the air here is especially crowded. The KPAF has one squadron of the new Equilibrium fighters here, along with another squadron of Feather-1914s providing aerial photoreconnaissance and one of Hykib balloons. Against this, the Sky Crusaders have four squadrons of Rhinos, and one of Sky Eyes. The bulk of the fighting here occurs along the relatively short stretch of road between Dreidansk and Estwice – some Verusan companies probe the road west to Kemilov but are repulsed by the Kolechian defences.
The Equilibrium Fighter Monoplane sees its debut in combat on this front, fighting for air superiority against a veritable herd of Rhinos in a variety of roles. In a straight fight against a Rhino, it’s no contest - the Equilibrium has it beat in manoeuvrability and is much faster, owing to the monoplane design. The synchronised Type 11, while a little less powerful than a Foster-mounted one, is nonetheless much easier to aim, which combined with superior handling makes the Equilibrium a good Rhino-killer. Even the Verusan Ace, Alderic, who has opted to remain with his squadron on this front, is unable to shoot down any Equilibrium fighters, although he does manage to avoid being shot down himself. On the other hand, a new Kolechian Ace emerges –
Piotr, from Squadron 1, shoots down a pair of Rhinos in quick succession when defending the Hykib balloons, making his fourth and fifth victories.
The problem here, as in the north, is that of simple numbers. An Equilibrium can shoot down a Rhino patrolling for air superiority; it can dive on a Rhino attacking the Hykib balloons; it can even blast away a bombing Rhino and escape its escort – but it can’t do all of that at once. In preference to hampering all of these efforts slightly, Kolechian airmen choose to focus their strength against the Sky Crusaders engaged in anti-balloon and air superiority missions, hoping that their better balloons and aerial photography will outweigh the effect of Verusan bombing raids. Luckily for them, it’s easy to pick out which Rhinos are flying these missions, as Sky Crusader aircraft are now conveniently colour-coded by squadron.
Verusan bombing raids continue mostly as normal this month, although the introduction of Bar’s Shelf Bomb Racks does see an improvement in their efficacy. Freed of the need to toss the heavy bombs overboard by hand, pilots can now concentrate on their flying. The standardised method of release also allows for slightly greater accuracy, which should improve as the bomber pilots become more experienced. Despite this, the bombing raids do not have as much effect out in the relatively more open terrain of the plains as compared to the close fighting in Dreidansk last month, and they are mostly employed against Kolechian strongpoints. The process of identifying said strongpoints is mostly left up to the suggestions of local army commanders, but the considerable delay in passing information up the chain of command limits the overall effectiveness of these strikes. Still, the threat of bombs does force Kolechian artillery to adopt a more mobile posture, instead of digging in their guns.
The new flareguns on both sides see some use by pilots, but mostly to signal to each other rather than to the ground forces. Neither side is really flying missions that require communication to the ground yet. Planes often carry two or three flare pistols, to signal distress, retreat, or enemy sighting. Of course, the downside of shooting highly visible flares is that it makes the signaller highly visible too – although the Verusans are already ahead on that front, having given all their aircraft bright paintjobs. The signal flares are sometimes used by balloons to quickly signal the troops around them, but in most cases their telephone connections are sufficient for that.
The battle here is closely fought – between the Verusan’s bombing advantage, and the Kolechian’s photoreconnaissance, there is no significant exchange of territory here these months along the road from Dreidansk to Estwice. In the southeast, however, Verusan troops make a minor advance out of the alley of clear land.
The Southern IslandsThe major development here this turn is the Kolechian push on Basselton this turn. The KPAF’s official acrobatic squadron, the Crimson Eagles, have been sent to this front. There is a great deal of complaining from all involved, including a small group of airshow enthusiasts, but the pilots become markedly more enthusiastic about the mission once it turns out that Sky Crusader opposition is nearly non-existent. Verusan aircraft at Basselton number just one squadron of Sky Eye balloons, which are quickly swept aside by Feathers.
It is in Basselton that the KPAF begins its own bombing efforts. A squadron of Feathers drops the K-09 “Dogbite” mortar rounds from their cockpits, while another squadron of Feathers fly in escort. The “Dogbite” rounds pack a bigger boom than even the Sky Crusader’s “Bottled Fury” bombs, but getting that power to where it needs to be is harder than expected. Each Feather can only carry one mortar round if it wants to take off safely, limiting the effect of each sortie. Accuracy is also abysmal, with the Kolechians encountering much the same issues as the Verusans did a few months earlier – namely that it’s hard to toss a bomb over the side by hand and have it go where you want it to. Most alarmingly, the “Dogbite” rounds tend to explode if handled too roughly, and the bombing pilots must fly as smoothly as possible to keep their cargo safe.
Despite all these troubles, KPAF bombs fall on Verusan defences mostly unimpeded, due to the fortunate (or unfortunate, depending on which side you’re on) lack of any enemy interference whatsoever. Backed by a squadron of Hykib balloons calling in artillery support, the Kolechian army advances right into the streets of Basselton, with the generals opting to go all in on assault instead of surrounding and sieging the city. Verusan naval gunfire reaps a bloody toll on the advance but is unable to stop it entirely, with the Sky Eyes out of action. At the moment, fighting continues within the city, but the Kolechians have a distinct advantage and will likely take the city next turn if the balance of forces remains unchanged.
Further to the south, a squadron of Rhino-P biplanes flies over and photographs the Kolechian defences at Mizogorod, encountering no opposition in its mission. These planes are flying near the limit of their range, from an aerodrome at the road junction from Nadeka to Risleis and Okinsonne. No suitable terrain for an aerodrome exists in the highlands, and in any case Verusan logistics are ill-equipped to supply one so far out. The aerial photographs reveal that Mizogorod is heavily defended by artillery and infantry, with a weaker defensive line along the south side of the river to prevent flanking. Armed with this information, Verusan troops continue advancing to just outside the range of the city’s guns, taking up positions along the northern riverbank. Some advances are also made along the western shores of the lake.
At Risleis, the appearance of a Kolechian cruiser squadron at dawn is a nasty surprise for the Verusan defenders. Three red balloons are also spotted on the horizon – Hykib balloons, towed behind tender ships. The cruisers stop outside the port and begin firing on the defensive artillery. While the Verusan guns can match the range of the cruisers’, they don’t have the critical advantage of balloon-borne artillery spotters. The Kolechian navy takes down the port’s defences while only sustaining moderate damage to a couple of destroyers, and leave a bunch of sunken ships blocking the harbour after two hours of bombardment.
The Outside WorldA German pilot, Kurt Wintgens, becomes the first person to shoot down another plane with a synchronisation geared machine gun, beating Kolechian pilots to this by barely a week. This event heralds the beginning of the Fokker Scourge on the Western Front, during which Fokker Eindecker fighters give the Germans air superiority with the use of synchronisation gear. In the United States, the Navy opens the Office of Naval Aeronautics, recognising the growing importance of aircraft to naval forces. The Battle of Manzikert sees a rare Ottoman victory, while the Gallipoli campaign continues in a bloody stalemate. Charles Edmonds launches the first air-dropped torpedo against a Turkish merchantman, while Max Immelmann shoots down the first of many Allied planes.
Event: Inspired by the use of British aircraft over Gallipoli, the Ottoman Aviation Squadrons are looking to purchase better aircraft and equipment designs from a neutral nation to break the stalemate. You may opt to
send one aircraft design and up to two equipment designs for their consideration. Explanations of how exactly the new equipment might be useful to their current situation will increase the chances of success. If the deal goes through, the winning side will receive
a payment of +2 PP for 3 turns.It is now the Design Phase, Late Winter 1915.
Poll
13 (33.3%)
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Topic: Knights of the Skies: an Arms Race Game - Early Summer 1916 (Read 14313 times)