On a Shredded Wing and a lot of Prayers

 I have had my new car now for almost a year, is it still new, anyway it parks itself, or is supposed to, I have only ever once had the opportunity to test it but had to abandon the test due to not remembering how to use it and the irate drivers behind me. My usual parking spot at the club is not available due to building work so I now park at the rear of the school, the perfect place to test the parking robot. My first test a few weeks ago was again abandoned because I hadn't a clue what to do. So the week after, all prepared I again didn't need it as there was nothing but parking space. This week surely was going to be a success, nope, there was a school function on and I only just managed to get parked on a dodgy corner four miles from the club, OK, not four miles but enough to have me cursing on the trot down with four boxes of aircraft etc. Why do they have us pay for these fancy robots if they are never used, and yes I know it is -4 outside and I can still drive for 64 miles, but I don't care.

What about the club I hear you say, right. Simon called off due to trouble with his drains, so that left only myself and Rob, I had intended to do a bombing scenario with my Wings of War stuff, two bombers and two escorts vs four scouts. With only two of us I reduced this to one bomber, one escort and two enemy scouts, Rob took the first turn as the Hun and chose an Albatross DVa to escort his Gotha V on its bomb run. I took two RNAS Sopwith Camels and the game was afoot, I ran at the bomber and Rob turned away to allow his Albatross to cross over and engage my boys. Bullets flew and Captain Brown began to suffer hits from both the Gotha and German scout, at one point smoke pouring from his engine. I was having a bit of difficulty getting into a decent firing position on the bomber as I found my Camels too fast to hang around in a decent firing position and kept overshooting the big monster. The Albatross was proving a damn nuisance as well although I guessed he was flying on string and sealing wax with all the damage cards on his control card, as he and Brown sped at each other the Boche got the killer shot in and down spun the brave captain. This left 'Mac' McGregor on his own as he bravely tried to deliver the coup de grass on the Gotha, sadly it was Mac who hit the deck as the bomber limped into the nearby cloud and escaped. A photo reconnaissance the next day proved that the target had been eliminated and Rob was victorious.

Smoking and a turn the wrong way.

Now I am getting the hang of it, but my guns are jammed.

A brave but ultimately doomed Captain Brown.

 It was now my turn, I laugh at danger and therefore took Manfred Von Richthofen and his small Fokker DrI as my escort, I was hoping that I could use the maneuverability of the small plane to run rings around the Camels as they attacked my bomber. I tried to keep Richthofen out of the way and zoom in on the Englanders to strike like an eagle but it did not go down that way, almost right away the triplane took devastating damage from a pass by Mac and hurtled into the ground, I was shocked both by losing my plane and the sarcastic barrage of false Scottish accents mimicking "Aw Come Oan" around the room to peels of laughter. Anyway, I thought the bomber would be able to complete his run home despite the attentions of the RFC. One Camel went south and the excitement mounted as the cloud (the table edge) hove into view, the Gotha was so close as her damaged engines and shattered fuselage made a supreme effort, but not close enough. An exchange of fire, the last possible put paid to the bomber while missing her pursuer, but wait, what would the recce plane find the next day ....... a target merely showered in dust, a British win.

The last gasp, so close.

Two great little games with the second being especially nail biting, it transpired that both the Camel and the Gotha only had one point of damage left as the last shots were fired, a tense card draw.

I should have the Gardes Lorraine based and ready for their photoshoot tomorrow, I have also started on my new buildings for Bolt Action, I decided also to get one more to finish my collection. I ordered a small Norman church from Dark Ops along with some gravestones from Ebay, these I hope will put the finishing touches to my Norman countryside, apart from some fencing and maybe some more hedges etc.