Continuing on from this one:
http://forum.1cpublishing.eu/showpos...8&postcount=92
Blenheim Campaign - continued
Mission Five. It's been some weeks since your fourth. An anti-shipping mission near the Hook of Holland. It didn't go well. Flakships and fighters saw to that. With a real life attrition rate averaging 30% for every mission, Cliffs of Dover players often joke about the Blenheim campaign, "so how does it end?"
You return from hospital to a new aircraft and a new crew. This mission is a group operation against the invasion barges at Boulogne. Bombing is to be conducted at a height of 16000ft. Who the Hell thought that one up?
Skipping from the briefing screen and map, you visit the crew screen to meet your new Bomb Aimer and Wop/Air Gunner. All the members of the Squadron are listed, grouped by aircraft. Your aircraft is D-Dog. You click on it to expand the list and show the crew.
Here you can see the AI crew mambers names, statistics and skill levels. This can be very useful. If someone isn't good at their job, you'll want to know about it. Maybe you can trade them. Or maybe if they're good, you'll know to keep them when approached by another crew who is looking to exchange .
Your Bomb Aimer is new. His Experience level is listed as low, but Morale and Zeal are both high. As much as one might expect really. The Wireless/Gunner though... Cowan, RAAF. Experience is very high, but Morale is way down. Very strange! You look at his additional statistics and suddenly it all becomes clear. This will be his sixteenth mission. Sixteen! How on earth has he survived? Good God. No wonder he's all-in.
Later....
In the air and approaching Boulogne at 16000ft. 38 Blenheims push on through the punishing flak on their final run to the target. You keep on in the loose Vic with your flight leader as the AI bomb aimer opens the bomb bay doors and calls out corrections...
"Right.... Left-left... Steady!" Shrapnel rattles against the fuselage as you concentrate on holding course. Ahead, two Blenheims are streaming smoke and falling back, crowding another three bombers in the Vic behind. "Steady...!" says the bomb aimer. Plummy voice. Pompous bastard!
"S-Sugars had it" says the AI gunner. You look to the right. Your flight leaders port wing is hit and in flames. As you watch, his aircraft heels over veering towards you. You twitch reflexively on the rudder pedals. For a moment it looks like he's going to ram, but suddenly the port wings folds and the whole mess falls away. Flak rocks the aircraft once more.
"Left-left!" orders the Bomb airmer.
"Just drop the f*cking things!" shouts the W/Gunner.
The first bombs are beginning to fall from the lead bombers. Any second now...
"Bomb doors closed" says the bomb aimer. "It's no good. Steer one-one-five. We're going round again..."
As you throw the Blenheim into a steep bank, you and the gunner both hurl curses at the bomb aimers back. If you get out of this one, you'll trade him out of the ship the first chance you get!