Another conflict in the skies. This time the setting is North Africa, with Ju87Ds on a mission to bomb British artillery installations. Escorted by six Bf109Es, the slow but steady squadron of four laden Ju87s set their course across the featureless desert. In the distance were two elements of allied aircraft that turned out to be P40s, piloted by some rather skilled chaps.
The RAF P40 Kittyhawks closed in rapidly and the Eastern element was engaged by the escorting element of 109s. Sadly their skill levels let them down and there were only a few shots on target in the first engagement. The Kitties made a better case for themselves and frightened the Germans, but no kills yet.
As time went on the RAF had been on the radio to their high-level chums, who screamed in from high altitude to attack the bombers. With a few misses and maintaining the separation, the bombers managed to stay aloft but one pair had to jettison their bombs when damaged in order to escape (didn't work. Bad move).
The high-level Bf109s came in to harry the RAF but didn't really make much impression.
At last the Germans managed to down a P40 and we thought the balance had been tipped. But no, as so often happens in this game, the RAF got enough boom chits to send the escorts home without causing any damage!
With just four bombers left on the table heading towards their destination, everything got rather tense. Two of them had already dropped bombs to increase their speed and the final two laden aircraft had to survive to win the game. The ace P40 pilot drew a bead on one of the remaining laden Ju87s - on the last roll of the die, if this plane was hit the Germans lost the game. If he missed, the Germans won.
BOOM! Bad Kitty. That last trigger-burst meant that the Ju87 was awarded another boom chit, just enough to send the squadron home even though the shell was dodged. We (Germans) were gutted, especially as the returning fire from the Ju87's gunner was a hit that the P40 didn't dodge.
A great game made all the better by Andrew Curtis' exquisitely-painted aircraft