Blind the Defenders

Campaign Against Lucrania - Mission # 5

Mission Details
Mission # - 5
Target - Radar Station
Forces Engaged:

• Bombers - first wave = 3 Condor bombers; second wave = 3 Vulture bombers (note that I use fictional names for the plane types)
• Escorts - 4 Raptor fighters
• Defenders - 3 Goshawk fighters (blue and yellow) and 3 Peregrine fighters (silver and blue)

After Action Report
After the Empire's latest debacle, Air Marshal Gruber realized that a new approach was needed. He decided on an all-out blitz against the Lucranian radar in order to blind the defenders.

First blood. A Lucranian Peregrine fighter falls (top right) while an Imperial Raptor fighter (bottom center) is damaged. Two waves of bombers approach - Condors (medium) followed by Vultures (heavies).

A Raptor shoots down a Goshawk but is in turn shot down (bottom)

The Peregrines go after the Condors (right) while the Goshawks chase down the Vultures (left)

One Condor goes down (right)

And then another. Meanwhile, the Raptors and Goshawks dogfight with one Raptor going down (left).

One Condor makes it to the target. It avoids the flak and drops its bombs, doing moderate damage (6 points on 2D6).

 Meanwhile, the Vultures press on. Defensive fire knocks down one Goshawk.

A Goshawk makes a daring run, shooting down a Raptor and damaging a Vulture.

It then turns, shoots down a Vulture.

and then takes down another Vulture! Three kills!

The last Vulture manages to make it to the target, albeit heavily damaged. Its bomb run is markedly less accurate than the Condor. Nevertheless, the radar station has suffered significant damage (10 out of 21 total points).

Despite the damage, it has been a costly day for the Empire - 4 bombers and 4 fighters destroyed. The Lucranians only lost 2 fighters.

Notes

• Raptors and Goshawks move D6+1 while Peregrines move D6+2. Condors move 3 and Vultures move 2. Condors bomb with 2D6 and Vultures get 4D6. Damaged bombers remove 1D6 per hit.
• Today's session ran for about an hour. I kind of missed the shorter, 3 plane raids. I've been looking at the roster, however, and all the bomber squadrons have lost planes. The next raid will be small because of the losses.
• Now that I can do full scale raids, I have pro-rated the damage capacity of the targets. This is how I arrived at 21 total points for the station.
• With 2 missions left, no targets destroyed, and all bomber squadrons short-handed, the situation looks bleak for the Imperial cause.