Country Lass Mission 109 AAR : Walcheren Island

Everything went swimmingly until we reached the target, at which point Jerry arranged a welcoming party consisting of a pair of Me-110s, one at 12 Low and the other at 10:30 Low. Fortunately, the spits were on their game and drove both off. Not to be deterred, Jerry came right back at us with a quartet of Me-109s. Again the Spits jumped in, making quick work of two of the little buggers at 12 Level and 9 High. F/Sgt George Smythe ruined the one's day, sending the bandit to our front down in flames. The other one made us pay for his mate, taking out both our Starboard Aileron and our Auto-Pilot. Getting greedy, he came around for another go at us from 12 High, but instead got tangled up with a Spit. Not wanting to get hoisted by their own petard, the bandits broke off as we neared the Ack-Ack. F/Sgt Smythe left the nose turret to take up station at the bomb sight and guide us in. There was a burst of Ack-Ack off our Port side, doing some damage to the wing root, and then we were on the target. F/Sgt Smythe delivered 30% of our bombs on target.

Turning for home, an FW-190 descended upon us, his steep dive giving the Spits the slip. I was injured in the left upper arm as he peppered the cockpit in passing. Continuing, Jerry looped back up to come in on our tail where he concentrated his fire, taking out the tail oxygen supply and damaging the Tailwheel and Starboard Tailplane Root. Not satisfied, he came around once more, coming right at us and hitting the Bomb Controls. With the tail oxygen out, we had to drop out of formation, such as it was, and descend to 10,000 Ft for the remainder of the flight home. Most of the Jerrys were occupied with the rest of the formation, though a lone Me-109 came after us, thankfully shot down by an observant Spitfire pilot. The rest of the trip home was uneventful. Reaching Lincoln, Country Lass fought me as we touched down, though I am pleased to report we sustained no further damage. Sgt Hammond, our crew chief, tells me that the old girl should be ready to fly again in 2 days. The Flight Surgeon, after removing some shell fragments and bandaging up my arm, has released me for immediate duty.

Respectfully submitted,
F/O Reginald Pope, Commanding
Country Lass

OOC - Being new to the Lancaster, I have made the following assumptions for Mission 109:

  1. The Bomb Aimer can man the Nose Turret on the turn of the Bomb Run. Enemy fighters, not wishing to be shot down by their own Flak, will break off the attack in time to allow the Bomb Aimer to shift from the turret to the bomb sight position.
  2. The bombers are flying a Loose Formation (B-17 QotS Table B-7, 4).
  3. Use B-17 QotS tables B-1, B-2, B-3 M-3, and M-4 for Daylight missions, with the following modifications:
    1. Table B-3 Note d) replace "top turret or radio room" with "upper mid turret"
    2. Table B-3 Note e), since the Lancaster has no Ball Turret remove everything before "this fighter may be driven off by fighter cover."
    3. As per Lancaster rules 3.D.5.c do not add 1 to Me-110 hits on Table B-4, but still apply Note a) for FW-190.
  4. Use the Me-110 Rear Gun option from the end of the Corkscrew Port rules.