Octopus Overlords

Posted: **Thu Sep 26, 2019 10:19 pm**

This should be entertaining.

Posted: **Thu Sep 26, 2019 11:30 pm**

Dear Journal:
Our first day of test flight. We got the illustrious Hellcat Agnes!

I'd feel better about this if it weren't for the stories mum always told me about my Aunt Agnes. Bit crazy that one, didn't come to a good end. Good thing I don't believe in superstitions. Haven't told mum the plane name yet, she's a superstitious sort, would be a frightful mess worrying about me before we even get off the ground.

Lawbeefaroni (my counterpart on the left waist gun - apparently, we don't need short call sign names - hope they don't have to call him for a rush) is attempting to light a cigar by flicking his match off an ammo crate. I had previously wondered why only 1 in 4 people survived this. I stopped wondering now.

Smoove_b (our pilot, apparently not a variation on "smooth" based on his piloting at take off, but he improved by the end) - announced after 3 hours in the air as we were finishing our run "Sorry kids, we're out of gas. It was nice knowing you." The plane did not smell so good after that. After a few minutes, he laughed. We landed safely. He used that line every time after that when we finished. A really funny guy that one.

TheMix - (radio operator) - he seems like a nice, innocent kid, fresh off the farm. Bit of a stuttering problem, but when we're up in the air freezing nigh on to death, I'm sure we'll all be chattering so much, no one will even notice his speech problem. Least that's why I keep telling him, hoping to get him to calm down a little. Seems kinda scared.

<Chow time, will have to finish this up later. I hear they're having roast tonight, might be our last good meal they say.>

Posted: **Thu Sep 26, 2019 11:54 pm**

I wonder if the Navy has a fighter named the "Flying Fortress Francine"?

Posted: **Fri Sep 27, 2019 1:05 am**

Well, apparently I'll be cancelling my vacation to India due to a minor misunderstanding. Looks like I'll be touring Europe by air instead. So, before we leave the field, your good ol' bombardier has a song dedication for you all.

Posted: **Fri Sep 27, 2019 8:10 am**

Good morning, Gentlemen.

Today's target will be the U-Boat pens at La Pallice in France.

As you can see from the intelligence photo damage from the last raid seems to have been repaired and they have even added to the facility so we're going back again. Weather conditions are favorable and you should have good fighter cover over the Channel and when you just reach France. Past that you are on your own.

So couldn't find one of those bomber flight maps so I'm posting this from the game instead. Click to expand image if you'd like.

So in game terms here what it means for us. Zone 1 and 2 are in England with no German fighters. Zone three is when we cross over the Channel and there's the possibility of fighters but not very likely and there's a DRM in our favor to reflect that along with fighter cover. As we approach the coast in zone 4 and arrive in France in zone 5 the chances of encountering fighters rises a little but we still retain our fighter cover. Past zone 5 our escorts turn back and we're on our own to the target. And we'll have to fight our way out again so in total there's 18 zones where all sorts of fun things can happen.

Hellcat Agnes, due to a disease of a umm social nature that has struck the high cell formation leader crew you're up. Congratulations and again as the doc says please put a cover on it when on leave. Good luck gentlemen!

For the crew of Hellcat Agnes I don't think you get a bump in pay but being cell leader you draw an additional ME-109 per wave of fighters. Also here's a chart (can click to enlarge) which shows the squadron formation. We are plane #7 (heh after reading Zenn7's comments I hope it's good luck rather than a flaming death over France...)

Posted: **Fri Sep 27, 2019 10:05 am**

Go go go!

Posted: **Fri Sep 27, 2019 10:58 am**

The flight deck crew bopping in time to the music was a nice touch! It's no Glenn Miller but yea 80's synthpop!

Posted: **Fri Sep 27, 2019 11:46 am**

On airbases across England the same scene is repeated as bombs and ammo boxes are checked and loaded, pre-flight rituals are observed and the planes taxi to the runway waiting for the signal for either takeoff or cancellation. With the almost clear skies over the airfield the chances of scrubbing the mission at this point are pretty remote. The back of your mind, the part focused on survival quietly wishes that the mission is called off but you know that there's always going to be another target and the way home is through winning the war so you focus on getting ready for this flight.

After the usual wait and delays you see the signal from the control van and one by one planes begin their takeoff. This can be as harrowing as flying over the target since the gathering of hundreds of planes over a set point can be prone to collisions which will kill you just as easily as flak or a ME-109. Now it's your turn as you push the throttle and the Hellcat Agnes lumbers into the air and ascends to join the other bombers.

Time to roll for take-off...

As you climb to your operating altitude you hear your co-pilot say "Hey, we have a engine light on engine 1, 2, and 3." You call on the intercom, "Anybody see smoke coming from the engines?" The crew answers back saying there's no smoke. The plane has the usual familiar hums, vibrations and rattling so you tell your co-pilot to tap the lights. He does and the warning lights go dark. You shrug and the mission continues. The Lord giveth and He taketh away as the base chaplain says but hopefully on this mission He will do more giving...

Roll results for take-off: 1d10=1 possible engine malfunction, roll 1d10 again=3 false alarm

Posted: **Fri Sep 27, 2019 12:27 pm**

The Hellcat Agnes flies over England covered in a light haze and joins her formation without incident. "Little friends" in the form of Spitfires could be seen in the distance. Unfortunately, contrails from the bombers could also be seen which would make it easier for the Germans to track the bombers...

Entered Zone 2. Roll for weather=haze, roll for mechanical failure=no issues, roll for contrails=yes, enemy fighters=none

The weather goes from a light haze to 100% cloud cover as the formation flies over the Channel. The radio operator reports that the mission hasn't been scrubbed due to weather over the target. At least with the cloud cover the contrails are gone and enemy fighters haven't found the formation. The warning lights that came on after takeoff haven't reappeared and the flight has been uneventful so far...

Entered Zone 3 over the Channel. Roll for weather=100% cloud cover, roll for mechanical failure=no issues, roll for contrails=not needed due to cloud cover, enemy fighters=none

Posted: **Fri Sep 27, 2019 1:03 pm**

We're going to be ok. WE ARE GOING TO BE OK!!!

Posted: **Fri Sep 27, 2019 1:34 pm**

Guys...GUYS!!! Where's my rabbit's foot??? WHERE'S MY RABBIT'S FOOT!!! WE HAVE TO GO BACK!!!

Posted: **Fri Sep 27, 2019 1:36 pm**

/me thinks: Everyone is yelling. Maybe it's loud in the parts of the plane they are in? Am I supposed to respond? ... I don't remember the radio I trained on having all these dials and lights...

Posted: **Fri Sep 27, 2019 2:31 pm**

No worries fellas -- these days, planes pretty much fly themselves. Oh wait, it's the 1940s. Never mind.

Posted: **Fri Sep 27, 2019 2:44 pm**

That's okay, I got your back.
What are these foot thingies on the floor?

Posted: **Fri Sep 27, 2019 2:48 pm**

I'm going to grab my parachute, fluff it up, and use it for a pillow. Wake me up when we see searchlights.

Posted: **Fri Sep 27, 2019 8:20 pm**

Dear Journal,

DBT - he's the co-pilot. He's an old guy. I think he was born before airplanes were invented! He might have known what he was doing once, but the way he's playing around with the controls, I think he may be a little too old, have forgotten a few important details. Or he just doesn't know how this new technology works. Nothing like when he was a young man and learned how to fly I'm sure.

Black "Pigeon" Hawk - Our bombardier. Glad he's not our pilot, always seems to be taking a nap somewhere.

We are on our first actual bombing run now. I hear we're the 7th position bomber! We will be lucky! Just like me, Zenn7! I tell the rest of the guys what the chief told me about 7. They laugh or jeer me for the most part. This first part's only a little scary, we'll have fighter cover for a while. Won't be too long til we have worry about the krauts fighters. And then comes their flak guns. I hear you can get hypnotized by their beauty and patterns... and then the next thing you know, there's a whole in your bomber where they hit ya.

As we start to take off, Smoove_B calls out asking if anyone sees any smoke anywhere. Next thing I know, we're taking off. Guess that was him being funny again. I hope...

Pigeon's piling up his parachute and lying down. Said to wake him up when we see the lights. Hope he actually gets up this time. Our last 2 training runs, we couldn't rouse him until after we landed!

Foggy as we're heading out over the water. Can't see much. Kind of unnerving knowing we're surrounded by bombers. If I could spit out the window, I'd probably hit one, but we can barely see them. At least the krauts won't see us coming. Guess I can ease up a little on holding my gun handles.

I must be seeing things in the fog. Coulda swore I saw Smoove_B walking by me. Can't be right though, he's flying the plane right now.

Hope this fog cover keeps up until we get close to our target.

Posted: **Sat Sep 28, 2019 12:47 am**

*Snore*

*Snore*

*SNORT!*

"That's 'Pigeoneye'. Like 'eagle-eye', but better. Now go sit by your hole and quit scratchin' at that book. It's bad luck."

*Snore*

Posted: **Sat Sep 28, 2019 1:08 am**

Zenn7 wrote: ↑Fri Sep 27, 2019 8:20 pm Dear Journal,

DBT - he's the co-pilot. He's an old guy. I think he was born before airplanes were invented! He might have known what he was doing once, but the way he's playing around with the controls, I think he may be a little too old, have forgotten a few important details. Or he just doesn't know how this new technology works. Nothing like when he was a young man and learned how to fly I'm sure.

Black "Pigeon" "Pigeoneye" Hawk - Our bombardier. Glad he's not our pilot, always seems to be taking a nap somewhere. Apparently, he likes to read over my shoulder...

We are on our first actual bombing run now. I hear we're the 7th position bomber! We will be lucky! Just like me, Zenn7! I tell the rest of the guys what the chief told me about 7. They laugh or jeer me for the most part. This first part's only a little scary, we'll have fighter cover for a while. Won't be too long til we have worry about the krauts fighters. And then comes their flak guns. I hear you can get hypnotized by their beauty and patterns... and then the next thing you know, there's a whole in your bomber where they hit ya.

As we start to take off, Smoove_B calls out asking if anyone sees any smoke anywhere. Next thing I know, we're taking off. Guess that was him being funny again. I hope...

Pigeon's piling up his parachute and lying down. Said to wake him up when we see the lights. Hope he actually gets up this time. Our last 2 training runs, we couldn't rouse him until after we landed!

Foggy as we're heading out over the water. Can't see much. Kind of unnerving knowing we're surrounded by bombers. If I could spit out the window, I'd probably hit one, but we can barely see them. At least the krauts won't see us coming. Guess I can ease up a little on holding my gun handles.

I must be seeing things in the fog. Coulda swore I saw Smoove_B walking by me. Can't be right though, he's flying the plane right now.

Hope this fog cover keeps up until we get close to our target.

Don't you worry Pigeoneye, I'm in my hole. I'll be ready when the time comes. You might want to get up so you're awake when it's time. After all, I don't think while we're doing live runs instead of practice, it'll be so easy for me to get up and do your job (and I have no sympathy for the reaming out you got for doing your job so lousy - not my fault I couldn't get over there to do it well in the time I had, nor that I don't have your training for the job... and admittedly, keen eye for that bombing thing...)

Posted: **Sat Sep 28, 2019 1:28 am**

Gravity does my job. I just tell it when to get going.

Posted: **Sat Sep 28, 2019 8:49 am**

I'm glad we didn't name the plane "The Phoenix". Something ominousness about that name.

Posted: **Sat Sep 28, 2019 8:57 am**

Wakey wakey, Blackhawk...

In the distance you can barely see the French coastline covered in a light haze. Suddenly from the intercom you hear from various stations on the Agnes "Bandits! Bandit 9 o'clock, bandit 1:30, bandit at 12 o'clock (the last one sounding a bit sleepy like he was waking up from a nap). Tracers begin to fill the air and the little friends earn their pay fending off the fighters as best they can. Three ME-109s approach the Agnes but Spitfires drive two of them off. The one fighter left however isn't deterred and continues flying straight at the nose of the Hellcat Agnes...

(pictures and dice rolls to follow...)

Posted: **Sat Sep 28, 2019 9:20 am**

I break the silence as we go over the water on our first mission. “Hey guys,” I ask,” you ever see that Flash Gordon movie with Buster Crab and Jean Rogers? Ever wonder what it would be like if we could go to space?”

I’ve been thinking about space a lot lately. Reading and re-reading the science fiction books my mom sends over in my care packages. I wrote a letter to her, asking if she send a physics book next. The guys tease me about it. Calling me “gamma ray dude”, and talking in a radio serial voice. “Will gamma ray dude save Polly Pureheart from the clutches of evil Dr Dementor? Tune in tomorrow and find out!”

Posted: **Sat Sep 28, 2019 9:49 am**

Bogey, 9 o'clock! Left waist locked and loaded! Come on you bastard....

There's a Tommy on his six! He's breaking off! We're going to be OK!!!!! Everything is OK!

Posted: **Sat Sep 28, 2019 9:59 am**

*Yawn*

Hmm?

"Bandit at 12 o'clock [stifled yawn]"

I kick back and start eating the fruit bar out of my parachute ration, waiting until it's my turn.

Posted: **Sat Sep 28, 2019 11:06 am**

"How in the hell did this hole appear in my side window?"

Posted: **Sat Sep 28, 2019 11:45 am**

(click to enlarge)

So here's the situation. We drew one wave of three fighters. Not terrible since you can have up to 3 waves of fighters attacking you. And with our good fighter cover and a nice roll on the "how many fighters are driven off" table two of those fighters were driven off. You have your choice of which fighters to remove and in retrospect I probably should have left one of the fighters attacking from the side because I could have had more guns trained on it. With the 12 o'clock level bandit, only Blackhawk and Raydude have the first shot but LordMortis will also have a passing shot assuming he's still alive to take it after the fighter pass since for passing shots the 12 o'clock fighter gets to finish his attack first. The ME-109 can have up to 3 successive attacks assuming he's not shot down but he can be forced to break off due to the results of our defensive fire or if he misses he'll go after other prey.

Posted: **Sat Sep 28, 2019 12:05 pm**

Blackhawk is the bombadier. I didn't think he had a gun as well. Are you thinking of Hentzau? (I'm not sure where the ball gun is...)

Edit: By the way, the picture of where everyone is located is blurry for me. So other than the tail gunner and the pilot, I'm pretty much guessing. I assume the radio is one of the middle-ish ones, but I don't know which one. Don't suppose you can either improve it or get a sharpie and write some labels on it?

Posted: **Sat Sep 28, 2019 12:11 pm**

Listening to the radio chatter from the other planes...

(Shouting) "Enemy planes inc..inc..inc...ahead!"

Posted: **Sat Sep 28, 2019 12:26 pm**

TheMix wrote: ↑Sat Sep 28, 2019 12:05 pm Blackhawk is the bombadier. I didn't think he had a gun as well. Are you thinking of Hentzau? (I'm not sure where the ball gun is...)

Edit: By the way, the picture of where everyone is located is blurry for me. So other than the tail gunner and the pilot, I'm pretty much guessing. I assume the radio is one of the middle-ish ones, but I don't know which one. Don't suppose you can either improve it or get a sharpie and write some labels on it?

Yeah I didn’t like the way that pic turned out so I’ll probably take a new pic and if the quality hasn’t improved I’ll try and add some labels.

The bombardier sits in the nose so he can line up the bombsight on the target. The nose also has a .50 cal gun that the bombardier fires. Later versions of the B-17 replaced the single.50 cal with a twin gun chin turret for added lethality which the actual Hellcat Agnes had equipped.

Posted: **Sat Sep 28, 2019 12:29 pm**

$iljanus wrote: ↑Sat Sep 28, 2019 12:26 pm
TheMix wrote: ↑Sat Sep 28, 2019 12:05 pm Blackhawk is the bombadier. I didn't think he had a gun as well. Are you thinking of Hentzau? (I'm not sure where the ball gun is...)

Edit: By the way, the picture of where everyone is located is blurry for me. So other than the tail gunner and the pilot, I'm pretty much guessing. I assume the radio is one of the middle-ish ones, but I don't know which one. Don't suppose you can either improve it or get a sharpie and write some labels on it?
Yeah I didn’t like the way that pic turned out so I’ll probably take a new pic and if the quality hasn’t improved I’ll try and add some labels.

The bombardier sits in the nose so he can line up the bombsight on the target. The nose also has a .50 cal gun that the bombardier fires. Later versions of the B-17 replaced the single.50 cal with a twin gun chin turret for added lethality.

Well schucks. No one told me I'd have to learn!

Posted: **Sat Sep 28, 2019 12:36 pm**

TheMix wrote: ↑Sat Sep 28, 2019 12:29 pm
$iljanus wrote: ↑Sat Sep 28, 2019 12:26 pm
TheMix wrote: ↑Sat Sep 28, 2019 12:05 pm Blackhawk is the bombadier. I didn't think he had a gun as well. Are you thinking of Hentzau? (I'm not sure where the ball gun is...)

Edit: By the way, the picture of where everyone is located is blurry for me. So other than the tail gunner and the pilot, I'm pretty much guessing. I assume the radio is one of the middle-ish ones, but I don't know which one. Don't suppose you can either improve it or get a sharpie and write some labels on it?
Yeah I didn’t like the way that pic turned out so I’ll probably take a new pic and if the quality hasn’t improved I’ll try and add some labels.

The bombardier sits in the nose so he can line up the bombsight on the target. The nose also has a .50 cal gun that the bombardier fires. Later versions of the B-17 replaced the single.50 cal with a twin gun chin turret for added lethality.
Well schucks. No one told me I'd have to learn!

Well, knowledge is half the battle!

And as I read ahead, there would have been a bonus to our to hit roll against the 9:00 level fighter. Should have kept him in but since we're in the early part of the air war it is a learning curve for everyone.

Posted: **Sat Sep 28, 2019 2:06 pm**

The bombardier and navigator positions and their corresponding guns

Posted: **Sat Sep 28, 2019 3:06 pm**

Hey TheMix is this better? It's a big image so just click on it to blow it up (the image, not the plane of course) and the crew position names should be a lot clearer for you.

Posted: **Sat Sep 28, 2019 3:49 pm**

Ball turret gun is under the plane, it’s a bubble that hangs under the plane about halfway along the hull.

Posted: **Sat Sep 28, 2019 3:55 pm**

As two of the bandits chased by Spitfires peel off a third fighter heads straight for the nose of the Hellcat Agnes. Blackhawk and Raydude pour on the fire but the stream of tracers miss the ME-109. It may have been enough to throw off the fighter pilot because he misses as well but he almost collides with the nose as it passes the bomber. Not long after the formation stops firing since it seems that there weren't many fighters sent up to intercept the bombers. Soon enough, the formation crosses the shoreline. Welcome to France!

A whole lot of misses from Blackhawk and Raydude. Luckily the German pilot didn't fare much better. Then I noticed there's a "roll for collision" table. There's quite a few ways for this game to kill of a bomber crew. The fighter misses the plane and both live for a while longer.

The Hellcat Agnes crosses into France. Cloud cover is heavy but TheMix doesn't report that the mission is scrubbed so the flight continues. Suddenly out of the clouds waves of fighters can be seen lining up to attack. Spitfires peel off to engage them and the battle is on! Two fighters engage the Hellfire at 12 o'clock. The ME-109 is chased away but the FW-190 is determined in his attack and presses on.

(image to follow)

Posted: **Sat Sep 28, 2019 4:07 pm**

Once when I lived in Southern California I visited an air museum out at Orange County Airport. (last I heard it had been changed the airport name to John Wayne Airport.)
Anyrate they were making Catch 22 at the time and they had 16 B-25s there that they were preparing for the movie. They also had a B-17 that you could crawl around in. It was awfully small in there. I don't see how everybody fit in. As well as the tail gunner the ball gunner had to be pretty small too.
If the museum is still there, I would highly recommend it. Lot of WW1 planes there too.

Posted: **Sat Sep 28, 2019 6:34 pm**

The new image is much better. Thanks. Does the little chit next to the radio room mean that I have a gun as well? Also, it must get really lonely back in the tail.

Posted: **Sat Sep 28, 2019 7:06 pm**

TheMix wrote: ↑Sat Sep 28, 2019 6:34 pm The new image is much better. Thanks. Does the little chit next to the radio room mean that I have a gun as well? Also, it must get really lonely back in the tail.

Yes you do! Can only fire in one direction, 6:00 high, but hey it's something.

Posted: **Sat Sep 28, 2019 7:10 pm**

dbt1949 wrote: ↑Sat Sep 28, 2019 4:07 pm Once when I lived in Southern California I visited an air museum out at Orange County Airport. (last I heard it had been changed the airport name to John Wayne Airport.)
Anyrate they were making Catch 22 at the time and they had 16 B-25s there that they were preparing for the movie. They also had a B-17 that you could crawl around in. It was awfully small in there. I don't see how everybody fit in. As well as the tail gunner the ball gunner had to be pretty small too.
If the museum is still there, I would highly recommend it. Lot of WW1 planes there too.

I would love to check out the inside of a B-17 but man would hate to have been a ball gunner. Just looking at the pictures of the space they had to stay in for hours at a time. And to do that day after day. Much respect for their courage and the loyalty they had to their crewmates.

Posted: **Sun Sep 29, 2019 7:01 pm**

With the 12 o'clock level bandit, only Blackhawk and Raydude have the first shot but LordMortis will also have a passing shot assuming he's still alive to take it after the fighter pass since for passing shots the 12 o'clock fighter gets to finish his attack first.

Uh oh

Spoiler:

Octopus Overlords

The Flight of the Hellcat Agnes (Target for Today)

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