BATTLE OF BRITAIN - Summer 1940 A. Introduction 1. The Battle of Britain mini-campaign consists of up to 10 linked BLUE MAX games, each depicting a single Luftwaffe raid, which are played in a random order. 2. The RAF team represents a single squadron and has 4 players each with 1 pilot. The Luftwaffe team requires 3-8 players who control the various enemy aircraft. 3. Between games RAF players may replace lost pilots and add experience points to the survivors. 4. The objective is to shoot down enemy aircraft, bomb enemy installations and bases and develop your pilots skills. B. Campaign Set-up 1. Decide how many games will be played. Minimum is about 4. 2. Decide which planes the RAF will use; Spitfires or Hurricanes. If Hurricanes are selected the RAF team can either take 2 bonus VPs per game played OR roll for pilots as an "Experienced Squadron". 3. Each RAF player rolls 1D6 and consults the following table to determine initial pilot quality. Table 1: Initial RAF Pilot Quality Roll Status Kills Abilities EP Rank 0 Veteran 2 2 300 Squadron Leader 1 Veteran 1 1 200 Flight Lieutenant 2 Veteran - - 75 Flying Officer 3,4 Veteran - - 50 Pilot Officer 5 Novice - - 0 Pilot Officer 6 Novice - Fire -1 0 Pilot Off/Sgt Pilot 7 Novice - Fire -2 0 Pilot Off/Sgt Pilot Die Modifiers:- Auxiliary AF/Volunteer Reserve +1 Experienced Squadron -1 NB: The Fire penalties are removed on reaching Veteran status. 4. Roll 1D10 to decide which of the games is to be played first. 5. Each Luftwaffe player takes one of the aircraft in the chosen game. Each fighter should have a player to control it, any bombers left over will be controlled by the umpire. 6. The Luftwaffe order-of-battle also shows the pilot quality, each * indicates 1 special ability. C. The Games Game #1: Stukas! Stukas of the elite (St)LG 1 (Haupt. Berndt von Brauchitsch commanding) escorted by Me110s of ZG 76 attack the Chain Home radar station at Folkstone. Aircraft ( Pilots ): 4 Ju87B ( 1 Ace***, 1 Ace*, 2 Vet ) 2 Me110C ( 2 Vet ) Game #2: Low Level Attack The 9th Staffel of KG 76, a special low level attack unit, make a surprise raid on North Weald (the E Sector Station). Aircraft ( Pilots ): 3 Do17Z ( 1 Vet*, 2 Vet ) Notes: The bombers start at low level. Their target is only 16 hexes away. All VPs for bombing are doubled. Game #3: Channel Shipping Strike As part of the "Kanalkampf", Stukas of StG 2 (Immelmann) attack shipping in Dover harbour. Their escorts are the Mel09s of JG 52. Aircraft ( Pilots ): 4 Ju87B ( 4 Vet ) 4 Me109E ( 1 Vet*, 3 Vet ) Game #4: Junkers 88 In action for the first time, Junkers 88s of KG 54 (Totenkopf) attack RAF Manston after their escorting fighters are lost in broken cloud. Aircraft ( Pilots ): 4 Ju88A ( 1 Vet*, 3 Vet ) Game #5: Fighter-Bombers The experimental weapons and tactics unit, ErpGr 210, mount a fighter-bomber raid on RAF Hawkinge using Mell0s as bombers and Mel09s as escorts. Aircraft ( Pilots ): 3 Mell0C ( 1 Vet*, 2 Vet ) 3 Me109E ( 3 Vet ) Notes: The Mell0s are loaded with bombs. Game #6: Molders Fighter sweeps attempt to lure the RAF away from the bombers. This one by JG 51 (Major Werner Molders commanding) is in the Whitstable-Eastchurch-Southend area. Aircraft ( Pilots ): 6 Me109E ( 1 Ace****, 1 Vet**, 4 Vet ) Game #7: Horst Wessel An attack on the Hurricane factory at Kingston-on-Thames by He111s of KG 1. The escort is provided by the elite ZG 26 (Horst Wessel) led by the one-legged ace Oberst. Joachim-Friedrich Huth. Aircraft ( Pilots ): 4 He111H ( 4 Vet ) 4 Me110C ( 1 Ace**, 1 Vet*, 2 Vet ) Game #8: Richthofen Geshwader Heinkels of KG 55 with strong escort of Mel09s from JG 2 (Richthofen) attack RAF Kenley. Aircraft ( Pilots ): 2 He111H ( 2 Vet ) 6 Me109E ( 2 Vet*, 4 Vet ) Notes: Up to 6 fighters may be on top cover. Game #9: Northolt Raid A raid on RAF Northolt (the Z Sector Station) by Dorniers of KG 3 (Blitz) and Me109s of JG 53 (Pik As). Aircraft ( Pilots ): 3 Do17Z ( 3 Vet ) 8 Me109E ( 1 Ace**, 1 Vet*, 6 Vet ) Notes: Four fighters are close escort, 4 are free escort. Game #10: Biggin Hill A heavy raid on Biggin Hill by Heinkels of KG 4 with Me109s of JG 26 (Schlageter), commanded by Major Adolf Galland, escorting. Aircraft ( Pilots ): 4 He111H ( 4 Vet ) 8 Me109E ( 1 Ace****, 2 Vet*, 5 Vet ) Notes: Up to 6 fighters may be on top cover. D. Set-up Positions 1. The range between the two sides at the start will be 2D6+1 hexes. 2. Use the clock face system to find the bearing of the interceptors FROM the raiders. Roll 2D6-1, the direction the raiders have come from is used as 12 o'clock. E. Fighter Escorts 1. Close escorts must be within 4 hexes of a bomber, with the same height, speed and heading. 2. Free escorts must be within 8 hexes of a bomber, 1 altitude band, 1 speed factor and 60 degree facing. F. Top Cover 1. Fighters on top cover are assumed to be trailing the bombers at a higher altitude. They are not placed on the table during set-up. 2. At the start of any turn some or all of the top cover may come down. Secretly roll 106-1 for the number of turns delay before they arrive on table. 3. On the turn of arrival, after all movement, roll 1D6 and halve the result (round up OR down, owners choice). Place the lead plane this number of hexes away from the nearest enemy in the direction the fighters approached. Place the others in standard formation around the leader. 4. The top cover is assumed to be moving at maximum speed and is eligible to zoom climb in the next turn. G. After Each Game 1. RAF pilots who are killed are lost from the campaign and are replaced by rolling on the pilot quality table with a +1 modifier. 2. Those RAF pilots who survive a game unharmed receive double EP for that game, if wounded they get normal EP. 3. Roll 1D10 to determine the next game, roll again if this has already been played. H. Campaign Victory Points 1. The RAF Team receive VPs after the game as follows:- Each Enemy Bomber Shot Down 4 pts Each Enemy Bomber Damaged 2 pts Each Enemy Fighter Shot Down 2 pts Each Enemy Fighter Damaged 1 pt 2. The Luftwaffe Team receive VPs after the game as follows:- Each Enemy Fighter shot Down 2 pts Each Enemy Fighter Damaged 1 pt Each Successful Bombing Mission 2 pts (per bomber) 3. An aircraft is damaged if it has lost at least half its damage points in at least 2 sections. 4. In order to receive VPs for bombing the bombers must advance at least 16 hexes by the end of the game and retain their bomb loads. I. Other Campaign Special Rules 1. All World War II Variant rules are in force. 2. Each game lasts a maximum of 24 turns. 3. There are no restrictions on the size of the play area. 4. If a pilot does not get a kill during a game but does score hits on an enemy, 5 EP are awarded. Ian Clarence