Remote game report and some board game fun

A few face-to-face board games and a remote wargame over the past week has meant I done very well on the gaming side of the hobby.

I will start with the remote game against Jon from Palouse Wargaming Journal. The scenario was the Battle of Domyoji, 1615, focusing on the fighting among the tombs between the Osaka and Tokugawa armies. I chose to command the Tokugawa army for no particular reason other than the tabletop photograph in Jon's briefing notes was taken from the Tokugawa side of the table, making it much easier to orient myself.

A photograph from Jon's briefing notes. The layout is based upon a scenario from Samurai Battles game.

For the game we used Jon's modified version of the Basic Impetus rules, which have been adapted for the Sengoku period and played on a hex grid. I had played these rules with Jon a couple of years ago and remembered two key things about the rules:

1. Turning (or pivoting) units is a very slow business and also causes unit disruption.
2. Charges can have dramatic consequences. A defeated unit that retires can be pursued, and if it is forced to retreat two hexes (representing a rout), it turns to face away from the victorious unit, leaving it in a very vulnerable position (especially with point 1).

Victory points would be awarded for controlling a tomb area without enemy units nearby, while each army also had an army break point—12 for Osaka and 15 for Tokugawa. Points were lost for any destroyed units, killed leaders, and successful enemy pursuits. In addition, after Turn 8 the Osaka army could score victory points by exiting units from its own table edge. This meant the Tokugawa army had little choice but to close with the enemy quickly and prevent Osaka from slipping away.

Battle Report

With the need to engage the Osaka army quickly, the Tokugawa line pushed forward on both flanks during the opening turn, advancing around both tombs in an attempt to bring the enemy to battle early before they could begin withdrawing.

Turn 1 - The Tokugawa army advances.

The second turn began exceptionally well for the Tokugawa army. On the left flank, Masamune led a determined assault that, with his cavalry, routed the opposing units through a series of successful combats and pursuits. In the process, the Osaka commander Kitigawa was killed. This all dealt a significant blow to the enemy resolve. Off the back of this success, the Tokugawa cavalry moved around the tombs and woodland to threaten the rear of the Osaka army.

Elsewhere, however, the battle proved far more problematic. The centre and right continued their advance but made little headway. The Osaka forces responded with a series of well-timed counter-attacks that left many of the Tokugawa centre and right flank units scattered as they were forced to retire.

Turn 2 - The Tokugawa centre and right flank are under pressure.

By the third turn, the victorious left flank was regrouping and manoeuvring into position for a flank attack. Meanwhile, the situation in the centre and on the right had become increasingly desperate as more units retired or fled. As the units attempted to rally, Tadamasa led his samurai cavalry in a charge to slow the Osaka advance. The attack inflicted some welcome damage on the enemy, but the cavalry were soon met and checked by the Osaka samurai cavalry.

Turn 3 - Cavalry to the rescue.

Turn four proved decisive. The Tokugawa left flank continued its advance, increasing the threat on the Osaka flank. When an Osaka cavalry charge was repulsed, Tadamasa immediately launched a successful pursuit. The cumulative losses finally pushed the Osaka army beyond its break point, shattering its resolve and bringing the battle to a close and a Tokugawa victory.

Turn 4 - A decisive pursuit cause the Osaka army to break.

Game Summary

The game took around two hours to finish and was most enjoyable to play. Even though the game only had four turns, the turns are broken up by drawing different coloured dice to randomly determine the order of activation of the battle groups (Sonae).

Victory points were awarded for controlling the tomb hexes. In the end, each side held one tomb, so these points effectively cancelled each other out, leaving the result to be decided by losses inflicted on the opposing army.

The cavalry proved to be the decisive throughout the battle. The Tokugawa horse dominated the left flank early on, creating the opportunity to threaten the Osaka rear. Later, Tadamasa's timely charges in the centre helped stabilise a collapsing centre and right flank. Without Tadamasa's successful attacks, Jon's counter-attack could easily have routed several more Tokugawa units and swung the battle in Osaka's favour.

Thank you to Jon for hosting a fun and exciting game. We hope to play this battle again, this time switching sides.

Board Games

A week earlier, my daughter visited for a day of gaming, and we managed to fit in three different board games. We started with the co-operative game Zombicide, where, despite being chased by the undead, our entire team managed to get all their objectives and escape alive.

Setting up Zombicide game.

I have painted up all the figures that come with the game.

Our second game was another co-operative game called The Captain is Dead. This is becoming one of our favourites. In the game you play as the crew of a spaceship under attack by aliens. The objective is to repair the ship's critical systems and get the ship's drive back online before being overwhelmed by aliens and failing systems. We played two games, with one victory and one defeat.

This game was a Christmas Present.

There is quite a lot to set up in the game.

We finished the day with a game of Space Hulk. I was commanding the Space Marines and I  unfortunately failed to complete the mission. I really should get around to painting the miniatures that come with the game.

Space Hulk game in progress.

A wonderful day spent with my daughter. My next post will cover my painting progress on the Zulu and British infantry units.

Battle of Britain Campaign - Game 6 Battle Report

A week ago I managed to find some time for another game in my Battle of Britain campaign, this one covering the week from 12–18 August 1940.

The Stuka finally gets to be used in a campaign game.

The mission, determined by a dice roll, was to Bomb an RDF (Radio Direction Finding) Installation. In the games I am using the Blood Red Skies ruleset adapted for play on a hex grid.

The mission is selected.

With the mission selected, the next steps were to determine the aircraft involved, the weather, pilot skills, and the arrival altitude of each formation. Details are all covered in the campaign rules, which can be found here.

Since starting the campaign, I have made a couple of minor change to the campaign scenario set up rules. The first concerns barrage balloons and flak. Rather than treat them separately I have combined the two, with all hexes surrounding the barrage balloons being treated as flak hexes. The second change relates to pilot skills where there can now only be one Ace in each force. If a second Ace is rolled, that pilot is instead now treated as a Veteran pilot.

Scenario

A Junkers 87 Stuka, escorted by four Messerschmitt 109s, has been tasked with bombing an RDF station. The Stuka is flown by a Regular pilot, while the fighter escort consists of one Veteran pilot, one Regular pilot, and two Novice pilots.

Intercepting the raid are two Hurricanes and two Spitfires. The RAF force includes two Regular pilots, one Novice pilot, and one Ace pilot. The Novice and Ace are flying Spitfires.

It is a clear day, with only two cloud markers on the table. There are two barrage balloons, supported by flak batteries defending the target.

Game Report

German aircraft, consisting of one Stuka dive-bomber escorted by four Messerschmitt 109 fighters, approach the coast and are intercepted by RAF Hurricanes and Spitfires who enter the action at low altitude.

Game set up.

A bank of cloud is utilised to conceal some of the intercepting RAF aircraft. Two Hurricanes and one Spitfire emerge from the cloud to make a head-on attack against the Stuka as it flies towards the target area. The Stuka sustains only slight damage and is able to continue on its course.

The RAF use clouds to conceal their initial attack.

The Messerschmitt escorts engage the RAF aircraft in a air melee. Both sides exchanging fire, causing minor damage to each side, after which the RAF pilots attempt to disengage and manoeuvre to make a second attack run at the Stuka, this time from the rear. Due to the close attention of the Messerschmitt escorts, these attacks will be less coordinated than the initial attack.

A confused air-melee as the Messerschmitt escorts engage the RAF aircraft.

A moment of relief for the Stuka as it finds cloud cover.

The attacks while unsuccessful did force the Stuka to lose altitude. However, it passed through the barrage balloon and flak defences without harm.

As the Stuka began to close upon its objective, one of Spitfires succeeded in delivering a decisive burst of fire, and the Stuka enters a steep dive and crashed to the ground before reaching the RDF installation. One member of the crew was observed to successfully bail out.

This was a good day for the RAF. They successfully defended the bombing target with no aircraft lost.

The attacks on the Stuka become piecemeal.

With the Stuka at low altitude a final attack forces it to crash.

Game Wrap Up

Both sides made good use of the available cloud cover during the engagement. The RAF exploited it during their initial attack approach, whilst the Stuka was able to escape some of the attacks. The RAF held a slight advantage in pilot quality, which proved useful for turn activation order and the number of dice used when shooting.

I made a mistake when setting up the scenario. Only one barrage balloon unit should have been available to the defenders, as Luftwaffe bombing activity had successfully struck London the previous week. Under the campaign rules, one barrage balloon unit would have been redeployed to the defence of the capital.

Campaign Situation

I am now 6 turns into the campaign, which runs for a total of 17 turns. Each game represents a key engagement within a given week, adopting this “bath-tubbing” approach keeps the number of games to a manageable level and makes use of my limited number of aircraft.

To win the Luftwaffe must achieve five successful bombing missions against London, industry, or convoy targets to win the campaign. So far they have achieved two successful raids, both against London. The campaign remains well balanced with eleven turns remaining. However, as it progresses, penalties to Luftwaffe pilot skill tests in the last 5 turns will take effect, reflecting the attrition on experience from sustained action over enemy territory.

Back to painting Zulus

After taking a break from painting Zulus, it has taken me quite a while to get back to them. A few real-life distractions have ended up extending the break to be longer than expected.

A Zulu army advances.

I have been painting the Zulus in batches of 60, simply because that's how many of these HaT 1:72 scale figures come in a box. A full batch can look rather daunting when they are all lined up on the painting table, and getting motivated to start can be an issue. This weekend I decided it was time to knuckle down and get stuck in, and I have now completed the latest and possibly last large batch.

60 Zulus lined up on the painting table.

With these recent additions finished, I thought I would do a bit of a parade and lay the whole collection out on just to see how much tabletop space they occupy. I have been re-reading Black Powder's Zulu supplement, which uses both standard and small units. With most of my collections I base my figures on 4 x 3 inch rectangular bases, so my plan is to use two bases for a standard unit and a single base for a small unit. 

With the Zulus I am able to fit 12 figures onto each base without them looking too structured or regimented. Most units will be standard sized and consist of two bases totalling 24 figures. They provide a good representation of a Zulu Impi on the tabletop. There may be occasions with smaller battles where I will use a block of 4 bases.

I do my best to make the units look unstructured with no obvious lines of miniatures.

So far I have 12 standard sized units and 1 small sized unit. When all laid out they take up a fair chunk of the tabletop.

When I get around to painting the British forces I suspect I will have between 8 to 10 figures to a single base, which I am looking forward too! However, next will be some Zulu commander bases to wrap up the Zulu army for the moment.

Battle of Britain Campaign - Turns 4 and 5

This weekend it was time to clear the American War of Independence armies from the tabletop and prepare for a game of Blood Red Skies as part of my ongoing solo Battle of Britain campaign. The campaign consists of 17 turns, and I am hoping to be able to play at least one game every fortnight.

A photo of the game changed to give a cartoon feel.

The mission for the next campaign turn, covering 29th July to 4th August 1940, was determined by a dice roll. A roll of 4 resulted in a Bomb Airfields mission. As this was a repeat of the previous week's mission, the campaign rules treat it as a period of bad weather with no flying activity.

The campaign therefore advances to the next turn, 5th August to 11th August 1940, and a roll of 3 has the mission to Bomb London.

Turn 4 resulted in bad weather as the dice roll was a repeat of the previous turn.

The campaign rolls on to turn 5 and a bombing mission on London.

With the mission selected, the following steps were completed to set up the game:

• Select aircraft
• Determine weather
• Determine pilot skills
• Determine aircraft altitude

Scenario

A Dornier 17 and a Heinkel 111 are on a mission to bomb London, escorted by three Messerschmitt 109s. The bombers have Regular pilots, while the fighter escort includes one Ace pilot, one Veteran pilot, and two Regular pilots.

Intercepting the raid are two Hurricanes and two Spitfires. The RAF force consists of two Novice pilots and two Regular pilots.

The weather is clear, with only two cloud markers on the table. Helping the defence are two barrage balloons supported by flak batteries.

Game Report

The intercepting Hurricanes and Spitfires belonged to a newly formed squadron whose pilots had limited combat experience, though they were eager for the up coming action. As the RAF fighters closed in on the incoming bombers, it became apparent that the escorting Messerschmitt 109s were flying at an unusually low altitude. This presented a rare opportunity to strike directly at the bombers before the German fighters could gain altitude to intervene effectively.

At the start of the game the RAF have the altitude advantage.

The normal tactic employed was for the Spitfires to engage the enemy escorts, allowing the Hurricanes to concentrate on the bombers. On this occasion, however, the entire RAF formation headed straight towards the German bombers. During the initial attack run, one of the bombers appeared to suffer light damage, though it maintained its course.

RAF fighters swoop in to attack the bombers.

The escorting Messerschmitts gain altitude and engage the RAF fighters.

The sky soon became a swirling melee as the Messerschmitts, having gained altitude, moved to engage the RAF fighters. With the RAF fighters occupied, both the Dornier and Heinkel sought refuge in a nearby bank of cloud.

The bombers get some relief as they enter the cloud.

The better turning ability of the Hurricanes and Spitfires allowed most of the RAF pilots to follow the bombers into the cloud, hoping to catch them as they emerged. Not all were so fortunate. One inexperienced Spitfire pilot was hit by enemy fire and was forced to bale out as his aircraft plunged earthward in a steep dive.

The attacks continue from the fighters and flak as the bombers emerge from the cloud.

A combination of accurate fire from the flak batteries and some determined attacks by RAF pilots inflicted further damage on the German bomber formation. Despite this punishment, the bombers continued steadily towards their objective. Then, without warning, the Dornier broke formation, banking sharply as flames erupted from one engine. The crippled aircraft began a slow descent, leaving its surviving companion to continue the mission alone.

The bombers are taking hits as they are tailed by the fighters.

One bomber breaks formation as it is shot down.

The Messerschmitts had not been idle. They positioned themselves behind the RAF fighters and pressed home a series of attacks. Their greater experience soon told, and a second Spitfire was shot down.

A second Spitfire is shot down.

With the remaining Hurricanes increasingly occupied by the German fighters, the lone Heinkel was able to slip through to reach its target. Although one bomber had been destroyed, the Luftwaffe would claim a successful mission, having delivered an attack on London while inflicting losses on the defending RAF squadron.

The Heinkel 111 reaches its target as the remaining RAF fighters break off their attacks.

Debrief

The RAF came very close to shooting down both bombers. They had an excellent start, catching the escorting Luftwaffe fighters at low altitude and exploiting this advantage. However, pilot experience plays a crucial role in this game, influencing both activation order of aircraft and the number of dice rolled during shooting attacks. The difference in experience levels proved telling. The RAF pilots lacked the additional dice for shooting on several occasions where successful attacks were made and failed to make the required hits.

Battle of Guilford Courthouse - rules, scenario, and game report

A couple of months ago I bought a pair of average dice (2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 5) with the intention of using them in some One-Hour Wargames-style games instead of standard six-sided dice (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6). This week I finally got around to setting up a game to try them out.

It feels like it has been a long time since my American War of Independence (AWI) forces last appeared on the tabletop. The collection is not particularly large, consisting mainly of old Peter Laing miniatures, with the cavalry being the only exception. Looking back, when I purchased them way back in 1978, I wish I had got more cavalry and along with some Highland troops.  Unfortunately, it was not until 2015, when I started dabbling in historical wargaming again, the figures were finally painted and based, many years after the miniatures had disappeared from the market.

Peter Laing 15mm miniatures back on the tabletop for the first time in a while.

My original plan was to select a scenario from the One-Hour Wargames book. I had my eye on scenario 26 - Triple Line. However, after browsing through a couple of books on the period, I decided instead to recreate the Battle of Guilford Courthouse, where an American force deployed in three lines. The main challenge gaming this battle is how to set it up so that the smaller attacking force has a reasonable chance of victory. Donald Featherston discusses this issue in his book when examining how to reconstruct the battle as a wargame.

The sources of inspiration for this game from  "Seven Steps to Freedom" by C. Wesencraft and "Wargamers Handbook of the American War of Independence" by D. Featherstone.

For this game I chose to modify the One-Hour Wargames Horse and Musket rules by adding a rally mechanism and allowing infantry units to charge. With these couple of additions, I hoped, would give the attackers a fighting chance. 

Here are the rules below followed by the scenario and battle report...

AWI Rules

Introduction

These simple rules are based on the One-Hour Wargames system, with additional inspiration drawn from the classic Charge rules. They use average dice (2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 5).

The game uses the troop types:

• Infantry – The backbone of armies, fighting in line formations. Quality ranges from elite grenadiers, British regulars, and American Continentals to less reliable provincial and militia units.
• Cavalry – Limited in use and number due to transport difficulties and terrain.
• Skirmishers – Light troops, including light infantry and riflemen, trained to make effective use of cover and broken ground.
• Artillery – Mostly smaller calibre guns, but useful support for infantry.
• Generals – Commanders who can rally nearby troops.

These rules are designed for my 15mm armies, where: Infantry and skirmisher units have a frontage of 4", cavalry 3", artillery 2", and generals are mounted on 2" × 2" bases. Any basing system may be used, provided both armies are based consistently.

Sequence of Play

Each game turn comprises two player turns, where each player follows the sequence below:

1. Movement
2. Shooting
3. Melee
4. Rout
5. Rallying

Movement

All unit movement must be in straight lines unless following a road:

• Infantry and Artillery: 6”  
• Skirmishers: 9” (edit)
• Cavalry and Generals: 12” 

Effects of terrain on movement:

• Towns: Half movement. Impassible for artillery and cavalry except by roads.
• Marsh/Lakes: Impassable.  
• Rivers: Crossable only via bridges or fords. Halve movement.
• Hills: Half movement when moving uphill.  
• Roads: Add 3” to the movement.
• Woods: Halve movement for infantry and skirmishers. Impassible for artillery and cavalry except by roads.

Turning - Units may pivot on their central point to change facing. A turn may be made at the start and/or end of a move.  

Moving and Shooting - Units cannot shoot if they have moved (including any pivots).

Interpenetration - Units cannot move through other units.  

Enemy Presence - Units within 6” of an enemy unit may only retire directly away from the enemy or advance directly towards them.

Charges - A charge is made by moving a unit into contact with an enemy unit. Charges are subject to the following restrictions:

• A charging unit may make one pivot at the start of its move of up to 45 degrees.
• An enemy unit may only be charged by one unit.
• Melee is resolved during the Melee Phase.
• Charging units receive no road movement bonus.

Unit Restrictions:

• British Light Infantry may only charge enemy skirmishers. )Skirmishers who are not light infantry may not charge.) edit
• Infantry may charge skirmishers and infantry.
• Cavalry may charge any unit type.
• Artillery never charge, but all the above can charge artillery (edit)

Musket Shooting

The procedure for shooting is as follows.

• Adjudge Field of fire. Units may only target a single enemy unit within 45 degrees of their frontal arc providing there are no friendly units within 3” of the target. 
• Measure the range. Muskets have a range of 6”.
• Assess Casualties. All units roll an average dice (AvD) and apply the following modifiers in the order listed: 
• -1 if the shooting unit is a skirmisher unit. 
• +1 if the shooting unit is a British Regular unit or American Continental unit.
• +2 if the shooting unit is a British Grenadier unit.
• -1 if target in cover.

Artillery Shooting

The procedure for bombardment is as follows.

• Adjudge Field of fire. Units may only target a single enemy unit within 45 degrees of their frontal arc providing there are no friendly units within 3” of the target. 
• Check the range. Measure the range and calculate the number of 6” bounds to reach the target. For example, a unit at 20” range is at 4 bounds.
• Assess Casualties. Roll an AvD and deduct the number of bounds. If the unit is in woods or buildings subtract 1.

Melee

The procedure for resolving melees is as follows:

• Two Sided Combat. Both the defender and attacker roll for casualties.
• Assess Casualties. The unit rolls an AvD and apply the following modifiers in the listed order:  
• +1 if regular or continental unit. 
• +2 if grenadier unit or cavalry unit
• -1 if a skirmish unit.
• Double the result for flank and rear attacks. 
• Double the result if attacking  artillery.
• -1 if charging against units in cover or uphill.
• Melee Retreat. The unit with the most total hits (not just from the melee) must retreat directly away a full move and end up facing away from their adversary.

Rout

Infantry and Skirmisher units are routed and removed from play when they accumulate 13 or more hits. Cavalry and Artillery units are routed and removed when they accumulate 9 or more hits. 

Army Resolve - If a force loses more than half of its units, the remaining units immediately suffer 2 additional hits to represent the fatigue and reduced battlefield cohesion.

Rallying

Generals may rally their troops during the Rally Phase to remove hits. Each General may attempt one rally per turn and has a limited number of rally attempts available during the game. Artillery and cavalry may not be rallied.

The rally procedure is as follows:

• Check Command Range – The unit to be rallied must be within 12" of the General.
• Attempt Rally – Roll an AvD. Remove one hit from one or more units for each point scored, subject to the following limits:
• Grenadiers, Regular Infantry, British Light Infantry, and Continental Infantry: maximum of 2 hits removed.
• Riflemen, Cavalry, Militia, and Provincial Infantry: maximum of 1 hit removed.

A General's total number of rallies available during a game may be determined using the following guidelines:

• +1 rally for each Grenadier, Regular Infantry, British Light Infantry, or Continental Infantry unit in the force.
• +1 rally for an average General.
• +2 rallies for an above-average General.
• +3 rallies for an exceptional General.
• −2 rallies if the force is poorly supplied or has undertaken a forced march.
• +1 if the force is well supplied

The Scenario

This game is my take on the battle using the scenario ideas from the books "Seven Steps to Freedom" by C. Wesencraft and "Wargamers Handbook of the American War of Independence" by D. Featherstone.

Background

A British force of approximately 1900 troops commanded by Cornwallis are pursuing of the American army commanded by Nathanael Greene with an estimated 5500 troops. Greene has chosen to make a stand near Guilford Courthouse, deploying his troops in depth.

On 15 March, Cornwallis attacked the American position. The British drove back the first two lines but suffered heavy casualties in the process. Greene opted to withdraw his third line and remaining troops from the field, but the British victory came at a heavy cost. Cornwallis's army was so weakened that it would ultimately lead to his defeat later that year. A tactical British victory but a strategic American victory.

Forces

British:

1 x Grenadier unit

3 x Regular Infantry units

1 x Light Infantry unit (skirmishing)

1 x Artillery unit

1 x Cavalry unit

1 x General with 8 rally attempts during the game

American: 

2 x Continental units
4 x Militia units
3 x Riflemen units (skirmishing)
2 x Artillery units
1 x cavalry unit
1 x General with 4 rally attempts during the game

Tabletop

A 4x4 foot tabletop is used for the scenario, as this size works well for my 15mm armies.

Map of tabletop

Deployment

The American must be deployed in three lines and each line must have at least 2 infantry units of any type. The Continental units must be in the third line, and one artillery piece must be placed in the first and second line.

The British deploy their units within 6" of their table edge.

Deployment areas

Game Length and Turn Order

The scenario has 15 game turns and the American player begins.

Victory Conditions

American victory - Rout more than 50 percent of the British units.

British victory - Rout or force off the tabletop 1 of the American continental units.

Battle Report

The Americans deploy their first line of defence along the fence line, consisting of two militia units, two units of riflemen acting as skirmishers, and an artillery piece. A second line, positioned in the central wooded area, had two more militia units and another gun, leaving sufficient space for the forward troops to retire through the position should they retreat. The final and third line, consists of two Continental infantry units, cavalry and riflemen.

Both armies deployed.

The British deployed with their artillery covering the road. On the right are the Grenadiers and a unit of regular infantry, while the left has two units of regulars supported by a unit of light infantry.

The British advance on the first American line of defence.

The British advance commences without delay. Their line moves forward against the American troops lining the fence. After exchanging several volleys to wear down the defenders they charge whenever a militia unit shows any signs of disorder. Three of the four militia units gave way to charges and retreat, though one unit stubbornly maintained its ground. In the confusion of the withdrawal, the American gun is abandoned. The British left wing press on in pursuit of the retreating militia, while on the right the remaining defenders were finally routed with the support of the Grenadiers.

The first line of defense retreats.

Grenadiers help rout the last defenders of the fence line.

With the first line swept aside, British attention turns to the second American position amongst the central wooded area. This line had been strengthened by some of the retreating troops from the first line. The attack opens with the British left wing, where the light infantry work their way through the woods to threaten the American flank. 

Supported by artillery fire, two units of regulars advance once more and successfully rout several of the defending units. One unit of British regulars are lost in the process of clearing out the militia.

The British left wing advances taking losses in the process.

On the British right wing the remaining American gun finds its range, delivering accurate fire against the Grenadiers as they try to close with the second line. Determined to stop the troublesome gun, the British commander orders his cavalry forward along the road. Their charge successfully silences the gun, but they suffer heavily casualties and retire from the battle.

Cavalry charge down the road to silence the remaining gun.

As the American second line began to crumble, the Continental units and riflemen of the third line advance to meet the enemy. British units having gained possession of the wooded centre are now exhausted from the prolonged fighting. They exchanged a couple of volleys with the riflemen, but are not in a position to advance further without artillery support, which is yet to arrive.

The central wooded area is finally taken by exhausted British troops.

The Continental infantry are in good order and appeared ready to contest the field. However, with daylight fading no further assault would be attempted without the necessary artillery support. The British retain control of the central wooded area. 

The game ends in a draw with neither army achieving their victory conditions.

The British move up their artillery, but it would arrive too late to support their worn out infantry.

Wrap Up

This proved to be an enjoyable solo game, with American units focused entirely on holding their successive defensive lines for as long as possible. The game unfolded in a manner not dissimilar to the historical engagement, with the British forcing their way through the second line of defence but becoming too disorganised and exhausted to press on. Under the scenario's victory conditions, the result is recorded as a draw, which feels like a fair and fitting outcome.

From early in the game, the British commander was attempting to rallying units in order to keep them in the fight, the loss of any unit would reduce the army's firepower and slow its advance. By the time the British had secured the central wooded area, all the available rally opportunities had been used and most units were close to being eliminated.

The average dice also worked out well and I am tempted to experiment with them further with other One-Hour Wargames rules and rule variants.

Battle of Britain Campaign - Game 3 a solo game

This week has provided more hobby time, allowing me to play the third game in my Battle of Britain campaign, covering the period from 22 July to 28 July 1940.

The games are being played using the Blood Red Skies rules from the Airfix Battle of Britain Boxed Set, with some additional rules for bomber operations. Details of the campaign system can be found here.

Lots of twisting and turning as the RAF fighters try and avoid the fighter escort and target the bomber.

The dice determined that this week’s Luftwaffe mission would be a raid against RAF airfields. For the mission the Germans were fielding:

• 1 × Dornier 17
• 1 × Messerschmitt 110
• 3 × Messerschmitt 109s (Note: I made an error and only pulled out 2 Messerschmitt 109s and did not realise until the end of the game. I guess one had engine trouble and had to turn back early.)

Under the original campaign rules this scenario called for four 109s, but I decided to mix things up by replacing one of the Messerschmitt 109's with a 110. It is still early in the campaign and the Luftwaffe were continuing to employ the twin-engined fighters in support of their bombers.

The mission selected was to bomb the airfields.

Normally the RAF would be able to deploy two barrage balloons in defence of their airfields. However, following the successful bombing raid on London in the previous campaign week, one balloon and associated flak had been diverted to strengthen the capital’s defences.

The weather was improving, with clearing skies leaving only a single cloud over the battlefield. Moving to intercept the incoming raid the RAF force consisted of:

• 2 x Hurricanes
• 2 x Spitfires

All fighters begin the game at a medium altitude, while the Dornier 17 was approaching at a lower altitude.

The Luftwaffe formation was led by an Ace pilot, with all the remaining German pilots rated with a regular skill levels. During the early stages of the campaign, the Luftwaffe are receiving a plus 1 to their pilot skill rolls. This reflects their greater combat experience at this point in the campaign. The RAF force was more of a mixed group. Having lost a Sortie mission in the previous two weeks, the RAF subtract 1 from all their pilot skill rolls. The RAF force was led by a veteran pilot supported by two regulars and one novice pilot.

The start of the game.

Battle Report

The RAF intercepting force sighted the incoming Luftwaffe formation as it was crossing the coast, the Dornier 17 pressing steadily onwards beneath its fighter escort. Almost immediately the Spitfires clashed with the escorting Messerschmitt 109s in a fast-moving aerial melee. The Spitfire pilots twisting clear of the attacks and escaped without serious damage. They then headed towards the bomber.

The Messerschmitt 109s attack the Spitfires.

Meanwhile, the Hurricanes used the cloud to slip by the Messerschmitt 110, emerging to get a bead on the Dornier. Tracer flashed across the bomber’s path, but the attack caused no visible damage. The Spitfires soon joined the attack. Sweeping in behind the bomber, they found their range. A burst struck home and moments later a thin trail of smoke could be seen streaming from one of the Dornier’s engines. It seemed like the bomber might be finished, but the damage was minor and it continued on with its mission.

The Hurricanes emerge from the cloud.

The Messerschmitts 109's having swung around, returned at precisely the right moment. Attacking fighters before another pass could be made. The novice Spitfire pilot was caught in their sights and was sent spiralling down out of the fight.

A Spitfire is shot down.

The Hurricanes now found themselves hard-pressed, dodging both the pursuing Messerschmitt 110 and the returning Messerschmitt 109s and they struggled to line up the bomber for another attack. The Dornier continued to fly on towards its target.

Just as it appeared the German bomber might escape, the ground defences struck. As the bomber flew past the barrage balloons protecting the airfield, the flak gunners found their mark. Bursts exploded around the Dornier and, within moments, the aircraft was hit and began an increasingly steep dive towards the ground.

The Dornier 17 is shot down.

With their bomber destroyed, the Luftwaffe fighters broke off the engagement and turned for home.

It had been a close-run affair, but in the end a useful victory for the RAF.

Summary

With one RAF fighter already shot down, it looked as though the Dornier might successfully slip through  and reach its target. The remaining RAF aircraft would have managed another one or two attack runs, but   further engagement with the escorting Messerschmitts could easily have resulted in additional losses and forced them to break off entirely.

The successful flak hit proved to be a dramatic and unexpected turn of events. In fact, I almost forgot to roll the solitary flak die at all. Thinking I had better make the roll anyway, I did so with little expectation of any result.

The campaign map and tracker is updated.

So, at Turn 3 of the 17 turn campaign, the Luftwaffe remain on a single victory point, earned from their successful bombing raid on London. Looking ahead to the next turn, the situation is improving for the RAF, as they will no longer suffer the minus 1 penalty for pilot skill dice rolls. Given how important pilot skill is to aircraft activation and combat effectiveness, this could prove a significant boost to their fortunes.