Battle of Britain additional models and a game report

I have managed to play a number of quick Blood Red Skies air wargames this week while also expanding my aircraft roster. For the moment I have enough fighters and bombers to play a good variety of scenarios using up to four aircraft per side on a 4 by 4 foot tabletop. I find this number keeps the games fast without the tabletop getting too overcrowded.

Some German bombers (Heinkel 111, Dornier 17, and Messerschmitt 110).

My current roster of aircraft is:

Luftwaffe

• 4  Messerschmitt Bf 109
• 1  Messerschmitt Bf 110
• 1  Dornier Do 17
• 1  Heinkel He 111

RAF

• 3 × Spitfire
• 2 × Hurricane
• 1 × Defiant

An additional Spitfire and I could not resist getting a Defiant.

A couple more Messerschmitt 109s.

The rules I am using are from the Airfix Blood Red Skies Starter Set, which came with two Spitfire 1:72 scale models and two Messerschmitt Bf 109s. This differs from the Warlord Games Blood Red Skies Starter Set, which provides six 1:200 model aircraft per side and also has rules for using "Trait" cards. For my games I have kept to the core rules, but I have adapted them for hex play to avoid the measuring which speeds up the game. In moving to hexes I have had to trade-off the loss of some of the finer speed differences between aircraft. For example, a Hurricane moves 6 inches and a Messerschmitt 109 moves 7 inches in the original rules, but when converted to hexes both aircraft move 3 hexes.

The standard game uses 1:200 scale aircraft that are tilted on their stands to show advantage, neutral, or disadvantage. That approach is awkward with 1:72 models, especially with the bigger bomber models, so I instead mount my aircraft on telescopic rods, using height to indicate altitude state (see the previous post).

It has taken me a while to write up a game report. I found it challenging to find a way to describe the games. The action unfolds very quickly as aircraft are moved around the tabletop, and the point-in-time photographs really do not capture the flow of the game. Land battle games are far easier to document. Anyway, here is an after-action report from a recent game that shows just how quickly these encounters can be resolved. This game one took only 15–20 minutes from setup to finish.

Scenario – Patrol over the Channel

A section of two Hurricanes on patrol sight a pair of Messerschmitt 109s. Each section is led by a Veteran with a Regular wingman.

Game Setup

Place two clouds on the tabletop. They must be more than 4 hexes apart.

Next, dice to determine which player deploys first. The higher scoring player places their section of aircraft within four hexes of any table edge. The second player deploys their aircraft within 4 hexes of an edge and more than four hexes from the enemy. 

After deployment, altitude was rolled for each section (1–2 Disadvantaged, 3–4 Neutral, 5–6 Advantaged).

The Hurricanes get the advantage after initial setup.

Game Report...

Flying Officer Moore, a veteran RAF flyer, led his trusty wingman, Flight Sergeant Hurst, on patrol keeping their eyes peeled for trouble. It was Moore who first caught the glint of sunlight on the enemy's wings, two Messerschmitt 109 flying off to their left at a lower altitude.

“Here we go!” came Moore’s crisp order over the radio as he led the pair of Hurricane fighters to cut off the enemy fighters, increasing altitude as the went. The German pilots were no novices, they powered their machines upward at once, but the Hurricanes still held the advantage, as the distance shrank to firing range.

The Hurricanes move to intercept.

First Moore struck! Using his advantage with guns blazing. Tracers stitched the sky and rattled across the lead Messerschmitt 109, forcing the aircraft to drop a level in a bid to escape the storm. Next came Hurst, before the enemy could not dive away to safety, followed Moore through a tight banking turn that brought the rear enemy aircraft into his sights. Another burst, more strikes! As with the other 109 it wavered and dropped altitude.

The Hurricanes engage.

The odds were now all in favour of the Hurricanes, and Flying Officer Moore meant to press them home! Before the startled Hun pilots could gather their wits, he shoved the stick forward and dived on the rear 109, his guns chattering a fierce stream of tracer. The German pilot jinked wildly, throwing his machine into a desperate weave. Enough as it turned out to only sustain minor damage. “Blast!” snapped Moore over the radio. For a moment he had been certain the Hun would be his, another victory to be chalked on the Hurricane’s fuselage, but the wily enemy had slipped away this time!

The second 109 sustains further damage.

Sensing fate was against them, the German pair of 109s opened their throttles and broke for home, using their engine power to get clear. They had escaped the trap with only light damage, but there was no doubt the honours of the duel belonged firmly to the RAF.

The 109s break off and head for safety.

"Time for a game of football before tea?" asked Hurst, as the Hurricanes turned around and headed for their home base.

Wrap up...

The games can end very quickly without any aircraft being shot down because of the "Boom chit" mechanism. Each hit adds a Boom chit to a section, representing both minor damage and pilot stress. These accumulate even when the worst effects of an attack are avoided. Once a player's Boom Chits exceed a limit, normally the number of aircraft, the game is over. A hit that is not dodged forces a drop in the altitude status, and if an aircraft already at a Disadvantaged state it is destroyed.

I am still finding my feet (or should that be wings) with these rules. In this engagement the 109s should have avoided closing while at a lower altitude. Instead they should have kept their distance and climbed to gain an Advantage state before committing to combat.

I am waiting on the post for some more telescopic rods before I can get the bombers into a game. Once they do I will post more game reports.