Battle of Britain Solo Campaign – Week One

This week I finally managed to get my Battle of Britain campaign underway. I had delayed the start of the campaign until I could collect and paint a Ju 87 Stuka to finish off the Luftwaffe force used in the campaign, and with that now completed, everything was ready to begin.

My latest purchase was quickly painted and ready for a game.

I made one adjustment to my solo campaign mission rule mechanism. Rather than starting with a randomly generated mission, I decided that the opening week of the campaign (8th–14th July 1940) should start with a Sortie and Reconnaissance mission. From that point on, missions will be randomly generated, until the final mission which must be a bombing raid on London.

The campaign itself is very abstract, with each turn representing one week of real time. Each week a single tabletop mission is played and its outcome will determine the broader operational situation. See my previous post (here) for the campaign rules.

For the mission games I am using a variation of Blood Red Skies rules converted to a hex grid.

Mission Setup

As the Sortie and Reconnaissance mission was not a bombing raid, there was no need to deploy any barrage balloons or flak. So the first step with this game was to determine the weather, which would determine the number of clouds on the tabletop:

• 1 = Poor (4 clouds)
• 2 = Fine/Overcast (3 clouds)
• 3–4 = Fine (2 clouds)
• 5 = Clearing (1 cloud)
• 6 = Clear (0 clouds)

A roll of 5 resulted in a single cloud, which the Luftwaffe (who always place clouds first) positioned roughly in the centre of the table.

Deployment

The Luftwaffe deployed first, placing three Me109s and one Me110 along a single table edge.

The RAF deployed second anywhere within the opposite half of the table. They chose to split their force, positioning two Spitfires in one corner and two Hurricanes in the other.

Advantage Levels

Each side then rolled to determine their aircraft starting Advantage Level for all aircraft:

• 5–6 is Advantaged
• 3–4 is Neutral
• 2 or less is Disadvantaged

The Luftwaffe rolled a 6, giving all their aircraft an advantageous starting position. The RAF, however, rolled a 2, suggesting they had been caught somewhat unprepared for this sortie and would begin the game at a disadvantage.

Pilot Skill

Finally, pilot quality was determined. For the first five weeks of the campaign, the Luftwaffe would benefit from better skill levels, adding +1 to all skill rolls to reflect their pool of combat veterans.

• 6+ = Ace
• 5 = Veteran
• 2–4 = Regular
• 1 or less = Novice

Despite the odds favouriting the Luftwaffe, the RAF rolled exceptionally well with one Ace, two Veterans, and one Regular. Opposing them were four Veteran Luftwaffe pilots.

The first game of the campaign was ready to began.

After Action Report

Week One (8th–14th July 1940)

Mission Type: Sortie and Reconnaissance

It was a fine summer’s day, the sky was clear but for a lone drifting cloud. The Luftwaffe sighted the RAF fighters ahead at a lower altitude. Wasting no time, the German formation split in two groups, each group heading off to engage its opposite number.

The formations split into two groups as they close.

The RAF pilots quickly responded, turning towards the oncoming German fighters and climbing hard, engines roaring as they fought for height to gain advantage. Within moments the sky was full with aircraft manoeuvring for advantage. Short bursts of fire rattling out as pilots sought to land hits on an enemy aircraft.

Then came the first decisive moment. A Me110 lurking on the edge of the confused engagement, was able to slip onto the tail of a Hurricane. Seizing his chance, the pilot opened fire at close range. The heavy fighters guns landed some critical hits to the British fighter. Smoke started to stream from the Hurricane showing it was badly hit and doomed. A second Hurricane, showing quick thinking, had broken away and vanished into the safety of a nearby cloud.

In the confusion of a dogfight a Me 110 seizes it chance and downs a Hurricane.

Elsewhere, the fight had become a furious contest of skill and nerve. Two Spitfires tangled with a pair of Me109s, wheeling, diving, and climbing in a dogfight. Time and time again, each pilot used their skill and luck to dodge the incoming fire.

A second dogfight underway between Me 109s and Spitfires. In the background a Hurricane emerges from the cloud.

But the situation would not last for long. In a coordinated move, the German fighters were able to isolate one of the Spitfires, the wingman of the RAF Ace. They struck with precision. A burst of fire found its mark, and smoke began to pour from the Spitfire’s engine. With its engine failing, the aircraft tipped into a steep and uncontrolled descent.

A British Spitfire begins an uncontrolled decent.

Having taken two losses in the encounter, the surviving RAF fighters disengaged and made for their home airfields. Today belonged to the Luftwaffe.

Campaign Outcome

My campaign map and tracker. The first campaign week (8th-14th July) has been crossed off with “2L” circled for a Sortie mission with a Luftwaffe victory.

Though no campaign victory points were gained from this encounter for the Luftwaffe, the cost to the RAF will be keenly felt. For the next two weeks, their pilots will have a -1 applied to all skill dice rolls.