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.