Battle of Britain Campaign - Game 7 Battle Report

This Battle of Britain campaign update is from a game played a couple of weeks ago. It has simply taken me a little while to get around to writing it up, as other games, activities, and projects have taken priority.

A game in progress.

The campaign uses the Blood Red Skies (BRS) rules and has now reached the week of 19–25 August 1940. For this seventh campaign turn, the dice determined that the Luftwaffe's mission was to bomb RAF airfields. A successful attack on the airfields does not earn any campaign victory points, but it can have an important impact on the following game. If the mission succeeds, the RAF fighters begin their next battle with one Boom token, putting them at an immediate disadvantage. In Blood Red Skies, accumulating Boom tokens eventually forces aircraft to break off combat, so even a small head start can be significant.

Dicing for the mission.

The game was set up using the standard campaign sequence (which can be found here):

1. Select aircraft based on the mission.
2. Place barrage balloons and flak.
3. Check the weather and place clouds.
4. Deploy the aircraft and determine their starting altitude.
5. Allocate pilot skill levels.

I have kept the battle report fairly brief, as I am finding that most of these games seem to follow a similar pattern. Hurricanes concentrate on attacking the bombers while Spitfires engage the German escorting fighters. This is followed by a dogfight as the RAF fighters try to position themselves for a second attack on the bombers. Occasionally, if they have managed to shoot down one or more German fighters, one or two RAF aircraft may even get a third attack run.

Battle Report...

German bomber and escorts heading to their target.

RAF intercepting aircraft.

The position of a cloud bank meant that the intercepting RAF force, two Hurricanes and two Spitfires, failed to spot the bomber as it passed through the cloud cover. As a result, the opening engagements were fought against the escorting Luftwaffe fighters.

The RAF held a clear advantage in pilot quality. They fielded one Ace, one Veteran and two Regular pilots, while the Luftwaffe consisted of one Ace and three Novices. This experience paid dividends early in the battle, with the RAF shooting down a Messerschmitt 110.

The initial dogfight as the fighters wait for the bomber to emerge from the clouds.

A Messerschmitt 110 is downed.

Once the Dornier 17 emerged from the clouds, the Hurricanes began their attack and quickly inflicted damage on the bomber. However, the RAF did not have everything their own way, as the German Ace managed to line up one of the Spitfires and shot it down.

A German Ace hits a novice Spitfire pilot.

The Dornier 17 emerges from the clouds.

After a couple of attacks the Dornier 17 takes multiple hits and crashes.

Pressing on towards its target, the Dornier came under a second wave of attacks after the RAF fighters had regrouped. This time they succeeded in bringing the bomber down before it could complete its mission.

Afterthoughts...

Pilot skill is a major factor in these rules, increasing both the number of dice rolled when shooting and the number rolled to dodge any hits. The Luftwaffe's three Novice pilots were at real disadvantage and, on several occasions, they failed to capitalise on favourable shooting positions.

The cloud cover also played an important role, shielding the Dornier during the opening stages of the battle and delaying the RAF interception. In the end, however, the better experience of the RAF pilots proved to be the decisive factor.

The version of Blood Red Skies I use is the one included in the Airfix Battle of Britain set. It is a streamlined version of the Warlord Games rules, omitting the advanced rules and aircraft trait cards. Instead, aircraft effectively have access to their traits at all times.

I also play the game on a hex grid, with each hex representing 3 inches. To accommodate this, movement values have been rounded to whole hexes, for example, aircraft with movement allowances of either 6 or 7 inches both move two hexes. This inevitably removes some of the subtle distinctions between aircraft performance, but I find the hexes help keep the game moving along quickly.

One house rule I have introduced concerns the Messerschmitts' Great Climb ability. Under the BRS rules, any enemy aircraft within 12 inches (four hexes) of a Messerschmitt must pass a manoeuvre test before it can gain altitude. I found I was always forgetting this rule, so I replaced it with a one I can remember. Messerschmitts that are at Advantage altitude may make a turn during their Pilot Action phase. It is easy to remember, adds a little tactical flexibility to the German fighters, and hopefully still reflects their superior climbing performance.

Anyway, that is all for now, and I will post this and wait to see how long it takes Google to update their blog feeds. 

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 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.

Air Wargaming of the Garden Variety

I had hoped to get my Battle of Britain campaign rules all written up this week, but hat was not to be and they currently remain a collection of notes and scribbles on a first draft that still needs to be written as a second draft. I also wanted to play-test a bomber scenario, this will help with the design of for some of the campaign missions.

The game set up on the lawn with the target industrial complex in the distance. Two Hurricanes can be just seen patrolling in the upper right of the photo.

As my tabletop was already occupied with a game and the weather being fine and sunny, I decided to take the Blood Red Skies game outside. This is something I have been keen to try out for a while, as it gives the game more space and the aircraft do not feeling as crowded as they do on my 6x4 foot tabletop. I had earlier in the week made some larger bases for the telescopic rods to slot into, they keep the models stable on the lawn, so most of what I needed was already prepared. (Information on the making of the telescopic stands for indoors can be found here.)

The only question I needed to answer was how to represent clouds in an outdoor setting? In the end, I used quilt batting, which is the soft material used between layers of fabric on a quilt. Fortunately, with my wife is an avid quilter and there is always a ready supply of offcuts. She helped me find some suitably sized bits of white batting, which I then cut into cloud shapes for the game.

White quilting batting being used to represent the clouds.

The Scenario

A single Heinkel 111 bomber is being escorted by two Messerschmitt 109s. All are flown by regular pilots. Their objective is to bomb an industrial target.

Intercepting them were two Hurricanes on patrol. One is flown by a regular pilot and the other by a veteran pilot. In Blood Red Skies the pilot skill is important when it comes to the activation order of aircraft, additionally it helps provide an edge with both shooting and dodging any hits.

To represent the target, I used some factory buildings and flak gun emplacements I had made a few years ago (2020!) from wooden blocks for a St Nazaire raid game (info here). The buildings were laid out on a board to create an industrial complex. The complex is defended by two flak positions.

The Rules

For this game I used the Blood Red Skies rules from the Airfix Battle of Britain boxed set, which are a slightly cut down version of Warlords rules without the tactical and doctrine cards. When playing on my tabletop, I have adapted these rules to work on a hex grid, but for the outdoor game I switched to free movement, treating 12 inches, or one foot, as the equivalent of one hex. While I did have a measuring stick, I did on occasion use my feet to measure out distances. This was very convenient as it saved me always having to bend down to measure.

Although I do not have Warlord Games full Blood Red Skies rulebook and supplements, I was able to glean enough information from various quick reference sheets (QRS) found online to pull together a workable set of rule mechanisms for the bomber.

Game Report

As the Heinkel 111 with its bomb load, droned steadily toward its objective, it was sighted by a pair of patrolling Hurricanes. The RAF pilots wasted no time in turning to intercept the incoming raid. In response, the Messerschmitt escorts broke formation and began accelerating forward to engage.

The Messerschmitts move to engage the patrolling Hurricanes. While the Heinkel maintains its course towards the industrial complex.

The Messerschmitts and Hurricanes climbed and engaged each other in a tight dogfight, each pilot jockeying for position. Using a bank of cloud as cover, one Hurricane pilot using the aircraft's agility, slipped into position and shot off a burst or fire that cause minor damage to a Messerschmitt. An unexpected but useful blow.

A Hurricane uses the cloud to its advantage.

A Messerschmitt takes light damage.

Seizing the initiative, the veteran Hurricane pilot broke away from the dogfight and made for the bomber. The German fighters, recognising the danger, abandoned the dogfight and gave chase, using their great dive ability to close the gap and get in behind the Hurricane.

A Hurricane breaks away from the dogfight to threaten the Heinkel.

Pressing home his attack, the Hurricane pilot manoeuvred to tail the Heinkel and fired several quick bursts. The bullets stitched across the bomber’s fuselage, and soon smoke began streaming from one of its engines. The advantage was short-lived, as the Messerschmitts fell in behind the Hurricane and attempted to drive it off as it dodged their bursts of fire.

The bomber takes a hit on one of its engines.

Messerschmitts attempt to drive off the Hurricane.

While the first Hurricane weaved and jinked the tailing Messerschmitts, the second Hurricane had not been idle. Appearing out from a cloud bank, it lined up the stricken bomber and delivered a well-aimed burst of fire. This proved decisive, the bomber's second engine faltered, and it began a steep, uncontrolled descent.

The Heinkel is shot down by the second Hurricane.

With their bomber lost and also having taken light damage, the Messerschmitts saw little point in prolonging the engagement. Breaking off, they turned for home, leaving the skies to the RAF.

Outside on a sunny day wargaming. So enjoyable!

Hopefully this game report provides enough details on how the game progressed. When dogfights occur in the game and aircraft are going up, down, left, right. and centre. It is very difficult to describe all the different manoeuvres which are going on. Anyway, the game worked out well and now I have all the pieces I need to finish off writing up the campaign rules. 

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.