Battle of Britain - Freewargamesrules

DAVID CHILD-DENNISBattle of BritainJune 2010Battle of BritainGame OverviewThe game portrays the events the game play by placing theirof one day in the Battle of Britain,the 8 th August 1940 and is player on the opposite side of theraid plot markers facing the RAFcentred on the concept of RAF board, in the grey ‘Luftflotte’Sector Stations within 11 Group raid assembly squares. In theRAF Fighter Command, as they event of an RDF site being destroyed,the marker will beexisted in August 1940. Thereare five such Sector Stations, placed so that the RAF playerBiggin Hill, Kenley, Tangmere cannot see the raid details on theHornchurch and Northolt. To marker.each of these sector stations wereThe RAF player will set upattached satellite airfields, mosttheir squadrons on the appropriate‘Squadron Readiness Board’of which were quite primitive interms of repair and maintenancewith a squadron on each of thefacilities. One player will takecategories. One squadron, perthe RAF and control all the sectorstations, allocating defendingairfield, will always be on‘Alert’ at the beginning of thefighters to attack the Luftwaffegame. There were no standingraids as they occur. Where possible,each sector station should bepatrols at this time.controlled by a single player, Each raid marker will movethereby giving the game the through each of the boxes onelement of tension that developedwithin 11 Group as fighter on the map, until they reach theirtheir specific raid track, markedsquadrons were removed as nonoperationaland replacements fighters or turn back. Once anytarget, are destroyed by RAFwere increasingly difficult to get. of these events occur, the raidmarker is immediately removedThere are three German Luftflottecommands split betweenfrom play; it being assumed theLuftwaffe has beaten a hastyLuftflotte 3 (Cherbourg) andretreat, unhampered by bombLuftflotte 2 (at Cap Blanc Nezloads. An unloaded Do.17Z,and Ghent). Again, it is preferablethat there is a player forslightly nose down, could outruna Hurricane on a good day!each of these headquarters.Players will see that the raidThe Luftwaffe player(s) opentracks are interlinked in someContentsSequence of play 3Generating Raids 4Air Combat 4Attacking Targets 6Victory Conditions 7Advanced rules 8Background 11areas. The Luftwaffe playermay follow any of these interlinksas he sees the situationdevelop. This is to give theLuftwaffe player a reasonabledegree of tactical manoeuvre,which is historically correct.However, London is the finaldestination of all raids and oncethis is reached, the Luftwaffereturns home and all raid markerson London are automaticallyremoved. It should be rememberedthat the London metropolitanarea was not, at thistime, the target, but there weresignificant industrial targets thatwere attacked on the outskirts.For the purposes of the game,these targets are not identified.Each Luftflotte HQ canmount three raids per day – oneeach at morning, midday andafternoon. To simplify play, allmorning raid markers must beout of play before the middayraids commence. The middayraids must be complete beforethe afternoon raids arelaunched. Once the three raidsare complete, the game is finished.Each raid should take nomore than about 15 minutesplaying time, so a completegame should take no more thanan hour at most.Design CreditsOriginal Concept: John ArmatysRules/Design: David Child-DennisDeveloper: Matt IrsikContact the author:davidchild@slingshot.co.nz

Sequence of PlayEach turn in Battle of Britain follows the sequence listed below. Players of both sides go through the list in order, performingeach part as described before going on to the next item.1. The Luftwaffe player rolls 2D6 adding the total of the dice together to establish the number of aircraft in a raid. EachLuftflotte HQ, rolls for three raid cards. One in the morning, at midday and the afternoon of the 8 th August. This makes for atotal of nine Luftwaffe raids during the game. Set up all RAF squadron markers on the ‘Readiness Board’ at their listed airfieldswith one squadron at each being placed at ‘Standby’ or ‘5 Minutes readiness’. There are no RAF standing patrols.2. Move all aircraft markers one square along the raid track or between any adjacent objective markers linked by a raidline. The Luftwaffe player always moves first. Move any squadron markers on the ‘readiness board’ up one level of readiness3. Attempt to intercept enemy raids with RAF fighters that occupy the same square or objective marker. RAF Fightersquadrons may not attempt to deliberately by-pass enemy raids in the same square. Fighters that fail an interception testimmediately return to base.4. Resolve combat between intercepting fighters and bombers. Determine casualties.5. Bombers that have been intercepted and lost the action to the fighters must immediately return to their home base.Fighters engaged in combat immediately return to their home base. Bombers winning the interception combat continue.6. Check to see if the bombers attack the target box or objective they now occupy. If they don’t, they move to the next boxor objective on their raid track in step 2. All raid markers reaching London are removed from play once they have deliveredtheir attack, or been driven off by fighter attack.7. Go to step 2 and continue the raid sequenceuntil all raiders have returned to base.8. Attempt to repair damage.Event & Tactical CardsThe game uses two sets of cards thatallow players to influence game outcomes.Event cards allow for the repair offacilities, the replacement of casualties inaircrew and aircraft and assistance fromadjoining Groups. Tactical cards allowplayers to add or subtract from the enemy’s,or their own, dice rolls duringinterception and combatmoves. At the beginning ofeach raid cycle, each side(RAF and Luftwaffe) mayselect three ‘event cards’and two ‘tactical cards’.Only one tactical card maybe used per round of com-bat. Once used they are discardedand may not be reusedin the current game.Event cards may only be usedonce per game turn, but maythen be returned to the pilefor reuse in the next raid cycle.Page 3BATTLE OF BRITAIN

Generating a Raid & The Raid TrackThe German player has eleven raidcards ranging from 120+ through 20 +aircraft. Each of the three Luftflotte playersrolls 2 dice and adds the total togetherto get a number between 2 and 12. Thenumber rolled equals the size of the raidallocate to that Luftflotte. Thus a ‘12’gives the player the ‘120+ raid card andso on. If the same number is rolled twicein a row, pick the nearest card to thenumber available. If there is a choicebetween numbers, always take the higher.So, if, an ‘11 ‘is rolled twice in a selection,the player will take the ‘120+’ raidcard that represents a dice roll of ‘12’.Once three raid cards have been selected,place one on each of the greyLuftflotte raid assembly squares. If theplayer rolls and gets a ‘2’, they can opt touse a ‘Low Level’ attack option involvingDo17Z aircraft. This gives the player anadded attack advantage against targets.Each raiding force begins in the Luftflottebox (in grey) and proceeds onemove at a time, to the ‘Channel’ box,then ‘RDF’ box, and so on. The raidmarkers then proceed to the next SectorStation box [S] along the raid track. Ifthere are multiple dotted lines leadingfrom any box, the Luftwaffe player maychoose to follow any one of these. However,the final destination must be London.Players will soon realise that themore moves their aircraft take to reachLondon, the more likely they are to beattacked.Intercepting a RaidNearly 50% of all fighter squadronsfailed to intercept the bombers they werevectored against. Divide the bomber raidsize by 10. Each fighter unit will be requiredto roll two dice and score a combinedtotal equal to or LESS than thisfigure in order to intercept the raid beforethey can engage it in air combat. Thus,fighter squadrons attacking a 120+ raidwill roll 12 or less with two dice, so cannotfail to locatethe raid. If, however,a fightersquadron is attemptingto locate a20+ raid, they willbe required to roll a ‘2’ in order to do so.If the fighters fail to roll the requiredtotal, they fail to interceptand immediatelyreturn to base. Interceptiondice rolls can bemodified by tacticalcards.Air Combat (Tally Ho!)Air Combat can only occur between twoforces that have made contact by movingonto the same square or objective marker.The combat is between all the RAF fightersand the entire Luftwafferaid being interceptedin that square oron that objective. Combatis adjusted in accordancewith ‘tacticalcards’ played by eitherplayer and the outcomedetermined by a singlesix-sided dice roll. It is amatter of calculating anodds ratio between thenumbers of raiding aircraft and interceptingfighters to determine the outcome.For the purposes of the game we willassume that the attack value of each individualRAF squadron is‘10’. That is, each attackingsquadron managed toget 10 out of 12 aircraftinto combat. This is historicallya gross overestimate,with 50% being anormal average at thistime. However, ‘10’ is aneasy number to work with.The Luftwaffe raid istreated in the same way, its aircraftstrength also being divided by ‘10’.The lower number is divided into thehigher number and this represents theminimum number that must be rolled(including any adjustments using tacticalcards) to force a raid to turn back. If thenumber is exceeded, then there is a possibilityof bomber casualties. If the adjustednumber rolled is lower, then theRAF fighters are beaten off by the escortand bomber defensive fire. They are immediatelywithdrawn, and may sufferfighter losses. The raiders continue onwith their mission.Page 4BATTLE OF BRITAIN

Air Combat ExamplesExample 1A Luftwaffe raid of 120+ is interceptedby 3 RAF squadrons, 30 aircraft.Luftwaffe combat value = 12: RAF combatvalue = 3: Therefore 12 divided by 3= 4.The RAF would need to roll an adjusted4, 5 or 6’ with a single D6, to have anyeffect against the raid. The odds of theRAF causing the raid to turn back are50%, but that was the nature of the Battle.It requires a greater number of RAFsquadrons to intercept such a large raid inorder to have a better than equal prospectof success. Hence the ‘Event cards’ allowing10 and 12 Groups to offer additionalfighter squadrons in support of 11Group are important to the RAF defenders.However, should the raid be smaller, say50 aircraft (including escort) then 3 interceptingRAF squadrons would have decidedlybetter odds at inflicting seriousloss on the raiders…Example 2Luftwaffe raid 50: RAF Fighters 30 = 5divided by 3 = 1.66 rounded up to 2.It would require any dice roll greater than‘1’ to force the enemy to turn back andpossibly cause loss.Note that the winner does not take a testfor losing aircraft in the attack. While thismay appear unrealistic, it must be rememberedthat RAF losses will occurwhen they fail to beat an attackingbomber force. And… just how many ‘1’sdo you think you can roll (at the wrongtime) in a game anyway? Say no more!Aces, Leaders, & Their EffectsA number of exceptional commanders appeared during the Battle to lead various units. They had an immediate and positive effect ontheir unit’s combat effectiveness. I consider the following individuals as such and when leading their units in combat increase their effectivenessby +1RAFLuftwaffeBader 242 H Sqn Duxford MoldersDeere 54 S Sqn Hornchurch Fink (Bombers) Luftflotte2Malan 74 S Sqn Coltishall GallandTownshend 85 H Sqn HornchurchNote: There may be others that deservesuch an accolade, and if you feel theydeserve it, feel free to add them to thelist. However, a raid or squadron mayonly include one such named individual.Where possible try and allocate them totheir correct squadron.Finucane65 S Sqn HornchurchAircraft LossesCompare the required dice roll for asuccessful combat result with the actualdice roll. If, as above, the dice roll was a‘2’ or greater to mount a successful attackthen any number over this causes loss tothe bombers. So, if the RAF player rolls a‘6’, the difference between the requireddice roll of ‘2’ and ‘6’ is 4. The RAF hastherefore inflicted 40% loss on the attackingbombers. This represents a loss of 20aircraft from the total of 50 raiders. Butremember these are only claimed lossesand may not represent the actual losssuffered by the bombers. In fact, bothsides grossly overestimated their kills.Therefore, as a simple solution to theproblem, we will roll for each of the‘claims’ and a 4,5,6 will determine it wasan actual loss, while a 1,2,3 will determineit as ‘a probable’.If players want to make tally sheets fortheir squadrons so they can record kills,then by all means do so. As the game hasa playing time of around 15 minutes perraid cycle, such ‘accounting’ will notprove a major impediment to game play.Once an RAF squadron suffers 6 aircraftlost, (either actual or claimed) it is considered‘ineffective’ and withdraws fromthe Battle. It may be replaced using anevents card.BATTLE OF BRITAINPage 5

Attacking Targets & DamageThe Luftwaffe targets are not selectedby the Luftwaffe commanders, ratherthey are determined by dice roll as theraid passes along the raid track. This hasbeen done to introduce a degree of uncertaintyinto the bomber target options andwhat response the RAF needs to make tocounter it.There are two parts to the bombingattack. The first dice roll is to hit the targetand the second is to cause damage.The reason for this two-part roll is to takeinto account the fact that bombing wasinaccurate and although a raid might plasterthe target area with bombs, it mightnot cause significant damage.As the Luftwaffe raid passes over eachbox or objective, the player will roll asingle dice to determine if the raid attacksthat specific box or objective, or passesSpecial Attackson to the next objective, where anotherattack test will be made. Players will notethat the first target box bombers will passover is the RDF station box located onthe coast. It requires a ‘5’ or ‘6’ to attackthese difficult targets. The airfields, beingconsidered important tactical targets,require only a 4,5, or 6 to attack, whileLondon, which is almost impossible tomiss, is a 3,4,5 or 6. Remember thatLondon was not a target at this period ofthe Battle, rather the industries and docklandssituated in the north-west and eastend were.Once the raid has attacked the target,it is time to assess the damage. This isdone by rolling a single dice for each tenaircraft in the raid. Therefore a 120+ raidwill roll 12 dice to assess damage to atarget.RDF stations require a ‘6’ to put themout of action. Satellite airfields require 5,or 6 to put them put of action. SectorStation airfields require a 4,5, or 6 to putthem out of action, while London requires3,4,5 or 6 to cause damage. Londoncannot be knocked out for obviousreasons, however, should five out of thenine possible raids reach London,Dowding will be immediately sacked byChurchill. As if Dowding didn’t haveenough on his plate!After a target is attacked, the raidmarker will be immediately removedfrom the game and assumed to have returnedhome as quickly as possible. Luftwafferaid markers are always returned tothe stack in preparation for the next raidcycle. RAF squadrons attacking a raid orthat have failed to locate a raid immediatelyreturn to base and are placed on theReadiness Board at ‘Available’.A number of very low level attackswere made as the weather cleared duringAugust. One particularly dangerous attackoccurred on 18 th August againstKenley by the 9 th Staffel of Kampfgeschwader76, flying 9 - Do17Z. Althoughthey suffered losses, for a mere nine aircraftthey caused considerable damageand havoc. Kenley was a Sector Stationand damage could have resulted in a seriousgap in Fighter Command’s response.Luftwaffe players drawing raid cards of20+ aircraft can opt to use them as a lowlevelattack formation. They cannot bedetected until they cross the coast. Theyreceive a +1 bonus to hit the target anddamage the target. However, they musttake an anti-aircraft fire test as they approachthe target, before they attack,equivalent to 1 squadron of fighters. Ifthe AA fire scores a hit, the same calculationfor normal fighter combat lossesapplies. If the Special Attack raid fails toidentify a target it will continue on thesame raid track until it finds an alternativetarget, reaches London, or is turnedback by enemy action.Damage Effects & RepairsRDF stations knocked out result inthe Luftwaffe raid marker being turnedaway from the RAF player until it crossesthe coast. At that point we can assume theR.O.C will have sighted the raid and reportedits size, course and altitude to HQFighter Command, Stanmore. RDF stationscan be repaired in the ‘repair seg-ment’ of the game with a single dice rollof ‘6’, or an events card allowing‘installation repair’ can be used instead.Only one repair attempt may be madeafter each raid cycle. This allows forthree attempts during the game.Airfields will remain unavailable forfighter operations until they are repaired.Repairs can be affected one of two ways.Through the use of event cards or byrolling a ‘5’ or ‘6’ on a single dice. Playersmust chose which option they aregoing to attempt BEFORE they do so. Aswith the RDF stations, only three repairattempts may be made during the game inthe repair segments of the game turn.Page 6BATTLE OF BRITAIN

Victory ConditionsThe German and British objectives were considerably different during the Battle of Britain. The German objective was to sufficientlythreaten Britain with invasion that she would come to the negotiating table and an armistice or at least a cessation of hostilitiesarranged. The Luftwaffe was therefore primarily an instrument of political policy. The British objective was simple survival inthe face of a very capable enemy air force. I would suggest the following as victory conditions for each side.The LuftwaffeAny one of the following conditions must be fulfilled to gain a Luftwaffe victory.The destruction of three out of five sector stations in 11 Group. This would leave the air defence of 11 Group almost impossibleand require the RAF to withdraw north of London and out of the effective control of the south coast, thus pavingthe way for invasion.The destruction of half of 11 Group’s fighter squadrons.Five out of nine bomber raids (of at least 50+ strength) reach London. This would have resulted in serious damage toaircraft production and repair facilities, not to mention civilian and political morale.RAF Fighter CommandAny one of the following conditions will gain an RAF victoryNo raids reach LondonFive out of nine raids crossing the coast turn back before they attack a targetThe losses ofLuftwaffe aircraft(claimedand confirmed)exceedthose ofthe RAF by2:1.If both sides achievetwo of their three objectives,the game is adraw.BATTLE OF BRITAINPage 7

Advanced Rules-LuftwaffeThe original rules don’t allow theLuftwaffe player(s) to select targets. Thisis done randomly as the Luftwaffe raidsoverfly the target. In the advanced rules,the Luftwaffe player(s) may select theirtargets, but there are limits to their selection.By the 8 th August 1940, the Luftwaffehad been directed to attack RDF sites andairfields. However, the opportunity toattack a convoy (Peewit) in the Channel,diverted most of the Stuka and fighterresources to this task on the 8 th . Most ofthe RAF defence involved aircraft from10 Group, so this battle falls outside thescope of these rules. Later in the day,Heinkel and Dornier raids occurred in 11Group areas as fighter units becameavailable to cover the bombers.The Luftwaffe intelligence assessmenthad made various erroneous assumptionsabout the RAF use of RDF and the controlsystem associated with Fighter Command.Specialist Me110C aircraft, carryinga third crew member tasked with radiointerception, monitored the RAF radionetworks to identify squadrons andcommand installations and appear to havebeen relatively successful in this task. Byearly August, the Luftwaffe had a reasonablepicture of the RAF. What they underestimatedwas the aircraft productionrates and reserve squadron availability.The Germans, although possessingtheir own radar (Freya) units based in thePas de Calais, seem to have believedRDF would tie the RAF to specific areasof response as their controllers attemptedto differentiate the various raids beingassembled over the French countryside.This erroneous Luftwaffe intelligence hada major effect on the selection of targets.Rules1. Luftwaffe players will roll a 1D6 to select a target type and anything but a ‘1’ will result in a sector station being selected as atarget. A ‘1’ will result in an RDF site being attacked.2. Each Luftflotte command may attack any target they can reach in 5 game moves. However, raids may not double-back ontheir attack track. They may only move sideways or forward. If the target is London, then the raid finishes as soon as Londonis attacked or the raid is driven off while attempting to do so, the raid is removed from play and returned to the Luftwaffe raidcard stack.3. Luftwaffe players will launch three raids per game, as per the original rules, per Luftflotte HQ. The aircraft strength will bedetermined in the same manner and the raid marker placed according to the original rules.4. Luftwaffe players may select various named specialist bomber units to attack targets. These units require a ‘6’ to be rolled inorder to obtain them. If the required ‘6’ is not rolled, the Luftwaffe player is allocated a standard, unidentified bomber unit.These specialist attack units are deemed to part of the raid and not acting on their own. The only exception to this is the lowlevel attacks, which were carried out by very small numbers of aircraft.5. If a unit is required to attack an RDF site, the Luftwaffe player may attempt to obtain a specialist Stuka unit (StG77) by rollinga ‘6’. Only one dice roll per target allocation is allowed, per game.6. Weather played an important part in the Battle therefore the Luftwaffe player will make a dice roll for weather conditions atthe beginning of each raid sequence – morning, midday and afternoon.1,2 Weather is heavy cloud – all target location and combat dice rolls –13,4 Weather has light cloud – all dice rolls unmodified.5,6 Weather is clear – all dice rolls for the RAF location and attack +1BATTLE OF BRITAINPage 8

Advanced Rules-Luftwaffe (cont.)WEATHER: as historically recorded for 8 th August.Cloudy in the morning with the possibility of showers in the south-east. Cloudy inland but remaining dry. Cloud cover should break upduring the afternoon. Visibility good with cloudy periods with bright intervals in the west.7. Sector stations have a greater degree of specific damage.1,2 damages the airfield – each time the airfield is used before its repaired, the player must roll a 4,5,6 in order to get aircraftinto the air.3,4 damages the hangars – all aircraft remain at ‘readiness’ until the installation is repaired.5,6 damages aircraft repair and fuel installations. If the fuel and repair installations are damaged roll a further dice for acatastrophic explosion (a “6”) causing the airfield to be lost as an operational base for the duration of the game.RAF Standing PatrolsThe original rules don’t allow for standingpatrols, even though they were presenthistorically. RAF players may nowplace 1 squadron on standing patrol in the‘Channel’ box in the morning period ofthe game. It attempts to intercept anyLuftwaffe raid passing through the box itis allocated to in the same manner as theoriginal rules. If the standing patrol failsto contact the raid, it is withdrawn to itsoriginal base and placed in the ‘available’box. Most of the standing patrols werebased at Biggin Hill or Henley, and de-ployed forward to Manston at dusk readyto begin their patrol at daybreak the followingmorning. Because Manston remainedunder constant attack during thisperiod, rearming and refuelling was amajor problem. Players may like to consideradding two difficulties experiencedby fighter patrols. The Channel weatherwas often quite different to that furtherinland. Mist and fog often covered theDover sector of the Channel, makingflying difficult and interception almostimpossible. The other was the constantbombardment Manston suffered fromGerman long range artillery units set upto shell Dover and the coast. I wouldsuggest that players might like to includea local weather dice roll for the Channelarea as per the above rules and a singledice roll for attacking Manston with artilleryat the beginning of the day using rule7 above. It requires a ‘5’ or ‘6’ to hitManston with artillery fire. Only oneround of artillery fire may be conductedagainst Manston in the morning period ofthe game.Advanced Rules-RAFThe RAF began theBattle of Britaindesperately short ofexperienced pilotsas a result of Churchill’sinsistencethat it should divertan unsustainablenumber of aircrewsto the defence of France in May 1940. Noone in the British Cabinet expected theFrench army to collapse so quickly inMay 1940. This resultedin the loss ofhundreds of Hurricanesand many Spitfiresalong with theirirreplaceable pilotsand ground crew. Thisloss was to have analmost disastrous effecton the RAF’s ability to defend Britain.After the fall of France, the RAF wasextremely fortunate to have a number offoreign pilots enter the RAF and makegood some of these losses. Of particularnote were the Polish and Czech pilots thatformed their own national squadrons.No303 Polish Sqn based at Croydon flyingHurricanes was the first such squadron,the Canadian No1 (later 404) squadron,based at Northolt, was the second.These two squadrons showed remarkableélan and aggression in the battle. Butthese squadrons were not to see battle onthe 8 th August.Page 9BATTLE OF BRITAIN

Advanced Rules-RAF (cont.)RAF aircraft availability by squadron as at noon on 8 th AugustDebden [S] 17 Sqn (19 H)MartleshamNorth WealdHornchurch [S]RochfordGravesendBiggin Hill [S]Kenley [S]CroydonNortholt [S]Tangmere [S]Westhampnett85 Sqn (21H)151 Sqn (19H)65 Sqn (18S), 74 Sqn (17S)56 Sqn (19H)501 Sqn (19H), 54 Sqn (18S)32 Sqn (17H), 610 Sqn (15S)64 Sqn (15S), 615 Sqn (16H)111 Sqn (18H)1 Sqn (18H), 257 Sqn (18H)601 Sqn (16H), 43 Sqn (19H)145 Sqn (16H)[S] Sector Stations(S) Spitfire squadron(H) Hurricane SquadronPlayers may choose to substitute the above squadron lists for those in the original game, which are from a later period in the battle. Ihave made the squadrons from Debden and Martlesham ‘reserve status’ because of their distance from London and the south coast andbecause there was an expectation that Luftwaffe attacks would cross the North Sea from Holland and Belgium – which they did. Tangmereand Westhampnett squadrons cannot be used against other than Luftflotte 3 raids due to the ongoing attacks on Channel convoys.Tangmere may place a morning patrol of 1 squadron in the Channel box opposite Luftflotte 3. It may remain on station until the Luftwafferaid has passed through the Channel box, been driven off, or destroyed, and then is withdrawn to its home base, where it is placedat ‘available’ on the squadron readiness table.RAF Morale (Optional)There is no doubt that at the beginning ofof friends and colleagues affect the survi-RAF squadrons are ‘exhausted’ andthe Battle the RAF morale was high. Thevors in a squadron. However, the territo-must be withdrawn once they reachRAF believed itself to be the equal of therial air force pilots were different. Mostan aircraft strength of 6. Given thatLuftwaffe, especially when it came to theof them were firm friends, some overthe game only lasts one actual day,Spitfire. By the beginning of August,many years, and it must have been par-there is no time for reinforcementafter the debacle of France that had re-ticularly difficult to lose someone withpilots or aircraft to arrive. I thereforesulted in such heavy losses in aircrew, thewhom you have known for a long timesuggest that they are stood down asaverage squadron pilot realised the battleand endured the rigours of battle. In the‘ineffective’ until the end of thethat lay ahead was not going to be easy. Itlight of these considerations, I suggest thegame.is always difficult to assess how the lossfollowing optional rule:BATTLE OF BRITAINPage 10

Historical Overview of the BattleWhat is so interesting about this battle?The Battle over British skies during the periodJuly through early September 1940, was at thattime, the most unique battle in the history ofwarfare. It was the first time that airpower was tobe the only determining factor in the outcome ofa battle.Bleriot had crossed the English Channel inJuly 1909, a matter of about 22 miles, in approximately37 minutes. The fact that his aircraftengine was able to sustain such a long period ofcontinuous running was considered to be a technicalmarvel at that time. By 1936, less thanthirty years later, aircraft had been developed thatwould cross the world in a week and carry 5,000pounds of cargo as well. Canvas wing coveringshad been supplanted by aluminium skins and thescience of electronics had invented radar andradio aids that greatly increased safety levels.Engine technology, probably the most importantcontribution to aviation’s success, had producedan engine of nearly 1,000 HP by the mid 1930’s,a far cry from Bleriot’s 25 HP Azani engine.The sky is a different medium in which tofightThe sky is a completely different medium inwhich to conduct war. Unlike a land or sea battle,it has a three dimensional aspect in that heightbecomes an important third factor. Commandersand pilots needed to be aware that as the battlegot higher, the problems associated with combatat altitude became greater. Oxygen was essentialabove 10,000 feet and even in the height of summer,temperatures dropped to –20 C at 20,000 feet.One of the greatest difficulties with the Spitfireand Me109E was their very cramped cockpitsprevented pilots wearing heavy jackets to keepwarm. Hurricanes were considerably roomier andthus allowed the wearing of sheepskin jackets.This not only protected the pilot against the cold,it provided extra protection against shrapnel andthe greatest peril of all; fire.There was yet another important factor in airwar… speed. By 1939, the average fighter hadreached a maximum speed of around 350 mph,bombers around 270 mph. This meant that anaircraft crossing the English coast near Dovercould arrive over London in about 15 minutes. Ittook a Spitfire 13 minutes to reach 20,000 feetand the Hurricane about 17, which was the averagealtitude Luftwaffe raids arrived over London.Reaction times of the defending RAF fightersquadrons became vital. The RAF had given thismatter some thought before the war and with thehelp of some very talented GPO personnel, managedto construct an efficient fighter commandand control system, before the battle began. Thissystem was the core of the RAF’s ability to reactto Luftwaffe raids.RDF – RadarRadio Direction Finding (RDF – later to becomeradar) was only in its infancy, yet allowedthe RAF the vital advantage of detecting Luftwafferaids as they formed up over France. Thisgave the RAF an extension of the time needed toget airborne, something that was to prove criticalto the outcome of thebattle. However, wemust remember thatRDF in 1940 was notnearly as accurate as itwas later in the war.On average, only 50%of all squadrons managedto intercept theraids they were sentagainst. There were a number of reasons, but themost common was the speed with which a raidmoved and the inherent inaccuracies in radarplotting. A pilot only needed to be 2 miles awayfrom his intended target and he was unlikely tosee it. If he was below it, then it became evenmore difficult. Cloud was another factor. Flyingthrough heavy cloud presented a real danger ofcollision, especially when opposing aircraft hadnot sighted one another.Armament – will the controversy ever besettled?The Luftwaffe had opted for a cannon andmachinegun armament combination in theMe109E and Me110C. It allowed the use ofexplosive shells in the 20mm cannon, which wereprimarily intended for use in the ground supportrole, the principle purpose for which the Luftwaffewas designed. The RAF opted for six, theneight .303 calibre machineguns as the basic armamentof both the Spitfire and Hurricane, believingthey would be more than adequate to bringdown any bomber then in service. In this assumptionthey made a number of errors.One of the principle reasons the RAF electedto use a rifle calibre bullet, as opposed to theUS.50 calibre heavy machinegun or 20mm cannon,was that early trials with both these weaponshad indicated that under high “G” loads, theytended to jam. The .303 machinegun had shownthe least tendency to do this, by a large margin.However, it was not the weight of fire thatproved to be decisive, but the range and thereforethe accuracy with which fire could be delivered.As a result of the extensiveanalysis of gun-camera filmtaken during the Dieppe raid,British scientists were able tocalculate that most pilots firedfrom beyond the effectiverange of the .303 machinegun.When interviewed about thisproblem, many pilots simplyhad no idea how far they werefrom the target. When many pilots thought theywere firing at 700 yards range, they were actuallyfiring from beyond 1,000 yards and thus had nochance of hitting the target. But during the Battle,they had no idea this was the case, so the .303calibre machinegun was unjustly blamed forfailing to score enough hits to bring down abomber. True, there were instances where bombersmanaged to survive incredible numbers ofhits, but they were rare. It was the naturally talentedshooters that managed to rack up the highkill rates because they were (cont. on p. 12)BATTLE OF BRITAINPage 11

Historical Overview of the Battle (cont.)skilled in assessing target lead and range.Cannons anyone?While the cannon shell was extremely destructiveto an aircraft, it being estimated that justthree 20mm hits were capable of bringing down aB17 bomber, they presented their own set ofproblems. The first was what is known as ‘dropof shot’. Because the cannon shell is heavier andtravels at a slower velocity than the machinegunbullet, it follows a markedly curved trajectory.This makes it inaccurate at longer ranges. Yet,once the range has closed with the target, thecannon becomes decisive, hence the huge numbersof B17’s lost in daylight raids against cannonarmed fighters prepared to press an attack. In1940, the Me109E was in fighter-to-fighter combatand cannon were not as effective against theopposing fighters. Certainly, once a hit wasscored, the opponent was almost certainlydoomed. It was getting the hit that was the problem.The Hurricane V SpitfireBoth aircraft came about through entirelydifferent design and construction philosophies.Cam at Hawker, was well aware that if they wereto mass-produce a fighter aircraft in a very shortspace of time, they would need to rely on theexisting industrial skill base available in 1935.That meant wood and craftsmen joiners, of whichBritain had plenty. Mitchell, at Vickers, decidedto risk all and develop an entirely revolutionaryaircraft, using a new set of skills. This divergencecontributed heavily to the difference in productionand repair rates between the two aircraft.However, there weremore important differences.The Hurricane had a slowertop speed by about 50 mph.It was supposed to attain325 mph in a straight line ataround 15,000 feet. Accordingto Keith Park, he nevermanaged to get more than305 mph from his own personal Hurricane. Thisdifference could be accounted for because Parkmay not have been issued with a Hurricane using100-octane fuel, something that would have madea considerable difference at altitude. However, itwas the wide spacing of the undercarriage thatmade a significant difference to the ground handling,and thus the safety of inexperienced pilots.On balance, the Hurricane was easier to handleby the novice pilot. This made a very significantdifference to aircraft serviceability rates, whenthey were most needed.Initially, it was decided that Hurricanes wouldattack the bombers and Spitfires the escort. Finein theory, but it didn’t work in practice. There isno doubt that being 50 mph slower than youropposing Me109E presented a serous handicap toall but the most experienced pilots. Yet, the Hurricaneappears to have acquitted itself very wellin 1940. By 1941, with the introduction of theFw190 and Me109F series, the Hurricane washopelessly outclassed, as the fighting over Maltaproved. The Spitfire, on the other hand was capableof being improved and re-developed so thatby 1946 a Mark XXIV had been developed thatbore little relationship to Mitchell’s originaldesign. However, there is little doubt that had itnot been for the Hurricane, the Battle of Britainmight have turned out very differently.PersonnelBoth air forces were professional to the core,even though the RAF contained a large numberof ‘volunteer – Reserve’ squadrons. It was these‘territorials’ that formed the backbone of theRAF, the regular airforce being too smallto carry the burdenof the Battle. TheLuftwaffe was anall-regular force,having alreadyfought in Spain andPoland, from whichit gained a great dealof experience. It had been given the very best ofeverything and expected excellence from theiraircrew. Oberst Fink, Commodore KG2, at age50, was leading his Do17Z Gruppe over Englandfrom almost the first day of the campaign; such acommitment to lead their airmen into battle wasexpected of Luftwaffe officers. It was only afterthe Luftwaffe command began to become concernedat the mounting casualty rate among irreplaceablesenior officers that Fink was orderedfrom flying dutiesThe RAF volunteer reservists proved to be asflamboyant as their Luftwaffe opposite numbers,if not more so. Many of them had red liningsadded to their service jackets, much to the disquietof their more conservative regular airforcecolleagues. Yet in battle, they proved more thanequal to the task. Their fighting spirit was foreverperpetuated by the hunting call, ‘Tally Ho’ whenthe enemy was engaged. It became such a universalRAF battle call that even squadrons that hadlost their VR members continued its use.But, as in all war, victory will go to the betterprepared or the side that makes the fewer mistakes.Both forces were exhausted by the end ofAugust, with casualties rising at an alarming rateand men so tired that they could barely fly. Whatwas not readily appreciated at the time was theenormous strain pilots were under, both physicaland mental. Altitude saps energy very quickly,especially if you are involved in violent manoeuvresin combat. The enormous ‘G’ loads inflictedon pilots, caused exhaustion that was not recognised.Pilots would come back to their airfieldsand literally fall asleep almost as soon as they gotout of the aircraft, even though they may havebeen in the air for only an hour. Sitting in anaircraft in dispersal for hours on end didn’t helpmatters either. They were often as not, tired beforethey took off. By the end of August thebattle had become an almost endless grind forboth sides, with no end in sight. Whoever blinkedfirst was going to lose.BATTLE OF BRITAINPage 12

WFHGSDAVID CHILD-DENNISWe meet every other Friday night in the Salt Lake City, Utaharea. We currently game Age of Reason, Age of Discovery, Ageof Eagles, The Sword and the Flame, Battles for Empire, WildWest, Blitzkrieg Commander, Sharp Practice, and many, manymore periods and games.Email questions to:mirsik1@juno.comThe best in historical miniaturesgamingVisit our site at:www.wfhgs.comThere has never been a point in the wargaming hobby where there are so many optionsfor the air combat gamer! Not only are there dozens of well made 1/300th scalemodels, but there are also 1/600th and 1/144th versions for almost any period. Thereare also a wide range of air combat rules, but Battle of Britain, August 8th, 1940 isnot a set that you would traditionally see as it focuses on this one critical day of combatover England. The game is operational in nature and does not focus on the usualone on one dogfighting seen in most rules. Instead, you get a quick snapshot of a oneday massive battle with squadrons of aircraft. This is ideal for conventions or largegroups where you can run multiplegames or for the timeswhen you have gamers who areinterested in air combat, but notto the point of having to learnan entire book of rules. If youlike this set of rules we encourageyou to try Typhoon forquick game of modern air to aircombat or take it to the nextlevel with Phantoms/Intruders.Other Air Combat Miniatures RulesIf you’ve enjoyed Battle of Britain there are several other sets of air combat rules that can be downloaded for free. Go to theDownloads section at www.wfhgs.com to learn more.Quick play rules for modern air combatusing 1/144th scale aircraft.Vietnam era jet combat using any scaleof miniatures. Based off of the popularMustangs rules by Avalon Hill, thesystem features three dimensionalmovement and is suitable for largegroups.The air to ground supplement forPhantoms featuring a mission generator,AAA, SAMs, and lots of ordnance.

Battle of BritainEvent Cards - WeatherEvent cardWeatherHeavy Cloud-1 to all target location andcombat dice rollsThe card is remain in forcefor the duration of the raidEvent cardWeatherHeavy Cloud-1 to all target locationcombat dice rollsThe card is remain in forcefor the duration of the raidEvent cardWeatherHeavy Cloud-1 to all target location andcombat dice rollsThe card is remain in forcefor the duration of the raidEvent cardWeatherLight CloudNo adjustment to locationor combat dice rolls.The card is remain inforce for the duration ofthe raidEvent cardWeatherLight CloudNo adjustment to locationor combat dice rolls.The card is remain inforce for the duration ofthe raidEvent cardWeatherLight CloudNo adjustment to locationor combat dice rolls.The card is remain inforce for the duration ofthe raidEvent cardWeatherClearLocation or RAF combatdice rolls +1.The card is remain inforce for the duration ofthe raidEvent cardWeatherClearLocation or RAF combatdice rolls +1.The card is remain inforce for the duration ofthe raidEvent cardWeatherClearLocation or RAF combatdice rolls +1.The card is remain inforce for the duration ofthe raidTuesday, 8 June 2010

Battle of BritainDamage cardsEvent cardBomb DamageAirfield crateredPlayer must roll 4,5,6 to getaircraft in the air until airfieldis repairedEvent cardBomb DamageAirfield crateredPlayer must roll 4,5,6 to getaircraft in the air until airfieldis repairedEvent cardBomb DamageAirfield crateredPlayer must roll 4,5,6 to getaircraft in the air until airfieldis repairedEvent cardBomb DamageHangars DamagedAircraft must remain atreadiness until airfield isrepaired. No aircraft maytake off.Event cardBomb DamageHangars DamagedAircraft must remain atreadiness until airfield isrepaired. No aircraft maytake off.Event cardBomb DamageHangars DamagedAircraft must remain atreadiness until airfield isrepaired. No aircraft maytake off.Event cardBomb DamageAircraft refuelling andrepair facilities destroyed.No aircraft may use theairfield until it is repaired.All aircraft begin at‘Available’ once airfield isrepairedEvent cardBomb DamageAircraft refuelling andrepair facilities destroyed.No aircraft may use theairfield until it is repaired.All aircraft begin at‘Available’ once airfield isrepairedEvent cardBomb DamageAircraft refuelling andrepair facilities destroyed.No aircraft may use theairfield until it is repaired.All aircraft begin at‘Available’ once airfield isrepairedTuesday, 8 June 2010

Battle of BritainEvent Cards Page 2Event cardRDF RepairsAny single RDF stationput out of action may berepaired with this card.The card is discardedimmediately after use.Event cardRDF RepairsAny single RDF stationput out of action may berepaired with this card.The card is discardedimmediately after use.Event cardRDF RepairsAny single RDF stationput out of action may berepaired with this card.The card is discardedimmediately after use.Event cardReplacementSquadron73 Hurricane Squadrontransferred from 12 Groupto replace a nonoperationalsquadron.The card is discardedimmediately after use.Event cardReplacementSquadron504 Hurricane Squadrontransferred from 13 Groupto replace a nonoperationalsquadron.The card is discardedimmediately after use.Event cardReplacementSquadron611 Spitfire Squadrontransferred from 13 Groupto replace a nonoperationalsquadron.The card is discardedimmediately after use.Event card10 GroupLends a hand609 Spitfire Squadronscrambles from MiddleWallop.The card is discardedimmediately after use.Event card10 GroupLends a hand238 Hurricane Squadronscrambles from MiddleWallop.The card is discardedimmediately after use.Event card12 GroupLends a hand1D6 roll of 4,5,6 scramble242 (H) and 54 (S) Sqnsfrom Duxford. Roll 1,2,3and only 242 (H) available.The card is discardedimmediately after use.David Child-Dennis 2010 1

Battle of BritainEvent Cards Page 1Event cardAirfield RepairsAny single airfield put outof action may be repairedwith this card.The card is discardedimmediately after use.Event cardAirfield RepairsAny single airfield put outof action may be repairedwith this card.The card is discardedimmediately after use.Event cardAirfield RepairsAny single airfield put outof action may be repairedwith this card.The card is discardedimmediately after use .Event cardHeavy AA BarrageThe latest 3.7” AA gunsjoin the London Barrage.All bombers must roll a ‘6’to hit a London target.The card is discardedimmediately after use.Event cardHeavy AA BarrageThe latest 3.7” AA gunsjoin the London Barrage.All bombers must roll a ‘6’to hit a London target.The card is discardedimmediately after use .Event cardHeavy AA BarrageThe latest 3.7” AA gunsjoin the London Barrage.All bombers must roll a ‘6’to hit a London target.The card is discardedimmediately after use.Event cardBalloon BarrageRAF Balloon Commandjoins the London AAdefences. All bombersmust roll a ‘6’ to hit aLondon target.The card is discardedimmediately after use.Event cardBalloon BarrageRAF Balloon Commandjoins the London AAdefences. All bombersmust roll a ‘6’ to hit aLondon target.The card is discardedimmediately after use.Event cardBalloon BarrageRAF Balloon Commandjoins the London AAdefences. All bombersmust roll a ‘6’ to hit aLondon target.The card is discardedimmediately after use.David Child-Dennis 2010 1

DuxfordNortholtHornchurchMiddle WallopBiggin HillKenleyDoverRDFTangmereBeachyHeadRDFVentnorRDFChannelChannelChannelLuftflotte 3CherbourgLuftflotte 2Cap Blanc NezLuftflotte 2Ghent

Battle of BritainTactical Cards – Page 1Tactical cardAchtung Spitfeur!Any one Spitfire squadroninvolved in an attackgains Plus 1 to their dicerollThe card is discardedimmediately after use.Tactical cardAchtung Spitfeur!Any one Spitfire squadroninvolved in an attackgains Plus 1 to their dicerollThe card is discardedimmediately after use.Tactical cardAchtung Spitfeur!Any one Spitfire squadroninvolved in an attackgains Plus 1 to their dicerollThe card is discardedimmediately after use.Tactical cardAchtung Spitfeur!Any one Spitfire squadroninvolved in an attackgains Plus 1 to their dicerollThe card is discardedimmediately after use.Tactical cardAchtung Spitfeur!Any one Spitfire squadroninvolved in an attackgains Plus 1 to their dicerollThe card is discardedimmediately after use.Tactical cardAchtung Spitfeur!Any one Spitfire squadroninvolved in an attackgains Plus 1 to their dicerollThe card is discardedimmediately after use.Tactical cardBounced by Escort!Any one RAF squadroninvolved in an attackLooses -1 to their diceroll.The card is discardedimmediately after use.Tactical cardBounced by Escort!Any one RAF squadroninvolved in an attackLooses -1 to their diceroll.The card is discardedimmediately after use.Tactical cardBounced by Escort!Any one RAF squadroninvolved in an attackLooses -1 to their diceroll.The card is discardedimmediately after use.David Child-Dennis 2010

Battle of BritainTactical Cards Page 2Tactical cardBuster!Any one RAF squadronmay make an extra moveto intercept a raid thisturn.The card is discardedimmediately after use.Tactical cardBuster!Any one RAF squadronmay make an extra moveto intercept a raid thisturn.The card is discardedimmediately after use.Tactical cardBuster!Any one RAF squadronmay make an extra moveto intercept a raid thisturn.The card is discardedimmediately after use .Tactical cardHeight Advantage!Any one RAF squadronmay add +1 to theattacking dice roll thisturn onlyThe card is discardedimmediately after use.Tactical cardHeight Advantage!Any one RAF squadronmay add +1 to theattacking dice roll thisturn onlyThe card is discardedimmediately after use.Tactical cardHeight Advantage!Any one RAF squadronmay add +1 to theattacking dice roll thisturn onlyThe card is discardedimmediately after use.Tactical cardCloud Cover!One raid of LuftwaffeBombers manages to hidein cloud… -1 to the RAFinterception dice roll thisturn only.The card is discardedimmediately after use.Tactical cardCloud Cover!One raid of LuftwaffeBombers manages to hidein cloud… -1 to the RAFinterception dice roll thisturn only.The card is discardedimmediately after use.Tactical cardCloud Cover!One raid of LuftwaffeBombers manages to hidein cloud… -1 to the RAFinterception dice roll thisturn only.The card is discardedimmediately after use.David Child-Dennis 2010

Battle of BritainRaid Cards02140+15000022 023 024 025 02650+ 60+ 70+ 80+ 90+15000 15000 15000 15000 1500002790+15000028 029 030 031 032100+ 110+ 120+ 20+ 30+15000 15000 15000 1000 15000033 034 035 036 037 03830+ 40+ 50+ 60+ 70+ 80+12000 12000 12000 12000 12000 12000013 015 016 017 018 01980+2100090+ 100+ 110+ 120+ 20+21000 21000 21000 21000 200000120+2000002 003 004 005 00630+ 40+ 50+ 60+ 70+15000 15000 15000 15000 15000Use only one set of raid cards numbered from 20+ through 120+ aircraft, when setting up a game.The extra cards are provided as spares.David Child-Dennis 2010

Squadron Readiness Board11 Group Sector StationsNortholtHornchurchBiggin Hill Kenley TangmereAlertAlertAlertAlertAlert5 MinutesReadiness5 MinutesReadiness5 MinutesReadiness5 MinutesReadiness5 MinutesReadinessAvailableAvailableAvailableAvailableAvailableDavid Child-Dennis 2010

RAF Squadrons8th August 1940Biggin HillKenley32 SquadronHurricanes610 SquadronSpitfires615 SquadronHurricanes64 SquadronSpitfiresNortholtCroydon1 SquadronHurricanes257 SquadronHurricanes111 SquadronHurricanesTangmereWesthampnett601 SquadronHurricanes43 SquadronHurricanes145 SquadronHurricanesDavid Child-Dennis 2010

Battle of Britain - 11 Group - RAF11 th – 18 th August 1940HornchurchNorthholtF-266SF-54SF-1HF-303PolishHF-74SF-401RCAFHGraves EndF-501HKenley Biggin Hill West MallingF-615F-616F-32F-601HSHSTangmereF-43HF-601HWesthampnettF-602SDavid Child-Dennis 2010

RAF Squadron reinforcements12 GroupDuxfordF-242HF-54S10 GroupHornchurchF-65SDebdenF-85H13 GroupMiddle WallopF-609SF-238HDavid Child-Dennis 2010

11 GroupRAF Squadrons8 th August 1940Reserve SquadronsDebdenMartlesham17 SquadronHurricanes85 SquadronHurricanesActive Squadrons ‘at readiness’North WealdHornchurch151 SquadronHurricanes65 SquadronSpitfires74 SquadronSpitfiresRochfordGravesend56 SquadronHurricanes501 SquadronHurricanes54 SquadronSpitfiresDavid Child-Dennis 2010

Battle of BritainRAF Aces and Leaders cardsAl Deere54 Spitfire SquadronPeter Townshend85 Hurricane SquadronDouglas Bader242 Hurricane Squadron‘Paddy’ Finucane65 Spitfire Squadron‘Sailor’ Malan74 Spitfire SquadronDavid Child-Dennis 2010

LuftwaffeElite strike unitsLUFTWAFFE9th Staffel - KG 76Elite Do17Z low -level strikeforce.May only be used with a 20+raid card. This card needonly be revealed as itcrosses from the Channelbox onto the RDF box.LUFTWAFFEKG 27Elite He111 precisionbombing.ADD +1To HIT and DAMAGE dice rollLUFTWAFFEKG51Elite Ju88 strike force.ADD +1To HIT and DAMAGE dice rollLUFTWAFFEGruppe III/ StG 77Elite Ju87 precision divebombing.ADD +1To dice roll to hit target.LUFTWAFFEMe110C special intelligenceand radio intercept unit.Raider gains warning ofinterception. RAF attacker(s)interception dice roll reducedby -1LUFTWAFFEGruppe I/KG 3Elite Do17Z low-level strikeforce.May only be used with a 20+raid card. This card needonly be revealed as itcrosses from the Channelbox onto the RDF box.David Child-Dennis 2010

Battle of BritainLuftwaffe Aces and Leader’s CardsJohannes FinkAdolf Galland‘Jopp’JopienWerner MoldersHelmut WikDavid Child-Dennis 2010