General overview
Revisions as of March 11, 2000
Changes after the March 3 revisions are noted in orange.Changes from the February 26 rules are noted in red
INTRODUCTION
This campaign simulates Adlertag eve - the day before the Luftwaffe was to destroy the RAF. The main targets were the radar towers on the coast and the fighter airfields. Each move represents a compressed period of time, about fifteen minutes. While the game has the same squadrons flying again and again, it actually represents just one days activities.
This game requires a moderator who is informed of all decisions made by the players.
OVERVIEW
The campaign lasts for 50 moves. For each squadron of planes you must keep track of the
number of moves they have flown.
- Flights may be launched during any move.
- Planes may only stay airborne for a limited number of moves, and must stay on the ground to be serviced (and repaired) for a number of moves as well.
- Germans always plot one move ahead, noting location and composition of all flights. This means that planes can be spotted when over France. Fighters armed with bombs must be noted.
- British do any radar sweeps. Roll for effectiveness.
- Moderator informs British of German moves if spotted.
- British scramble and move their planes.
- If British and German planes are in the same sector a tactical battle occurs.
- Record aircraft repairs and servicing.
- The British have two moves prior to the start of the campaign to deploy their planes from their original bases into any available sector on the map. These moves ARE counted toward their flying time.
There are three areas where movement is used: hexes, bases (aircraft or radar), and France. Together these are called sectors.
- Each time a flight enters a sector it uses one move.
- When British take off they choose whether they are in the airbase sector or the hex the airbase is in.
- All German flights begin in France. When German flights enter the France hex they are considered to have landed.
- All squadrons must fly together, except for escorting German fighters.
- There may be more than one flight in a sector, but all flights move together within any sector. If one flight is returning from a mission, and another is going to a target, and they are in the same hex, they are both deployed on one map board for attack purposes.
- When aircraft enter a sector they must be within one altitude band of their height in the previous sector.
The British have six radar sites. Three of these are LOW radar and three are HIGH radar. The British player determines which are which.
- LOW radar can look into the hex they are in, and all adjoining hexes. They can only see into hexes with sea (for example, site R3 cannot look into hex 11). If they are successful in their sweep they determine the number of enemy planes in every hex in their range.
- HIGH radar can see two hexes distant. They can see the hex they are in, all adjoining hexes, and the hexes adjoining them. If successful, they determine whether planes are present or not (not the number) for all sectors in range.
- The German player should not be informed of which radar site is which.
Radar may be used every move. Indicate the site that will search and roll 1d6. A 1 - 4 indicates that the search is successful and German planes within range are reported to the British.
- Radar sites that will not search (be off line) must be declared before any sweeps are conducted.
- When held off line for a turn a radar sweep is successful on a roll of 1 - 5 on 1d6.
- Example - Site R3 is low radar. It rolls and has a successful search. The British player is informed of the number of German planes in hexes 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, and 10.
- When German planes are over any all land hex the British player is informend that planes are present regardless of radar coverage.
All German planes are based in France.
British planes:
- Must designate base for type of plane at the beginning: 5 plane types, seven bases. The German player is not informed of these decisions.
- Each base can service two types of planes. Each plane must be able to be serviced at two bases.
- If plane lands at a base where it can't be serviced, it must be moved to a base where it can be serviced before it can engage in combat again.
- Britain
- Single engine planes can fly for 8 moves. All others can fly for 10 moves.
- If a plane uses all its movement before landing at a base it is lost.
- German
- Single engines planes can fly for 9 moves. All others can fly for 12 moves.
- If a plane uses all its movement before reaching France it is lost.
Germans may send in hunter groups - whole squadrons flying together, or escorts. Escorts must fly with the bombers and can be separated from the larger fighter squadron.
TARGETS
Radar sites are 3 by 3 hexes in size. Air bases are 5 by 12 hexes in size. They should be placed, centered, 1d20 hexes from the board edge.
- Radar sites are destroyed if they take 25 points of damage.
- Air bases are destroyed if they take 40 points of damage.
Bombs may be dropped anywhere on the target.
- Radar sites save on a roll of 7 or more for level bombing, and 8 or more for dive bombing.
- Airbases save on a roll of 8 or more for level bombing and 9 or more for dive bombing.
- Planes armed with bombs can not fly higher than High 4.
- For every bomb factor the Germans roll 1d6 for damage.
- Level bombers may bomb from low altitude. Level bombers must fly straight and level for two (2) turns before they drop.
- Bf109s and Me110s MAY carry bombs, but maneuver as loaded until the bombs are
dropped. This must be noted as the flight first takes off.
- After bombs have been dropped, bombers must return to France by the most direct route.
For each plane in range roll 1d10. A 9 or a 10 is a hit. When flying straight and level planes are hit with an 8, 9, or 10.
All airbases but only three (3) of the radar sites have AA capability. British player chooses
which.
BARRAGE BALLOONS
British player may deploy balloons at any three bases. These are announced when initially
deployed. All planes flying at wavetop level in sectors with balloons
roll 1d20 each turn. If a 20 is rolled they suffer a critical hit.
REFUELING AND REARMING
All planes must spend two turn on the ground once landed to rearm and refuel. This should be
done prior to any repairs on the planes. British planes must spend two moves at a base that can
service that type of plane before they can engage in combat again. If no base is available to service
that type of plane, it cannot fly again.
REPAIR
Planes can repair one damage point for each move on the ground beyond what is necessary to
rearm and refuel. For the British this must be at a base that can service that type of plane.
COMBAT
Whenever both German and British planes occupy the same sector combat can occur.
- When detected by radar the German's deploy first, selecting any
altitude desired for their planes (except bombers may never be higher
than high 4). Each squadron begins 1d20 from their board edge. They
inform the British of their altitude. The British deploy second, starting at any altitude and a
minimum 20 hexes away from the nearest German plane.
- When the Germans have not been spotted by radar they do not inform the British of their altitude and both sides declare the altitude of their flights silmultaniously.
- Combat ends when all German bombers have dropped their bombs or have exited the far edge of the map. If no bombers are involved, combat ends when all of one side's planes have exited the map, or by mutual consent.
- Any plane that exits the side of the map is considered to have aborted and returns to its
base. Fighters and bombers that abort return to their base and cannot fly,
repair, or refuel until the remainder of their squadron returns to join them. All planes that abort
must refuel and rearm before they can fly again.
- German bombers returning from missions MAY NOT abort. Even with an abort critical hit they must attempt to exit the far end of the map.
- No combat can occur in the France hex.
Losses may be replaced at the end of each eight (8) moves.
- For the British, 1d3 Spitfire Mk 2s are replaced at the end of each turn. These can be added to any squadron. Roll 1d6 for each replacement. On a roll of 1 - 3 the replacement crew is green.
- For German fighters, roll 1d6. 1 = 1 Me110; 2 = 2 Me110s; 3 or 4 = 1 Bf109; 5 or 6 = 2 Bf109s. German replacements always have green crews.
- For German bombers, roll 1d6. 1 or 2 = no replacements; 3 = 1 Ju87; 4 = 2 Ju87; 5 = 1 Do17; 6 = 1 Ju88.
At the beginning of the game roll 1d6 for each fighter squadron. Any roll of 5 or more means that there is one ace in that squadron.
Every time a fighter shoots down three (3) enemy planes it is considered an ace.
Immediately roll for ace characteristic.
WINNING
To win the game the Germans must do one of the following:
- Destroy all six of the radar sites
- Destroy 3 or more Spitfire airbases
If they do not do either, they lose.
