After trying and failing with various randomisation methods to make solo play interesting I decided on a modified version of the ‘Fernworthy Method’ for solo play – a technique discussed briefly on the Check Your 6! (CY6!) yahoo group. Essentially this involves rolling for initiative and adding modifiers based on pilot skill. I used a D6 roll for each initiative unit (individual aircraft or formation) to maximise the influence of skill. I have ignored pilot reaction at this point as I’m still learning the rules and it might add brain-jamming complications.
Scenario 1: ‘The
Dutchman’
For my first scenario I played ‘The Swede’ mission from
the CY6! rulebook. I’ve only got Dutch and German aircraft painted up so far so, my version,
‘The Dutchman,’ substitutes Bf.109Es for the green Zeros and a Fokker D.XXI for
the ace SBD Dauntless.
The fight
Three relatively inexperienced Luftwaffe pilots conducted a
fighter sweep over a Dutch city (Rotterdam – here represented by a hex-grid
satellite image printout of the Melbourne CBD).They were met head-on by ‘The Dutchman’ in a Fokker D.XXI. The ace Dutchman used his skill to seize the initiative and outmanoeuvre the lead German fighter in a close-in vertical combat. Having received airframe damage, the German dove away from combat while his compatriots attacked and began to box in the Dutchman.
At a critical juncture, an unlikely ‘1’ and a pair of high
scores gave the Germans the initiative. Pulling off a successful 180 degree Immelmann
that brought him into a head-on attack position, the German piloting Black 12
hammered the ace Fokker with MG and 20mm cannon rounds at point blank range.
Down went ‘The Dutchman,’ oily smoke trailing from his engine. He bailed out,
wounded. The damaged Bf.109E made it home.
Result
Luftwaffe: 8; LVA: 1.Learnings
My first successful game of CY6! solo provided a couple of important lessons:
- Aces are hard to hit with green pilots but not impossible. As you'd imagine, green pilots can use numbers to 'swarm' a solitary ace - coming in from different angles and covering different altitudes to get close range shots. Even an ace has to end his turn somewhere!
- Pilot reaction could have helped the ace immensely in this fight, especially at the critical juncture when he lost the initiative. I might look at incorporating it in later games.
- Use of spotting rules also could have helped the unfortunate 'Dutchman,' as his opponents would have had the sun in their eyes.
Bf.109Es: Technical Officer and Black 12 are from Raiden. Black 8 is from Heroics & Ros.
Fokker D.XXI: Heroics & Ros. All decals are from Dom's Decals.
Scenario 2: ‘Dornier
Recce’
For the next scenario I decided to try out rules for bomber
defence in a simple one-on-one combat, at Combat Altitude Band (CAB) Low.
Scenario
A single green-crewed Dornier Do.17Z needed to overfly at
Tactical Altitude Level (TAL) 5 or 6 to conduct a reconnaissance of the Dutch airfield, then try to race
for home. A single Fokker D.XXI has been sent up to intercept. I randomised
skill levels, with the Dutch having a -1 die-roll penalty to represent the fact
that the LVA ace had already been shot down in the previous battle. The Dornier
turned out green and so did the Fokker (no pilot reaction this time either).
The fight
The Dornier crew spotted the Dutch Fokker first and turned
into him, keeping high to foil his shot while the bombardier took aim with the nose
flexible-mounted MG. As the aircraft crossed, the bomber crew also got in a
shot with the ventral MG. All the Dornier’s shots missed however. The Dornier dived
away toward the Dutch airfield as the Fokker brought its guns to bear, firing
constantly at medium range.
The Dornier sustained airframe damage at this point but
pressed on, climbing to the right TAL to take a photo of the target. As the
shredded German aircraft climbed and slowed, the Dutch pilot opened up with
everything he had. Just as the muffled rattling sound of his MGs was replaced
by a series of clicks (indicating the magazines had emptied), the Dutch pilot observed
the elevators come away from the enemy aircraft’s tail. He had brought down the
Dornier, and not a moment too soon!
The Dornier crew bailed out and were captured.
Result
LVA: 8; Luftwaffe: 0.
Learnings
- The agility differences make bomber defensive fire that little bit less effective and intercepting fighters somewhat more survivable.
- To be effective again fast bombers, interceptors need to be quick and/or well-placed. The speed 3 Fokker D.XXI is not an ideal aircraft to stop a speed 3 Do.17Z. One’s mind harks to Stanley Baldwin’s maxim ‘the bomber will always get through.’
- In a flurry of coincidence almost every initiative roll was equal. Axis forces win initiative draws in early war.
- I wonder if +0 agility aircraft receiving airframe damage can get a -1 agility rating? Time to check the CY6! yahoo group …
Miniatures
Fokker D.XXI and Dornier Do.17Z – Heroics & Ros.
Scenario 3: ‘Bomb Run’
Although short a recent intelligence update due to the shoot-down of the Dornier reconnaissance plane, the Luftwaffe decided to launch a strike against the Dutch airfield. Three Heinkel He.111H-2s with a heavy (2,000kg) bombload were sent to damage (1 hit) or destroy (2 hits) the airfield. Two bombers were veteran crews and one was green. They were intercepted by a pair of D.XXIs, each with skilled pilots.
The fight
The Dutch started out with the spotting advantage and approached the kette of enemy bombers from out of the morning sun. The Germans, who had not yet spotted their opponents, continued on toward the target. The green-crewed He.111 kept to the port-side position – the side of least likely enemy approach.
The Dutch fighters launched their attack at close range, angling in toward the German starboard bomber A1+JH, which tried to defend itself with the waist gun. Fokker #212 hit but failed to cause damage. The German formation attempted to throw off the Dutch aim by making a steep dive, but the Dutch pressed the attack closely, flying directly over (1 TAL above) the trailing German bombers while pouring close range fire at the formation leader A1+DA.
Fokker #212 inflicted airframe damage on the German leader, causing his formation to break up, but the bombers pressed on, moving closer together to line up better on the target. Fokker #241 brought down the German leader A1+DA, but not before a lucky hit from the Heinkel’s dorsal gunner caused #212’s fuel tank to explode mightily. Bomber A1+KH was peppered with debris but suffered no damage. A1+DA’s veterans jumped safely from their shattered aircraft. #212’s pilot was of course not so lucky.
The airfield was coming up below. Hoping to target the German starboard bomber (A1+JH), #241 drops his airspeed back to hover behind and above. It proved a careless manoeuvre as A1+JH’s veteran dorsal gunner scored an airframe damage hit on the Dutch fighter.
The Germans dropped their bombs over the airfield but the pressure of the intercept had clearly affected their aim and the bombs missed. Suddenly relieved of their load, the two German bombers split up, with A1+KH banking to port and the veteran A1+JH continuing forward, hoping to keep the enemy Fokker neatly in his rear gunner’s fire arc. The risk paid off and as #241 turned to pursue the green Heinkel A1+KH, the veteran A1+JH dorsal gunner brought him down. #241’s pilot bailed successfully.
Although the airfield remained intact, the Germans had at least inflicted some telling casualties on the LVA in the air. However, the loss of a veteran Heinkel crew was the decisive factor – the Dutch won on points alone.
Result
LVA: 10; Luftwaffe: 8.
Learnings
- For a couple of turns the Fokkers remained ‘hovering’ directly above the two flanking German bombers. I played it so the top gunner couldn’t get his weapon up to shoot (I thought it might be too awkward to fire from such a position) but perhaps this was a mistake (more research needed).
- I manoeuvred the Fokkers rather unintelligently – just trailing and pouring lead at the Heinkels. This was a mistake that cost the Dutch their two fighters.
- Four rifle-calibre MGs seem to have tons of ammo but are not much chop against robustness rating 3 bombers.
- More than two or three bombers are needed against a two-hit target.
Miniatures
Fokker #241 is Raiden, Fokker #212 is Heroics & Ros.
Heinkel A1+KH is Raiden, Heinkels A1+DA
and A1+JH are Heroics & Ros. Raiden provides a cannon-armed
Fokker option as well as MG-only, but the H&R is also a suitable model. I prefer the
H&R Heinkel as it is sturdier. However, the horizontal stabilizer shapes seems more accurate
on the Raiden Heinkel.
Three-mission outcome
LVA: 19; Luftwaffe: 16
Narrow Dutch victory.
