Situation: A Spitfire MKIA
(flown by a confused P/0 Prune) has accidentally
(through sheer luck, of course) ended up on the
six-line of the renowned veteran combat ace
Baron von Munchenburg's trusty Messerschmitt
Bf 109E-4 at a range of three and has declared
tailing next turn. Luckily, only slight damage was
incurred from the Spitfire's completely accidental
discharge of its guns during the combat phase of
the current turn. The Baron wisely decides to exit
"stage-right. "
Turn 1
| Start Data | Spit. MKIA | Bf 109E-4 |
|---|---|---|
| Facing | N | N |
| Start Altitude | 12.0 | 12.0 |
| Start Speed | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| Angle of Bank | level | level |
| Last Flight Type | level | level |
| Initiative | tailing | tailed |
Game Turn One - Bf 109 Move: Having suffered two points of damage already, the Baron opts for the tactically sound death spiral escape plan. He smartly slams the throttle into emergency, pushes over into a steep dive and does the following move: 2 HFP (snap roll to right bank), 1 VFP-300, 1 VFP-200 (snap roll to inverted right), 1 VFP-200 (BT right to NNE using steep dive inverted turning bonus), 1 VFP- 200 (BT right to NE). Pwr. Accel= 5, dive Accel= 9. Two snap rolls= 6 maneuver decel and two BT turns= 10 decel. Net change = 2 decel points carried to next game turn. The break turns give the Baron some immediate protection by giving the Spitfire a more difficult deflection shot and reducing the odds of being hit. Unfortunately, there is really no way to escape being shot at for an additional turn or two, when an enemy starts in the saddle as the Spitfire did in this case., The Baron must sweat it out.
Game Turn One - Spitfire Move: Meanwhile, the assuredly incompetent P/O Prune ham-fistedly over-boosts his engine (uses emergency) and timidly eases his aircraft into a steep dive to follow. Unthinkingly, he doesn't bother leading the German's turn but simply goes after him totally wide-eyed and mouth agape while gently banking to the right (it's simply an unintentional coincidence that this is also the most energy conserving nonnegative G way to attack).
His move is as follows: 4 HFP, 1 VFP-300, 1 VFP-200). Power accel = 5, dive accel = 5 for a net speed change of +1.0. Shot parameters are range 2 for 24 firepower against a defense of 5 x (3 + 1) for a 1 - 1 tracking, long burst, vertical attack which becomes a 2-1. Modifiers are -1 for harmony. The die roll is a six modified to five inflicting 3 more hits. ("Aacchh!" winces the Baron). Note: for the rest of this example, the Baron will never win initiative due to Aryan overconfidence and conceitedness.
Turn 2 Start Data
| Start Data | Spit. MKIA | Bf 109E4 |
|---|---|---|
| Facing: | N | NE |
| Start Altitude: | 11.5 | 11.1 |
| Start Speed: | 7.0 (over max lvl) | 6.0 (2 decel) |
| Angle of Bank: | right upright | inverted right |
| Last Flight Type: | steep dive | steep dive |
| Initiative: | wins | loses |
Game Turn Two - Bf 109 Move:
With his buttocks clamped firmly to his seat
cushion, the ever-so-calm Baron continues to
develop the death spiral. He enters a vertical
dive, still in emergency power. His move is as
follows: 1 VFP-300, 1 VFP-300, 1 VFP-300
(bank to face NNE), 2 HFP, 1 VFP-300 (bank to
face NE while declaring an inverted left bank and
vertical reverse). No decel is incurred. Total
accel = + 17 - 2 decel carry for a 1.5 speed gain.
The reversal leaves him facing SW and in an
upright left bank attitude.
Game Turn Two - Spitfire Move: The dimwitted P/O Prune uncaringly leaves his engine rev.'d to the red line (it's okay for the Baron to do this as he is running for his life) and reluctantly also shoves over into the vertical to follow the 109's sudden plummet. The 109's spiral has left him few good options. He can move straight ahead or NNW and face for a difficult and dangerous one or two hex range head-on shot (positions A), or he can shift slightly right for a high-angle deflection shot (B), or he can give up a hex of range and move toward the 109's 9:00 line (C) for a range two beam shot, or he can shift to position (C) and face for continued pursuit.
Lacking confidence in his shooting ability, P/O Prune opts to bide his time and positions for continued pursuit (once again blundering into the most tactically sound option he has, given the maneuvering superiority of his aircraft. Though the head-ons offered the best chance to score hits, a surviving 109E would have surely escaped on the following turn and the close range would have posed too much a risk of collision).
Prune's move is as follows: 1 VFP-200, 1 VFP-300, 1 VFP-300 (bank to face NE), 2 HFP (snap roll to face NNW), 2 VFP-300 each (snap roll to face W while declaring a left bank). No shot is taken. Total accel = 19 - 11 decel (5 overspeed, 6 snap rolling) for a net +8 accel. 0.5 speed is gained and 3 accel are carried to the next turn.
| Start Data | Spit. MKIA | Bf 109E4 |
|---|---|---|
| Facing: | W | SW |
| Start Altitude: | 10.1 | 9.9 |
| Start Speed: | 7.5 (+3 accel) | 7.5 |
| Angle of Bank: | left upright | left upright |
| Last Flight Type: | vertical dive | vertical dive |
| Initiative: | wins | loses |
Game Turn Three - Bf 109 Move: (cripes derr Englander ist von lucky dude!) The Baron is relieved to not be fired on and sees the Spitfire making for the cut-off. No opening yet, so the death spiral must continue! The Baron stays in the vertical and moves as follows: 3 VFP-300 each (bank to face NNW), 2 HFP, I VFP-300 (bank to face W while declaring an inverted right bank), I VFP-300 (declare vertical reverse). The reversal causes the 109E to face E and leaves it in an upright fight bank. Total accel = 20, decel = 5 for overspeed). Net accel = + 15, so the speed gain is 1.5.
Game Turn Three - Spitfire Move: Realizing that his options are basically the same as in the last turn, and that the Bf 109E can keep this up for several more turns, P/O Prune opts to force the issue by taking a beam shot. It is the first tactical mistake he makes. His move is as follows: 3 VFP-300 each (bank to face NW), 2 HFP, I VFP-300 (bank to face N while declaring a right bank), I VFP-300. He also ends with a net + 15 accel for a 1.5 speed gain and still carrying 3 accel forward. His shot is a range two beam shot for 24 firepower against a 25 defense which is a 1-2 attack shifted to 1-4 for the beam with a -1 modifier for gun harmony. The die roll is a three which becomes a two for two more hits ("Bloody Wot? I say! Winged the blighter again Johnny, didja see it lad?"). The Baron's plane is whistling with holes.
| Start Data | Spit. MKIA | Bf 109E4 |
|---|---|---|
| Facing: | W | SW |
| Start Altitude: | 8.6 | 8.4 |
| Start Speed: | 9.0+0.5 (+3 accel) | 9.0+0.5 |
| Angle of Bank: | right upright | right upright |
| Last Flight Type: | vertical dive | vertical dive |
| Initiative: | wins | loses |
Game Turn Four - Bf 109 Move: Stunned at being enveloped in a cloud of smoky tracers and hit again, the Baron curses the Englander swine ("Ja! Any fool can hit zings mit eight Brownings!"). Despite his annoyance, he is still cool enough to realize he's been given an opening to escape. The Spitfire is 90' off his wing. Pulling up hard into a steep dive, the Baron makes the most of the moment. His move is as follows: 1 VFP-300, I VFP-200, I VFP-200 (ET right to SE and bank to inverted right), 3 HFP (BT right to SSE), 3 HFP (BT right to S and bank back to upright right). The Baron doesn't black out from the G forces but does roll a wing spar hit for the ET turn. Drat! Well it doesn't matter anyway! He laughs, watching the Spitfire vainly turning in the rear view mirror. His accel is 7 for diving, less 31 decel for turning and excess speed, for a speed loss of 2.0 with 4 decel carry.
Game Turn Four - Spitfire Move: P/O Prune is dismayed to see the Messerschmitt suddenly pull contrails off its wing tips as it forces his overshoot. He tries to follow mirroring the German's move while using his additional height to cut the corner: I VFP- 100, I VFP-200, I VFP-200 (ET turn to face NNE and bank to inverted right), 2 VFP-200 each, I HFP (BT to NE), 3 HFP (BT to E and bank back to upright right). The Spitfire holds together just fine but Prune sees a little gray when he almost rolls to black out! Total accel = 12 (diving plus carry) 25 decel for turning and excess speed for a speed loss of 1.0 with 3 decel carry. Though he has a slight speed advantage, he realizes that he will never catch the 109 now. This combat is over. His overshoot was too extreme and by the time he can get back around to face the Bf 109's direction, it will be several hundred yards out of range and at its max level speed. The Baron only has to run straight out to be safe ("Ohhh all right, piss-off then, you bloody hun bastard! Next time, yerr mine!").
Final Commentary on the Death Spiral: I call this mix of vertical and steep diving escape tactic the "death spiral" because of the volatility of it. As in this example, if you start it with an enemy camped out on your six, you can't really shake him but you can give him really poor shot choices or no shots. Nevertheless, if the die rolls don't go your way, or if he is really close, you could be toast before you escape! The idea of the death spiral is to buy yourself as much time as possible, until the other player gives up on you, or you can reach a cloud layer, or, as in the example of play, the opponent gives you a way out. Unfortunately, if he is patient enough and you don't have a wingman to shoo him off, or clouds to dive into, he can probably stick with you in the dive positioning for pursuit rather than shooting each turn. All you can do is try to slide him off your tail, win initiative and force an error, or, if you're a faster diver, to hit that speed and out-race him.
Of course, you need altitude for this tactic; if you don't have it, you are going to have to be even more creative when you reach ground level. Maybe in a future issue I will describe my, "this is dumber-than-hell, but I'm going up in the vertical with Spitfires anyway" escape tactic. It's usually a good prelude to bailing out. All that aside, the death spiral is a viable escape technique for inferior turning aircraft like the 109. Fast banking aircraft like the Focke Wulf 190 series can use it quite nicely. Keep it in your bag-o- tricks.
Anyway, hope this tactics article gives you budding Bf 109E offers some tools to work with and some things to keep in mind when you meet those nasty little Spitfires. They can be beaten, if you play smartly and win a few initiative rolls, but they are dangerous and always deserve every ounce of your respect. As you now can see, the cry of "Achtung-Spitfire!" need not be an alarm of fear and loathing, simply a reminder to fight smart and carefully. Go get' em! With a little luck maybe you will hear "AchtungDefiants! " instead!
See ya on the game board!
"Emil" Driver WWII Combat Tactics
Death Spiral Example
Data Cards for Spitfire and Hurricane: Large (very slow: 379K)
Data Cards for Spitfire and Hurricane: Jumbo (monstrously slow: 1.4MB)
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