Recently, I did a 1/300th scale campaign based on the Normandy Invasions and thought I would share a few 'problems' I came up against. Target Acquisition - Spotting Armour. One of my pet 'hates' is the instant ability of all and every tank in a formation to instantly zone in on and engage an 88mm gun that fires at them from a camouflage position. Anyone who has been in a tank or simulator will know the restricted amount of vision a tank commander has when his tank is closed down. Apart from the rugged terrain, the tank may be crossing and therefore the commander is very busy bracing himself to stop any extra unnecessary bruising. There is also the signals traffic that is constantly going on. This may be troop, squadron or regimental net along with passing instructions to his driver and crew. After a closed down cross country drive, we used to have sore foreheads from peering through the scopes, motion sickness, multiple bruises from being jostled around and drivers suffered from 'commanders boot' which they got in the back of the neck when they got things wrong. So in a multi-player game when my opponents zone in every possible tank resulting from the one shot, I cringe inwardly. Then I suggest they take a trip to see our Royal Tank museum at Bovington to get some idea of what it was like to be confined within a steel hull. They would just have to imagine the cross-country movement. I am slowly bringing them around to my way of thinking and have introduced the possibility that the tanks may not spot the gun by throwing a D6, with odds it is spotted and evens it remains hidden. I got talked down from a '6' to spot on the first shot with a sliding scale for each subsequent shot. But I use that when soloing! The Germans were masters of camouflage and I remember on an exercise on Soltau nearly walking on to a recce tank from one of our own cavalry regiments, who had moved into position at night and cammed up during the hours of darkness. It was absolutely amazing and a lesson I learnt well. Perhaps some entrepreneur should start weekend courses in war-game acclimatisation which could include marching, with full equipment, for 5 miles at top speed and then having to charge, in perfect formation, up a hill just slightly less steep than the White Cliffs of Dover. Simulated flights in WWII aircraft in which they have to fly the planes, look out for enemy planes and see how many hidden vehicles and troops they can spot on the ground in a short patrol. The same could be done for a 'combat' drive in a tank. On successful completion of the appropriate course then they could be allowed to start reading the books and formulating rules. Air Power Due to the overwhelming superiority of Allied aircraft during the campaign I had to come up with some method of ensuring that they were available to the Allies but not 'hawk like' in their ability to instantly pounce on any Axis unit that just happened to be on the table. Flights of aircraft are in groups of 3 and the models themselves have a hole drilled in the underside and then are mounted, not glued, on stands (the type sold for space craft by Irregular Miniatures). It is effective, cheap and works but it is obvious that all the aircraft are at the same height - enter stage left 'Imagination'. It was essential that along with everything else that was going on, the flights needed to be organised realistically and not just pop up at the most convenient spot for the Allies. A map of the battlefield is drawn and obvious features like towns, bridges etc are noted on it. The map is placed in a clear plastic cover and by using water soluble pens, a flight patrol plan is drawn on the plastic. The patrol must follow this plan and can only deviate if: Involved in a dogfight, but then must complete patrol or exit the table. Escaping from a dogfight or ground fire, but then must complete patrol. Recalled to base and the patrol then retraces its former route. On the plastic, targets for pre-planned bombing runs are marked. During a patrol an enemy convoy is spotted and the information is sent immediately back to the base and a second sortie can then be organise to attack it but the first flight must continue with its original orders. That said, if the patrol is on a seek and destroy mission then they can engage the target, if they spot it early enough and are flying with the correct speed to engage it. All planes fly a 3' per move and are allowed to slow down to half that distance (stall speed) in order to carry out a manoeuvre i.e. bombing run, strafing, or dog-fight. Using a turning circle, 6" for fighters/fighter bombers and 10" for bombers, all the planes deduct 6" from their movement allowance irrespective of how far they turn. Should this deduction cause them to go under their stall speed, then they fall out of the sky and crash. This could obviously cause problems for any ground units in that vicinity. A bombing run is done using the 1 - 9 template and a D10. If a '0' is thrown, it is a miss and any other number corresponds to a bomb hitting that corresponding area at which point normal rules apply. Aircraft are allowed 5 GMs over the table (using an 8' x 4') and must exit any edge, friendly or otherwise, by the end of the fifth move. Patrols must be planned with this in mind. Observation Maximum range of fire is 15" and therefore the maximum range of observation is also 15". Just because a pilot can see that far does not mean he can see anything! Vehicles and units moving on a road or across open terrain are legitimate targets and can be easily spotted but any type of unit that is stationary, in a wooded or built-up area makes it very difficult for the fast moving planes to spot. For example a patrol of Typhoons flying on a 'seek and destroy' mission spot an enemy convoy moving along a road, they will be able to engage immediately, if they don't overshoot due to speed, and having done so they fly across a wood. In the wood, cammed up, is an A/A unit of werbelwinds and they are not spotted by the pilots, but the German gunners get off a few rounds at the fast moving targets. The Typhoons cannot retaliate because they have flown past, but they inform their base and a strike can therefore be organised. The three planes in the patrol fight as a single unit whilst bombing or while strafing ground targets. When in a dog-fight they fight as individuals. Irrespective of their type or armament each plane throws a D6 and needs 4,5 or 6 to achieve a hit. They then throw another D6: 1 or 2 = Miss, 3 or 4 = Lt Damage, and 5 or 6 = Heavy damage. Note: 2 Lights = 1 Heavy damage. 1 Heavy plus 1 Light equals "Bail Out" and plane drops to earth, using a D6 for distance and a (fantasy) die with arrows on it will be instantly noticeable where the plane will crash. Any unit within 2" of impact area throws D6; 1-3 Heavy damage, 4-6 Destroyed. Anti-aircraft Fire This is done in 'bands' and each band is 3". A band roughly equates to altitude but is not written in stone. Fighters and fighter bombers can be up to 3 bands away from the target while bombers start at band 4. To achieve a hit on a plane: Band D6* 1 (3") 2 or above 2 (6") 3 or above 3 (9") 4 or above 4 (12") 5 or above 5 (15") 6 Check rules for calibre of guns allowed to fire. * This includes an automatic -1 deduction for a moving target! Example: A flight of Spitfires are escorting, by flying 1GM in front of, a flight of Lancaster bombers to their target and they come across a hidden 88mm A/A battery. The Germans wait and open fire with one gun on the spitfires in Band 2 and need a 3+ to hit, the fighters cannot retaliate because they are moving too fast but radio back the information. The rest of the guns in the battery fire on the bombers who are measured to be within Band 3 but because they are bombers count as Band 4, (they are high altitude bombing) and a 5+ is needed. Bomber flights in Bands 1- 3 count as Band 4 and flights in Band 4 and 5 count as that. A/A guns in cover can wait until their targets are right on top of them but those that have been spotted or are in the open are advised to open fire at the maximum range. These rules are simple but effective, do not slow down the game but add a much needed, in my humble opinion, to it. The aerial part of the game can be done quickly and fairly realistically while allowing the game to continue its momentum. Rapid Fire are a really enjoyable set of rules to play with. Years ago someone once wrote to me that it should be compulsory for writers of wargaming rules to have either been: a former member of the military forces; a re-enactor of the period with some years experience; had experience walking over rugged terrain with an heavy pack on. or at least had a go in a tank or plane simulator. Perhaps with these criteria we would have very few rules, but at least target acquisition would be more realistic. 'Gets off soapbox'! These ideas are presented to stimulate the brain cells and not as a set of rules encased in concrete. Essential reading: Chicken, Stephen. 1993 Overlord Coastline - The Major D-Day Locations. Pub Biddles Ltd, Surrey. ISBN 1-873376 14 6 More Normandy Comments [LW131] Back to Table of Contents -- Lone Warrior #129 Back to Lone Warrior List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 2000 by Solo Wargamers Association. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com