B-17!

Rules

By Mike Crane

I. PURPOSE

To create a game with daylight bombing raids over Germany as the theme.
To create rules that can be adapted for solo wargamers or multiple players.
To provide fast, simple scenarios:

    The introductory scenario features 2 German fighters vs. 4 unescorted B-17 bombers;
    The second scenario includes 4 German fighters and 2 P-51 escort fighters;
    The third scenario includes three waves of escorted and unescorted bombers. (See note 3 at the end of the rules for a description of this scenario.)

II. EQUIPMENT

A Ping-Pong table or equal amount of floor space
Small model airplanes (metal 1/285, or paper) 1.

    German: 2 Me-109’s or FW-190’s (4 or 8 in the expanded scenarios) 2.
    Americans: 4 B-17’s (and 2 or 4 P-51’s in the expanded scenarios)

2 D6 dice (different colors); 12” ruler (or jointed paper rulers); small bits of gravel for marking measurements; black pipe cleaners. (The pipe cleaners should be cut into lengths of 2” or less, bristles trimmed on one end, and bent back to place around the wings or rudders of damaged planes. A bomber with two damage points would have two pipe cleaner pieces attached to represent smoke trailing from each damaged engine.)
A paper rectangle 11 inches wide and 8 inches deep representing a target and AA emplacements.

III. ORGANIZATION

Fighters enter play in sections (or elements) of two.
Fighters may remain together or separate for single combat anytime after entering the board.
Bombers remain in formation unless damage causes them to fall behind.

IV. OBJECTIVES

The American bombers must score three bomb hits on the target to win the game.
The German fighters must attempt to destroy all of the American bombers to prevent the bomb run, or damage as many as possible to reduce the probability of bomb hits.

V. PLACEMENTS

A. Placing the target on the board

    The target should be placed on the end opposite to the American entry.
    The target should be centered on the edge of the board (see Figure 1).

B. Placing American units on the board

    All American bombers (and fighters in the expanded games) should be placed on the board in an area no farther than 18” from or nearer than 6” to the edge of entry.
    Bombers should be no closer than 6” to the flank edges of the board (see Figure 1).
    Bombers must be placed in a diamond-shaped box formation at the beginning of the game. The distance from the tail of the leader should be no closer than 4” to the nose of the last plane. The right wingtip of the bomber on the left should be no closer than 4” to the left wingtip of the bomber on the right. The formation will change as bombers are damaged and slow down.

Placing German fighters on the board

    C. German fighters will move first.
    A German section of two fighters will enter the board on the turn that it rolls an even number on 1 D6.
    Roll 2 D6 for each arriving section to determine the point of entry on the board.
    Direction of entry is determined by matching the dice roll with the corresponding numbers on a clock face (see Figure 2).
    Each German section travels one complete move upon entry.

D. Determine the altitude of fighters at the beginning of the game.

    When German fighters are placed on the board, roll a die to see if the section is above, below, or level with the bombers.
    Roll 1 D6: 1, 2= below; 3, 4= even; 5, 6= above.
    Place a coin beside the fighter sections that are above or below the bombers. Turn the coin to heads if the section is above and tails if the section is below.
    Their altitude will determine the distance of the first move by the fighters.
      If a section is above the bombers, add 6” to the regular move to signify a dive.
      If a section is below the bombers, subtract 6” from the regular move to signify a climb.
      If a section is level with the bombers, move a regular move.
      All subsequent moves are the regular distances.

VI. ENGAGEMENT

A. German fighters automatically move to intercept the closest bombers.

B. Movement

    Me-109, FW-190; P-51 = 14”
    B-17 = 10”

C. Maneuvering

    1. Fighters
      Fighters must move straight ahead for 6” before turning.
      After 6” movement, fighters may turn any single direction to fly the remainder of their movement.
      A damage point reduces the final movement of fighters by 2”.

    2. Bombers

      Bombers must move straight ahead 3” and then may change to any single direction up to 90 degrees for the remainder of their movement.
      Movement for a bomber is reduced 2" for each damage point.

    3. An airplane must move the entire movement distance before the end of the move.

      A fighter may stop at any point to fire at a target, but it must continue its movement after receiving defensive fire from the bomber.
      Before stopping to fire, measure the complete distance of movement and place a marker (a pebble) at the projected end of the move. If the fighter is damaged by defensive fire, reduce the final movement by 2” (if any movement is left).

D. Combat

    1. Offensive values
      fighters = 3
      bombers = 1

    2. Defensive values

      Me-109, FW-190, P-51 = 2
      B-17 = 3

    3. Fighter attacks

      The attack range for planes is 4” or less.
      A fighter may attack one time during its movement turn.
      If a fighter is attacking a bomber directly head-on, add 1 point to the offensive value of the attacker.
      If a fighter is attacking a bomber directly from behind, add 1 point to the tail gunner’s defensive fire value.
      If a fighter is directly in front of a fighter firing head-on, the enemy fighter is allowed to return fire. It will not prevent it from firing again on its movement turn.

    4. Effects of hits

      B-17’s can take 4 engine hits. The fifth hit will destroy it.
      Fighters can take 1 engine hit. The second hit will destroy it.

    5. Resolving attacks

      Roll 1 D6 for the attacker and 1 D6 for the defender.
      Add the attacker's offensive value with modifications to the number rolled and the defender's defensive value with modifications to the die number rolled.
      If the defender's score is equal to or more than the attacker's, there is no damage.
      If the defender's score is less than the attacker's score, but not doubled, an engine is damaged-or, if all the engines are already damaged, the plane is destroyed.
      If the defender's score is less and doubled or more by the attacker's score, 2 engines are damaged.

    6. Bomber defense

      Bombers engage in defensive fire following a fighter attack. (Fighters have no defensive fire.)
      Bomber defense is conducted in the same manner as fighter attacks with the bombers’ machine gunners considered the attackers and the fighters as the defenders.
      Bombers may not stop during movement to attack a fighter, but they may fire at the end of a move.
      Each B-17 has four machine gun positions: nose gunner, right waist gunner, left waist gunner, and tail gunner. Firing distances should be measured from the gun positions on the bomber.
      Gunners have a 90-degree arc of fire, 45 degrees on either side of center.
      Waist gunners may not fire simultaneously with the nose or tail gunners at the same target.
      B-17’s may fire whenever an enemy plane stops within the 4” firing range of a machine gunner; or, when the bomber ends its move within 4” of an enemy fighter.
      Gunners may fire at more than one target per turn.
      Enemy fighters may be fired at when they stop to attack and again when they stop at the end of their move. (For example, the tail gunner could fire during the attack and the nose or waist gunner could fire at the end of the fighter’s move. Gunners on other bombers also may fire if within 4” of the fighter.)
      Any aircraft that is destroyed during an attack run is allowed its normal defensive fire before being removed from the board.
      After the first attack by a German fighter, B-17 gunners will fire upon any fighter, friend or foe, that stops within 4”.

VII. THE BOMB RUN

A. More than one bomber may be over the target on a bomb run at the same time.
B. The entire fuselage of the bomber must be over the target rectangle in order to drop bombs.
C. Bombers roll 1 D6 for each undamaged engine.
D. Bombing hits are determined in the same manner as combat hits.

    1. To determine if the bomber is hit by flak before it can drop its bombs, roll 1 D6 for the bomber and 1 D6 representing the target’s AA emplacements. (The AA firing range extends 6” from the edge of the target.)
      If the bomber's score is equal to or more than the AA’s, there is no damage and the bomb run continues.
      If the bomber's score is less than the AA's score, but not doubled, an engine is damaged-or, if all the engines are already damaged, the plane is destroyed.
      If the bomber's score is less and doubled or more by the attacker's score, 2 engines are damaged-or, if all the engines are already damaged, the plane is destroyed.

    2. To determine bomb hits, the bomber and the target each roll 1 D6.

      If the target's score is more than the bomber's, there is no damage.
      If the target's score is less than the bomber's score, but not doubled, 1 bomb hits.
      If the target's score is less than the bomber's score and is doubled or more, 2 bombs hit.

    3. Three bomb hits are required to win the game for the Americans in the first two scenarios; anything less is a victory for the Germans. The third scenario requires nine hits. (See the note 3 at the end of the rules.)

    4. Any fighter, friend or foe, that stops within range of the AA must roll 1D6 to determine flak damage.

Notes

The German fighters attacking the bombers should be twice the number of the defending American fighters (4 vs. 2 or 8 vs. 4).

Historically, German flak destroyed more planes than German fighters did, so the flak is powerful.

The third scenario is played by allotting the Germans 8 fighters and the Americans 4 fighters to be divided among three waves of bomber attacks. (Since the fighters are divided among the three waves, you will never need more than 4 German fighters and 2 U.S. fighters at a time.) American B-17’s attack the target in three waves of 4 bombers each. A new formation of bombers enters the board immediately after the previous formation of bombers and fighters exit. Nine total hits are required to destroy the target. Since the fighters enter play in sections of two, one wave of bombers will be unescorted by P-51’s and one wave of bombers will be attacked by 4 German fighters instead of 2. Roll 1 D6 three times for the American side. The time when the die had the lowest score represents the wave that will be unescorted by P-51’s. Roll 1 D6 three times for the Germans. The highest score represents the wave that will be attacked by 4 German fighters.

Those who want to kick it up a notch may use the top-turret option. This option adds a fifth machine gunner to the B-17’s defensive fire. The top turret gunner may turn 360 degrees and, if within range, may fire simultaneously with the nose gunner or a waist gunner at the same target. To restore balance to the game, the first two scenarios must increase the number of hits needed to destroy a target from 3 to 4. In the third scenario, the number of hits needed to destroy a target is increased from 9 to 10 and two additional German fighters are added to the game. Roll 1 D6 three times. The two highest rolls represent the two waves that will have 4 German fighters attacking.

More B-17

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