Even before the threat of Allied air superiority threatened Germany in World War II, the Luftwaffe had begun developing an aircraft that would eventually change the course of military and civil aviation. As early as 1942, German engineers at Messerschmitt were planning the development of the Me 262 that would be powered by turbojet engines. The first flight of a jet propelled prototype occurred on October 1, 1942.

Originally designed to be a fighter and fighter-bomber aircraft, the role was changed by Hitler to the designation of "Blitzbomber" for high speed strikes against the Allies invading Normandy. Then in June 1944, the Me 262 began operating in the role it was designed for. The first "tests" resulted in combat victories for the aircraft, catapulting it toward use as a fighter.

One of the adversaries of the Me 262 was the North American P-51 Mustang. The Mustang was an excellent fighter and was superior to most aircraft of the time. Captain Charles E. Yeager was one of the first pilots to down a Me 262, his mount was a P-51. But in reality it wasn't that the Me 262 was outclassed by any aircraft available which made it ineffective in the war (even the British were producing a jet aircraft), it was the fact that it was not originally used in its intended role and it arrived to late to make a huge impact.

THE SCENARIO

In March 1945 the Luftwaffe organized Jagdverband 44, a special unit considered to be the most formidable combination of aircraft and pilots ever assembled. This included such aces as Adolf Galland, Gerhard Barkhorn, Johannes Steinhoff and Heinz Bar. Bar became the most successful of the jet aces with 16 of his 220 victories while flying the Me 262.

The setting is April 1945 at a German airfield located deep into Axis territory. It is early morning and the German pilots have just warmed up their jets and are preparing to patrol the skies for enemy bombers and fighters. Suddenly an alarming voice breaks in over their radios, "Achtung! Achtung! American P-51's attacking! All pilots get airborne and repulse the attack!" With that, the Luftwaffe pilots bolt out onto the runway and launch to meet the Allies.

THE GAME AREA

The playing area is a little different than the previous scenarios written for Fighter Command. Length of the field is considerably more than the width, usually they both measure out to be about equal. You will need a fairly good sized area to work with: 50 feet long by 20 feet wide, with the Allies and Axis entering from opposite "short" sides (the 50-foot length is between them at start).

SET UP

The American pilots are swarming the airbase. They will enter in two waves containing four planes each. On the first wave, all of the Allied pilots swoop in, cause as much damage as they can and then exit the opposite side. The next wave will enter and engage the Germans in a dogfight. The German aircraft total equals four for the game.

Since the German pilots are scrambling to get airborne, they will start out at "O" on their altitude bands. The American first attack wave may start at 8,000 ft. or below. Once the combat starts, aircraft altitudes are restricted only by the limitations of the aircraft itself. All German pilots were hand picked for this unit, thus their skill level is classified as ACE in status. The American pilots can determine their skills randomly as in the main rules for Fighter Command.

VICTORY CONDITIONS

The victory conditions for each side is very simple. Allied victory is obtained through annihilation of all German aircraft. This will open an unhindered shot at the airbase. The German pilots will achieve victory by destroying the Americans. The rule for exiting your entry point to rearm and repair your plane does not apply to this scenario. The Allied pilots are to deep to allow a return trip from their airfield and the Luftwaffe pilots are to busy to attempt a landing on an airfield that is under attack in the first place!

Good luck and happy flying!

ME-262 Large chart (103K)
ME-262 Jumbo chart (368K)

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Fighters of the Luftwaffe, Joachim Dressel and Manfred Greihl, Arms and Armour Press, London, England
Air War's Greatest Aces, Jon Guttman, World War II Magazine Volume 11 Number 6 February 1997, Cowles Enthusiast Media, Leesburg, VA
The Air War: 1939-1945, Jon Guttman, World War II Magazine Volume 10 Number 7 March 1996, Cowles Enthusiast Media, Leesburg, VA
World War II Combat Aircraft, Enzo Angelucci & Paolo Matricardi, Military Press, New York, New York