I'm trying to introduce the element of surprise into my games. The Hun in the Sun and all that sort of thing. My thoughts, tentative as they are, have come up with this rather unsatisfactory artifact: the front line ran more or less North-South. Course from air field to front lines for both is on east-west axis. So in the morning, the British have the sun at their back when flying toward German lines, the Germans in their face when flying toward British lines; the reverse when returning from a mission, and the reverse again in the afternoon. If, as the result of an appropriate die roll, the side with the sun to their backs get to launch a surprise attack with an additional plane not originally on the table, then that is automatically in the sun, and at an altitude at least 1 peg higher than his highest potential victim. These conditions fulfilled, he may make a diving attack on any enemy plane, with no chance of return fire, at the time of his choosing.
What I am looking for is something more general. For example, if a patrol is a certain distance (what distance?) above an enemy patrol, they might reasonably be undetected, and so able to launch just such a surprise attack as outline above, but starting from a greater altitude.
If anyone has any thoughts on this, I would greatly appreciate hearing.
Thanks, all.
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