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Thread: Any Beaufighters in your games?

  1. #1

    Default Any Beaufighters in your games?

    Watching again a fantastic DVD on Aussie Beaufighters that Barry AKA gully_raker kindly sent me and reading some profound article on the Beaus in our recent military monthly (while adoring those fine 3 Beaus collecting some dust on my shelf), I start to wonder how often - if ever - Beaufighters see action on your tables.
    Frankly, I have some mission projects in mind and being sketched in my notebook.
    Andy.
    <img src=http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/image.php?type=sigpic&userid=2554&dateline=1409073309 border=0 alt= />
    "We do not stop playing when we get old, but we get old when we stop playing."

  2. #2

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    Andrzej...even you?
    There is a simple medicine for Beaufighters in WoG: Let's use it in RAF way - as ground (or navy) atrackers. We played a mission during Prague Con 2015 where the main goal was to destroy AA guns before your opponent (symmetrical map). There were Beaufighters on the one side and Me.110 on the other one. There was no time for shooting down fighters by both heavy, machines, so they focused on ground targets ant their escort cover them.
    The AAR from testing: Dieppe Raid

  3. #3

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    Quote Originally Posted by Dan-Sam View Post
    Andrzej...even you?
    There is a simple medicine for Beaufighters in WoG: Let's use it in RAF way - as ground (or navy) atrackers.
    My thoughts exactly, Daniel. Let's restrict them to ground/sea duty and the fun begins.
    <img src=http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/image.php?type=sigpic&userid=2554&dateline=1409073309 border=0 alt= />
    "We do not stop playing when we get old, but we get old when we stop playing."

  4. #4

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    I do not like restrictions. Much more I like goal where you have a choice, but you can ignore a goal and fight if you want. Typically your Zeppelin mission - all of us started attack fighters, just because we though the Zeppelin is an easy target and finally, we fail. No restrictions, just our fault.

  5. #5

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    I will be using some Beaufighters, and we will see how it works out. Mine will be in the PTO however.

    I am prepping for my entrance into the WGS Campaign (Fire in the Skies) and in doing so laying out everything I will need before jumping in (ie..finally getting all planes stored neatly, making additional decks for planes, creating cards for non-mini's & ships, working on a formal play area I can leave up, and even getting background type items). I also lined up my rosters and looked at each mission/scenario and determined which of my 3 groups of planes would be assigned and how it would work to create a campaign long storyline. (ie, RNZAF, Flying Tigers/Aleutian Campaign, and the USS Hornet carrier planes).

    The 488th RNZAF was established in the Malayan/Singapore defense and originally had Buffalo's...then got some hurricanes, and was disbanded after the fall of Singapore and restarted as a Beaufighter squardron. I have decided modify my 488th to reflect what I have: (Buffalo cards, a Martlet, a Gladiator) and bolstered by 2 Beaufighters.

    For example: I will likely run the pre-mission 2x for the 488th (the first time as defenders..a newly arrived Martlet arrives ahead of the rest of the squadron and finds the airfield under attack, and then again w/ the Beaufighter doing a strafing run itself).

  6. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by Dan-Sam View Post
    I do not like restrictions. Much more I like goal where you have a choice, but you can ignore a goal and fight if you want. Typically your Zeppelin mission - all of us started attack fighters, just because we though the Zeppelin is an easy target and finally, we fail. No restrictions, just our fault.
    Restrictions is maybe not the right word. I meant - mission limits, targets and so on. Beaus are briefed to attack specific targets and orders are not to engage in air fights with enemy fighters. Frankly, WGS badly reflects air fights between heavily armed heavy fighters and single fighters. The heavies are very hard to outmaneuver and their wide firing arc adds probably to the cause of that flaw. In a head on pass against a Beaufighter a single seater versatile fighter is a sitting duck. It has nothing to do with reality of a dogfight.
    <img src=http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/image.php?type=sigpic&userid=2554&dateline=1409073309 border=0 alt= />
    "We do not stop playing when we get old, but we get old when we stop playing."

  7. #7

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    Saw the Beaufighter in action at Prague Summer Con. Altitude rules and attention with maneuvering are important to stay away of it's firing arc.

    I have two models, converted one into an RAAF ground attack plane and use the other as nightfighter to shredder He.111s over London.


    The heavy fighters will get more attention with the upcoming Me410 and the P38.
    Voilŕ le soleil d'Austerlitz!

  8. #8

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    Commonly in this neck of the woods! It's the Wife's favourite type of aircraft in the game and we have several diecast 1/72 Beaufighters (Hobby Master) in the mainline collection including ZK-A Boyd Edition.

    The Davoud Edition as it is a Mk IVF is the Wife's favourite - mostly and admittedly because it can chomp it's way through anything which I dare to throw at it. Now that just makes me work harder and think harder in the game as cannon-armed these aircraft may be they do have blind-spots. Which I have begun to exploit as the opposition.

    Daniel I'm with you very strongly frowning upon operational restrictions and limitations. Mostly because the Beaufighter Mk ICs - the other two are not so heavily armed with bigger blind-spots to exploit. Recently I noticed in a posting how in a comparison between the two X-Wing was a game whilst Wings of Glory was a party.

    I think that party has just come to an end ...

  9. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by Nightbomber View Post
    Restrictions is maybe not the right word. I meant - mission limits, targets and so on. Beaus are briefed to attack specific targets and orders are not to engage in air fights with enemy fighters. Frankly, WGS badly reflects air fights between heavily armed heavy fighters and single fighters. The heavies are very hard to outmaneuver and their wide firing arc adds probably to the cause of that flaw. In a head on pass against a Beaufighter a single seater versatile fighter is a sitting duck. It has nothing to do with reality of a dogfight.
    Agreed. Both with the fact that the heavy fighters are noticeably more effective in WGS than they proved in actual combat, and that I "restrict" their use on the table by giving them mission-specific goals that influence scenario scoring.

  10. #10

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    Quote Originally Posted by fast.git View Post
    Agreed. Both with the fact that the heavy fighters are noticeably more effective in WGS than they proved in actual combat, and that I "restrict" their use on the table by giving them mission-specific goals that influence scenario scoring.
    Next time I play my Crashed Lancaster scenario against the Wife I'll make sure I get fresh pictures and can compile an AAR. The Beaufighter selected is tasked with dropping supplies to the 3D Scenery Lancaster that I gained last year after a repaint went wrong! Faced with the same Fw.190D-13 still in the area which supposedly shot the Lancaster down this scenario gave me the chance to learn how to exploit those Beaufighter blind-spots. So far out of the two games we have played involving this scenario it's been a 50 / 50 though I do vaguely recall the second game ending amidst an explosion chit / Boom Card being drawn by the Wife BUT after she had successfully completed the supply-drop element.

  11. #11

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    I am itching to get my Beaufighters into action over Malta.
    Now it is February 42. Not long to wait.
    Rob.
    "Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death."

  12. #12

    Smile

    Sadly my Aussie converted Beaus have only been used in the Bismarck Sea scenarios we have played at our Club.
    Hopefully they will get some more action in strafing jobs in & around New Guinea & Rabaul.

    Andy, glad you are still enjoying the Beaufighter DVD.
    Thanks to Doug (Alistair) I recently was given a DVD on the Battle of Milne Bay 1942 which was produced by the Milne Bay Museum & features interviews with Aussie veterans who fought there. Some aerial footage but good maps & some archival land scenes.

    Click image for larger version. 

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  13. #13

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    Barry,
    I was just coming here to post that we need to some scenario's like that. But you already have!

  14. #14

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    Quote Originally Posted by Gotham Resident View Post
    Barry,
    I was just coming here to post that we need to some scenario's like that. But you already have!
    Hi Mischa!
    Mate check out the two AAR's in the WW2 section to see how we set up the games.

  15. #15

  16. #16

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    Andy

    Yes i have. We will be going back to the Pacific for our games in August. I want to get the Beaufighters back into the action!

    Rich



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