My Bombing House Rules (two seaters = small scale / approx Gotha size = large scale)

[celticgriffon]

Hi everyone,

Here are my rules for bombing based on my campaign structure. I hope they provide some inspiration. I am still trying to determine bomb size loads for these rules, however.

Please note, the various descriptions are mostly from the great missions from Freebird-52 (Andy).

Small Scale Bombing / Ground Attack
Once areas were surveyed via ground or aerial reconnaissance it was of utmost importance to disrupt a wide variety of targets, such as: critical supply centers, bridges, railroad tracks, military storage buildings, roads, etc. Taking out a critical area could slow the enemy and buy time for the soldiers slugging it out in the muddy trenches.

Setup:

• The Bombing side is the attacker.
• The Defender must place the following:
  
  • Five target cards
  • At least one target must be placed on their side of the front lines.
  • At least one card must be placed at least two rulers away from their front lines.
  • All target cards must be at least one ruler away from the edge of the map.
  • All target cards must be at least 1 range ruler away from each other.
  • Each target card has a strength of 5 points.
    
    • Multiple target cards can be stacked together (up to four cards maximum – i.e. Level 4). Each additional card adds 5 points of strength to the target. Each additional stacked card is considered a level. Example – you have three target cards stacked. This is a level 3 target.
  
  
• The defending side will also place the following:
  
  • 3 Trenches
  • 2 AA Guns
  • 2 AA Machine Guns.
  • Each Defense unit may not overlap any other target cards.

Small Scale Bombing Special Rules

• Use the bombing rules on Page 37 of the Wings of Glory rulebook
• A plane with bombs may not leave the battlefield unless it has dropped all of its bombs. If it leaves the battlefield for any other reason it crashes. The plane is automatically destroyed (max damage). Any aircrew must test for wounds as per the Crash section.
  
  • If an observer has received 1 or 2 Wounds it may no longer release bombs. In this circumstance it is exempt from the above restriction.
  
  
• Each plane which can carry a bomb is listed on the Nexus and Ares Models worksheet
• Bombs can be dropped individually, in clusters of three, or their entire load.
• Individual bombs:
  
  • Each bomb which scores a direct hit does 3 damage + 1B damage card from the community deck
  • Each bomb which scores a partial hit does 1 B damage
  
  
• Clusters:
  
  • Each bomb which scores a direct hit does 6 damage +1 A damage
  • Each bomb which scores a partial hit does 1 A damage
  
  
• Full Loads:
  
  • Break these down into clusters and individual bombs and draw damage accordingly. For example your plane has five bombs for a full load. This translates to 1 cluster and 2 individual bombs.
    
    • If you score a direct hit you would score 12 damage +1A damage +2B damage.
    • If you scored a partial hit you would score 1A damage +2B damage.
  
  Explosion Cards – draw three additional Damage cards of the same type as the Damage deck which caused the explosion.
  
• Buildings on Fire draw 1 C damage card each turn during the Planning Phase.

Special Mission Points:

• Each damage done to a target is worth face value
• Completely Destroyed Targets earn bonus points depending on how strong they were and how well they were defended. The value of each target should be calculated before the first Wings of War maneuver phase.
  
  • +5 for a level 2 target
  • +10 for a level 3 target
  • +15 for a level 4 target
  • +5 for every AA Gun within ½ range of target card
  • +5 for every AA Machine Gun within ½ range of target card

End of Mission
This sortie ends immediately if all Bombers have been shot down and/or have left the map.

------------------------------

Large Scale Bombing Mission – (LSB)
Strategic bombing was very limited in both scope and impact during World War I. The Strategic bombing of cities was first introduced by the Germans in the opening days of the war with their Zeppelins and later Gotha bombers. Principle targets were the enemy's civilian and industrial infrastructure. Bombing would hinder the enemies ability to fight or attempt to destroy the enemy's morale and will to fight. Aircraft limitations, small payloads, lack of effective bombsights & training had little impact on achieving specific goals or objectives. Getting to the target was one thing, but getting home another (especially for the tail heavy Gotha’s without a bomb payload)…

The achievements accrued by aerial bombing were glamorized by the media. The population became outraged that enemy bombers could violate their safety and security. London was bombed; a bombing mission against Berlin barely failed when the pilot flew past the German capital. Tactical bombing of railheads, airfields, and troop concentrations were very effective (if not in material damage, then in lowering of enemy morale). Most of the effective tactical bombing missions were executed by aircraft designed for that purpose, but often (especially with the Allies) it would be carried out by obsolescent fighter aircraft.

Despite the massive effort put into Large Scale Strategic bombing very little was gained in terms of damage and casualties. Bombing, as compared to a heavy day of fighting and shelling on the front, was extremely counter-productive. 80,000 or more lives could be lost on the front in a single day. Despite its effectiveness it led to re-deployment and strong advances in home defense systems, especially in Britain.

Setup:

• During Phase 1 of the Pre-Flight Checklist the mission is a Large Scale Bombing mission. The side who rolled the LSB mission is the attacking side. The opposing mission as rolled by the Defenders is ignored.
  
  • During Phase 4 of the Pre-Flight Checklist your opponent must place the following:
    
    • Divide 10 target cards into two stacks. One stack can have a maximum of 7 cards.
    • Your opponent places both stacks on the table at least two rulers away from each other
      
      • Each target cardadds 5 points of strength to the target.
      • Each additional card is known as a Level – i.e. Level 6 is equal to 30 points of strength
  
  
• After the targets are placed the defender will also place the following:
  
  • 3 Trenches
  • 3 AA Guns
  • 3 AA Machine Guns
  • Defense units may not overlap a target card

• The attacking side places the following:
  
  • One Large Scale Bomber (example, Gotha V or Caproni)
  • Draw one B damage card. If it is a special symbol you may bring a second Large Scale Bomber model (minimum 2 players on attacking side to have a second LS Bomber)
  • Each Large Scale Bomber requires a player. They will not fly a fighter or a two-seater this mission. The aircrew of the Large Scale Bombers are generic (i.e. characters for the players flying the LS Bombers are not in play this mission

Large Scale Bombing Special Rules

• Use the bombing rules on Page 37 of the Wings of Glory rulebook
• If a defending plane crashes or leaves the map area the Aerodrome Commander can assign another pilot (and observer if necessary) of that player to fly a new plane starting next turn. This is known as a “re-spawn”.
  
  • Only one re-spawn is allowed per player.
  • A re-spawned plane enters play on its own map edge
  
  
• If the defending side had won the re-enforcement allocation under the Pre-Day Checklist Mission Point Assignment it has no effect. The attacking side will get one re-enforcement if they won, however.
• A plane with bombs may not leave the battlefield unless it has dropped all of its bombs or all targets have been destroyed.
  
  • If it leaves the battlefield for any other reason it crashes. The plane is automatically destroyed (max damage). Any aircrew must test for wounds as per the Crash section.
  
  
• Only Large Scale Bombers carry bombs during a Large Scale Bombing mission
• Large Scale Bombers can drop bombs in 5 point Clusters, 10 point Clusters, or their entire load.
• 5 Bomb Cluster
  
  • Each bomb which scores a direct hit does 10 damage + 1C Damage card from the community deck
  • Each bomb which scores a partial hit does 1 C damage
  
  
• 10 Bomb Cluster:
  
  • Each bomb which scores a direct hit does 20 damage +1 D damage
  • Each bomb which scores a partial hit does 1 D damage
  
  
• Full Loads:
  
  • Break these down into 10 and 5 point Clusters and draw damage accordingly. For example, your plane has 35 Bomb Points remaining. This translates to 3 ten point clusters and 1 five point cluster.
    
    • If you score a direct hit you would score 70 damage +3 D Damage +1 C Damage.
    • If you scored a partial hit you would score 3 D Damage + 1 C Damage.

• Explosion Cards – draw three additional Damage cards of the same type as the Damage deck which caused the explosion.
• Buildings on Fire draw 1 C damage card each turn during the Maneuver Planning Phase.

Special Mission Points:
No points are awarded for any damage to Ground Defenses or planes.

Defending Side gains a Major Victory if the following is true:
1. No targets were destroyed and
2. At least one Large Scale Bomber was destroyed

Defending Side gains a Minor Victory if the following is true:
1. One target was destroyed and
2. At least one Large Scale Bomber was destroyed
Attacking Side gains a Major Victory if the following is true::
1. Both targets were destroyed and
2. No Large Scale Bombers were destroyed
Attacking Side gains a Minor Victory if the following is true:
1. Only one target was destroyed and
2. No Large Scale Bombers were destroyed
All other results are a draw. End of Mission
This sortie ends immediately if all Large Scale Bombers have been shot down and/or have left the map.

Aftermath

• If the Large Scale Bombing mission was in the morning there is no evening mission.

Cheers,
Michael

[celticgriffon]

This is just a starting point for numbers. If the numbers are way off base I would appreciate any thoughts or suggestions.

Michael