Somewhere out in the North Sea a submarine has had a mechanical failure. It can no longer dive making it easy prey for any enemy that can find it.

An escort of two gunboats are bringing her home,

but alas, an enemy observation plane made contact and headed home, trouble will be on its way soon.
Radio messages were sent to arrange for air support to join the escorting gunboats.
The situation:
Your squadron has just received the information about the location of the stricken enemy submarine. Three 2 seat bombers and escorting scouts are sent out to attempt to sink the submarine.
Air forces involved:
Attacking forces consist of three 2 seat bombers each with a scout escort.
Defending aircraft consist of three scouts and two 2 seaters.
All 2 seaters are ‘B’ gun armed.
Gaming surface:
The gaming area takes the same space as two ARES game matts joined along the long edges.
Starting forces placement:
1st place the submarine with it’s bow at the center of the board facing towards the far long edge center. (in photo sub is facing bow to the right)

The two escort gunboats are placed as follows, one behind the submarine facing the same direction as the submarine(to right), one measure stick behind and 1-1/2 measure sticks to a side randomly determined. The 2nd gunboat is placed on the opposite side of the submarine 1-1/2 measure sticks away and a half stick back, facing the opposite direction of the submarine(to the left).
Attacking forces start turn one with 1 bomber and scout on board.

Randomly decide where along the long edge (1-6) the bomber will start. Aim it towards the submarine or as you wish, with it’s escort scout half a stick in front.
Defending arriving aircraft set up as follows:
Randomly choose three defenders from the five planes available.
Randomly place them on their side of the submarine.
First randomly chosen plane is one card back from the submarine bow along a line of 6 sectors across the front.
Second plane is 3 cards back in another random sector.
Lastly the third plane is in another random section, 5 cards back.
Point these planes towards the starting enemy bomber.

In the above photo the first random plane was a SPAD, die roll 3. As I designated the 6 sectors as 1 on the bottom to 6 on the top, the SPAD is positioned in the center of sector 3, 1 card length back. 2nd plane up is a Triplane, die roll 5, so it is placed in the center of sector 5, 3 cards back.......
Submarine and ship movement:

These are the submarine and gunboats to use for OTT Early Doors Mission 19.
Submarine dimensions approximately 10.4 cm long by 3.5 cm wide.
Gunboat dimensions should be 11.7 cm long by 3.2 cm wide.
The submarine will move on every other card starting with the second played.
ie. 1st turn card 2, 2nd turn cards 1 and 3, third turn card 2......
The gunboats will move every card but with the second card of each turn will be at the half/damaged speed.

(Above has been uploaded into the WWI files under campaigns as ‘Ship movement compass’)
To determine how the sub and boats move use an X deck for each. Which X doesn’t matter as they all have 13 cards with same maneuvers.
Shuffle each deck separately. For the sub and trailing gunboat at the beginning of each maneuver phase turn the top card and move as the chart above.
For the gunboat facing towards the enemy, it will move like the others but it will only turn in the direction of the submarine. When a turn in the opposite direction is drawn, turn towards the submarine, but only one once per 3 card turn. If a second opposite turn is drawn move the gunboat straight. This should have the gunboat turn in the correct direction but not so fast as to hit the submarine. When you run through a deck reshuffle and start again.
(Move all ships so that they will not collide. It shouldn’t happen.)
Surface vessel damage and fire power:
The submarine has a damage level of 34 points of bomb damage. Bomb cards covering the red dot do full damage, half damage if just touching the submarine card. If you are a dead-eye bomber and the bomb icon (not just the bomb red dot) is touching the submarine red dot and the BOOM card is drawn, the submarine is destroyed outright. A BOOM card is otherwise worth 10 points damage at full strength. The only special damage card besides BOOM to have effect is Engine Damage.
Airplane machine guns have no effect on the submarine.
The submarine has no defensive firepower.
Gunboats damage levels are 22 points of bomb damage and are effected by bombs normally.
Defensive fire is one AA gun firing 360 degrees, 2 measure sticks from the red dot. Follow normal solo AA gun rules.
If the first plane in range is a scout, roll a d6, it will hold fire on a 1-4, waiting for a bomber..
Also, gunboats can fire one ‘B’ card AAMG at the closest plane within one measure stick. This AAMG can be taken out by airplane machine guns with 10 points of damage.
Airplanes firing at the gunboat can only inflict one ‘B’ card as well. Other than damage points only BOOM and pilot wound special damage take out the ‘B’ AAMG.
Flying:
Players will fly all the bombers until they drop their bombs. Then they convert to AI and become fighters with the player keeping control of whatever plane you wish.
Bombers have 4 bombs each. Each bomb is a 'C' damage card. Use a double 'C' damage deck for the game.
Turn one set up described above has one attacking bomber and scout, defenders start with 3 planes.
At the beginning of turn 2 randomly place a 2nd attacking bomber as the turn 1 bomber. Place it’s escort scout 1/2 measure stick to either side, both planes rear base touching the board edge. Planes can be aimed as desired.
Also place the next random defending plane on its base edge aimed towards the submarine.
At the beginning of turn 3 do the same as turn 2. All planes are now in the game.
The game will last 9 turns maximum.
Victory is to sink the submarine.

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