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Bag The Hun TFL Second Edition Finest Hour Battle of Britain Campaign
Bag The Hun TFL Second Edition Finest Hour Battle of Britain Campaign
1
The Battle of France is over. I expect that
the Battle of Britain is about to begin. Upon
this battle depends the survival of Christian
civilization. Upon it depends our British life,
and the long continuity of our institutions
and our Empire. The whole fury and might
of the enemy must very soon be turned on
us. Hitler knows that he will have to break
us in this island or lose the war. Let us
therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and
so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire
and its Commonwealth last for a thousand
years, men will still say,
"This was their finest hour."
2
FINEST HOUR
BATTLE OF BRITAIN
CAMPAIGN SUPPLEMENT
FOR USE WITH BAG THE H UN
UPDATED FOR USE WITH BAG THE HUN (SECOND EDITION), FEBRUARY 2010
BY NICK SKINNER
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................ 5
2. HOW THIS SUPPLEMENT WORKS............................................................................................................... 6
2.1. Typical campaign process ............................................................................................................................... 6
2.2. The end of the campaign and victory conditions............................................................................................. 6
2.3. RAF or Luftwaffe? .......................................................................................................................................... 6
3. THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN ............................................................................................................................. 7
PHASE I: KANALKAMPF ................................................................................................................................ 7
PHASE II: ADLER ANGRIFF ........................................................................................................................... 7
PHASE III: GEGEN ENGLAND! ...................................................................................................................... 8
PHASE IV: JABO! .......................................................................................................................................... 9
4. SQUADRON GENERATION ........................................................................................................................... 10
4.1. Squadron details ............................................................................................................................................ 11
4.2. Assigning a group ......................................................................................................................................... 11
4.3. Home airfield ................................................................................................................................................ 11
4.4. Assigning aircraft: ......................................................................................................................................... 12
4.5. How many aircraft: ....................................................................................................................................... 12
5. PILOT GENERATION ..................................................................................................................................... 13
5.1. Squadron strength ......................................................................................................................................... 13
5.2. Replacement Pilots........................................................................................................................................ 14
5.3. Up from the ranks ......................................................................................................................................... 14
5.4. Representing characters with cards. .............................................................................................................. 14
5.5. National characteristics ................................................................................................................................. 14
6. RUNNING THE CAMPAIGN .......................................................................................................................... 16
6.1. Aircraft availability ....................................................................................................................................... 16
6.2. Pilot availability ............................................................................................................................................ 16
6.3. Generate sortie .............................................................................................................................................. 17
6.4. The sorties defined ........................................................................................................................................ 18
6.5. Determining who flies on this sortie: ............................................................................................................ 19
6.6. What type of bandit? ..................................................................................................................................... 19
6.7. Actions in the north ....................................................................................................................................... 19
6.8. Arrival of the Chianti Raiders ....................................................................................................................... 19
6.9. Fiddling the scenario for big games (surely not!) ......................................................................................... 20
6.10. Autoplay ....................................................................................................................................................... 20
7. POST SORTIE EVENTS .................................................................................................................................. 21
7.1. Making it home ............................................................................................................................................. 21
7.2. Determining the fate of pilots who baled out ................................................................................................ 21
7.3. Baling out over the channel .......................................................................................................................... 21
7.4. Determining the fate of pilots who crash landed ........................................................................................... 22
7.5. Wounded pilots ............................................................................................................................................. 22
7.6. Victory tallies and Pilot Progression ............................................................................................................. 23
7.7. Gongs (completely optional!) ....................................................................................................................... 23
7.8. Is there another sortie that day? .................................................................................................................... 24
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7.9. Other daily events ......................................................................................................................................... 24
7.10. Moving to another airfield: ........................................................................................................................... 25
8. TACTICS AND CAMPAIGN SPECIFIC RULES ......................................................................................... 26
8.1. Formations .................................................................................................................................................... 26
8.2. Messerschmitt 109e in a hard dive ................................................................................................................ 29
8.3. Spitfire in a break turn .................................................................................................................................. 29
8.4. Messerschmitt 109e in a jabo role ................................................................................................................. 29
8.5. Radar ............................................................................................................................................................. 29
8.6. Barrage Balloons........................................................................................................................................... 30
8.7. Unlucky for some (optional rule for bombers out of formation) ................................................................... 30
8.8. No fuel to duel .............................................................................................................................................. 30
9. RUNNING THE CAMPAIGN FROM THE LUFTWAFFE SIDE ............................................................... 31
9.1. Unit creation ................................................................................................................................................. 31
9.2. Staffel details ................................................................................................................................................ 32
9.3. How many aircraft: ....................................................................................................................................... 32
9.4. Pilots ............................................................................................................................................................. 32
9.5. Using the sortie generator for the luftwaffe campaign .................................................................................. 32
9.6. The luftwaffe sorties defined ........................................................................................................................ 33
9.7. What bombers are being escorted?................................................................................................................ 34
9.8. What type of indian? ..................................................................................................................................... 34
9.9. After sortie events – german style ................................................................................................................. 35
9.10. Corpo Aereo Italiano – playing the game the Italian Way ............................................................................ 36
10. AIRCRAFT STATISTICS ................................................................................................................................ 37
11. APPENDIX – SQUADRON ROSTER ............................................................................................................. 38
12. APPENDIX – FIGHTER COMMAND ON 10TH JULY ................................................................................. 40
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1. INTRODUCTION
Vapour trails etched in the skies over Southern England in 1940 were a strangely beautiful side effect of
a vicious combat where death often came out of the summer sun and without warning.
This supplement is the first one to be published for use with the Bag The Hun set of WW2 aerial combat
rules from TooFatLardies. It fits very neatly with the core rules, simply because it was the dogfights of
the Battle of Britain and the Fall of France that I first wanted to battle when moving into the world of
aerial combat. However, there are certain features typically characteristic of the Battle of Britain that
should be emphasised when fighting that period, and I have included additional rules to cover these,
along with rules to cover pilot generation and other such campaign rules to enable you to game one,
some or all of the main phases of the battle running from June to October 1940. If desired, you can run
the entire campaign day by day. A short piece on tactical formations most typically adopted by the RAF
and Luftwaffe is also provided, along with so hex diagrams suggesting how this may be replicated on the
tabletop.
The general assumption is that players will wish to recreate the actions based around an RAF fighter
squadron. However, for those wishing to run the campaign from the Luftwaffe‟s perspective, a separate
chapter has been included to easily enable this change to be made.
Finally, I must add a note of thanks to members of the TooFatLardies discussion group who have proved
an excellent source of motivation and encouragement, and in particular to UK wargamer Mike Brian,
whose enthusiasm and ideas have contributed significantly to the finalisation of this supplement.
Nick Skinner
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2. HOW THIS SUPPLEMENT WORKS
Gamers are invited to use this supplement in whatever way they want! However, it has been compiled in
such a way that gamers can determine what phase of the battle they wish their campaign to cover,
construct a squadron, equip it with pilots, and then run through the days and weeks of each phase
constructing missions and playing them out on the table top. Running the full campaign, day by day,
would take very many missions and gaming 400 sorties may not be everybody‟s idea of fun. For that
purpose an „autoplay‟ option is included to enable you to „fast forward‟ events and skip some – or all – of
the tabletop games.
The appendices include aircraft data sheets and a draft squadron roster sheet for use from the RAF side
(You‟ll need to draft something similar if you plan to handle the game from the Luftwaffe side)
3. Generate missions
6
3. THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN
It is not the aim of this supplement to give a running account of the Battle of Britain as it unfolded, but
it is necessary to provide a background against which this supplement is set.
Officially, the battle began on 10th July and lasted until the end of October. Aircrew who served
between these dates in RAF Fighter Command were entitled to wear the Battle of Britain Star and the
'Rosette and clasp' on their medal ribbons. For the purposes of this supplement I have broken the battle
down into four phases. Players are invited to game one, some or all of these phases.
Phase I: KANALKAMPF
10th July to 7th August
The fall of France and the invasion of the low countries had cost the RAF dearly
in terms of Hurricanes. This earliest official phase of the battle saw the
Luftwaffe attempting to gain air superiority over the English Channel and south
coast with a series of probing attacks along Britain‟s southern air defences.
“We just attacked
each other head on. On the 10th July 1940, the Luftwaffe attacked shipping convoys in the Channel
I could see the little and Channel Ports. They also suspected the importance of the British radar
white dots on the masts and attacked the stations on the South coast, damaging some of them very
leading edge of his badly.
wing as he fired. I
was feeling a little
In one particularly nasty encounter for the RAF, six Boulton Paul Defiants from
bit stubborn that
morning so I didn't 141 squadron were lost in an encounter with Bf109‟s near Folkestone. The
budge” Defiants, considered to be hopelessly outclassed by the more manoeuvrable
Luftwaffe fighters, were subsequently withdrawn to Scotland.
Geoffrey Page, 56
squadron, July 1940 Stuka raids were common incursions at this time, and the pilots of the RAF soon
began to claim increasing numbers of these slow moving dive bombers as they
attacked targets across the south of England. Spasmodic bombing raids by other
aircraft of the Kampfgeschwader continued throughout this first phase on such
places as Portsmouth, Falmouth, Swansea, Newcastle and Merseyside.
Tactically, the advantage resting comfortably with the Luftwaffe, but with the
hard learned experiences of fighting in France, some of fighter command‟s most
squadron leaders began to advocate shifting away from the traditional three
aircraft „vic‟ formation, believing that the German schwarm formation offered
greater tactical flexibility.
Having – so they believed – softened up the air defence network the Luftwaffe
upped the ante in August with more raids comprising greater numbers of
aircraft with the objective of destroying the fighting capabilities of the RAF.
“Two further pilots Tactics employed during this phase were to now bomb and destroy RAF airfields
have come to us in southern and south-east England and to obliterate the radar stations along the
straight from a south coast. It was during this phase that German intelligence reported back to
Lysander squadron Berlin that the RAF total strength had now been seriously depleted and that with
with no operational continued attacks the Luftwaffe would have command of the skies over the
experience
Channel and in Southern England.
whatsoever on
fighter aircraft”
Hitler then issued his directive No.16 which would put "Operation Sea Lion", the
Sandy Johnstone, 602 invasion of Britain into operation.
squadron, 3rd Sept
1940
7
“The German The 13th of August was designated Adlertag, and massed raids began on the RAF
bomber losses were airfields of 11 Group. Heavy fighting continued all through the next week.
becoming On the 15th of August all three Luftwaffe air fleets took part in the most intense
unsustainable. After day of raids seen during the battle. They attacked on a front stretching from
Kenley, Exeter to Edinburgh. The attacks however met with resolute defence and
Messerschmitts suffered heavy losses. Losses on some raids were such that Luftflotte 5,
protected bombers operating over Scotland and the North of England, scaled down it‟s activities
more closely, after that date. Three days later multiple targets in the South were again
throwing away the
attacked and the airfields at Kenley, Croydon, West Malling and Biggin Hill were
key advantage of
altitude and speed” all bombed. Once again though the enemy did not get away lightly, and losses of
Ju-87 Stukas were so heavy that they were able to take little part in the rest of
Peter Snow, BBC TV‟s the Battle.
“Battlefield Britain”
By the start of September the pressure building in the south was most acute, and
Air Vice Marshal Keith Park‟s 11 Group, outgunned and outnumbered by it‟s foe,
was in desperate straights. Pilots were in short supply and airfields were being
operated as best they could considering the substantial damage some had
received.
Suggestions were made that the fighters should be pulled back north of the
Thames, but Dowding and Park knew that this would hand the Germans air
superiority over the intended invasion area. So the 11 Group squadrons stayed.
Night raids began at this time, and during one of these bombs somehow fell on
London. In reply, the British bombed Berlin which incensed Hitler and led to a
change in German strategy which allowed 11 Group vital recovery time and,
most historians agree, cost the Germans any chance of victory.
By early September Hitler‟s strategic shift saw the emphasis of the action
change towards attacks on cities and industry within range of the German
bombers. The Blitz was about to begin. This drew the battle further north
towards the industrial and population centres, and forced the Luftwaffe into the
“All we could see area covered by 12 Group and further restricting the time over target that was
was row upon row of available to jagdfleiger in their Bf109‟s that were already operating at the limit
German Raiders, all of their range.
heading for London”
With larger urban targets to bomb, night time raids started. To counter this the
Sandy Johnstone, 602 RAF deployed numbers of aircraft to night time flying missions and, although
squadron, 7th Sept
1940
airborne radar was in its infancy, there were some successes for the Blenheim,
Defiant and early Beaufighter night-fighter Squadrons. Some of the Hurricane
and Spitfire day-fighter Squadrons also took part in the night defences, but
“It worked like a relied largely on luck to make an interception.
charm once or twice,
and the arrival of This period also saw the introduction of the Big Wing. Some senior officers in
this large formation fighter command (most famously Leigh-Mallory, commander of 12 Group, and
in support of hard- the tin legged Douglas Bader) were highly critical of Park‟s strategy in 11 Group.
pressed 11 Group On 9 September a massed grouping of three squadrons operating from Duxford
squadrons was
highly satisfactory”
under the command of Bader successfully intercepted and turned back a large
force of German bombers before they reached their target. Keen to capitalise on
Douglas Bader muses the success of this Leigh-Mallory added two further squadrons to the formation.
on the „Big Wing‟. This 60 fighter formation - Bader's 'Big Wing' (formally titled 12 Group Wing) was
ready for action by 15 September.
8
Phase IV: JABO!
6th October to 31st October
With losses of bombers during daylight raids mounting, the Luftwaffe switched
almost exclusively to night time bombing, restricting daylight activities to small
raids and the use of Bf 109s in fighter bomber capacity in a series of Jagd-
bomber or "Jabo" raids with the were aim of drawing RAF fighters into action
“I flew one of the and disrupting defensive operations over the South-East. Defenders, tired from
first Bf109’s in the the night attacks, were stretched still further by these raids. These Jabo raids –
staffel which was were difficult to spot and more difficult still to intercept. The radar warning was
modified to carry a not long enough to allow a Spitfire to climb to intercept, so the RAF instigated a
bomb. However, the policy of regular patrols between 15,000 and 20,000 feet. This was a costly and
staffel was not
inefficient use of the aircraft and pilots, exactly the situation the control system
properly trained,
which concerned me. had helped to avoid during the earlier phases of the Battle, but German losses
I did not think it was began to increase and the raids were not popular with the German fighter pilots.
a good idea – we had The weather also began to worsen and the raids stopped in late October.
a short enough range
before being It‟s also worth noting that Italian squadrons of the Regia Aeronautica - began
weighed down by a deploying to the channel area at this time and began limited operations during
bomb” this phase.
Gefreiter Heinz Zag,
8/JG53
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4. SQUADRON GENERATION
There are two ways to approach this. You can either choose a historical squadron and fill it with
historical pilots, or create a „fictional‟ squadron with „fictional‟ pilots.
Choose which side the squadron will be, RAF or Luftwaffe, and then consult the table on the following
pages as necessary: (if you opt to game the action from the Luftwaffe side of the Channel please also
consult section 9)
10
4.1. SQUADRON DETAILS
To assign a plausible squadron number either make one up or roll a set of percentage dice (2 xd10)
counting one as tens and the other as units. If you get a double, throw again to determine the squadron
number, although this time precede the result with a 1 (e.g. if you throw two sixes, don‟t call the
squadron „66 squadron‟, instead, throw again (scoring say a one and a two) and call it 112 squadron.
10 Group
1-10: Luftflotte 2
(SW England)
11 Group
11-49: Luftflotte 2
(SE England)
12 Group
50-75: Luftflotte 3
(Midlands)
13 Group
76-100: Luftflotte 3
(North)
Dice
10 group 11 group 12 group 13 group
roll
Gravesend or
2 Pembury Kirton or Leconfield Catterick
Rochford
3 Northolt Exeter Coltishall Catterick
11
4.4. ASSIGNING AIRCRAFT:
Once you know the Group and the base airfield, Roll 2d6 and consult the following chart to determine
what aircraft the squadron operates.
Score on
10 Group 11 Group 12 Group 13 Group Luftwaffe
2xd6
2 Hurricane Blenheim Blenheim Blenheim Bf109e
3 Hurricane Blenheim Defiant Hurricane Bf109e
4 Hurricane Defiant Spitfire Hurricane Bf109e
5 Hurricane Hurricane Spitfire Hurricane Bf109e
6 Hurricane Hurricane Spitfire Hurricane Bf109e
7 Hurricane Hurricane Spitfire Hurricane Bf109e
8 Spitfire Hurricane Spitfire Hurricane Bf109e
9 Spitfire Hurricane Hurricane Spitfire Bf110
10 Spitfire Spitfire Hurricane Spitfire Bf110
11 Spitfire Spitfire Hurricane Spitfire Bf110
12 Spitfire Spitfire Hurricane Spitfire Bf110
It is assumed that Blenheim are the 1F variant, whilst Hurricanes are Mk1 and Spitfires are the Mk1A
variant. Deliveries of the Mk1B cannon armed Spitfire began in June 1940, but technical problems meant
that take up was not widespread.
The Gladiator and Beaufighter have been excluded on purpose, although if that‟s what lights your fire
then good for you. During the Battle of Britain only 247 Squadron, RAF, and 804 Squadron, Fleet Air Arm,
were equipped with Gladiators, whilst the cannon armed Mk1F Bristol Beaufighter entered service as a
night fighter with Fighter Command during August 1940.
Each squadron starts the campaign with a pre-determined number of aircraft. This is decided upon by
the following:
12 + 1d6.
However, not all the aircraft are serviceable. It is assumed that the number of unserviceable aircraft at
the start of your campaign is equal to the phase number. (e.g. a squadron beginning the campaign in
Phase three will have three unserviceable aircraft).
For rules on how these aircraft can get fixed, see section 6.1
Example:
Hugh Jarce, a wargamer in the West Midlands, wants to create an RAF squadron. He intends to
run a campaign for the full duration of the battle.
He creates his squadron by throwing two percentage dice. He scores a 5 and a 4, telling him that
his squadron will be 54 squadron.
He then determines what group his squadron will form part of. He‟s not that bothered so he
decides to let the chart decide. He throws percentage dice again, this time getting a 46,
meaning that the squadron form part of 11 Group.
Next, he throws 2d6 to determine his home airfield, this time scoring an 8, which tells him the
squadron will start at Middle Wallop. He then throws 2d6 to determine what aircraft the
squadron are equipped with and scores a 10, giving him a Spitfire squadron. Finally, he then
throws a d6 again, this time getting a 4, telling him that the squadron has 16 aircraft although,
because he is starting in Phase One of the battle, one of these is in the hanger under repair.
12
5. PILOT GENERATION
Once you have settled on the mechanical and organisational aspects of the squadron, it‟s time to bring
in the human element. Whether you are after moustachioed wing commanders with white scarves and
sports cars; grizzly Nazis in gleaming leather jackboots or fresh faced “sprogs” with no experience and
no chance this section contains ways to generate, develop and replace your pilots. These rules cover the
generation of attributes for all pilots in the squadron. However, it is important to remember that only
section / schwarm leaders or pilots with the status of junior ace or above are represented by
individual cards in the dogfight. Junior pilots are not represented as cards unless they are “promoted”
to section leader or gain sufficient kills to earn junior ace status.
RAF in Phase 1 or 4 -1
RAF in Phase 2 -3
Luftwaffe in Phase 3 -2
RAF in Phase 3 -2
For example:
Following on from the previous example, 54 squadron is a Spitfire squadron based in 11 Group. It is July
1940. The 15 serviceable Spitfires are waiting patiently on the field. To determine the number of pilots,
the player rolls 2d6, scoring an average 7, from which 1 is deducted (we are in phase one), meaning that
the squadron has a convenient 16 pilots. Firstly, the squadron leader is created using the Pilot Generation
Table. A 4 means he is a veteran pilot. The other pilots are now generated, starting with the other flight
leader, who, with a 5 is also a veteran pilot. Two section leaders are now created, with one 5 and one 8
meaning that one section leader is a veteran and the other a regular pilot. The remaining 12 pilots are
now created, which results in seven regulars, three sprogs and two veterans. In all then the squadron has a
core of 5 veteran pilots, 8 regulars and three new boys.
To make for easier administration, generate the pilots in order and assign each to their flight and
section as you go (see appendix for draft roster sheet), adding each pilot until you reach your maximum.
This will make it easier to determine who flies in which sortie (section 6.5)
13
5.2. REPLACEMENT PILOTS
The quality of the new pilot will depend on the phase during which he enters the battle:
Dice
Phase I Phase II Phase III Phase IV
score
1 Vet Vet Vet Junior Ace
2 Vet Reg Reg Vet
3 Reg Reg Reg Reg
4 Reg Reg Sprog Sprog
5 Reg Sprog Sprog Sprog
6 Sprog Sprog Sprog Sprog
*non-English pilots receive a -1 when rolling on this chart
Result RAF
1 or less Pilot Officer
2 Pilot Officer
3 Pilot Officer
4 Sgt Pilot
5 Sgt Pilot
6, 7 Flying Officer
8 Flight Lieutenant
Roll d6: 1-4 filled externally, 5 or 6 filled by second in command (or most experienced section
commander)
The British Empire provided a good source of pilots for the RAF, with Australians, New Zealanders and
South Africans all being present in some numbers and hence these should appear now and then as
14
characters in your squadron if desired. However, to add even extra colour why not go for one of the
squadrons formed exclusively from overseas pilots:
The Poles
Two squadrons of Poles were operational during the Battle of Britain. Fervently independent and driven
by the red mist of revenge, the Poles were fearsome pilots with an aggressive reputation. In BTH their
independence is reflected by issuing more character cards to these squadrons. These characters MUST
move when their individual card comes up, and by so doing will break their own formation.
The Czechs
Thirty Czech pilots arrived at Hendon in June 1940 eager to take up the fight against the Hun and soon
after were either commissioned or enlisted in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (RAFVR). On 10
July, the first Czech fighter squadron (310 squadron) was established with Hurricanes at Duxford, and
became operational on 17th August. This was followed by another (312 squadron) which became
operational on 2nd October.
As with the Poles, in BTH the strong Czechoslovakian independence is reflected by issuing more
character cards to these squadrons. These characters MUST move when their individual card comes up,
and by so doing will break their own formation, but consequently will fight with greater tactical
flexibility.
The Canadians
Over 80 Canadian pilots flew with fighter command during the Battle of Britain and a quarter of these
pilots were killed in action during the battle. Whilst cropping up in various units, the most famous
Canadian squadron was the RAF‟s Hurricane equipped 242“Canadian” squadron that flew out of Duxford
and was led by the infamous Englishman, Douglas Bader. No special rules apply, except that when Bader
is flying as part of the squadron he ignores the first „pilot wounded‟ result as the fire clearly struck his
tin legs. If he bails out there is a 50% chance that he has to leave one of this legs behind (haven‟t you
seen Reach For The Sky?)
15
6. RUNNING THE CAMPAIGN
Once you have constructed a squadron, the next thing to do is to get it into action. The first thing to do
is create a Squadron diary, which starts on the day your phase of the campaign begins. You already know
from earlier sections just how many aircraft the squadron has, and how many pilots are assigned to it.
This section covers the generation of missions and the immediate post combat aftermath. The intention
is that gamers will wish to play each mission on the tabletop, but I have added an „Autoplay‟ section at
the end of this chapter to enable gamers to fast track missions if desired.
Daily sequence:
Aircraft availability
Pilot availability
Generate Sortie
Sortie
Post sortie events
End of Day
The first four of these are covered in this section, whilst the post sortie events and end of day activities
are covered in the following section. If you‟re wondering how to handle the administration of numbers
of pilots and aircraft etc, please refer to the template squadron rosters.
Keep a log of the number of aircraft in the workshop (the template squadron roster will help you to do
this). The rate at which aircraft are repaired is calculated as follows:
At the beginning of each day you must determine how many aircraft are airworthy.
Roll a d6 and deduct the number of damaged aircraft in the workshop overnight and consult the
following table.
Pilots on leave
Pilots who are wounded
Pilots who were missing and subsequently turn up
16
Pilots on leave
When these pilots leave the squadron the date of their planned return is known, and this record should
be logged in the roster. All such fellows are supposed to be fine upstanding chaps who dutifully report
back. They can therefore be added to the pilot roster on the day of their return.
Roll a d6 on the day they are due to return and modify for luck. On a score of 2 or less the pilot doesn‟t
return. Maybe he missed his train. Try again the next day.
Phase Modifiers:
Phase One: Subtract two from first, second and third rolls.
Phase Two: Subtract one from first and third rolls
Phase Three: No modifiers
Phase Four: Add one to each roll
The mission can therefore be described in the following sentence, in which the blanks are replaced with
the chart results
17
EG: Continuing from our earlier examples, Jarce wants to create a mission for 54 Squadron. He throws
4d6 and scores, 4,3,2,6. Because he is in stage two he deducts two from rolls 1,2 and 3 to get; 2,1,0 and
6. This gives:
One section is vectored onto a reconnaissance aircraft. The other dice are ignored because the
reconnaissance aircraft travels alone (see below)
The altitude of the RAF unit being bounced is determined by the roll of d6:
1 or 2 = Band 3
3 or 4 = Band 4
5 or 6 = Band 5
In the “is bounced by game” then the third dice throw (number of bombers) is ignored – this is a fighters
only clash.
The RAF entry point can be determined by a dice roll: On a score of 1 or 2 they approach from the West,
3 or 4 the North, and 5 or 6 from the East. All formations/units should enter the table on blinds.
Altitude is determined by dice, with the score thrown being equal to the altitude band.
The card should be discarded after being activated. Also, there is no reason why this „reinforcements‟
option could not also be used in the other scenarios. If this is the case I suggest that the score of 12 be
changed to 1xd6 RAF fighters arrive.
18
Is “vectored onto reconnaissance aircraft” sortie
Game set up as per „is scrambled to intercept‟. The blank „reinforcements card‟ can also be used to
provide the threat of intervention from the Jagdfleiger.
The reconnaissance plane must fly through the central zone of the table, once this has been achieved it
must exit from the southern edge as quickly as possible.
If just one flight is involved roll a d6: 1,2,3 = A Flight, 4,5,6 = B Flight
If just one section is involved roll a d4 (or a d6 ignoring 5 and 6) 1= red section,
2 = yellow section, 3 = blue section, 4 = green section
If just one aircraft is involved then use the method above to determine which
flight the pilot is from, and then roll a second d6 to determine which pilot is
involved. If the encounter involves a pair, then choose another pilot from the
same flight using the same method.
Phase One: -1
Phase Three: +1
Phase Four: +2
For scenarios involving the Italians you should substitute the German bombers with BR20’s or Cant
Z1007s for reconnaissance. Fighters may be either CR42 or G50’s (roll a d6 1 to 3 = CR42, 4 to 6 = G50’s)
19
6.9. FIDDLING THE SCENARIO FOR BIG GAMES (SURELY NOT!)
If you are using the mission generator as a stand alone generator for a club game, and you want to make
sure that the game is a big one, simply add two to the first and fourth dice rolls, this will increase the
chances of larger numbers of fighters being involved.
6.10. AUTOPLAY
Too lazy to play a scenario? Shame on you. But why not use dice to determine what happened to your
squadron during that sortie?
For each aircraft in action roll two d6 and adjust for pilot luck:
If you choose to autoplay an „is bounced by mission‟ then take an additional -2 on the dice throw
If the action is against bombers only then +2 on the dice throw.
Adjusted score
0-3 4-8 9-10 11-12 >12
What Plane Pilot returns. Pilot returns. Aircraft Pilot returns. Pilot returns.
happened? destroyed and Plane intact. damaged (roll d6. Pilot Achieved one Achieved 2
pilot killed No kills wounded on 5 or 6) kill* kills*
*as an optional rule, roll a d6 for each kill and adjust for luck. A net score of 3 or less counts as a „probable‟ with 4
or more being a confirmed kill.
20
7. POST SORTIE EVENTS
By running the BOB as a campaign we are concerned not only with the events that take place during the
dogfight, but also the events that occur after the tabletop action has ceased.
This section provides guidance on the fate of pilots who crash-land or bale out, as well as the rate of
repair of aircraft and some of the more administrative aspects such as pilot rotations.
Any aircraft that exits the table having sustained critical damaged, or with a wounded pilot, must test to
see if it makes it home:
Serious damage: (Elevator or wing damage, bad aileron or wing damage, critical
instrument damage, engine damage) -2
Pilot wounded: -1
Pilots/crewmen who bale out over the sea roll a d6 and adjust for luck and other modifiers as follows:
Top Ace +2
Junior Ace +1
Veteran Pilot 0
Regular Pilot 0
21
Sprog -1
Wounded -2
RAF in phase 1 0
RAF in phase 2 onwards +1
Luftwaffe in phase 1 or 2 +1
Luftwaffe in phase 2 onwards 0
Result:
4 or more Picked up by his own side and should return to the squadron the next day
(subject to section 6.2)
1 or less Drowned.
Top Ace +2
Junior Ace +1
Veteran Pilot +1
Sprog -1
Pilot wounded -1
Result:
4 or more Pilot gets out, dusts himself down and walks away, not forgetting to take snapshot on
box brownie.
Result:
1,2 or 3 : Serious. Loads of blood, nasty scars or burns etc. Out for d6 weeks
4 : Nasty. Out for 2d6 days
5 : Painful. Out for d6 days
6 : Needs a good drink and ten minutes with a pretty nurse. Out of action for one day.
22
7.6. VICTORY TALLIES AND PILOT PROGRESSION
During the tabletop action be sure to note who claimed the victories, and assign kills as follows:
In BTH, any pilot who gets at least two confirmed kills has a
chance of being awarded the DFC (Distinguished Flying Cross).
Any pilot who scores two kills in one action must roll a d6. On a score of 5 or 6 he is awarded the DFC.
Remember that non-commissioned pilots can not receive the DFC, but get the DFM instead.
All pilots who gain Top Ace status are automatically awarded the DFC/DFM, or a bar if they have one
already.
Any squadron leader or flight leader who survives two full phases will receive the DFC regardless of how
many kills or missions flown.
In any action in which four or more aircraft from the squadron are shot down, one of the remaining
pilots will be awarded the DFC/DFM. The medal is awarded to the surviving pilot who reported the most
victories or, if none of these, the most senior surviving pilot gets the medal.
“On 16 August 1940 near Southampton, Flight Lieutenant Nicolson's Hurricane was
fired on by a Messerschmitt 110, injuring the pilot in one eye and one foot. His
engine was also damaged and the petrol tank set alight. As he struggled to leave
the blazing machine he saw another Messerschmitt, and managing to get back into
the bucket seat, pressed the firing button continuing firing until the enemy plane
dived away to destruction. Not until then did he bale out, and when he landed in a
field, he was unable to release his parachute owing to his badly burned hands”
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7.8. IS THERE ANOTHER SORTIE THAT DAY?
Arriving safely back at the airfield may not be the end of the days events.
Phase 2 +1
Phase 3 +2
11 Group +1
Each mission already flown that day: -1
If the net result is 5 or 6 then another mission takes place on the same day. That mission should be
generated and played as normal. If the result is 4 or less, then move on to the section below.
24
Squadron is moved
Airfield is bombed Squadron is moved
to another airfield.
and out of action for to another airfield.
Spend next two
one day. D4 planes Spend next two days
New pilot assigned days moving.
damaged. Roll d6 for moving.
each plane 6=
12 One aircraft suffers
destroyed. Chance Roll 2d6 and add
mechanical Roll 2d6 and add
of pilot also being one. On a score of
breakdown one. On a score of
killed in the 10, 11, 12 or 13 the
10, 11, 12 or 13 the
bombing. Roll d6. 6 squadron moves to
squadron moves to
= one pilot killed. that group sector.
that group sector.
Dice
10 group 11 group 12 group 13 group
roll
Gravesend or
2 Pembury Kirton or Leconfield Catterick
Rochford
3 Northolt Exeter Coltishall Catterick
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8. TACTICS AND CAMPAIGN SPECIFIC RULES
There are many specific characteristics of the aircraft that fought in the Battle of Britain that can be
isolated as particularly important features worthy of highlighting in the tabletop wargame. I have chosen
a few of what I consider to be the most essential characteristics of the fighting of this stage of the war
to be reflected in suggested formations, as well as a few rule amendments, all of which are aimed at
achieving a more historically accurate game.
8.1. FORMATIONS
This section briefly covers some of the more standard formations adopted by the RAF and the Luftwaffe
during the Battle of Britain and uses diagrams to show how these formations appear on the BTH hex
tabletop. It‟s important not to be too pedantic about these formations, and while most are shown as
occupying adjacent hexes it is not unreasonable for there to be a one hex gap between aircraft.
Consistency and a reasonable approach is the main thing here.
The Vic
The basic vic formation has its origins in the Great War. In the time before radio communications
between pilots was possible, the tight vic formation enabled sections and flights to form on a leader
whose hand signals were clearly visible. The downside, which was to be exposed in the Second World
War, was that the vic also meant that pilots were forced to look within the formation to maintain their
position, and that the sheer proximity meant that the focus of the pilot was on keeping his place
relative to the leader, and not scanning the skies for enemy. Some of the squadrons flying in the battle
for France soon learned to discard the vic in its purest forms, although this was difficult to achieve as
new pilots joining the squadron were not trained to fly in looser formations. Some S/Ldrs who had
experienced the shortcomings of the vic formation first hand advocated flying in pairs, but for the most
part the standard amendment became the adopting of „weavers‟
26
Employing “The Weaver”
Other standard formations are as follows, most show the line up for the RAF three aircraft section, but
there‟s nothing to stop the Luftwaffe using these for their four aircraft sections. In all cases the section
is travelling towards the top of the page:
27
The Pair
A pair consists of a leader and a wingman and is
the natural subdivision of the schwarm. Some RAF
squadrons began to use the pair during the Battle
of Britain – particularly for patrolling and
particularly during the latter phases of the battle.
Note: squadrons flying as vics were not practised in
this tactic and so, for vic trained squadrons, the
pair should not count as a formation. Vics that are
disrupted therefore become three individual
aircraft, and not a leadr plus wingman.
A Pair
The Schwarm
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The Defensive circle
8.5. RADAR
“The RAF fought the Battle of Britain, bur RADAR won it”. Ah, that old chestnut! This is difficult to
represent on the table, but is covered in the main rules. In scenarios where one side can reasonably be
expected to benefit from good ground radar plots and Fighter Direction Control, the player claiming the
benefit (normally the RAF) may be allowed to spot one enemy formation immediately after deployment.
For the avoidance of argument, this should be allowed only if included as part of the pre-planned
scenario.
29
8.6. BARRAGE BALLOONS
The massive inflatables of barrage balloon command were a common feature of the WW2 skyline.
Whether installed to protect airfields, industrial sites and cities, or floating above the stern of a
merchantman chugging up the channel, the barrage balloon was both an effective deterrent and a target
in its own right.
In BTH barrage balloons should ideally be indicated by a barrage balloon model (which you will probably
need to scratch build). They are effective at altitude bands 1 and 2. Any aircraft flying through a hex
containing a barrage balloon must throw a d6 and modify for luck. On a score of 5 or 6 the aircraft has
struck a balloon or cable and suffers Catastrophic Structural Failure from which there can be no
recovery (although the pilot may attempt to bail out on the bail out card should it come up before he
hits the ground).
8.7. UNLUCKY FOR SOME (OPTIONAL RULE FOR BOMBERS OUT OF FORMATION)
In games involving attacks on large bomber formations (i.e. staffel strength and above), an optional rule
can be included to emphasise the plight of the damaged bomber that drops out of formation. Any
aircraft that attacks a bomber which has dropped out of formation gets and additional +1 for luck when
firing at that target, it obviously being the fighter pilots lucky day to have come across such a tempting
target.
Alternatively, add a blank card in the pack and throw 2d6 when it is turned. An 11 or 12 will mean that
one of the Luftwaffe pilots (selected at random) now sees a very low reading on his fuel gauge and must
disengage and head for home as quickly as possible.
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9. RUNNING THE CAMPAIGN FROM THE LUFTWAFFE SIDE
Whilst most gamers will be looking to run the campaign from the British side, there will always be some
who would rather run the campaign from the German side (you know who you are). Most of the tables in
the supplement can be applied either to RAF or Luftwaffe, but some are specific to RAF use – most
notably creating squadrons and airfields etc. Use this section to generate Luftwaffe specific results for
these areas.
To determine the Luftflotte, unit, aircraft type and location of your staffel roll a d10 and a d6 and
consult the following table (read down for the d10 and across for the d6). Cross referencing the scores
will give you the unit type, identification and location. All that remains is to determine the staffel
number, and that is addressed in the next section.
D6 score
D10/ Unit LF* type 1 2 or 3 4 5 6
Wierre au Desvres, Le
1 JG3 2 Bf109 Bois
Grandvilliers Samer Samer
Touquet
Marquise-
2 JG26 2 Bf109 Audembert Audembert Caffiers Caffiers
Ost
Cherbourg-
8 JG27 3 Bf109 West
Plumett Crèpon Crèpon Arcques
All Bf110 are c variants except ZG26 at Guyancourt, where they have a 50% chance of being d variants
In general any throw of 1 indicates a Stab, 2 or 3 indicates I Gruppe, 4 or 5 indicates II Gruppe and 6
indicates III Gruppe
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9.2. STAFFEL DETAILS
Roll a d6 and add the result of the d6 from the table above. Check your total score against the table
below to generate the staffel number. This is a purely arbitrary method of calculation but it works for
me!
D6 combined Staffel
score Number
2 Stabschwarm
3 1
4 2
5 3
6 4
7 5
8 6
9 7
10 8
11 9
12 10
The number of aircraft assigned to the staffel is calculated as per the RAF game – however, to save you
flicking back and forth it is replicated here (Note: Stabschwarm should contain 4 aircraft and may be
treated in the rules as a mini staffel)
Each staffel starts the campaign with a pre-determined number of aircraft. This is decided upon by the
following:
12 + 1d6.
However, not all the aircraft are serviceable. It is assumed that the number of unserviceable aircraft at
the start of your campaign is equal to the phase number. (e.g. a staffel beginning the campaign in Phase
three will have three unserviceable aircraft).
For rules on how these aircraft can get fixed, see section 6.1
9.4. PILOTS
PILOT GENERATION TABLE
Roll a d10
Luftwaffe 1939 to 1943 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0
Stabfuhrer TA TA JA JA JA VET VET VET VET VET
Schwarmfuhrer TA JA JA VET VET VET VET VET VET VET
Rottenfuhrer JA JA VET VET VET VET VET VET REG REG
Rottenman VET VET REG REG REG REG Sprog Sprog Sprog Sprog
Whilst you coul use the RAF sortie generator and simply play the game form the „other side‟ I have
included below a specif Luftwaafe generator to add a little more variety to the Luftwaffe brief:
Sortie generator: Roll 4 d6 (or one d6 four times) and consult the table below
32
Phase Modifiers:
Phase One: Subtract two from second, third and fourth rolls.
Phase Two: Subtract one from second and fourth rolls
Phase Three: Add one to first roll
Phase Four: Subtract one from first and second rolls. Add one to third roll
The mission can therefore be described in the following two sentences, in which the blanks are
replaced with the chart results
If this result is drawn the bombers are automatically removed from the scenario.
The altitude of the Luftwaffe unit being bounced is determined by the roll of d6:
1 or 2 = Band 3
3 or 4 = Band 4
5 or 6 = Band 5
33
The “is attacked by” sortie
This is simply the Luftwaffe side of the “is scrambled in intercept” scenario and represents the classic
Battle of Britain encounter in which the RAF are scrambled to give battle against the approaching
Luftwaffe. The Luftwaffe approach from the southern table edge, rolling a d6 +2 to determine for
altitude (max 6). In mixed formations fighters cannot begin the game at a lower altitude than the
bombers.
The RAF entry point can be determined by a dice roll: On a score of 1 or 2 they approach from the West,
3 or 4 the North, and 5 or 6 from the East. All formations/units should enter the table on blinds.
Altitude is determined by dice, with the score thrown being equal to the altitude band.
34
9.9. AFTER SORTIE EVENTS – GERMAN STYLE
Section 7 can be followed without adjustment for the Luftwaffe side, with the exception of „airfield is
bombed‟ results which have largely been replaced with „new pilot assigned‟ results. There‟s also the
chance of a visit from the big man himself…
10 New pilot assigned New pilot assigned No notable events New pilot assigned
35
9.10. CORPO AEREO ITALIANO – PLAYING THE GAME THE ITALIAN WAY
Some 200 aircraft of the Regia Aeronautica began deploying to Belgium during Phase Four of the battle
and add some colour to events. Official titled the Corpo Aereo Italiano the force soon earned the nickname
of the Chianti Raiders.
If you choose to fight the game from the Italian perspective then run it as per the Luftwaffe game described
in this section, but replace table 9.1 with the table below, using a d6 to determine the squadron.
The fighter element of the CAI, 18 and 20 Gruppo were referred to by the Luftwaffe as 18/JG56 and
20/JG56 respectively. In addition to the fighters, eight squadrons of Fiat BR20 bombers were also
deployed in two Stormo (equivalent to the RAF Group) based at Melsbroeck and Chièvres along with a
a
reconnaissance squadron - 179 Squadriglia which was based at Melsbroeck and was equipped with the
Cant Z.1007bis.
Although some of the Italian pilots had seen action in Spain and more recently in Southern France, no
Italian pilots may start the campaign with a pilot ability above Veteran.
Italy 1940 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0
Squadron lead or above VET VET VET VET VET VET REG REG REG REG
Flight or section leader VET REG REG REG REG REG REG REG REG Sprog
Section Pilot REG REG REG REG REG REG Sprog Sprog Sprog Sprog
NB: Because the Italians operated in sections of three aircraft it is most appropriate to use the RAF
squadron roster.
36
10. AIRCRAFT STATISTICS
KEY
MAN rating underlined denotes improved rate of roll
* Against ALT or MAN = counts as better when compared with an aircraft with the same basic factor
* Against the ROB rating = increased chance of catching fire when hit.
AMMO LIMIT
FRONT
RIGHT
REAR
MAN
LEFT
ROB
ROC
SPD
ALT
SIZ
NAME NOTES AND SPECIFIC RULES
Avro ANSON MkI 4 2 5 1 3 4 1 1 1 1 12
Blackburn ROC 4 4 4 1 2 2 0 4 4 4 N/A
Blackburn SKUA 5 4 5 1 2 2 4 0 0 1 12
Boulton Paul DEFIANT 6 3 6 2 2 2 0 4 4 4 N/A
Bristol BLENHEIM Mk I 6 3 5 1 3* 3 1 1 1 1 12
Bristol BLENHEIM Mk IF 6 3 5 1 3 3 5 1 1 1 12
Dornier Do17-E 5 1 6 1 4 4 1 2 0 0 N/A
Dornier Do17-P 5 1 6 1 4 4 1 2 0 0 N/A
Dornier Do215 6 1 6 1 4 4 2 2 1 1 N/A
Fairey BATTLE 4 2 5 1 3* 3 0 0 0 1 n/a
Fiat BR20 5 3 5 1 3 3 1 0 0 2 12
Fiat CR32 CHIRRI 4 5 5 2 2 1 4 0 0 0 10
Fiat CR42 FALCON 6 4 5 1 2 1 4 0 0 0 10
Fiat G50 FRECCIA 5 5 6 2 1 1 5 0 0 0 12
Fiesler STORCH 2 2 4 1 1* 1 0 0 0 1 N/A
Gloster GLADIATOR 5 5 5 2 1 1 4 0 0 0 12
Handley Page HALIFAX I 5 1 5 1 6 6 2 1 1 4 N/A
Handley Page HAMPDEN 5 2 4 1 4 4 2 0 0 2 N/A
Hawker HURRICANE I 7 5 6 2 2 1 8 0 0 0 14
Heinkel He111 5 1 6 1 5 5 1 1 1 3 N/A
Junkers Ju-52 3 1 4 1 4 5 0 1 1 1 N/A
Junkers Ju-87B/D STUKA 6 2 6 1 3 3 2 0 0 1 10
Junkers Ju-88A-1 5 3 5 1 4 4 1 0 0 2 N/A
Messerschmitt BF109B 6 5 5 2 1 1 2 0 0 0 12
Messerschmitt BF109C 6 6 5 2 1 1 4 0 0 0 12 All 109 variants
Messerschmitt BF109E -1 7 6 6 2 1 1 5 0 0 0 12 Tailing a/c get -1 to stay on tail in
Messerschmitt BF109E -3 7 6 6 2 1 1 7 0 0 0 12 dive or Split-S.
Messerschmitt BF109E -4 7 6* 6 2 1 1 9 0 0 0 12
Emil
Messerschmitt BF110 C 7 4 6 2 3 3 10 0 0 1 14 Lufbery counts as easy
Supermarine SPITFIRE I/II A 7 6 6 2 1 1 8 0 0 0 14 Tailing a/c get -1 to stay on tail in
Break Turn
Supermarine SPITFIRE I/IIB 7 6 6 2 1 1 5 0 0 0 10 Tailing a/c get -1 to stay on tail in
(early) Break Turn. Thrown 1's count
double when testing for gun jam.
Westland LYSANDER III 4 2 5 1 1 2 2 0 0 0 8
Westland WHIRLWIND I 7 3 5 2 3 2 10 0 0 0 12 Counts as MAN4 at Altitude 2 and
below.
A note on the factors: I am not overly obsessed with the technical factors and minute differences
between the many and varied models of all aircraft, and am more concerned with their general relative
dogfighting abilities. Therefore if you feel strongly that a factor needs adjusting to suit a particular
aircraft variant please feel free to change them!
37
11. APPENDIX – SQUADRON ROSTER
A draft RAF squadron roster might look like this. The sheet represents one day of the campaign.
38
A completed roster might look like this:
39
12. APPENDIX – FIGHTER COMMAND ON 10TH JULY
Order of Battle
RAF Fighter Command
July 10th 1940
11 GROUP
Biggin Hill
32 squadron (H) Biggin Hill S/L John Worrall
141 squadron (D) Biggin Hill S/L William Richardson
610 squadron (S) Gravesend S/L A.T.Smith
600 squadron (B) Manston S/L David Clark
North Weald
56 squadron (H) North Weald S/L Minnie Manton
151 squadron (H) North Weald S/L Teddy Donaldson
85 squadron (H) Martlesham S/L Peter Townsend
25 squadron (B) Martlesham S/L K.A.McEwan
Kenley
64 squadron (S) Kenley S/L N.C.Odbert
615 squadron (H) Kenley S/L Joseph Kayll
111 squadron (H) Croydon S/L John Thompson
501 squadron (H) Croydon S/L Harry Hogan
Hornchurch
65 squadron (S) Hornchurch S/L Henry Sawyer
74 squadron (S) Hornchurch S/L Francis White
54 squadron (S) Rochford S/L James Leathart
Tangmere
43 squadron (H) Tangmere S/L John Badger
145 squadron (H) Tangmere S/L John Peel
601 squadron (H) Tangmere S/L Max Aitken
Debden
17 squadron (H) Debden S/L R.I.G.McDougal
Northolt
1 squadron (H) Northolt S/L David Pemberton
604 squadron (B) Northolt S/L Michael Anderson
257 squadron (H) Hendon S/L H.Harkness
Middle Wallop
609 squadron (S) Middle Wallop S/L Horace Darley
238 squadron (H) (non – Middle Wallop S/L Harold Fenton
operational)
40
12 GROUP
Duxford
264 squadron (D) Duxford S/L Philip Hunter
19 squadron (S) Fowlmere S/L Philip Pinkham
Coltishall
66 squadron (S) Coltishall S/L Rupert Leigh
242 squadron (H) Coltishall S/L Douglas Bader
(Canadians)
Kirton-in-Lindsey
222 squadron (S) Kirton S/L H.W.Mermagen
Digby
46 squadron (H) Digby F/L A.D.Murray
611 squadron (S) Digby S/L J McComb
29 squadron (B) Digby F/L J.S Adams
Wittering
229 squadron (H) Wittering S/L H.J.McQuire
266 squadron (S) Wittering S/L R.L.Wilkinson
23 squadron (B) Collyweston S/L L.C.Bicknell
Church Fenton
73 squadron (H) Church Fenton S/L J.W.C.More
616 squadron (S) Church Fenton S/L M.Robinson
249 squadron (H) Leconfield S/L John Grandy
13 GROUP
Catterick
41 squadron (S) Catterick S/L H.West
219 squadron (B) Catterick S/L J.H.Little
Usworth
607 squadron (H) Usworth S/L J.Vick
72 squadron (S) Acklington S/L Ronald Lees
152 squadron (S) Acklington S/L Peter Devitt
Turnhouse
79 squadron (H) Turnhouse S/L Harvey Heyworth
253 squadron (H) Turnhouse S/L Tom Gleave
245 squadron (H) Turnhouse S/L E.W.Whitley
603 squadron (S) Turnhouse S/L G.Denholm
602 squadron (S) Drem S/L Johnstone
605 squadron (H) (non- Drem S/L W. Churchill
operational)
Dyce
263 squadron (H) Grangemouth S/L H.Eeles
Wick
3 squadron (H) Wick S/L S.F.Godden
504 squadron (H) Castletown S/L John Sample
41