This scenario generator was developed by Christophe Massuyeau. All I have done was to clean up the translation If you like this, please e-mail Christophe (aka Prof. Erata) and tell him.. - Uncle Ted

Alone Against the Wehrmacht (May-June 1940)

Background: If French fighters often had the occasion to face the formations of Luftwaffe victoriously, it was different for recon, observation and bombardment units. The two first, equipped mainly with Potez 63.11 (a plane very operating, at all lower than than the Germans employed for the same missions - Do 17P and Hs 126 -) and too seldom the exceptional Bloch MB.174, had the difficult task to locate the projections of the enemy, too often without a suitable escort. Bomber units, although equipped with some modern aircraft - Br.693 and LeO.451, and a little later the excellent American light bombers Douglas DB-7 and Martin M-167F - deployed generally in small groups, in flight shave or with low altitude (thing particularly absurd in the case of medium bomber LeO-451...), without hardly of escort also, vis-a-vis with a enemy which know maintain effectively a protection air with top of its army and ESPECIALLY with a terrible DCA, the famous Flak, which make some devastation in the formation French (31 Br.693 and 19 LeO.451 as 49 Po.63.11 be descend there let us add the apparatuses which were severly damaged...). In spite of many attacks, never the projection of Wehrmacht was not notably stopped, and very often the information brought back by the apparatuses of the G.r. and the G.a.o. were hardly exploited by an inefficient command, even in prey with panic. Nevertheless, the crews enquirent themselves of their task with courage and an admirable spirit of sacrifice, particularly the Groupings 18 and 19 which will leave 55 Br-693 destroyed (on the 127 taken delivery of) like 31 members of killed crews, 35 wounded and 22 prisoners in operations during this terrible program...

This scenario of mission will enable you to recreate two types of typical tactical missions carried out by the Air Force during the Battle of France.

Recon Mission Orders: to move towards the enemy lines and to carry out a recognition on displacements of Wehrmacht, like taking the photographs necessary. An escort is provided.

Attack Mission Orders: to move towards the enemy lines and to attack the motorized columns of Wehrmacht. The objective is one of the two pawns of army, with the choice. An escort is provided.

Placement Omt:

Special rules:

1. The front lines are located between boxes 2 and 3. There is no (additional) light flak on the border, since the Wehrmacht is represented separately.
2. The German fighters can supply and rearm once during the game.
3. The German army counters each have two units of light Flak.
4. The French bases are not prepared; they are defended each one by a unit of light Flak.
5. The mission aircraft and their escort take off starting from the circle of the OMT since two different grounds.
6. The bombers and the recon aircraft and their escort cannot go further than box 3, including those appearing on the Encounter Tables. Roll again if an encounter result is not appropriate.
7. Recon Mission:
   • The recon aircraft are not loaded (with bombs).
   • They must remain through two operational turns in VL or LO band in box 3 to photograph the objectives (two army counters). If the VL band has inclement weather, the recon aircraft must skim the ground (alt .1), but the objective is located only on a die roll of £ 3 . They cannot strafe German objectives.
   • Each objective photographed by aircraft that return to base earns 15 victory points for the French player. These points are earned only once per objective, even if two aircraft photograph it.
8. The French bombers must fly permanently in VL band.
9. LeO.451 are charged with 8x 100 kg, 2x 100 + 1 x 50 / 64x 10 kg; Br.693 are charged with 8x 50 kg.
10. Each bomber which succeeds in tackling successfully the enemy objective brings back to the French player the following points: LeO.451=5, Br-693=3.
11. The escort fighters do not owe mitrailler of the enemy objectives.
12. To pass to the top boxes in enemy territory necessarily does not mean to fly over the (es) objective which y est(sont) placé(s) (to be specified with the unfavourable player before an unspecified displacement, even if this one remains above the same box " enroute "). The German player does not undergo any shooting of Flak while crossing the friendly border (which is enemy for him), except those obtained suddenly on the Table of the events.
13. French tactics of bombardment: LeO-451 must arrive at the top of their going objective at an altitude from 800 to 1 500 m (2 600 to 5 000 feet), in level flight. Br-693 carried out attacks in horizontal flight first of all shaving on May 12, then then in semi-semi-piqué as of May 14 since an altitude of 3 000 - 3 900 feet, with release towards 1 000 feet, but one again allowed the attacks in flight shaving as of May 16 provided that the formation were composed only of one or two apparatuses.
14. Strafing Objectives: the German fighters can attack and strafe French bases by ending an operational movement phase in the square with the base at hedgehopping altitude (ASP! p.42). The attackers are prone to AAA attack per the rules, with the additional modifier of +2. The strafing is carried out during the Interception and Combat Phase on this formation's turn to act and counts as a deliberate encounter. Each aircraft spends half a die of ammunition and can attack an enemy aircraft on its base at a distance of 2 hexes using the usual rules of combat. The deflection modifier for an aircraft on the ground is x1. Several aircraft can attack the same target, or separate ones as desired.

Additional Rules:

1. National levels of Training:
   

   Armee de l'Air	Excellent
   Luftwaffe	Average for Bf 109 pilots Good for the Bf110C crews. In all the cases, consider a result of 1 (Recruit) as Green.

   [My own research shows that the AA had been rapidly expanding, so while the older pilots may have been excellent, they had been diluted by many newer recruits. But this was written by a Frenchman - Uncle Ted]

2. The Bf 109E-3 has Cockpit + 0 and W1/W2 ammo=4.

Variations:

• Larger Game: Use nine or even twelve bombers, allocating more escort fighters on the French side. Increase the number of German fighters by sending the two types of fighters against the mission (Bf 109E-3 and Bf 110C-1) from two different bases in 3.
• One can contrary sending only three bombers in all.
• The American bombers Douglas DB-7 and Martin M-167f (taken delivery of with 95 e.g. and 283 ex.) were launched in the battle as of the end May, but did not have time really to show their remarkable qualities. The DB-7 was implemented by two Groups of Bombardment (I/19 and II/19), the M-167f by four (I/62, II/62, I/63 and II/63) of May 21 at June 14. One can implement them in mission N·2 if there are their cards. They will be charged with 16 x 50 kg, 64 x 10 kg or 8x 50 + 32 x 10 kg.
• If you want to start with Phony War, to proceed as follows: the French player sends on mission recognition Potez 63.11; however, it cannot further go that box 3. To take one type of hunter for the escort - MS-406 or H-75-1/2 - which can go from six to twelve apparatuses maximum. Neither the French nor the Germans can carry out corrosions on the grounds of the enemy. There are an average unit of Flak and a radar on the box of the enemy border. The Germans cannot go further box 2, but their ground is into 4; it is prepared. There cannot be unexpected meetings beyond boxes 1 and 3, with only of the hunters and the apparatuses of recognition on both sides. During the autumn 1939, the Germans can implement Bf 109D-1.
• As of June 5, to mitigate the lack of bombers, MS-406 were sent on mission of corrosion against the German army. One can replace the bombers of Mission N·2 by three to six MS-406; they can attack vehicles or of the German infantry. This improvisation was expensive in hardware and pilots the Air Force...
• If you want to add the RAF, you can add a Blenheim Mk.IV for the recon or the bombardment missions, or Battle Mk.IIIs for the bombing mission; give them an escort of six Hurricane Mk.IAs. Level of training for the RAF: Good; same details as for the French.

Encounter Tables for the Armee de l'Air in the Battle of France

To select which variant of the Curtiss H-75A, roll a die:

You cannot ecounter fighters with the top of the box " enroute " of the OMT; ignore this result.

If a formation of bombersare met, they are loaded with bombs on a roll of die £ 4. One cannot meet bombers and recon aircraft beyond box 3; ignore this result. If you have the ADCs for the Douglas DB-7 and the Martin M.167F, you can add them to the French side of this table for the May 16 to June 15 column. You can also add the Hs126 to the German side.