Battle of Britain 2006 Scenario Rules v2.3

Sections

Dates and Times

This scenario is scheduled for Saturdays, September 23, September 30, October 7, and October 14 at 3 pm Eastern US, 12 noon Pacific US, 8 pm UK, 9 pm Germany, 5 am next day (Sunday) Eastern Australia, 4 am next day (Sunday) Japan. Beta frame (a "both sides" practice frame) will run on Saturday, September 16th at 3 pm Eastern US.

Introduction

It is July, 1940, and the fate of a nation is about to be decided.

Hitler has just given the order to begin preparation for Operation Sealion -- the invasion of Britain. France has fallen, the United States has not yet joined the war, and the Soviet Union is still Germany's ally. Britain stands alone.

The first order of battle is for the Luftwaffe to pave the way by destroying the Royal Air Force and pounding British infrastructure and cities. The Luftwaffe is mighty and skilled. The RAF is outnumbered, but it has the world's most advanced radar system -- and something just as important: an indestructible will to repel the Luftwaffe, no matter what the personal cost.

The Battle of Britain scenario will pit the RAF in its Hurricane Mk I's and Spitfire Mk I's against the Luftwaffe in its Bf 109E's, Bf 110C's, Ju 87's, and Ju 88's. The Luftwaffe will work to destroy all airfields, ports, and ships in the southeast of Britain. The RAF will do whatever it can to stop them.

The fate of Britain hangs in the balance.

Further Introductory Details

The Battle for France had been lost. The Battle for Britain had begun.

Whilst Britain girds its self against an expected invasion, Goering has finally convinced Hitler to allow him to commit his Luftwaffe to eliminating the RAF from the skies of South East England.

This is a 4 part scenario played across 4 frame each 150 minutes long with a 15 minute return margin once hostilities are declared over.

The broad objective is to simulate some of the strategic, tactical, geographic and logistic circumstances of the conflict between the LW and RAF fighter command during the months of August and September 1940.

The LW objective is to inflict sufficient damage to the RAF to gain total air superiority over the Strait of Dover , Kent, Sussex and the Solent approaches as well as disabling local ports for use by the Royal Navy.

Given this the initiative is with the LW and the win/lose definition will hinge on whether the LW has achieved its objectives at the end of the final frame. Points will not play a deciding roll in this scenario.

Geography (Terrain)

The terrain will be based on a near full sized European landscape. Fields, ports, townscapes, radar sites and shipping will be changed and added to recreate Southern England and Northern France/ Belgium. This scenario uses the "bob04" terrain. A map of the terrain is as follows.


A map of the terrain.

As the "battle" and its objectives hinge around Southern England then these have been paid particular attention. Looking at a map of Southern England at the time we will attempt to recreate the following.

Large fields

Middle Wallop (a21)
Tangmere (a18)
Kenley (a9)
Biggin Hill (a8)
Hornchurch (a3)
North Weald (a5)
Debden (a27)
Duxford (a28)
Wittering (a30)
Northolt (a1)

Medium fields

None

Small fields

Boscombe Down (a22)
Warmwell (a55)
Gosport (a113)
Manston (a14)
Eastchurch (a13)
Detling (a12)
Hendon (a2)
Martlesham (a24)
Coltishall (a29)
Colerne (a56)

Stapleford (a4)
Lee on Solent (a20)
Thorney Island (a124)
Westhampnett (a19)
Ford (a17)
Lympne (a16)
Hawkinge (a15)
West Malling (a10)
Croydon (a23)
Gravesend (a7)
Rochford (a6)

Radar bases (Vehicle fields)

Dover (v117)
Worth (v112)
Ventnor (v82)
Poling (v114)
Truleigh (v83)
Beachy Head (v115)
Pevensy (v116)
Fairlight (v119)
Rye (v84)
Foreland (North) (v118)
Dunkirk (v85)
Canewdon (v120)
Walton (v87)
Bromley (v121)
Bawdsey (v122)
High Street (v123)
Dunwich (v88)
Stoke Holy Cross (v89)
Happisburg (? -- closest on map is v90)
West Beckham (v90)

Ports

Portland (p109)
Poole (p108)
Southampton (p107)
Portsmouth (p95)
Folkstone (p105)
Dover (p106)
Poole (p108)

City/town groups around the ports.

Portland 1
Poole 1
Southampton 1
Portsmouth 1
Folkstone 1
Dover 1

Royal Navy Flotillas each one Cruiser, one or more Destroyers, but no Carriers.

HMS Portland
HMS Southampton
HMS Portsmouth
(fictitious names to show origin ports)

HQ at Stanmore

All other normal "Strat" objects removed out of the area of battle.

The RAF divided bases and terrain into "Groups" and "Sectors" (these Sectors being different than what we normally mean in Aces High by the word "sector"). The groups are 10 Group, 11 Group, and 12 Group, and are shown on the map in blue lines. Groups were divided up into Sectors. The Sectors are A (Tangmere Sector), B (Kenley Sector), C (Biggin Hill Sector), D, E (North Weald Sector), F (Debden Sector), G, J, K, W, Y, Z, and London (Hornchurch Sector). Radar-control Sectors are shown on the map in purple lines.

The most important aspect of the fields locations for the LW is that they simulate the distance and directions of approach that the LW experienced in 1940. We can leave much of this to the skill of the terrain modifier however a rough guide would be fair smattering of fields from St Malo thru Cherbourg, Caen, le Havre, Amiens, Bologne, Calais and onto Gent and Antwerp.

Winds should be light and predominantly from the South and West. The winds will 0-5 mph at lower altitudes and 0-10 mph at higher altitudes with exact value and direction possibly varying a little frame to frame to simulate more realistic conditions. Bomber pilots should consult the wind settings prior to initial mission in each frame. Winds will not be changed within a frame.

Clouds should be small (size 1 or 2) in isolated clusters at altitudes between 8,000 and 15,000ft.

Object hardness should be left as standard. (This may be subject to minor variation.)

Detailed Victory Conditions

As stated above the LW must pave the way for a German invasion of SE England. (Operation Sea Lion). In essence the main LW strategic plank was the destruction of the RAF on the ground plus the neutralisation of the Royal Navy in the area of the English Channel (la Manche) known as the Strait of Dover (Pas de Calais).

We will define this in the following way.

Objectives for the end of Frame 4:

1) Deny the RAF use of all its airfields South of the Thames and east of the Solent.

This is achieved by the destruction of fighter hangers to a point where by fighters may no longer take of from these fields. Forcing the RAF commander to use other fields to house his squadrons. This will include those fields which were initially used by Coastal Command which falls within this area. They are all within 11 group sections Tangmere, Kenley, Biggen Hill and parts of Hornchurch that's are south of the Thames. (Croyden is considered to be within Kenley section.) Specifically, the following are the airfields that must be disabled: a20, a113, a124, a18, a19, a17, a23, a9, a8, a7, a10, a11, a12, a13, a14, a15, and a16.

2) Neutralisation of the Royal Navy local to the Strait of Dover.

2a) The Ports and Docks

All ports listed above are Neutralised by taking out the Vehicle Hanger, and 50% of the ports associated city infrastructure. These objectives include the South coast Ports which are based on or to the East of the Solent. (Therefore excluding the Portland & Poole facilities.) Specifically, the following ports must be disabled: p107, p95, p105, and p106.

2b)The Flotillas

The cruisers in two of the three of the Flotillas must be destroyed.

The German Wehrmacht will not be ready to launch Sea Lion prior to the end of Frame 4. Hence it is critical that the conditions are met at this point in time as achieving them prematurely will be to no avail if they cannot be sustained.

Arena set up details and special CM factoring

Icons will be short range.

Radar and early warning…. Presently the only AH radar which is influenced by the destruction of radar objects is dot radar. Hence the RAF will have dot radar extending from the radar stations to a range of approx 50 miles refreshed every 2 minutes. All RAF radar stations will be designated to a third country. This radar will only be visible by a team of third country sector controllers who will guide the RAF squadrons to the target over private text and radio channels. No other radar will exist either as sector bar or dot indication. As the radar stations are destroyed so will the local dot radar capability. Minimum radar height is expected to be 500ft.

To disable radar at a base, the radar tower must be destroyed. It will take 1500 lbs of accumulated explosive damage to destroy a radar tower.

British observer corps is to simulated by the use of the flashing "field under attack". The range will be set to the visual dot range of bombers of approximately 7 miles. This function will always remain in effect regardless of field/port/base status.

There will be no repair/resupply during frames strat will be turned off..

Radar objects will only be repaired after 1 further frame.

Fighter hangers will only be repaired after 2 further frames.

Flotillas cannot be repaired.

Ports and Docks, once neutralised, will remain neutralized.

Player should note that all other objects, guns, fuel, ammo, barracks and town/city objects, etc., and VH's at ports that have not been neutralized will be repaired prior to a subsequent frame. Further that "disabled" fields will still be available for emergency landing and refuelling/rearming during a frame.

The fuel multiplier will be chosen to give a Bf 109E approx 15 minutes flying time over London based on a climb to alt (18K) over Calais and straight ingress and egress losing alt over the Straits of Dover to land in the Calais/ Bologne area. Specifically, calculated by:

All other fuel endurances will be based upon this. The RAF will have the same fuel burn multiplier as the LW.

The flotillas will be given separate courses between Portland (p109) and the North Foreland (v118) by the CM's. These may cross but flotillas will not escort each other.

All other settings as per arena norms.

Summary of settings different from the main arena:

RAF Order of Battle

The RAF may have up to 6 active third country sector controllers during any one frame. These six sector-controller positions will be recruited by the RAF and will be in addition to the 84 pilot positions available to the RAF (6 per squadron, 14 squadrons).

A typical RAF squadron will consist of 6 pilots (being half the historical strength of an RAF squadron).

Total RAF squadrons will be 14 made up of 9 Hurricane MkI squadrons and 5 Spitfire Mk I squadrons.

For Frame 1 the following squadrons should be placed historically.

Sector (group number)

Sq No.

AC Type

Base Field

Biggin Hill (11)

610

Spitfire

Biggin Hill A8

.

72

Spitfire

Biggin Hill A8

North Weald(11)

56

Hurricane

North Weald A5

Kenley(11)

64

Spitfire

Kenley A9

.

1 RCAF (401)

Hurricane

Croydon A23

Hornchurch(11)

266

Spitfire

Manston A14

501

Hurricane

Gravesend A7

Tangmere(11)

43

Hurricane

Tangmere A18

.

145

Hurricane

Westhampnet A19

Debden(11)

85

Hurricane

Debden A27

.

111

Hurricane

Debden A27

Northolt(11)

303

Hurricane

Northolt A1

Middle Wallop(10)

238

Hurricane

Middle Wallop A21

.

152

Spitfire

Warmwell A55

LW Order of Battle

A Jagdgeschwader Gruppen will have 8 Pilots (each flying bf109E).

A Kampfgeschwader Gruppen will have 5 Pilots (each flying 3x Ju88).

A Zerstorergeshwader Gruppen will have 8 Pilots (each flying Me110C).

A Erprobungsgruppe will have 8 Pilots (each flying Me110C or bf109E).

The LW will have 9x */JG gruppen, 2x */ZG gruppen, 1x */EG gruppen and 7x */KG gruppen. Thus the LW has up to 131 pilots positions available (9x8 + 2x8 + 1x8 + 7x5).

For frame 1 the following gruppen should be placed historically.

Area (Jafu No)

Stfl

AC Type

Base Field

Brussels & West(Luftflotte2)

I/JG3

bf109E

Boulogne-Colembert (A47)

.

I/JG26

bf109E

Boulogne-Audembert (A45)

.

I/JG51

bf109E

St Omer- Pihen (A49)

.

I/JG52

bf109E

Calais (Cocquelles) (A46)

.

II/JG52

bf109E

Calais (Peuplingues) (A46)

.

I/JG54

bf109E

Calais (Guines) (A46)

.

II/JG54

Bf109E

Calais (Guines) (A46)

.

I/ZG26

ME110C

Abbeville-Crecy (A35)

.

1./EG210

ME110C/bf109E

Calais- Marck (A48)

.

I/KG1

Ju88

Montdidier/Amiens (A33)

.

II/KG76

Ju88

Montdidier/Amiens (A33)

.

I/KG2

Ju88

Arras (A71)

.

I/KG53

Ju88

Lille-Nord (A62)

Paris North/West (Luftflotte 3)

I/JG2

bf109E

Biville (A73)

.

II/JG27

bf109E

Cherbourg (A72)

.

I/ZG2

ME110C

Caen (A40)

.

I/KGr806

Ju88

Caen(A40)

.

I/KG54

Ju88

Evreux/St Andre (A41)

.

II/KG54

Ju88

Evreux/St Andre (A41)


Additional Rules

After T=0, pilots may go to tower only (1) upon landing at their assigned base or (2) upon being picked up by a rescue vehicle as witnessed by a CM. Pilots may refuel and rearm at fields other than their base fields. If you land at a base other than your assigned base and go to tower, you will be considered lost (the same as being shot down). If you ditch or bail somewhere and go to tower without are rescue vehicle picking you up and being witnessed by a CM, you will be considered lost. If you have a damaged plane, make it to a field (but not your assigned base), and are too damaged to refuel and get to your assigned base, ask for a rescue to get to your assigned base -- do not just go to tower, as you will be considered lost.

RAF

1) May not carry bombs.

2) 11 group may only launch (scramble) to known incoming LW sited via radar, the observer corps or scouts.

3) 10 group may only launch (scramble) when main elements of 11 group have launched.

4) One (only) squadron in each group may be allocated scout duties prior to scramble.

5) There are no limitations re scout range other than fuel limitations.

6) Aircraft may refuel and re arm at any available field.

7) There are no altitude limits.

8) Emergency Relocation. If a squadron's base is disabled (all FH's destroyed) during a frame, the RAF CO may assign that squadron a new base. The new base must if at all possible be in the same Group the previous base was in. The new base is not restricted to be only from among the list of bases in the table in "RAF Order of Battle" -- it can be any base within the Group as judged by the map of the terrain, given above.

9) Between-Frame Relocation. Squadron base fields can be moved around (between Frames, after Frame 1) within groups but not across groups. A squadron can be moved to a new base, but that new base must be in the same Group area and must be one of the bases listed in the table in "RAF Order of Battle". The squadron can be moved to a small airfield only if that small airfield will then have two or fewer squadrons based there and to a large airfield only if that large airfield will then have four or fewer squadrons based there. Note that this "bunching up" restriction and the restriction on the new base being from among the bases listed in the table is for Between-Frame Relocation -- these two restrictions are not applied to Emergency Relocation.

10) Downed (lost) RAF pilots will able to take up ground gunner and observation positions.

11) Rescued RAF pilots can re up after T = 60 minutes (see rescue below).

12) Damaged aircraft returning to their home/origin field may under go repair and re launch. Pilots returning to tower at other fields (unless under rescue rules) will not be able to re launch.

LW

1) JG & ZG gruppen may not carry bombs but have 2nd lives as Ju87 Pilots.

2) EG &KG gruppen may carry full bomb loads . KG gruppen will have 2nd lives as Ju88 Pilots.

3) KG gruppen must set salvo to 20.

4) One KG gruppen may carry torpedoes each frame.

5) There are no launch time limitations.

6) JG & ZG may refuel and re arm at any available field.

7) EG&KG may only refuel and rearm at fields originally spawning bombers.

8) There are no altitude limits.

9) Between-Frame Relocation. Gruppen base fields can be moved around (between Frames, after Frame 1) within Jafu but not across Jafu. A staffel can be moved to a new base, but that new base must be in the same Jafu and must be one of the bases listed in the table in "LW Order of Battle". The staffel can be moved to a small airfield only if that small airfield will then have two or fewer staffel based there and to a large airfield only if that large airfield will then have four or fewer staffel based there. Ju 88 staffel can only be moved to large airfields that have Ju 88's enabled.

10) Downed LW pilots may take up gunner positions in ZG, EG and KG aircraft.

11) ZG, EG, and KG aircraft may take excess "walk on" gunners within arena limits.

12) Rescued LW pilots can re up after T = 60 minutes (see rescue below).

13) Damaged aircraft returning to their home/origin field may under go repair and re launch. Pilots returning to tower at other fields (unless under rescue rules) will not be able to re launch.

Rescue Conditions

Rescue is available to all pilots who have bailed to ground or sea. Rescued pilots may not take off until past the T+60 minute mark in the scenario. In other words, if you bail or ditch, are picked up (rescued), and it is only 45 minutes after the initial starting takeoff in the scenario, you have 15 more minutes to wait until you can take off. After the T+60 minute mark, rescued pilots can take off right away.

Pilots who return to tower other than by landing at their assigned base or via the rescue rules below will be considered lost.

Pilots will wait to be picked up by rescue craft (Boat or Vehicle or Transport aircraft) or they will walk/swim to the nearest airfield, ship or port. Call on your country channel for rescue by one of your country's rescue craft -- please reserve channel 250 for calls for CM rescue verification as described below. Rescue happens when the rescue craft is next to the downed pilot. Thus, a PT boat or jeep must be next to the downed pilot. A C-47 must land and taxi to the downed pilot, or the downed pilot must run to the C-47, or both.

While pilots on the ground or in parachutes may not be shot at by enemy aircraft, if a pilot ditches his plane and stays in it (as opposed to bailing out on the ground), he can still be shot at and killed by enemy aircraft. It is recommended that pilots who ditch bail from their ditched aircraft.

Upon a rescue craft arriving to rescue a pilot, a CM must be called to authenticate the rescue. Where upon the pilot will return to tower and be available to fly again. Given this, the pilot will not be considered yet lost. Downed pilots ready for rescue authentication should tune to text channel 250, call for a CM to verify the rescue, give side you are on, and give precise location. Maps are divided up into sectors. We use the "keypad" location system to specify location within a sector. In this system, each sector is divided up into sections like the 1-9 keys on the keypad of your keyboard, as follows.


Picture of kepad location system.

For example, the purple "x" is in sector 13,15, at a keypad location 6. In a scenario, you'd say that the purple "x" is in 13,15,6. Furthermore, each keypad location can be further subdivided into a keypad. If you wanted to be even more precise, you could say the the "x" is in 13,15,6,9. Use this more-precise method for reporting your location to the CM for authenticating the rescue. Thus, an example call for CM verify of rescue would be: "need cm verify, raf, 13,15,6,9".

Bailed pilots and rescue craft shall be considered inviolate and must not be attacked under any circumstances.

Rescue craft may not shoot at enemy aircraft or at enemy rescue craft.

Rescue craft (boats, transport aircraft, and ground vehicles) are limited to 2 per squadron or staffel at any time under all circumstances. Thus, the RAF may have up to 28 total rescue craft in operation at any one time, and the LW may have up to 38.

There is no limit to rescue craft lives. Rescue craft can launch from any base. Rescue-craft operators may exit to tower and launch from another base without needing to go back to base -- they can hop around as they see fit.

Non-dead pilots may do rescue duty for a while then get back to normal combat flying. For example, a pilot may land his fighter or bomber aircraft at his normal base (or be landed at his normal base already), launch a rescue craft from any base, hop around doing rescues, exit to tower from the rescue craft (without going back to any base), and take off from his normal base in his fighter or bomber.

Rescue Aircraft shall only operate over land and not cross into enemy territory.

There is no restriction to rescue craft origin. It is intended that rescue craft are always available. For PT boats, at ports where vehicle hangars are destroyed (and thus PT boats would be otherwise be unavailable), the CM's will note the destruction of the VH, notify the LW and RAF CO's that the port's vehicle hangar is destroyed (so that they know additional attacks on that VH are not needed), and then restore the VH so that the port can continue to launch PT boats. Note that if the port ends up not being neutralized (i.e., the VH and more than 50% of the port's town are not destroyed), the VH will need to be destroyed the next frame, as it is counted as repaired between frames. If the port is neutralized, then the VH need not be destroyed again and is counted as destroyed from then on.

Credits

Scenario design: Tilt

Terrain: Asw, Dux, Raptor

Scenario CM's: Roscoroo, Newman, Brooke

RAF CO: Major Biggles

Luftwaffe CO: Krusty

Useful References

RAF Battle of Britain site: http://www.raf.mod.uk/bob1940/controlsys.html

Change Log

This section mentions the changes in each version, so that when changes are made to this document, people don't need to read the whole document to find out where the changes are.

v1.0
-- The initial version of this document.

v1.1
-- Added promotional introduction.
-- Noted in title that rules are not yet finalized.
-- Added more information in dates and times.

v1.2
-- Added clarification in "Additional Rules" about where pilots can go to tower.
-- Changed "Rescue Conditions" so that pilots do not need to ride rescue vehicle all the way back to a base after rescue.
-- These are now "finalized" rules in that dates and times are set. Changes may still happen as needed, but so far, these are intended to be the final version of the rules.

v1.3
-- In "Rescue Conditions", added that downed pilots should call for CM's on text channel 250.
-- In "Rescue Conditions", added clarification and detail on how to report precise locations using the "keypad" system.

v1.4, 8/21/2006
-- Roscoroo added in CM credits.
-- Now adding date of change in the Change Log.

v1.5, 9/7/2006
-- Added Asw, Dux, and Raptor for terrain credits.
-- Clarified by adding specific airfield list to "Detailed Victory Conditions".
-- Clarified by adding specific port list to "Detailed Victory Conditions".
-- Clarified the T+60 time limit in "Rescue Conditions" (formerly listed only as items 11 and 12 in RAF and LW rules, respectively).
-- Method for calculating fuel burn-rate multiplier is added to "Arena set up details and special CM factoring". For this scenario, fuel burn-rate calculated to be set at 1.247.
-- Added description of how to disable radar and picture of radar base to "Arena set up details and special CM factoring".
-- Added caption to picture of keypad location system in "Rescue Conditions".

v1.6, 9/9/2006
-- Made it clear in "RAF order of Battle" that the 6 radar-controller positions are in addition to the 84 pilot positions available to the RAF, and that the RAF recruits them.
-- Made it clear in "RAF order of Battle" that the RAF has 84 pilot positions available.
-- Made it clear in "LW order of battle" that the LW has 131 pilot positions available.
-- Made it clear in "Rescue Conditions" how many rescue craft each side may have and precisely what a rescue craft is.

v1.7, 9/11/2006
-- Made it clear in "Rescue Conditions" that rescue craft may not shoot at enemy aircraft or rescue craft.
-- Added beta frame scheduled for Sept. 16th at 3 pm Eastern US.
-- Added summary of settings changes (compared to main arena) in "Arena set up details and special CM factoring".

v1.8, 9/11/2006
-- Made it clear in "Geography (Terrain)" that wind, while light, can vary a little frame to frame. Reminds bomber pilots to check wind prior to initial takeoff each frame.

v1.9, 9/18/2006
-- Clarified by adding base numbers to Portland and North Foreland in talking about fleet movements in "Arena set up details and special CM factoring".
-- In "Geography (Terrain)", clarified which port numbers are which ports.
-- In "Arena set up details and special CM factoring", corrected RadarUpdateRate to be 120; added several settings (the ones after Killshooter) that weren't previously specified.
-- Based on questions from players in the beta frame, in "Rescue Conditions", clarified how pilots call for CM verification, clarified that non-dead pilots can do duty in rescue craft, clarified that rescue craft must be next to a downed pilot to rescue him (and thus that C-47's must land), and clarified that rescue-craft operators can spawn/hop around.
-- Terrain will be the same as for Battle of Britain 2004, thus there is no longer any special radar building. As a result, corrected information in "Arena set up details and special CM factoring" regarding radar destruction. Radar towers take 1500 lbs of bombs to destroy.

v2.0, 9/23/2006
-- Added DownTimeMult to settings in "Arena set up details and special CM factoring".
-- In "Rescue Conditions", make it clear that PT boats are available everywhere, regardless of base status.
-- In "Geography (Terrain)", corrected information on flotillas. Previously talked about just disabling carrier ack when in fact there is no carrier.

v2.1, 9/27/2006
-- In "Arena set up details and special CM factoring", clarified that VH's at non-neutralized ports are repaired between frames.
-- In "Rescue Conditions", made the restoration of the VH's for PT boat access more clear.

v2.2, 10/1/2006
-- In "Geography (Terrain)", added field numbers next to all field names.
-- In "Geography (Terrain)", added a map of the terrain and note that map includes Group and Sector boundaries, so that it is clear which airfields are in which Group and which Sector.
-- In "Arena set up details and special CM factoring", note that killshooter is now on. Reason was interlopers coming in, manning ack, and shooting down people on their own side before CM's could boot them out of the arena.
-- Added "Useful References" section, with links to useful references.
-- In "Additional Rules", clarified the rules on how RAF and LW may move their squadrons and made these relocation rules more specific.

v2.3, 10/x/2006
-- Added field numbers for Ford airfield and West Beckham radar station in "Geography (Terrain)".