Bomber Command: The Battle for Berlin AAR

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

Finally, we reach the bombing phase of turn 7.

The two Mosquito raids are resolved automatically.  Each raid scores 1VP against any city except Berlin.  Attacking Berlin gains 3VP.  I gain 2VP for my 2 Mosquito raids.


We move over to the city bombing map.  Karlsruhe is a class C city which sucks because it is small and hard to hit.

First, I place my aim-point marker where I want the pathfinder units to drop their Target Indicator flares.  I place the marker in the centre of the city.
Next, I mark my approach vector.  We are playing with the rules variant that says the target vector must match the bomber stream path on the main map, so I place that facing SE.
Finally, I select the type of Target Indicator markers to use and place them on the aimpoint.  Because it's cloudy, I have to use the Parramatta marking.  This consisted of using OBOE radio direction signals to find a drop point and blindly dropping flares when the beacon transmitted the proper signal.  Unfortunately for me, Karlsruhe is out of OBOE range so I'm just blind dropping markers.

The city has an average radar signature so I get no bonuses or penalties from H2S radar.

I play my Pathfinders card to give me a -1 bonus for target marking.
I suffer a +1 penalty for Parramatta marking which cancels out my bonus.

I roll to see if the markers drift off the aim point.  I roll a 5 on 2D6 which means the target marking was good and I'm right on the aim point.




Next I roll to check the quality of marking.  I roll a 4 on 2D6 which means the quality is average.  I get to choose a mix of 20 chits comprised of HE bombs and incendiaries.  I select 8 HE and 12 incendiaries.  I'm bombing in clouds and my marking was average which means that 5 of my 20 bombs hit the aim point.  The rest are spread out in concentric rings around the aim point with one bomb per hex.


I randomly draw chits and get 2 HE and 3 incendiaries on the aim point and then disperse the rest of the bombs around the target.
The initial result looks like this.



Now we determine the degree of bombing error.  The German plays a smoke pots card.  I have a disruption value of 6 on my main force.  According to the table this means I have an error value of 4 once everything's been taken into consideration.  This allows the German play to move a total bomb chits a total of 4 times.

He selects both of the HE bombs that hit the city centre and moves each one two spaces out into the fields to the NW.

I now get to check my total accuracy and can then move a number of chits equal to my accuracy value.  Sadly, my total accuracy value comes to zero and I can't move anything.

Next, I get to convert chits to start major fires.  The number of chits I need to start a fire varies depending on the type of hex.  My aimpoint was the city centre.  Because he moved the HEs out, my only option is to convert 2 incendiaries into 1 fire.  I do so.  I don't have enough bombs in any one hex anywhere else to start any other fires. 

There aren't enough fires to check for bomb creep back.

The weather is poor so there's no chance of a firestorm.

The German player then plays a Civil Defence card which puts out the major fire.

Final bombing tally looks like this.  It's not great but not too bad either.



On to turn 8 and the trip home.

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

Rather than run through a turn by turn play by play on the return leg, I'll just skip to the end as not a lot more happened in the game.  The tame boars knocked down a few more bombers and we lost another one landing in England.

The Germans had some bad luck on their landing rolls and lost a fair number of fighters to accidents.

In total, the Germans lost 15 night fighters.

The RAF lost 6 bombers from the main force raid. 
The Gardening raid lost 5 bombers.
Mosquito raid B lost 1 fighter-bomber.
Mosquito raid C lost 1 fighter-bomber.


Total victory points are:
3 VP for the Gardening raid
1 VP for Mosquito raid B's bombing of Darmstadt.
1 VP for Mosquito faid C's bombing of Stuttgart.
6 VP for the Main Force's bombing of Karlsruhe.
13 VP for the damage done to Karlsruhe.
7.5 VP for 15 downed night-fighters.

Total: 31.5 VP for the RAF


Germany gets:
11 VP for 11 downed heavy bombers
4 VP for 2 downed Mosquitoes

Total: 15 VP for Germany




In order to determine the scenario outcome, the German VPs are subtracted from the RAF's total:  31.5 VP - 15 VP = +16.5VP

A value of +16.5 VP is a draw. 

All things considered, I think it went reasonably well.  I didn't get the cards I needed to get a really accurate bombing result but I think I lucked out on some of the German's infiltration checks and suffered less damage than I might well have.

I think it's a pretty fun game but I  would prefer a better system of handling electronic warfare than the card deck.  I have never been a fan of cards in wargames as I think they make things way too random and the results often feel too arbitrary.  I'd also like a better way of keeping track of fuel consumption for the German fighters as that's a critical component and it's way too easy to forget to move a counter when you have so many on the fuel track.

[MengJiao]

I think it's a pretty fun game but I  would prefer a better system of handling electronic warfare than the card deck.  I have never been a fan of cards in wargames as I think they make things way too random and the results often feel too arbitrary.  I'd also like a better way of keeping track of fuel consumption for the German fighters as that's a critical component and it's way too easy to forget to move a counter when you have so many on the fuel track.

Fantastic AAR!  Many thanks!!