steve's blog

I’ve just lost the Coral Sea campaign game from Zero! to Paul. Zero! is the Pacific Air War version of GMT’s Down in Flames game.

Initially Paul (the USN) lauched a large carrier strike against my Japanese carriers which got through my CAP and baddly damaged my carrier task forceI was able to launch my strike. My strike, which was supported by level bombers, disrupted his carrier which was unfortunately able to launch a second strike which sunk my carrier.

Game over and a win for Paul!

Paul and I have been playing GMT�s Down in Flames for the first time in a couple of years. A nice, simple game system of WW2 air combat that is great fun to play.

We decided to play the seven raid, early Battle of Britain campaign game from the original Down in Flames box set. Paul took the Germans and I took the British.

• The first mission was a fighter clash over the Thames Estuary. A pair of Bf-110Cs versus a pair of RAF Hurricanes. I took option 3 (a pair of Spitfire Is) and Paul took option 2 (Deceptive course and a BF-19E fighter sweep). The end rest of the skirmish was 9 VPs for the Axis and 10 for the Allies.
• Mission two as long range bomber raid on some factories. Paul took option 5 (Flak guns and BF-109Es) and I took option 7 (Radar and four Hurricanes). I lost a couple of fighters and caused significant damage to Paul�s forces which failed to damage the target. The end result was 15 Axis VPs and 40 for the Allies.
• The third mission was another dogfight over the English Channel. The Germans took option 7 and the British took option 2 leading to a dogfight between four Spitfire Is and four BF-109Es. After an intense dogfight where neither side seemed able to hold the advantage, the end result was that the German ace Molders was shot down along with another of the Messerschmidt with a further one damaged in return for the loss of two Spitfires. 18 VPs for the British and 10 for the German.
• Raid four was a German bombing raid on British destroyers in the English Channel. RAF high command decided not to contest the raid and both sides opted for option 1 – flack. The German raid consisted of a pair of He-111s and a pair of Ju-87s. The Germans scored two direct hits on the destroyers which sunk them for 6 VPs. The RN flak lightly damaged three of the German planes for no VPs.
• Raid five was another attack on shipping in the channel. The Germans attacked with four BF-110s of which two were loaded with bombs. The RAF defeneded with two Spitfires Is. The bomb loaded Bf-110s were persued over the freighters by the Spitfires who shot one down but were unable to prevent a vital hit on the freighters totally sinking them. One Spitfire was shotdown by a lucky shot which ignited the fuel tank. End result: 10 VPs for the German and 5 VPs for the British.
• Initally raid six looked like being a German attack on merchant shipping off the Isle of Wight but turned out to be a feint and the attack was against more destroyers. The raid was made up of a pair of Stukas and a pair of He-111s. The RAF defence was made up of a pair of Hurricans and a pair of Spitfires that carried out a home bound bounce on the Germans. The result was all four German planes were shot down with one Hurricane being damanged with a minor hit on the target. German VPs:3; RAF VPs: 22.
• The final raid was again on shipping in the Channel. Bf-109s were tasked with bombing, escorted by a pair of Bf-110s and a pair of Bf-109s. The RAF defended with a pair of Spirfires and a pair of Hurricanes. Three German planes were lost for two RAF fighters and the frieghters were totally sunk. 17 German VPs for 15 RAF.

The overall campaign results was -40 VPs which equates to an Outstanding RAF performnce and a miserable German performance – only one point from dismal!

Good fun…