Effective play of Gary Grigsby’s Eagle Day to Bombing the Reich requires patience and study.
For the Axis player to be successful for the Eagle Day side of things, he must bomb British
targets again and again, send recon aircraft over targets to get good damage assessment
photos, and also consider spreading out his attacks to stretch the British defenses to their
breaking point. For Bombing the Reich, he must carefully balance his resources, especially his
fighter strength, and commit them when victory is possible. Spreading out his fighter defenses
in the face of overwhelming Allied air superiority would be a mistake, but so too would putting
all fighter groups into only a handful of airfields.
On the other side of the coin, the British player must deal with a swarm of German raids in
Eagle Day that never seem to end. He must consider when and if to redeploy anti-aircraft (AA)
guns, balloon barrages and fighter squadrons, and must also make the calculated (though
terrible) decision to allow certain areas of his country to go undefended in order to conserve
his resources and protect more strategically important areas. It is all of these considerations
and challenges that face you in this game, and the mastering of these elements takes time.
The Allied player in Bombing The Reich has it somewhat easier as the roles are reversed, but
will face the same challenges – the Axis will not die quietly.
This chapter and the following sections describe how to play the games.
Top Orders Bar
The top of the screen is where you will issue most of your orders. Depending on the order,
additional orders may display prompting the player to make additional choices.
Bombing Missions
Select this option to plan bombing missions. Follow these steps:
- Select ‘Bombing Mission’ on the Raid Planning screen. This opens the planning screen.
- On the planning screen, select ‘Primary’ to set your primary target. Once you’ve done so,
find and select a target on the map you wish to designate as the primary target. This is the
main target your raid will go after.
Primary Target Selection
Once the primary target is selected, a white and red line is drawn from one of your airfields
to the target. The white line is the inbound path the raid will fly; the red line is its outbound
path. The course and direction of these lines can be modified (see below). Your airfield which
is highlighted with these lines is called the ‘form up’ airfield. This is the airfield at which all of
your air units will gather to form the raid.
- If desired, select ‘Secondary’ to set a secondary target. Once you’ve done so, select a target
on the map (relatively close to the primary target) you wish to designate as the secondary
target. When selected, a yellow line and box highlights it from the primary target.
Secondary Target Selection
It’s recommended that you set secondary targets often, because your raids may not
always find (or reach) their primary targets Once your raids are in the air, there’s nothing you
can do to help them, so help them now by giving them two targets to choose from.
Raids whose lead unit has Navigation Radar will blind bomb their primary target if no secondary
is set during inclement weather.
Set your flight paths.
- Inbound: This is the first navigation point that a raid will fly to on its path to the target. To set
the inbound point, first select this option and then click on the map. The ‘white’ line will adjust
its shape to indicate where the inbound point is. You can set three Inbound points (1, 2, and 3).
- Initial Point: This is the fourth navigation point that a raid will fly to on its path to the target. To
set the initial point, first select this option then click on the map. The ‘white’ line (i.e., inbound
line) will adjust its shape again to indicate where the initial point is.
- Exit Point: This is the first navigation point that a raid will fly to on its path from the target back
to its base. To set the exit point, first select this option then click on the map. The ‘red’ line (i.e.,
outbound line) will adjust its shape again to indicate where the exit point is.
- Outbound: This is the second navigation point that a raid will fly to on its path from the target
back to its base. To set the outbound point, first select this option then click on the map. The
‘red’ line (i.e., outbound line) will adjust its shape to indicate where the outbound point is. You
can set three Outbound points (1, 2, and 3).
You can rout waypoints around major flak concentrations, but be warned that more time over
enemy airspace means more time for fighter attacks.
The Purpose of Adjusting Your Flight Paths
The purpose of adjusting your raid flight paths is two-fold. First, you can navigate around heavy
flak areas (which is highly desirable), and second, adjusting your flight path dramatically can
mislead your opponent into thinking that you are actually en route to another area of the map.
But, be careful; if you adjust the lines too dramatically, you may actually change the location
of a raid’s ‘form-up’ airfield, which in turn could change the list of units available for the raid
(see below).
Targets of Opportunity
When setting flight paths, you may wish to consider flying over targets along your outbound
line, because if a raid cannot find its primary or secondary target, then during its flight, its
target spotters may get a glimpse of ‘targets of opportunity.’ If it does, then very likely the raid
will drop its bombs. Consider this tactic with extreme caution, however, for if a raid flies over
targets fat with ground defenses, you could get cut to pieces.
Select ‘Follow’ to have this raid follow the same flight path as the previous raid. Of course,
it isn’t necessary to select this feature if this is your first raid. However, later in the Planning
Phase, it might be worth your time to consider having some raids follow others. This tactic was
used quite often by the Luftwaffe during the actual battle, and to great effect. Having several
raids following each other can give the illusion of one large inbound formation, which in turn
could mislead your opponent into over-committing his forces.
Select ‘Shuttle’ to have the raid return to a different airfield than its home base. Once
you’ve selected this feature, you are prompted to choose a shuttle airfield. Choose one of your
airfields on the map. This airfield is now considered the shuttle airfield for the raid. As soon as
the raid reaches its shuttle airfield, it immediately reattaches itself to the new command under
which that shuttle airfield is assigned and will be able to function normally in the future. One
important note to make is that if you do assign a shuttle airfield to a raid, it’s possible that units
in the raid may become ‘disbanded.’ A unit is disbanded only as a result of being reassigned to
a shuttle airfield, and only if it runs out of operational aircraft at the time. The unit is removed
from the game and its aircraft is rotated back into the replacement pool. One reason you may
wish to ‘shuttle’ a raid to another airfield is to, again, confuse your opponent as to where your
units are located.
Shuttle raids are only available to day bombers.
- Set the altitude for the raid. Each raid is assigned a default altitude. You may adjust this
altitude by clicking on the left/right arrows on the planning screen.
You may wish to wait to set the altitude until after you’ve assigned units to the raid. Altitudes
can be set up to 50,000 feet or as low as 100 feet. The altitude you set will dramatically affect
the success of your raid (especially for bombing missions). If you set the altitude too high, the
raid will probably do little damage to its target. If you set the altitude too low, you run the risk
of getting torn apart by flak and balloon barrages. So, the best tactic to use when choosing
an altitude is to first pick your units, then review their statistics in the weapons database to
see aircraft ceiling limits, then set an altitude that works well within your aircraft’s limitations.
The tactics and training of the Luftwaffe in 1940 differed vastly from those employed by the
Allied air forces in 1943 and later; therefore, during an Eagle Day campaign you will need to fly
lower than you would in Bombing The Reich to achieve the same results.
Level bombers release their bombs from the assigned altitude
and return to their home base before descending to land. Dive
bombers dive down to 1000 feet to release their bombs and then
climb back up to 5,000 feet to avoid barrage balloons (8,000 if
they are Heavy Balloons) and light flak on the way home. If you
set an incoming altitude for dive bombers below 10,000 feet they
conduct a ‘glide’ bombing attack and are not as effective.
Fighters on sweep missions (see below) will dive down to 1000
feet only if they strafe airfields and then climb back up to 5,000
feet (or 8,000 if Heavy Balloons) to avoid balloons and light flak.
Fighter sweeps and any other outbound fighter units which are
flying directly over locations with balloon barrages will dive down
to attack the balloons, but keep in mind that there is a slight
chance that they will get tangled in the cables.
Flying Under Radar: Setting the altitude below 500 feet allows the raid to fly ‘under radar.’
Chain Home (CH) radar sites detect incoming raids at a minimum altitude of 3,000 feet, while
Chain Home Low (CHL) radar sites detect incoming raids at a minimum altitude of 500 feet.
Flying under radar has its advantages and disadvantages. Recons, night intruders, and small
fighter sweeps have the best opportunity to fly under radar. They can reach their target, do
their business, and be off before the enemy can do much about it. However, if you attempt to
fly large formations under radar, you’re likely to get cut to pieces by light AA guns and balloon
barrages. So, take extreme caution when assigning raids to fly under radar.
Set the raid’s launch time (start time). The time you set is the time the raid launches from
its form-up airfield. You cannot start a raid any earlier than 6:00 in the morning and raids can
be set to launch into the early hours of the next day. A raid’s start time also directly affects its
‘time over target’ (TOT) time which the game calculates for you based on the raid’s start time
and the units you choose. See below for more information about a raid’s TOT.
Pick the lead unit for the raid by selecting ‘Pick Lead Unit’ on the planning screen. This is
the air unit that will lead the raid. Immediately a window opens to show you a list of units from
which to choose one unit as the raid’s lead unit. On this list, select the unit you wish to lead the
raid. Read the unit details on this list carefully, as you want to pick the best unit possible. Your
lead unit doesn’t have to be very large, but it should have good attributes, as this will be the
unit whose pilot’s spot the target. So, the better quality the lead unit, the better chance the raid
has of damaging the target. The list of units here is not a full list of every unit in the Luftwaffe.
It is merely a selection of units that the game considers best suited for that particular raid from
that particular form-up field. Once you are finished selecting the raid’s lead unit, click ‘Done.’
You are now ready to assign additional bomber units to the raid.
Add additional bomber units to the raid by selecting ‘Add Bomber Units’ on the planning
screen. Immediately, the screen refreshes to show you a list of bomber units you may add to
the raid.
Select any and all units on this list you wish to add to the raid. These units are immediately
marked with the word ‘BOMB’. Notice that the lead unit is present and is marked with the
word ‘LEAD.’ The unit will also be highlighted. The additional bomber units appearing here are
a small selection of units the game considers best suited to accompany the lead unit on its
mission. Once you are finished selecting units, click ‘Done.’ You are now ready to assign escort
fighters to the raid.
Important Note: There are four primary attribute columns on the
‘pick lead’ and ‘add bomber’ tabs: ready, experience (exp), morale,
and range. Ready is the number of aircraft ready to fly in the unit;
experience represents the overall quality of the unit; morale is the
quality of the unit to press on in the face of losses; and range is
the distance of the unit from the ‘form-up’ airfield. You should
review these attributes carefully before picking bombers, as they
will affect the overall performance of the raid during its mission.
Pay particular attention to the ranges of your bomber units to
their form-up airfields, because bomber units will trade off bombs
for fuel; so if you have plotted a target a long way away from the
form-up field, you should be able to reach the target but you’ll be
carrying fewer bombs.
Fighter Escorts
- Add fighter escort to the raid by selecting ‘Add Fighter Escorts’ on the planning screen.
Immediately, the screen refreshes to show you a list of fighter units you may add to the raid.
Select any and all fighter units on this list you wish to escort the bombers. When you first select
them, they are set at ‘close escort’ (ce).
Close Escort (ce): Close escort fighters protect the bombers by getting between them and the
interceptors. This is a good tactic for preventing bombers from being attacked, but the escorts
usually fight at a tactical disadvantage.
High Escort: High escort fighters fly above the raid and pounce enemy interceptors that fly
nearby. High escort tactics will usually allow the escort fighters to engage the interceptors at
a tactical advantage. High escort tactics are not very effective at preventing the bombers from
being attacked, however. To change a fighter unit from close to ‘high escort,’ first select the
high escort button appearing at the bottom of the screen, and then set the altitude you wish
the fighters to fly above the bombers. Once you’ve made these settings, then choose fighter
unit(s). The units you select will have ‘he’ appear beside their ready aircraft, and their escort
status and altitude marked accordingly.
Layering Your High Escorts: When setting escorts to higher altitudes, it’s important to know
how enemy interceptors will come in to attack the raid. Interceptors set to Direct tactics will
try to attack a raid at 1,000 to 2,000 feet above the raid’s altitude. Interceptors set to Bounce
tactics will try to attack the raid at 4,000 to 5,000 feet above the raid’s altitude. So, you might
want to set different altitudes for your high escort units in order to cover a larger area of sky
above the bomber formation.
Fighter Ranges: A fighter unit will only escort its bombers the distance of its fuel range.
Once its fuel reaches the amount required to return home, it will break off and leave. Drop
tanks increase a fighter’s escort range, but drop tanks are released as soon as the unit enters
combat. So, pay particular attention to your fighter ranges and assign escorts accordingly.
Setting a Delay: In addition to setting fighter units on high escort, you may also set a time
delay. The time delay is the number of minutes the escort will be delayed after the main raid
departs. This allows different fighter groups to escort the raid on different segments of its
flight path.
To set a delay, first set the delay time in the bottom right-hand corner of the escort screen, and
then select the fighter unit. The unit’s delay time will change to reflect your settings.
Once you are finished choosing fighter escorts, click ‘Done.’ You have finished plotting a
raid!
To begin plotting another bombing raid, select ‘New Mission’ on the planning screen. This
refreshes the screen and you are ready to repeat steps 2 through 11.
Once you are finished plotting all bombing raids, click ‘Done’ at the bottom of the planning
screen to return to the main Planning Phase.
Recon Mission
Select this option to plan recon missions. The specific steps to plan recon missions are exactly
the same as regular bombing missions (see above). Recon missions are usually conducted by
one aircraft or a small group. The purpose of launching recon missions is to fly over targets
to take aerial photos in order to gauge the amount of damage your raids have delivered to
the target. Recon missions can also be planned first to fly over a target to get a better idea of
where to attack. If there is no target photo for a target then it will be much more likely that
bombers will fail to locate it. If photos are out of date (i.e., any recon photo over 2 days old)
then the bomber planners will have less accurate information concerning air units stationed at
the target (if an airfield) the ground defenses, or damage.
A recon aircraft will take up to five photos during its mission; it will take a photo of its primary
target and any secondary targets, then will take additional photos if it has film left and comes
close to another target.
The German Ju86 is capable of flying at extremely high altitude,
making it nearly impossible to intercept. Other aircraft are not
quite so lucky (both German and Allied). Care must be taken when
launching recon missions. However, in Bombing the Reich, recon
missions have a greater chance of success since by this stage of
the war both sides had dedicated recon aircraft (instead of just a
regular aircraft with a camera bolted on).
Also, if you can coordinate it properly, you can run recon missions in the morning, have them
return to home base, and then launch missions against the target they reconned to get the
benefit of updated information. In other words, recon information on targets is immediately
updated as soon as the recon unit arrives home. So, it’s recommended that you run as many
recon missions as you can to keep your intelligence up to date. Your staff is good at plotting
recon missions.
Fighter Sweep
Select this option to plan fighter sweeps. The specific steps to plan fighter sweeps are exactly
the same as regular bombing missions (see above). A fighter sweep is one or more fighter units
assigned to fly over a target or to a specific spot in Britain in an attempt to hinder RAF activity.
Fighter sweeps conducted over airfields will strafe the airfield and (hopefully) destroy/damage
aircraft before they leave the ground. So, a good use for fighter sweeps is to run them early in
the morning about 30 minutes to an hour before launching bombers and their escort in order
to catch the RAF off guard.
In the Battle of Britain game, only S/E (single-engine) aircraft can
be assigned to Fighter Sweeps. However, in Bombing the Reich,
twin-engined fighters may be used for Fighter Sweeps.
And, if planned carefully, fighter sweeps can also play an escort roll, if you assign them to cover
the area a bomber raid will fly into.
The Effects of Interceptions and Ground Defenses on Raids: There are various effects associated
with your raids being intercepted by units and ground defenses.
When fighters engage the enemy, they immediately begin to expend their fuel at four times the
normal rate. And when they reach the fuel level that they need to return home, they break off
the attack and fly home as ‘stragglers.’ Fighter bombers drop their bombs and then attack like
‘fighters.’ All other aircraft do not expend extra fuel once intercepted, they defend themselves
normally, and they do continue to their target (unless they are shot down or damaged). Once
they reach their targets, if still engaged, their bombing accuracy is reduced depending upon
the severity of the engagement (including ground defenses). Also, if a formation is attacked in
such an aggressive manner that it must make a morale check, if it fails the check, the whole
group will abort its mission, jettison its bombs, and head straight for home. This is where a
unit’s morale rating comes into play.
Furthermore, a Sweep can be turned into a Patrol mission. Assign a secondary target to the
unit; the unit will then sweep to the primary target and patrol at the secondary target. Since
Fighter Sweeps are incredibly deadly missions, if planned correctly, it is possible to catch
enemy planes landing, which will place the landing planes at an extreme disadvantage. Setting
a secondary target to an enemy airfield may catch planes in this manner.
During the Battle of Britain, 12 Group was assigned by the RAF
to protect 11 Group’s airfields, while 11 Group did the brunt of
the interception work. This kind of strategy may work for an RAF
player as well.
Night Bombing Mission
Select this option to plan night bombing raids. The specific steps to plan night missions are
exactly the same as regular bombing missions (see above). The only exception is that night
bomber groups are not escorted by fighters, and therefore that step is skipped. However, night
intruder missions may fly along the same path as a night bomber raid and occasionally shoot
down an RAF night-fighter. So, night bombing missions can receive fighter escort if you plan
it correctly.
Nachtkampfgruppe is the command specifically involved in the coordination of the night
bombing offensive for the Luftwaffe. KGR 100 units are assigned to Nachtkampfgruppe.
It is recommended that these units be used only as lead units when planning night bombing
raids.
Night Intruder Mission
Select this option to plan night intruder raids. The specific steps to plan night intruder missions
are exactly the same as regular bombing missions (see above). Night intruder missions are
flown to disrupt the enemy’s night air defense systems. They may fly along the path of friendly
night bombers and attempt to engage enemy interceptors. They may patrol or bomb enemy
airfields and attempt to shoot down enemy fighters that are trying to land. When planning night
intruder missions, you’ll notice that only one aircraft from the unit being selected is assigned
the mission. One night intruder aircraft is assigned to the mission per unit you select.
Set Bomber Targets
As Luftwaffe commander, one of your options is to allow your staff to plot some (or all) of
your missions for the upcoming Movement Phase. Your staff can plot all of the less important
missions (such as small fighter sweeps and night intruders), giving you time to concentrate on
those missions you wish to personally plan. Too, if your staff plots missions you don’t like, you
may cancel or modify them as you see fit. To have your staff plot missions, follow these steps:
Select ‘Select Bomber Targets.’ This places you in the Staff mode. Immediately, the screen
reveals a set of staff options.
As soon as this screen opens, you’ll notice a listing of air commands (if applicable). You may
change the command group by simply selecting a new one. Once you’ve selected a command
group, you are ready to choose targets.
Select the target type you wish your staff to plot missions against. By default, Primary
Airfields are selected (as they are often the target most heavily attacked). Selecting another
target changes the picture and data in the bottom right-hand corner. This information is
extremely valuable as it explains what the target is and its importance in the game.
The target information in the bottom right-hand corner shows the target type name, the
number of actual locations of that target type, the number of locations currently damaged,
the capacity of the target, and the damage percentage. The textual description beneath the
target picture gives you details about the target and its significance in the game. If the target
is classified as a ‘critical industry,’ then that information is also shown.
Once you’ve selected a target type, set the Maximum Cloud Level under which your staff
will plot missions. Setting a maximum cloud cover of 70, for example, tells your staff not to plot
any raids for the upcoming Movement Phase if the cloud cover will be 71 or higher.
Once you’ve set the cloud cover, set the Minimum Unit Morale Level by which your staff will
select units for raids. Setting a minimum morale level of 35, for example, tells your staff not to
select any units that have a morale of 34 or lower.
After setting cloud cover and morale levels, order your staff to plot a set of raids. You may
choose one of six orders:
Plot a Single Raid
When you select this order, you are immediately prompted to choose a primary target on the
map. After choosing a primary target and clicking ‘Done,’ your staff chooses the unit(s) which
will fly that mission. They will also pick the type of mission to fly against that target.
Plot a Raid Group
When you select this order, you are immediately prompted to choose a primary target on the
map. After choosing a primary target and clicking ‘Done,’ your staff will plot a single mission to
that target, plus a series of other raids against targets in the surrounding area.
Plot All Recon
When you select this order, your staff automatically plots a series of recon missions against
various targets in Britain (with an emphasis on picking locations of the target type you have
designated).
Plot All Sweeps
When you select this order, your staff automatically plots a series of fighter sweeps against
various targets in Britain (with an emphasis on picking locations of the target type you have
designated).
Plot All Raids
When you select this order, your staff automatically plots a variety of raids against various
targets in Britain (with an emphasis on picking locations of the target type you have designated).
Cancel All Raids
When you select this order, your staff will cancel all raids it has plotted for the selected
Luftflotte only.
Repeat the steps above to continue ordering your staff to plot
raids until you are finished, or they tell you that you have ‘run out
of resources.’
Running Out of Resources
It’s important to note that your staff isn’t perfect, and they will generally be very conservative
when plotting raids. There’s a lot of randomness built into the staff function, and they may
often plot raids you consider foolish. But as the Luftwaffe commander, you have the right
to reject anything your staff suggests, and you may personally modify the raids accordingly.
During raid plotting, there will come a time when your staff will tell you that it has ‘insufficient
resources’ to carry out your request. Kindly smile at them, then escort them to a truck which
will carry them far, far away to a prison for their insubordination. But all kidding aside, you
need to know that your staff is doing the best it can and oftentimes, it will plot a lot of very
good raids. For example, you’ll notice that they almost always assign secondary targets when
planning bombing missions. This is a very good thing to do, as there are a lot of times when
a raid simply cannot reach or find its primary target. If it doesn’t have a secondary target to
attack, it’ll just turn around and go home. So, you can learn a lot from your staff. Just don’t
believe everything they tell you.
Modifying Raids: Your staff will show you the raids as it plots them, and you may modify them
accordingly. To modify a raid, click on its name then select the ‘Modify’ button to open the
appropriate raid plotting screen.
Canceling Raids: In addition to ordering your staff to cancel all raids for a particular
Luftflotte, you may select a raid in the list and then select the ‘Cancel.’ The raid is removed
from the list and its line stays open for any additional raids you may wish to add later.
Auto-Plan Missions
This sets the computer to plan all of your missions, if you feel too overwhelmed to plan them
all. The computer will work according to its set doctrine to carry out its mission, depending on
the current campaign. You can choose to turn this on or off at any time.
Review Missions
Select this option to review a list of all plotted raids. Once you are in this screen, you may select
either ‘Modify’ to adjust a raid (this takes you to the raid’s planning screen), or select ‘Cancel’
to remove the raid completely. The line on which the cancelled raid appeared remains in the
mission list and is filled in if you add a new raid later.
Raid Number and Lead Unit: The raid number and lead unit are listed first.
Type: This indicates the mission type. BOMB = bomber (night bomber also); FS = fighter
sweep; NI = night intruder; REC = recon.
Ftr: The number of fighters assigned.
Bmr: The number of bombers or recon aircraft assigned. Also, fight-bombers are classified as
bombers for game purposes.
Depart: The time the raid is due to complete forming up and launch.
Alt: The assigned altitude.
Time over Target (TOT): The time the raid is due to arrive over the target. Bomber units that
suffer losses may turn back before reaching the target. Bomber units may fail to locate a
target due to cloud cover or poor intelligence of the target area (i.e., no recon photo). It’s also
important to note that a raid’s TOT may change a few times as you are planning the raid.
As you begin to plan the raid, the game tries to give you an estimated TOT. But once the raid is
finalized, the TOT will change to reflect a more accurate time. However, if you ‘modify’ the raid,
the TOT may change again. So, do not interpret the TOT number as a perfect and exact time
the raid will reach its destination. Interpret it as a good ballpark figure.
Target: The name and type of the primary target.
Show All Paths
Select this option to review all inbound/outbound flight paths of all raids currently plotted.
This is a nice feature to use because it gives you a good visual idea of the flow of your attack,
where your raids are coming from and where they will all converge and then separate as they
reach Britain.
List Air Units
Select this option to review your fighter squadrons. The information displayed here shows your
units’ morale levels, damage levels, etc.
The first screen that opens lists the aircraft types
(Hurricane I, Spitfire I, etc.). This is a list of all the aircraft
that are (or potentially will be) flying in the campaign you
are currently playing. If you wish to review a list of all units
of that aircraft type, select a specific type. A list of all units
using that aircraft appears (see below). It’s important to
note that you may see an aircraft type listed here, click
on it, and get no response. This means that that particular
aircraft type is not currently being used in the campaign
and so no units have them.
Aircraft that are not assigned to an on-map unit do not
appear on the list.
Unit Name: This is the name of the unit (example: 238 Squadron).
Attached To: This is the headquarters to which the unit is attached. Most secondary airfields
trace a chain of command through a primary ‘sector’ airfield. A primary sector airfield is
one attached to either Group 10, 11, 12, or 13. Note that there are no secondary airfields in
Bombing The Reich.
Ready: This number represents the number of individual planes in the unit which are ready
to take off.
Unavailable: This number represents the number of individual planes in the unit which
are unable to fly. The four unavailable conditions are: (1) damaged (being repaired), (2) in
maintenance, (3) moving from one base to another (in-transit), and (4) in reserve or without
pilots.
Experience: This number represents the average experience of all pilots in the unit. The higher
the unit’s experience, the better it will perform.
Morale: This number represents the unit’s willingness to press on in the face of enemy
opposition and high losses. A unit’s morale is reduced when its aircraft are destroyed and
also due to high pilot fatigue. A unit’s morale is increased due to inspiring leadership and by
successfully bombing targets (for the attacking player) or destroying enemy aircraft.
Base: This is the airfield at which the unit is based. This can change if the unit is transferred
to another airfield during play.
Once you have reviewed a list of air units, you may select one individually to view even more
details. Once you’ve selected the unit, click ‘Details.’ The ‘unit’ and ‘pilot’ tabs appear.
The Purpose of Reviewing Air Units
It’s important to review the status of your air units to see which are taking heavy losses,
which have low morale, and which have highly skilled or heavily fatigued pilots. Knowing this
information will help you decide which units to rotate out of their current airfields to areas with
less activity, or which units are getting the most enemy kills, etc.
List Targets
Select this option to review details about your industries and airfields. Upon selecting this
option, the screen refreshes to show you the full list of target types.
The number under ‘total’ represents the total effective value for that target type (i.e., the total
undamaged capacity of that industry). It is adjusted downward for damage to other industries
on which it is dependent. The number under ‘damage’ is the percentage of the total capacity
that has been damaged.
Once you’ve reviewed this information, if you wish to review specific target damage, click on a
target type. The specific targets of that type appear.
Target List Name: This is the name of the target (i.e., Beaumont-le-Roger Airfield).
Damage: This is the percentage of damage to the target, broken down in three damage
categories (if airfields), two damage categories (if radar sites), and only one category for any
other target type. If the target has sustained damage, it will be listed here. The damage listed
here is always correct for the defending player.
Air Units/Capacity/Size: This number represents the production capacity or size of the target.
For factories and other industrial targets, this represents the production capacity; for rail yards,
this represents the size/importance of the yard; for airfields this represents the number of
air units the base can comfortably maintain. Primary airfields operate normally with 4 units;
secondary airfields operate normally with 2 units. You may over-stack an airfield if you wish
(i.e., have three squadrons at Croydon airfield), but the effectiveness of that airfield to get
aircraft ready to fly is reduced.
AA Guns: This is the number of anti-aircraft guns currently located at the target.
Balloons: This is the number of balloon barrages currently located at the target.
Attached To: If you are reviewing a list of airfields, the Group (or primary airfield for secondary
fields) the airfield is attached to is listed here. If you wish to view even more information about
a target, select the target name, then click ‘Details’ and the information below appears.
Last Photo: The number of days that have passed since the last recon mission.
Target Details
The target ‘details’ display gives you all the details of the target. It shows the target’s name,
which air group or primary airfield it is attached to (if an airfield), what kind of target it is, its
size, capacity, and other important information. Also included are the following:
Com-delay: This number represents the additional delay in communications caused by the
time required to transmit orders through the chain of command. This may be increased by
damage to communications facilities at airfields or radar stations. For example, if the alert level
of a unit is set to 60 minutes, if its airfield has com-delay damage of 15, it will take 75 minutes
for that unit to get off the ground once it’s ordered to launch.
Com-damage: This number represents the percentage of damage done to communications.
Like the com-delay number, com-damage increases a unit’s delay for launch. Once you are in
a target’s details, you can select any squadrons which appear there (if an airfield) and open
the ‘unit’ and ‘pilots’ screens.
Move Air Units
Select this option to move air units from one airfield to another. To move a unit, follow these
steps:
Select ‘Move Air Units.’ This places you in the Move Units mode. All airfields with air units
are highlighted.
Once you’ve done this, you are asked to ‘Select Airfield.’ When this prompt appears, select
the airfield on the map by left-clicking on it.
Note: You may also select an airfield by clicking the ‘List’ which
appears. Doing so places you in a list of target types, which you
then sort through to find the particular airfield you wish.
Once you’ve selected the airfield, the screen opens to reveal the details of the airfield you’ve
selected, and you are prompted to ‘Select a group to transfer.’
On the airfield’s details, find the unit you wish to transfer and click on the button beside its
name. Some locations have more than one air unit (you may only choose one unit at a time for
transfer). You are then prompted to select a new base.
Select the destination airfield (i.e., new base) you wish to transfer the unit to. The unit is
then transferred to that new base.
When you are completely finished transferring all units, click ‘Exit.’ This places you back in
the Movement Phase. Transfer Time: The time it takes for the transferred air unit to arrive at
its new base depends upon the distance between the two bases, so you may see a substantial
delay before a transferred unit appears at its new base, although its name will appear at the
location immediately.
Transferred units automatically attach themselves to the group command that they are being
transferred to. For example, a unit transferred from Group 11 to Group 13 is now under control
of Group 13. The doctrine settings for that unit are automatically changed to the doctrine
settings of the group it’s transferred to. Operation points used to transfer air units is one point
per aircraft, but even if you only have one Op Point left, the entire unit will be transferred, but
its transfer delay is increased dramatically to account for the lack of the needed op points.
In Bombing The Reich, Allied units cannot transfer between commands, although Axis units
can.
The Purpose of Transferring Air Units
There are a number of reasons for moving air units around from base to base. One very good
reason is to allow heavily engaged units (i.e., those that have flown a lot of missions) to rest.
As a unit’s pilots take fatigue, its combat effectiveness and morale go down. So, for example,
swapping low morale Group 11 units with high morale Group 12 units is a good tactic to use
to keep your readiness and attack quality high. Another good reason is to keep your opponent
guessing as to where your units are. During a campaign, your opponent will be conducting
recon missions to see where your ground defenses and aircraft are located. Redeploying your
units, then, keeps your opponent off guard.
Another good reason to move air units is to respond to the various tactics your opponent
may employ. For example, if during a campaign you find that the Luftwaffe is sending a lot
of low level bombing groups with little or no fighter escort against Group 10 targets, you may
wish to redeploy more Hurricane units to that sector (for Hurricanes are very effective against
bombers).
And you may also wish to move some of Group 10’s Spitfire units to Group 11 to thwart
aggressive German fighter sweeps.
One important caution when moving units, however, should be noted. Each airfield has
a ‘capacity.’ This capacity number is the number of units that that airfield can maintain
comfortably.
Primary airfields have a capacity of 4; secondary airfields have a capacity of 2. If the number of
units at an airfield exceed the airfield’s capacity, then those units will take longer to refuel and
get back into combat. You may exceed the capacity of an airfield if you wish (and there may be
reasons for you to do so), but just be aware of the danger.
When moving AA guns, balloons and units, keep in mind the
number of Operation Points you have. The cost to move these
items comes out of the same Op Points pool, so if you’ve moved a
lot of guns and balloons around, you may not have enough points
to transfer squadrons and vice-versa. So, keep an eye on your Op
Points to ensure you have enough to conduct the transfers you
wish.
Game Options
Select this option to enter the Game Options screen to set various visual and play functions.
Cross of Iron Counter: Incoming raids, once they are picked up on British radar in Eagle Day,
appear first as a Cross of Iron counter. An orange counter represents an incoming raid; a red
counter represents an outbound raid. Once a raid is ‘visually’ sighted by ground spotters or
from units in the air (such as patrols, see below), the counter turns into a top-down graphic
model of the ‘lead’ unit in the raid.
Weapons Database
Click this to view a database of information on Luftwaffe, RAF, and Allied aircraft, as well as
ground defenses.
Each aircraft has a list of statistics: its speed (combat
speed), cruise (its normal speed when flying in
formation), maximum altitude (how high it can fly),
climb rate (number of feet per minute it can climb),
maneuverability (ability to position itself effectively
for combat), durability (how much punishment it can
take before it goes down), armor value (its ability to reduce or defeat enemy shell damage
during combat), endurance (the number of minutes it can fly), load (maximum weapons
payload), gun value (a gun strength summation of the aircraft), and type. Weapons, loadouts,
and ranges are also displayed.
The way to review this information is to look at an aircraft’s attributes in context with other
aircraft. For example, the Hurricane I and Spitfire I are very similar aircraft, but the Spitfire is
slightly better in speed, cruise rate, maximum altitude, climb rate, and maneuverability, while
the Hurricane is slightly more durable and has a better endurance. In contrast, notice how
inferior the Gladiator is in many categories.
Aircraft Details: Clicking on the button beside an aircraft’s gun value opens that aircraft’s
details. Listed here are the selected aircraft’s guns (the number of each and their facings),
bomb load (if bombers), and any radar or electronic aviation components that the aircraft might
have. The gun facings break down as follows:
F = front
TT = top turret
TR = top rear
R = rear
BR = bottom rear
BT = bottom turret
S = side
A gun can only fire toward its facing (unless it’s a turret). So, depending upon what direction the
attack is coming from, only a certain amount of an aircraft’s guns will ever come into combat.
For example, if a JU-88A-5 was being attacked from the front by Hurricane I’s, then only its
forward facing 7.9mm and 13mm machineguns would respond to the attack. So, even though
the JU-88A-5 has a pretty sizable gun value, that doesn’t mean that it will always bring to bear
its full firepower. Bombers also have a location for their bombs as follows:
XT = external bomb location
INT = internal bomb location
SM = Schrage Musik for certain Axis night-fighters
These are for information purposes only and have no bearing in the game whatsoever. NOTE:
Fully loaded bombers will fly 30 MPH slower than their normal cruising speed.
Guns: This is a list of guns which appear (in various quantities) on the aircraft in the game.
Like aircraft, guns have attributes that show their quality. For example, the .303 Browning
machinegun, when compared to other guns, doesn’t look very effective. But notice that its
accuracy is the second highest behind the 7.9mm MG 81, which makes it a pretty formidable
gun. Also appearing here are the effective ranges of light, medium, and heavy AA guns. Their
ranges indicate how high in feet their shells reach into the sky. Though not listed here, balloon
barrages reach up to 6,000 feet.
One useful point to make about reviewing these databases is that it will help you make better
decisions (especially for the defending player) on how to choose aircraft when plotting bombing
raids, escort fighters, and interceptors. If you know a particular aircraft’s limitations, then you
will know how to use that aircraft to its best abilities.
End Phase
Ends the current Phase.
Move AA Guns
Move AA Guns (and balloon barrages): Selecting this option gives you the opportunity to
review your AA gun and balloon barrage resources, and then move them to other locations
if so desired. Unlike moving aircraft (see below), AA guns and balloon barrages are moved to
and from a pool of available pieces, and then from this pool they can be transferred to other
locations. To move AA guns and balloon barrages from place to place, follow these steps:
Select ‘Move AA Guns.’ This places you in the Move AA mode. All locations that currently
contain ground defenses are highlighted.
Once you’ve done this, you are prompted to select a Location. When this prompt appears,
move the mouse arrow over the location on the map you wish to move AA guns and/or balloons
to, and left-click. The location’s details opens. Once you’re on the details, you may move guns/
balloons in and out of the location by clicking on the appropriate arrows.
You may also select a location by clicking on the ‘List’ which
appears at the bottom. Doing so places you in a list of target types,
which you then sort through to find the particular location you
wish.
Click on the ‘+10’ or ‘+1’ arrows to move guns/balloons from the pool to the location. Click
on the ‘-10’ or ‘-1’ arrows to move guns/balloons from the location to the ‘transit’ pool. See
below for more details about the pools.
Once you are finished moving AA guns and/or balloons in this location, click the ‘Done’
button. Repeat steps 2, 3, and 4 until you are finished moving all AA guns and/or balloons
around the map.
When you are completely finished moving all AA guns and/or balloons, click the ‘Exit’ button.
This exits you out of the Move AA Guns function completely and back to the Movement Phase.
Operation Points
Operation points are spent by the defending player each time a gun/balloon is moved. At the
beginning of each new Movement Phase, the defending player is given 100 Operation Points to
spend (in Bombing The Reich, it’s 500 Points) moving guns, balloons, and air units (see below).
The amount of Op Points spent moving these items is indicated in the ‘Move Cost’ column. So,
moving one balloon barrage costs 4 Op Points. Clicking the ‘Undo’ button cancels all transfers
you’ve conducted for the location you are currently working in. Once you’ve reached your
limit in Op Point spending, you may not move any more guns, balloons, or units until your next
Movement Phase.
The ‘pool’ and ‘transit’ columns: When moving guns/balloons out of a location, they always first
go into the ‘transit’ pool and then a day later (i.e., next Movement Phase), appear in the regular
‘pool’ ready for redistribution. The ‘transit’ pool basically serves to simulate (in an abstract
manner) the time it takes to break down the guns/balloons at their location to get them ready
for transfer. The regular ‘pool’ represents all guns/balloons ready to be deployed.
All new guns and balloons produced by the armaments industry during play appear immediately
in the regular pool.
The Purpose of Transferring AA Guns and Balloons
As the defending player it’s important to distribute your ground defenses as effectively as
possible in order to hinder bombing. The more guns/balloons you have in a location, the better
defended that location is.
Each gun type has a fire range (i.e., the distance it can fire into the sky). Refer to the weapons
database for ranges. Suffice it to say that the effectiveness of AA gunfire diminishes with
altitude, so even though, for example, a heavy AA gun reaches up to 30,000 feet, formations
flying along those altitudes are less likely to get hit than those under heavy AA gun fire at
15,000 feet. Raiders, then, flying over targets with these ground defenses are more likely to
be shot down, or run into the balloon cables. Also, raiders flying near AA guns have a chance
of being shot down also; AA guns have a ‘slant’ range so raiders are not safe flying just to the
side of a cluster of flak guns. Thus, you’ll want to keep an eye on which targets have (and do
not have) ground defenses.
In Eagle Day, the area of Britain under Group 11’s command will probably receive the brunt
of any German attack (especially in the 1940 campaigns). So, pay particular attention to your
ground defenses in that area. Review each campaign’s victory and scoring conditions to
see which targets are more likely to be targeted by German raids, then deploy your ground
defenses accordingly. Take care, however, when placing balloon barrages around airfields, as
any units you have attempting to land at those airfields could get caught in the cables.
Set Doctrine
Select this option to change your squadrons’ attack doctrine. There are four British fighter
groups: Group 10, 11, 12, and 13. There are five “Luftflotten” (corresponding roughly to Allied
righter groups): Luftflotte 2, 3, 4, Luftflotte Sud Ost (southeast), and Luftflotte Reich. Clicking
on “Set Doctrine” brings up the screen for the Luftflotte corresponding to the current region
shown on the map. but you may select any unit.
Alert Level and Radius: Fighter squadrons have four levels of alert: 1 hour, 15 minutes, 5
minutes, and 1 minute (the ‘highest’ level). The alert level is the time it takes a unit to get into
the air after it receives orders to take off. The problem with keeping units on the highest alert
level all the time is that their pilots gain fatigue while they are waiting for orders to take off.
The game allows units to start each day on 1 hour alert and then step up their alert level in
reaction to enemy activity. When the radio activity level exceeds 100, then all defending units
(except night fighters) go on 15 minute alert. Units go to higher levels of alert when detected
raids move within a radius that triggers a new level. The exception to this rule is night fighters.
Blenheims, Beaufighters, Defiant IA’s, and Havocs (during daytime hours) do not go on higher
alert when German raids are detected in Eagle Day. They stay at their default 1 hour level until
nighttime hours arrive, and then they can go on higher alert status. The reason for this is to
ensure that night fighters (who perform better at night and should be held in reserve and flown
at night) do not gain unnecessary fatigue during the day. Alternatively, when nighttime arrives,
day-time fighters such as Spitfires and Hurricanes do not go on higher alert. They stay on the
default 1 hour alert level.
Interception Tactics: Interception tactics are set by group and aircraft type. There are four
tactics:
- direct-fighter
- bounce-fighter
- direct-bomber
- bounce-bomber
Squadrons assigned tactics 1 or 2 will have a preference for attacking enemy fighters while
those with tactics 3 or 4 will try to attack enemy bombers.
Squadrons assigned direct tactics 1 or 3 will go straight in to attack enemy formations without
wasting any time.
Squadrons assigned bounce tactics 2 or 4 will maneuver into the best possible attack position.
Bounce tactics usually require more time to maneuver into position and sometimes enemy
escort fighters will attack them during this interval.
To set fighter doctrine, follow these steps:
- Select ‘Set Doctrine.’ This places you in the Set Doctrine mode. The screen opens and
defaults to the Luftflotte in the current map area. The screen refreshes to show you all five
Luftflotten (or Groups in Eagle Day).
- Select your group Group/Luftflotten, then set (by aircraft type) your fighter doctrines for
that Group/Luftflotten. Once you’ve done so, each squadron of that aircraft type (in that Group/
Luftflotten) will follow that doctrine.
- Repeat step 2 until you are finished setting the doctrine for each group, then click ‘Exit’ to
return.
The Purpose of Changing Fighter Doctrines
At the beginning of each new campaign, the game assigns a doctrine to each of your units
based on historical performance. For example, your Spitfire units are set to intercept German
fighters. If, however, you find that your German opponent is sending heavy bomber raids (with
light fighter escort) against Group 11 targets, you may wish to reassign your Spitfire units in
Group 11 to either bounce-bomber or direct-bomber.
It’s important to note, however, that even though a fighter is assigned a particular attack
doctrine, that doesn’t mean it won’t attack a different aircraft type if you order it to do so, or
if it finds itself in a situation where no other target exists. For example, if you order Spitfires
to attack a group of HE111 bombers, the units will do so, even though they may be set to
direct-fighter tactics.
Once these Spitfires get into the area of the bombers you’ve ordered them to attack, if there
are Me109s in the vicinity, they will ignore the bombers and go after the fighters because of
their doctrine setting. You must also keep in mind that there is a certain amount of randomness
built in to how your fighters will react during interception. The skies can get very cluttered, and
so your units will first choose targets based on their doctrine setting, and then choose targets
based on what’s in the area at the time of interception.
List Top Pilots
Select this option to review a listing of your top pilots. As the campaign progresses, the game
begin to promote pilots and adjust their attributes. Units with good pilots perform their duties
better, so it’s important to review your pilot information often and know which squadrons have
the top guns.
Pilot Rank: This is the pilot’s rank.
Pilot Name: This is the pilot’s name. Nearly every pilot (both Allied and Axis) who flew is in the
game’s extensive database.
Experience (exp): This number represents the pilot’s experience. A pilot gains experience
flying his aircraft, by shooting down enemy aircraft, and for successfully bombing targets.
Fatigue (fat): This number represents the pilot’s fatigue level. A pilot gains fatigue ‘points’ in
the following categories:
| Category |
Points |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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Fighter pilot attacking bomber
|
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Bomber pilot attacked by fighter
|
|
|
|
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|
When a pilot’s fatigue points exceed the number 10 plus his current fatigue level, then his
fatigue level is increased by one. During overnight phases (the time between the ending of one
Movement Phase and the beginning of another), a pilot’s fatigue level is divided by 4. A pilot’s
fatigue reduces his skill. For example, a pilot with 25 fatigue will have his performance reduced
by 25%. A pilot’s fatigue level will never exceed 99.
Missions (mis): This number represents the number of missions the pilot has flown.
Kills: This number represents the number of enemy aircraft the pilot is credited with shooting
down. Only pilots with one kill or more are considered ‘top pilots.’
Fate: This applies only to pilots who are currently or permanently unable to fly. There are three
fate types:
WIA = wounded in action (this pilot may return later)
MIA = missing in action (in game terms this is the same as KIA). MIA is more likely to happen
to pilots because they fly over enemy land
KIA = killed in action
Unit: This is the unit the pilot is assigned to. You cannot reassign pilots to other units. They stay
with the unit they are assigned for the entire game.
Type: This is the type of aircraft the pilot is (or was) flying.
The Purpose of Reviewing Top Pilots
Units with top pilots fly better interception missions. Thus, knowing which units have top pilots
helps you decide which to ‘scramble’ against incoming raids. Many of the pilots used in the
game are actual pilots that flew, so there’s certainly interest here for those players who are
familiar with the battle and recognize certain names.
Aircraft Losses
Aircraft Losses (information-only): Select this option to review all the aircraft that have been
destroyed (on both sides) for the day’s raids and for the entire campaign. Two numbers are
displayed for each aircraft type. The first number (under the ‘total’ column) is the total aircraft
losses for the entire campaign. The second number (under the ‘today’ column) is the total
aircraft losses for the day. To the right is listed
the total sorties both sides have flown for the day and for the entire campaign, and also total
aircraft losses.
The Purpose of Reviewing Aircraft Losses
For obvious reasons, knowing which aircraft are suffering the most losses will help you decide
if current attack doctrine is effective. For example, if you’re losing a lot of a certain type of
fighter and you have all of them set on direct-bomber tactics, this probably means that enemy
fighter aircraft are not being fully engaged and thus they have free reign to target and knock
out your fighters. Thus, you may wish to change your tactics to help reduce losses.
Very likely, you’ll lose more fighters during play than any other aircraft. This is not unusual
for the British player in Eagle Day, nor for the German player in Bombing The Reich. Don’t
be too concerned about losses; unless, of course, they grossly exceed replacements in the
replacement pool (see below).
Aircraft Replacements
Select this option to review a listing of all aircraft and their replacements. Two numbers are
displayed for each aircraft type. The first number (under the ‘total’ column) is the total number
of replacement aircraft that have been produced during the campaign. The second number
(under the ‘pool’ column) is the number of aircraft that have not yet been distributed to the
squadrons. These numbers change as the campaign progresses.
The Purpose of Reviewing Aircraft Replacements
Keeping tabs on aircraft replacements is useful if you want to see how quickly aircraft are
being replaced. As play progresses, your aircraft production centers add new planes to your
replacement pool. These replacements are pulled out of the pool during play to fill holes in
units where necessary.
If, for example, the replacement pool number (second number) for Hurricanes is zero (0), it
means that the minute a new Hurricane rolls off the assembly line, it’s being assigned as a
replacement. Thus, knowing that a certain aircraft is not being manufactured quickly could give
you incentive to not scramble units of that type for a while in order to help replenish the pool.
Upgrades and the Replacement Pool: During a campaign, some units begin to upgrade their
aircraft. For example, during the month of September in 1940, all Blenheim units begin
receiving Beaufighters. The old Blenheims are not scrapped; they are simply rotated into the
Blenheim replacement pool to be used by Blenheim units which have not fully upgraded.
Other Aircraft Replacement Sources: In addition to receiving replacement aircraft from your
production facilities, you also receive aircraft from other sources. In 1940, you receive the
following replacement aircraft on even-numbered turns:
From Canada: 4 Hurricane I’s
From Bomber Conversion: 1 Blenheim IF
In 1941, you receive the following replacement aircraft on even-numbered turns:
From Canada: 4 Hurricane I’s
From USA: 1 Havoc I
Action Reports
Select this option to review all the raids against you for the day and their results.
#: This is the raid ID number assigned to the raid by the player. This number is not associated
with the raid ID numbers which the defender assigns to raids as they are detected. Basically,
this is just a numerical list of the raids in the order the attacking player planned them.
Type: This is the raid type. There are four different raid types:
- Bombing (Bomb)
- Fighter Sweep (FS)
- Reconnaissance (Recon)
- Night Intruder (NI)
Ftr: This number represents the total number of fighter planes in the raid.
Bmr: This number represents the total number of bombers in the raid.
F/Lost: This is the estimated number of fighters destroyed in the raid.
B/Lost: This is the estimated number of bombers destroyed in the raid.
I/Lost: This is the number of your fighters that were destroyed while attacking this raid. For the
opposing player, the number here is an estimate of enemy aircraft destroyed.
Target: This is where the raid attacked. This information shows the location name and what
kind of target it was.
R,C,S: The ‘rcs’ numbers represent the damage the target sustained from the raid. The letters
mean different things for different target types. For airfield targets:
R = Runway damage
C = Communications damage
S = Service area damage
Note: Damage to the runway (R) is easily repaired and so you shouldn’t be too concerned with
high R damage against airfields (although there is a risk of your aircraft crashing on a heavily
damaged runway).
Damage against an airfield’s communication and service areas is important, as the attacking
player receives victory points by damaging these areas.
For radar targets:
R = Radar damage
C = Communications damage
For area and railyard targets:
R = Urban damage
S = Railyard damage
For all others:
R = Damage to Factory/Installation
The Purpose of Reviewing the Action Report
The importance of reviewing the Action Report is obvious; as the defending player, you need to
know where the enemy is attacking. And, you need to know which targets are getting hit the
most. Depending upon which campaign you are playing, the enemy will attack targets based
on their needed victory requirements, and so you should review the Action Report carefully to
see how much damage your targets are taking, and where the thrust of the attack is occurring.
Once you take a full assessment of the damage, you can then make better decisions on where
to move your AA guns and balloon barrages, move air units, and what attack doctrines to set.
Replay Turn
Click to replay the previous turn so that missions can be watched/reviewed.
Quit Game
Click here to exit the game and return to the Campaign Selection Screen.
Load Game
Select to continue playing a previously saved game.
Save Game
Select to save the game you are currently playing.
About
Click to read about the people that brought you Gary Grigsby’s Eagle Day to Bombing the Reich.
Intelligence Briefing Phase
The Intelligence Briefing Phase is where the results of the day’s missions are reviewed by the
player. The selections here are ‘information-only’ features. This one gets its own major section,
as there’s a lot that can be reviewed here.
Action Reports: Select this option to review all the raids you’ve conducted for the day and their
results. And, information here may be inaccurate.
The Action Report represents an immediate ‘results sheet’ that your staff hands to you after a
day’s bombing, and so the number of reported fighters shot down, the actual target damage
amount, etc., might be a bit exaggerated. Review the other databases in the Intelligence
Briefing Phase to get a fuller and more accurate assessment on how your day’s missions
performed.
List Targets (information-only): Select this option to review details about industries and airfields.
The difference, however, is the kinds of information displayed. First, as the attacking player,
you can never access a target location’s details. You may select a target type that appears
and review a list of specific locations, but that’s it. The information listed is discussed below:
Name: This is the name of the target.
Damage: This is the percentage of damage to the target. The number here is not necessarily
accurate. Its accuracy is based on the age of the recon photo of the site (see below). If the target
is an airfield, remember that airfield damage is divided between three categories: Runway,
Service, and Communication areas. You only receive victory points for damage to Service and
Communication areas, but the damage listed here is an average of the runway and service
area damage, and its accuracy is based on the age of the recon photo. While airfields are the
primary targets for Eagle Day, Bombing The Reich has a greater target-rich environment and
damage is handled differently. For more information please refer to the Bombing The Reich
section later in this manual.
Size/Fighters/Capacity: This column will indicate the size of the target, the number of enemy
fighters present, or the industrial capacity of the location. For factories and other industrial
targets this represents the production capacity; for rail yards this represents the size/
importance of the yard; for airfields this represents the number of aircraft (‘fighters’) currently
stationed there.
AA Guns: This is the number of AA guns at the location.
Balloons: This is the number of balloon barrages at the location.
Last Photo: Your Target List has a column for the age of the last recon photo taken of that
location. If a ‘none’ appears in the column, you have not taken a recon photo of that target.
The number appearing here tells you how old (in days) the recon photo is. So, if the number ‘1’
appears beside an airfield, the recon photo is one day old. A ‘current photo’ is considered 1 or 2
days old. Any photo older than that means that your intelligence of that location is not reliable.
It’s important, then, to try to run recon missions as often as possible to keep your photos
current. Without current recon photos, you cannot tell how damaged the target is (targets do
repair themselves over time), or how many air units or ground defenses are located there. Also,
targets without any recon photo at all are difficult (if not impossible) to locate and destroy. Once
you’ve run at least one recon mission against a target, then any missions against that target in
the future have a higher chance of finding and targeting the location.