Section 6 Winning the Game

Now that you’ve read and understand the mechanics of Gary Grigsby’s Eagle Day to Bombing the Reich, it’s important to know how to win.

6.1 Battle of Britain Game

In the Battle of Britain’s one-month and full-length campaigns, the British win by preventing a German victory. In the one-day and one-week campaigns, the side with the highest point total wins. Also, depending upon your final score, you may achieve a draw.

There are two sets of campaigns which you can choose from to play: four 1940 campaigns and four 1941 campaigns. The 1940 campaigns are divided into one-day (August 12), one-week (the first week of the full campaign), one-month (the first 31 days of the full campaign), and full-length (the entire three month battle). The 1941 campaigns are also divided into one-day, one-week, one-month, and full-length (a six month battle). On the Campaign Selection Screen, you choose which one you wish to play. The one-day and one-week campaigns are considered ‘short’ campaigns. The one-month and full-length campaigns are considered ‘long’ campaigns.

Each campaign has its own set of victory conditions and scoring system. So, you win a campaign by achieving its victory conditions, and you do that by scoring points. Read the information below carefully to see how to score points.

6.1.1 Battle of Britain Short Campaigns

6.1.1.1 One-Day and One-Week 1940 Campaigns

Aircraft Destroyed: German player receives 1 point per enemy aircraft destroyed.

Aircraft Destroyed: British player receives 2 points per aircraft destroyed.

Airfield Damage: German player receives 1 point per every 4 percentage points of damage to base “service” area of Fighter Command Primary Airfields (R:C:S). These are primary airfields attached to British Groups 10, 11, and 12. Group 13 is not included in the damage.

Airfield Damage: German player receives 1 point per 4 percentage points of damage to base “communications” area of Fighter Command Primary Airfields (R:C:S). These are primary airfields attached to British Groups 10, 11, and 12. Group 13 is not included in the damage.

Runway damage (the “R” number for damage) is not factored into points scored for hits against airfields, because runways are fixed quickly.

6.1.1.2 One-Day and One-Week 1941 Campaigns

Aircraft Destroyed: German player receives 1 point per enemy aircraft destroyed.

Aircraft Destroyed: British player receives 2 points per aircraft destroyed.

Factory Damage: For every 25 points of damage to factories (including oil centers), railyards, and ports, German player gets 1 point times Capacity of target. For example: If factory sustains 25 points of damage and its capacity is 2, then German player gets 2 points.

6.1.1.2.1 Achieving Victory in Short Campaigns

To win a short campaign, you must score more points than your opponent.

6.1.2 Battle of Britain Long Campaigns

The scoring and victory conditions for long campaigns are quite different from the short campaigns. To achieve victory in the one-month or full-length campaigns, the German player must score points in three separate categories: Air Superiority, Industrial Damage, and Terror (i.e., Urban bombing). If the German player scores enough points in these categories, then he wins. If not, the British player wins by default. Also, depending upon the German player’s final score, he may achieve a ‘draw’ (see below).

6.1.2.1 One-Month 1940 Campaigns

Scoring Air Superiority Points

Serviceable Aircraft: Each player receives one point per serviceable aircraft on his side when the game starts, and this amount is adjusted as the campaign is played and as aircraft are deemed out-of-service. A serviceable aircraft is defined as one that is ‘fueling,’ ‘ready,’ ‘taking off,’ ‘flying,’ and ‘landing.’ An aircraft listed under any other category is not serviceable.

Airfield Damage: The German player receives three points (3) per percentage point of Service and Communications area damage to Primary Sector airfields (R:C:S). These are primary airfields attached to British Groups 10, 11, and 12. Group 13 is not included in the damage calculation.

For example, if the German player does 20% damage to the Service area of an airfield, he gets 60 points; if he does 50% damage to the Communication area of the same airfield, he gets 150 points, for a total of 210 points.

At the end of each Movement Phase, the ‘Air Superiority’ level shown is obtained by dividing the German air superiority points by the British air superiority points (German points / British points = Air Superiority Level).

At the end of a one-month 1940 campaign (or at any time during play), if the German player has achieved an 8 Air Superiority Level, he wins.

6.1.2.2 Scoring Industrial Damage Points

Industrial Damage Points are obtained by the player for reducing the enemy’s Industrial Output level by bombing factories (including oil centers), rail yards, and ports. The industrial damage ‘level’ number indicates the overall damage level of industry, and is obtained by taking 8,500 minus the current industry level and dividing by 500 (8,500 - Output)/500 = Industrial Damage Level). As soon as the player knocks the enemy’s Total Industrial Output down under 8,001, the Industrial Damage Level reaches 1; knock it below 7,501, number goes to 2, etc.

6.1.2.3 Damaging Critical Industries

There are certain industries in the game which are classified as “critical industries.” Damage to these industries will begin to reduce the effectiveness of other industries and subsequently drive down their point values. Here’s how the critical industries damage works.

When a Critical Industry’s Output (CIO-indicated on the List Targets screen under the “total” column) is reduced below its ‘critical level’ (CIL), then “dependent” industry outputs (DIO) will be adjusted down using the following equation:

  • Dependent Industry Output Adjustment – DIOA = DIO x (CIO/CIL)


Critical Industry Critical Level (CIL) (BOB/BTR*) Dependent Industries

Electric Power

500/1500

All other industries

Chemical

100/500

Oil Refineries and Rubber Factories

Steel

100/300

Armaments

Ball Bearings

100/500

Aircraft Assembly (Armaments)

Rubber

100/500

Armaments

Aluminum

100/200

Aircraft Assembly

Fuel**

0/200

Armaments

100/500

Oil Storage

100/200

Oil Refinery

100/200

* The number to the left of the slash is the critical number in Battle of Britain; the number to the right of the slash is the critical number in Bombing the Reich.

** Only in Bombing the Reich.

Recon Missions: The player will notice that the Critical Industry Output number (CIO) shown in the “total” column of the List Target is much lower than many of the totals indicated under ’critical level’ above. This is to reflect partial or no recon information of that industry type. For example, as the player, you may notice that the electric power CIO number is listed below 500; this means that you have only limited intelligence information about that industry and so you don’t have a good idea about how effective your attacks are against electric power plants. As you run more and more recon missions against an industry type, then the ’total’ number (CIO) will change to reflect a more accurate reading.

6.1.2.4 Scoring Terror Points (In Both Battle of Britain and Bombing the Reich)

Terror points are scored by knocking out each square mile of urban area (i.e., one pixel on the far zoom-out mode). The player receives 1 point per each percentage point of damage to each square mile of urban area. Therefore, the attacking player receives 100 points by completely knocking out one square mile.

The Terror number represents the ‘level’ of all damage to urban areas, and is obtained by dividing the terror points scored by 20,000. Once the terror points reach 20,000, the terror level increases to 1; once the terror points reach 40,000, the terror level increases to 2, etc. During play, the only way you can see urban damage on the map is to click on the ‘Urban’ button on the Preference tool bar. This will remove all other targets except the urban areas. If the urban area has any damage at all, small dots of yellow or red (fire) appear. The brighter the yellow, the more heavily damaged that urban area is. Red dots indicate fires burning in that area, and these fires can burn for a time, and also spread to other connecting urban areas.

6.1.2.5 Achieving a Non-Air Superiority Victory

Besides trying to win the one-month 1940 campaign through air superiority, the German player may try to win a non-air superiority victory by having damage “levels” which add up to 12 points.

Example: Air Superiority = 5; Industrial Damage = 4; Terror Level = 3 for a total of 12 points.

6.1.2.6 One-Month 1941 Campaigns

In a one-month 1941 campaign, the German player scores points as per the details described above under the one-month 1940 campaign. However, the German player cannot achieve an air superiority victory alone; he must win by having victory “levels” which equal or exceed 12 points.

6.1.2.7 Full-Length 1940 Campaigns

The points the German player must score for victory in the full-length 1940 campaign are the same as described above under the 1940 one-month campaign. The only difference is that the German player can only achieve an air superiority victory within the first 40 days of the campaign.

If he does not achieve an air superiority level of 8 by day 40, then the victory conditions are changed so that he can only win by achieving a total “level” of victory which equals or exceeds 12 points.

Besides winning by air superiority as indicated above, a full-length 1940 campaign ends when certain scoring conditions are not met. To continue play after the first 31 days, the German player must have an air superiority level of at least 4. And, at the end of the second month, the German player must have a combined victory total of 8 or more or the game ends immediately.

6.1.2.8 Full-Length 1941 Campaigns

The points the German player must score for victory in the full-length 1941 campaign are the same as described above under the one-month 1941 campaign, but he can only achieve victory if his victory “levels” are equal to or exceed 16 points. And, as indicated under the 1940 full-length campaign, continuation of the full-length 1941 campaign is checked at the end of each month (every 31 days).

End of first 31 days = 8; end of second 31 days = 9; end of third 31 days = 10; etc.

6.1.3 Playing to a Draw

In addition to winning or losing outright, you may also play at a level sufficient to reach a draw. In the short campaigns, if both scores are the same (i.e., you tie), then you have a draw. In the full-length campaigns, if the attacking player fails to suffer an early ending due to score checks at the end of each month (see above), then the worst he can do is a draw. In the one-month 1940 campaign, he must have at least an Air Superiority of 4 by game end, and in the one-month 1941 campaign he must have at least a combined score of 8. Any other results than those described in this paragraph will equate to either a win or a loss.

6.1.4 Assessing Your Score

It’s important that you keep track of your score during play. You can do this in two ways:

  1. By watching the score numbers, and
  2. By accessing the ‘campaign summary.’

Game Score: For simplicity’s sake, the game score is kept and displayed at all times on the main screen. If you are playing a short campaign, the score is a total for both sides. If you are playing a long campaign, the score is divided out among the three damage levels: Air Superiority, Industry Damage, and Terror. At the end of each turn, the numbers here will change if a score change has occurred.

In short campaigns, the score will change often and usually between each turn. In the long campaigns, the three damage levels may change often, though it is expected that you’ll notice little change between individual turns. This is due to the nature of strategic bombing. It takes a long time to deliver enough damage to the enemy before the score begins to move. As a result, we’ve added a ‘campaign summary’ (see below) which gives you more information about how the course of the battle is going.

Turn/End: This shows you the current turn and the total turns (or days) in the campaign. When you reach the last turn, the game ends.

Attacker and Defender Losses: This is an up-to-the-minute tally of destroyed aircraft for both sides.

Campaign Summary: You may review the campaign summary during play. It provides a more detailed overview of your score and how it was derived.

The top section shows the date, the campaign being played, the turn you’re on, and the current cloud cover. The ‘Score Summary’ section shows the score broken down by damage level (if necessary). The ‘Score Details’ section divides both German and Allied scoring into separate categories, as described below:

Points for Ready Aircraft: This is the number of aircraft ready for service. The number in parentheses (_) is the number of aircraft currently out of service.

Points for Sector AF Damage: The attacking player scores points for damaging enemy airfields. This is the current point total.

Points for Strategic Bombing: The attacking player scores points for damaging enemy industry. This is the current point total.

Points for Terror Bombing: The attacking player scores points for urban bombing. This is the current point total.

British Industrial Output: This is the current British industrial output strength. As Britain’s industrial might is attacked, this number goes down.

The information under ‘Score Details’ will update itself during the Movement Phase whenever you click on the Summary. And, it will fully update itself once the current Movement Phase is complete.

The ‘Attrition Summary’ section is a running total of various data which are important for you to review to see how quickly your air force is being whittled down. It shows totals for both the current turn and the campaign. It shows the number of sorties (i.e., the total number of aircraft launches), the number of aircraft lost, and highest aircraft loss type, and KIA, MIA, and WIA pilot totals. This information does update during the current Movement Phase, unlike the information under ‘Score Details.’ It’s important to note that the ‘Highest Aircraft Loss’ totals represent the highest losses for the indicated aircraft type, and also the total losses of that type for the campaign.

For example, if you lost 13 He111-4s during the current turn, the number 13 appears for the day and the total number of He111-4s lost for the campaign will be listed under the campaign heading.

Also, if a Reaction Phase comes and goes without any attacking sorties (and that’s very likely in long campaigns), the highest aircraft losses remain the same as the last turn in which the attacker’s sorties ran.

It’s important to note that the score summary information is very useful but it IS summary data. If you want more detailed information about the status of specific air units, location damage, top pilot lists, etc., refer to the specific database where that information can be found.

6.1.4.1 When Victory Is Assessed

Victory is assessed at the very end of each Reaction Phase. If victory is achieved, the game ends.

Area (AREA): Areas represent population centers (i.e., towns, suburbs, etc.). Bombing area targets (or “blitz” bombing) increases British terror, which goes toward achieving victory in many of the campaigns.

Civilian Factory: Civilian factories serve no purpose in the game, save that when a legitimate industrial location is destroyed, it may ‘relocate’ itself to the closest civilian factory and begin production anew. As the attacking player, you are most welcome to bomb these targets if you wish, but spending a lot of time and resources doing so may not be in your best interest.

Radar Site (RADAR): Radar sites are Britain’s first line of defense. There are two types of radar: CH (or Chain Home high radar), and CHL (or Chain Home Low radar). Knocking out radar sites reduces Britain’s effectiveness to spot and attack your raids.


CH Sites CHL Sites

Ventor

Poling

Dunkirk

Truleigh

Rye

Beachy Head

Pevensey

Foreness

Hawk’s Tor

Dover

Canewdon

Fairlight

Bromley

St. Cyrus

Bawdsey

West Prawle

High Street

Rame Head

Easington

Carnanton

West Beckham

Walton

Stenigot

Happisburgh

Saxton Wold

Ingoldmels

Danby Beacon

Rosehearty

Ottercops

Moss Flamborough Head

Drone Hill

Shotton

Thrumster

Cresswell

School Hill

Bamburgh

Hillhead

Cockburnspath

Nether Button

Donnies Hill

Worth

Dunwich

Anstruther

Fairisle

Stoke Holy

Cross Drytree

Douglas Wood

St. Twynells

Haycastle

Strumble Head

Warren

Whitstable

Catnip

Prestatyn


GCI sites, 1941

Durrington

Sopley

Willesborough

Avebury

Waldringfield

Orby

Exminster

Langtoft


Primary Airfields (AF): Primary ‘sector’ airfields are the main airfields from which most RAF units operate. These airfields are attached to Groups 10, 11, 12, and 13. Destroying these airfields is of the utmost importance, as doing so curtails the performance of aircraft flying out of that field and also reduces the effectiveness of attached satellite airfields (i.e., secondary airfields). Air units cannot launch from primary airfield with over 50% damage. You must also attack primary airfields to score Air Superiority victory points.

Also note that there are a series of coastal and bomber command airfields on the map which are the exact same size as sector airfields. While these airfields do act as primary airfields, they are not classified as ‘sector’ airfields and thus the German player does not receive Air Superiority points for bombing them.

Secondary Airfields (AF): Secondary airfields are small airfields which operate from converted grass fields or pastures. Many secondary airfields are attached to a neighboring primary airfield, which means that they receive orders to scramble through that primary airfield’s communication system. Air units cannot launch from secondary airfields with over 50% damage. Though difficult to damage, the RAF do use secondary airfields, so it is in your interest to attack them whenever possible. A good tactic is to strike a secondary airfield in conjunction with an attack against its HQ (primary airfield), thus reducing the effectiveness of both at the same time. A list of HQs and their secondary airfields is below.

HQ (Primary Airfields) Secondary Airfields

St. Eval

Roborough

Filton

Exeter

Filton

Bibury

Filton

Kenley

Filton

Driffield

Filton

Pembrey

Middle Wallop

Warmwell

Middle Wallop

Boscombe Down

Middle Wallop

Hullavington

Middle Wallop

Chilbolton

Middle Wallop

Colerne

Tangmere

Westhampnett

Northholt

Heathrow

Kenley

Croydon

Kenley

West Malling

Biggin Hill

Gravesend

Biggin Hill

Hornchurch

Biggin Hill

Hawkinge

Biggin Hill

Lympne

Biggin Hill

Detling

Hornchurch

Rochford

Hornchurch

Eastchurch

Martlesham

Stapleford

Debden

Martlesham

Debden

Castle Camps

Debden

Wattisham

Duxford

Fowlmere

Wittering

Bircham Newton

Digby

Ternhill

Church Fenton

Leconfield

Church Fenton

Ringway

Church Fenton

Dishforth

Turnhouse

Drem

Turnhouse

Grangemouth

Wick

Castletown

Wick

Kirkwell

Wick

Lossiemouth

Wick

Sumburgh

Tangemere

Shoreham

Tangemere

Ford

Northholt

Hendon

Coltishall

Horsham St. Faith

Catterick

Usworth

Acklington

Dyce


Secondary Airfield with no HQ other than Group

Aldergrove

Prestwick

Aluminum Factory (ALUM): Aluminum factories are classified as “critical industries.” Aluminum factories help in the production of replacement aircraft, so serious damage to them reduces the effectiveness of aircraft factories.

Oil Storage (OILS): Oil storage facilities house most of the crude oil reserves of Britain. Britain’s oil comes from foreign sources, so destroying oil storage facilities (along with attacks against oil refineries and chemical factories) begins to create a fuel shortage, which in turn reduces the amount of sorties the RAF can conduct.

Oil Refinery (OILR): Oil refineries convert crude oil into fuel for British aircraft. Destroying oil refineries (along with attacks against oil storage facilities and chemical factories) begins to create a fuel shortage, which in turn reduces the amount of sorties the RAF can conduct.

Chemical Factory (CHEM): Chemical factories are classified as “critical industries.” Destroying chemical factories (along with attacks against oil storage facilities and oil refineries) begins to create a fuel shortage, which in turn reduces the amount of sorties the RAF can conduct. Damage to chemical factories also reduces the effectiveness of rubber factories.

Ball Bearing Factory (BBFAC): Ball bearing factories are classified as “critical industries.” Damage to ball bearing factories reduces the effectiveness of aircraft and armaments factories, thus hindering the production of replacement aircraft.

Electric Power Plant (POWER): Electric power plants are classified as “critical industries.” All factories and facilities need electric, so heavy damage to electric power plants reduces the effectiveness of all other industries in the game.

Steel Factory (STEEL): Steel factories are classified as “critical industries.” Damage to steel factories reduces armaments factory production, which in turn hinders aircraft repairs and replacements.

Rubber Factory (RUBBER): Rubber factories are classified as “critical industries.” Damage to rubber factories reduces armaments factory production, which in turn hinders aircraft repairs and replacements.

Aircraft Factory (AFAC): Aircraft factories are the assembly facilities for replacement aircraft, thus destroying them hinders Britain’s ability to replace aircraft.

Engine Factory (EFAC): Engine factories make aircraft engines, thus destroying them hinders Britain’s ability to replace aircraft.

Avionics Factory (CFAC): Avionics factories manufacture parts for aircraft, thus destroying them hinders Britain’s ability to repair and replace aircraft.

Armaments Factory (ARM): Armaments factories manufacture the weapons of war. Damage to armaments factories hinders Britain’s aircraft and ground defense production.

Railyard (RAIL): Railyards are the hubs of the transportation system of Britain. They also act as the primary communications network, and thus damaging them can greatly reduce Britain’s ability to transport its resources (i.e., fuel, aircraft parts, etc.) and ground defenses. Also, attacking railyards will reduce the effectiveness of any and all industries in its general area.

Ports (PORT): Ports are where foreign crude oil arrives. Thus, destroying ports (along with the systematic bombing of oil storage facilities, oil refineries, and chemical factories) can cripple Britain’s fuel resources and greatly reduce her ability to fly aircraft.

Command Headquarters (HQ): Fighter and bomber commands appear on the map. They appear so that the defending player can know where his command centers are. They are not, however, viable targets which can be attacked by raids. So, the attacking player should not bother in trying to target these during his Raid Planning Phase.

6.1.4.2 Target Damage Repair Rates

Target Damage: During the course of play, targets suffer damage due to bombing. Potential target damage occurs when a bomber formation reaches its target and drops its bombs. The severity of the damage depends upon the number of bombers involved, flight altitude, recon photos status, etc. All non-airfield targets can take up to 100% damage. Airfields, however, because they have separate damage categories, could potentially receive 200% damage, because both the runway and the service area can suffer up to 100%. So, as you are watching your messages on the screen and the number ‘150’ is flashed for damage to Biggin Hill, that could mean that the runway has suffered 75% damage, and the service center has suffered 75% damage.

Strategic Repair Rates: Target damage is repaired at various rates. There are two repair rate categories: strategic repair and tactical repair. All targets except airfields fall under strategic repair rates. Each target repairs an average number of points between Movement Phases, as per the chart below.

Average Repair Points Per Day Target

0.5

Urban

2

Civilian Factories (these factories serve very little purpose in the game save that they may take the place of a factory (like an Aircraft Factory) if it is damaged severely)

5

Radar Site

1

Aluminum Factory

1.5

Oil Storage

1

Oil Refinery

1

Chemical Factory

1.5

Ball Bearings Factory

1

Electric Power Plant

1

Steel Factory

1

Rubber Factory

1.5

Aircraft Factory

1.5

Engine Factory

1.5

Avionics Factory

1.5

Armaments Factory

1

Railyard

1

Port

Tactical Repair Rates: Airfields repair very quickly and therefore fall under tactical repair rates. In addition to airfields, radar sites also have a communication section, and it too repairs quickly. Below is a list of tactical repair rates.

6.1.4.3 Target Section Points

Target Capacity

Communications

1 per 4 hours (airfields and radar sites)

Airfield Service

1 per 4 hours

Runway (over 50%)

1 per minute

Runway (50% less)

1 per 2 minutes

An airfield with over 50% runway damage cannot launch aircraft. However, as you can see by the repair rates above, this will hardly be a problem in most cases. Runway damage to airfields usually translates into launch delays, which can change quickly during play.

Hostile Weather and Critical Industry Damage: Neither hostile weather nor damage suffered to targets due to critical industry adjustments affect repair rates in any way.

6.2 Bombing the Reich Game

There are 13 Campaigns (10 Strategic Bombing and 3 Ground Support) in Bombing the Reich. They cover various phases of the air war from 1943 to 1945. In these campaigns, the Allied player much score victory points in three different categories: Air Superiority, Industrial Damage, and Terror (urban “blitz” bombing). Below are descriptions on how to score these points.

6.2.1 Scoring Air Superiority Points

At the end of each Reaction Phase, the ‘Air Superiority’ level shown is obtained by taking the total number of “serviceable” Allied aircraft and dividing it by the total number of “serviceable” Axis aircraft (Allied serviceable aircraft / Axis serviceable aircraft = Air Superiority Level). This number is generated using only the active air groups in the scenario you are playing. Simply put, as air combat occurs, both sides take losses, so at the end of each turn, the losses are calculated and an Air Superiority level is obtained.

6.2.2 Scoring Industrial Damage Points

Refer to the “Scoring Industrial Damage Points” section in the previous chapter (under section 6.1.2).

6.2.3 Scoring Terror Points

Refer to the “Scoring Terror Points” section in the previous chapter (under section 6.1.2).

6.2.4 The Strategic Bombing Campaigns

Below is a list of the Strategic Bombing Campaigns. For each of these campaigns, the Allied player must score points across all three categories in order to achieve victory). The points the Allied player needs to win is listed as “to win.” At the end of each turn, the current score is recalculated. If the Allied player5 score equals or exceeds the points “to win,” he wins. If at the end of the campaign the Allied player has not scored enough points to win, the Axis player wins.

  1. Introductory Scenario: This one-day campaign (1 turn) is a tutorial scenario for beginning players. The scoring system for this campaign works as described above, with the following exceptions: You score triple points for hitting ball bearings factories. See section 6.3 for a run through of this scenario.

  2. Nachtjagd 1: (8/22/43 - 10/2/43) This six-week campaign (42 turns) depicts the period right after the destruction of Hamburg, when the British were trying to exploit the ability to jam German radar. This is a night campaign using only Bomber Command. The scoring system for this campaign works as described above with the following exceptions: You score triple terror points for hitting urban areas, and normal points for all other targets. To see how many points you need to win as the Allied player, see the “to win” display.

    You can also play a shorter version of this campaign by selecting “Change to Short Scenario” on the Campaign Selection Screen.

  3. Nachtjagd II: (2/16/44 - 4/4/44) This six-week campaign (42 turns) depicts the second phase of the British night bombing campaign. During this period. the Germans developed their “tame boar” interception tactics and their SN-2 radar which was immune to Window jamming. This is a night campaign using only Bomber Command. The scoring system for this campaign works as described above with the following exceptions: You score triple terror points for hitting urban areas, and normal points for all other targets. To see how many points you need to win as the Allied player, see the “to win” display.

    You can also play a shorter version of this campaign by selecting “Change to Short Scenario” on the Campaign Selection Screen.

  4. Nachtjagd III: (7/16/44 - 8/26/44) This six-week campaign (42 turns) depicts the third phase of the British night bombing campaign. This reflects the beginning of a very successful British effort to jam German radar and radios using RCM and Night Intruder aircraft. This is a night campaign using only Bomber Command. The scoring system for this campaign works as described above with the following exceptions: You score triple terror points for hitting urban areas, and normal points for all other targets. To see how many points you need to win as the Allied player, see the ,’to win” display.

    You can also play a shorter version of this campaign by selecting “Change to Short Scenario” on the Campaign Selection Screen.

  5. Big Week: (2/20/44 - 2/26/44) This one-week campaign (7 turns) depicts a period of good weather, where the 8th and 15th Air Forces could coordinate their attack. Their primary targets during this period were aircraft production facilities (i.e., aircraft factories, avionics factories, and engine factories). The scoring system for this campaign works as described above with the following exceptions: You score double points for hitting aircraft, avionics, and engine factories, and normal points for all other targets. To see how many points you need to win as the Allied player, see the “to win” display.

  6. Oil Offensive I: (6/6/44 - 6/12/44) This one-week campaign (7 turns) depicts the 15th Air Force and its assault against the oil industries of Eastern Europe. The scoring system for this campaign works as described above with the following exceptions: You score triple points for hitting oil storage sites, oil refineries, and synthetic fuel plants, and normal points for all other targets. To see how many points you need to win as the Allied player, see the “to win” display.

  7. Oil Offensive 11: (6/16/44 - 7/27/44) This six-week campaign (42 turns) depicts the 8th and 15th Air Forces in a combined assault against oil industries. The campaign area covers most of Europe. The scoring system for this campaign works as described above with the following exceptions: You score triple points for hitting oil storage sites, oil refineries, and synthetic fuel plants, and normal points for all other targets. To see how many points you need to win as the Allied player, see the “to win” display.

    You can also play a shorter version of this campaign by selecting “Change to Short Scenario” on the Campaign Selection Screen.

  8. Full Campaign 43: This 700 Turn full campaign depicts the entire conflict from August 17, 1943 to the end of the war. As the Allied player, you score points as described above To see how many points you need to win as the Allied player, see the “to win” display. In addition to scoring points as described above, Axis “ground troops” are present in this campaign (refer to section 6.2.5). However, you do not score points directly for damaging them. But by reducing their effectiveness, you may accelerate the Allied ground advance which results in the capture and “permanent” destruction of Axis industry In addition, “mandatory targeting” is in effect (see section 6.2.7).

    Score Checks for Early Ending: At the end of each 31 turns of play, the game looks to see if your total points is less than the number of months played times 2. So if you’ve played 10 (310 turns) months and you have less than 20 points, you lose and the game ends.

  9. Full Campaign 44: This 500 Turn full campaign depicts the start of the period where allied escorts were able to protect the bombers deep into Axis territory As the Allied player, you must score points as described above. To see how many points you need to win as the Allied player, refer to the Campaign Summary. In addition to scoring points as described above, Axis “ground troops” are present in this campaign (refer to section 6.2.5).

    However, you do not score points directly for damaging them. But by reducing their effectiveness, you may excellerate the Allied ground advance which results in the capture and “permanent” destruction of Axis industry In addition, “mandatory targeting” is in effect (see section 6.2.7).

    Score Checks for Early Ending: At the end of each 31 turns of play, the game looks to see if your total points is less than the number of months played times 2. So if you’ve played 10 (310 turns) months and you have less than 20 points, you lose and the game ends.

  10. Jet Age 44: This “hypothetical” 500 Turn full campaign covers the same period as the regular 44 campaign, but shows what might have happened if the Germans had received the ME-262 jet fighters early. As the Allied player, you must score points as described under the full 44 campaign.

6.2.5 The Ground Support Campaigns

There are 3 Ground Support Campaigns in Bombing the Reich. In these conflicts, the Allied player is in support of his ground troops as they make their various invasions of the Reich. Like the Strategic Bombing Campaigns. the allied player has the burden of victory; but unlike those other campaigns, he wins by overcoming a severe point deficit. The Axis player begins with a score. The Allied player has to beat that score at the end of any Reaction Phase to win. Also, Ground Support Campaigns have “ground troops.” Below are the scenario descriptions.

  1. Avalanche: (8/17/43 – 10/15/43) This two-month campaign (60 turns) depicts the bombing offensive used in support of the invasion of Italy Avalanche is a “ground support” campaign, which means that Axis ground troops are present. To win, the Allied player must attack transportation targets (rail yards and ports), airfields, radar stations, and ground forces. Both players also get points for destroying enemy aircraft and the Axis player receives points for having troops in certain locations at certain times during play. The scoring is calculated as follows:

    Destroying Enemy Aircraft: The Allied player gets 1 point per Axis aircraft destroyed; the Axis player gets 2 points per Allied fighter plane, and 3 points for all other plane types.

    Serviceable Aircraft: The Axis player gets 1 point per serviceable aircraft in Southern Italy (below y-coordinate 950) located on any airfields with less than 50 points of service damage. You can find the general location of this coordinate by moving the mouse arrow over targets in Italy and referring to the coordinate displayed.

    Ground Troop Strength: The Axis player receives points for effective ground unit strength of any troops below y-coordinate 1,000 (just south of Rome). For example, if there are troops with a total of 800 strength below y-coordinate 1,000, the Axis player receives 800 points for them. At the end of each turn, troop strength is calculated and the Axis score is adjusted accordingly.

    Capturing Axis Buildings/Airfields: During play, the invasion of Italy will occur and the Allied player will eventually overrun Axis buildings and airfields. The invasion begins in Southern Italy and moves up the peninsula until it hits the Gustaf Line, where is grinds to a halt. As areas are overrun, the captured buildings disappear to reflect the Allied advance. Axis airfields, however, stay on the map and turn gray. One week later (7 turns). these captured airfields will turn white, to show that they are fully operational and can maintain Allied air units. Once this happens, the Allied player can transfer air units into these fields and begin using them normally. The Allied player scores 100 points per airfield captured. The Allied player receives 50 points times capacity of any captured buildings (50 x capacity).

    Service Damage to Airfields: The Allied Player receives 1 point for every 2 points of service damage to airfields anywhere on the map. So, if an airfield has 90 points of service damage the Allied player receives 45 points.

    Industrial Damage Points: The Allied player receives 1 point for every 2 points of damage times capacity of any industrial targets, including rail yards.

  2. Overlord 1: (5/1/44 - 8/31/44) This four-month campaign (123 turns) depicts the bombing offensive used in support of the invasion of France. The first five weeks of the campaign depict the softening up of Northern France prior to the invasion of Normandy while the last part of the campaign depicts the Allied air forces in tactical support of the army’s advance. Overlord I is a “ground support” scenario, which means that Axis ground troops are present. The scoring system for Overlord I is the same as Avalanche (see above) with the following exceptions:

    Axis Points: The Axis player receives 1 point per serviceable aircraft in Belgium and France (west of x-coordinate 500). You can find the general location of this coordinate by moving the mouse arrow over targets in Belgium/France and referring to the coordinate displayed.

    Ground Troop Strength: The Axis player receives points for all troop strength left on the map at the end of play.

    Airfield Damage: Same as Avalanche scoring.

    Mandatory Targeting: There is “mandatory targeting” in place for this scenario (see section 6.2.7).

  3. Overlord II: (6/4/44 - 8/31/44) This three-month campaign (89 turns) is basically the same as Overlord 1, but it begins about five weeks afterwards. The softening up of Axis defenses has already begun; you are jumping right into tactical support. The scoring system is the same as Overlord 1, but many targets begin this campaign with damage (see below). Bomber Command is not present in Overlord II, and there is “mandatory targeting” in place (see below).

6.2.6 Pre-Damaged Targets

At the beginning of most campaigns, some targets have already been hit. This reflects prior bombing attacks. These industrial and terror damage points are factored into the Allied player’s starting score. These sites repair normally.

6.2.7 Mandatory Targeting

Mandatory Targeting reflects the political realities faced by the Allied commanders during the air war. During play of all full and Overlord campaigns, certain commands may be forced to attack certain target types. A message is displayed to show the Allied player this at the beginning of his Planning Phase. The mandatory targets are:

  • U-Boat Pens
  • V-Weapon Sites
  • Avalanche Targets
  • Overlord Targets

Pre-emptive Strikes: To prevent the game from forcing certain mandatory targeting restrictions against your commands, you may make pre-emptive strikes against the following targets:

  • By destroying U-boat Factories (and bringing their total capacity down under 1.000). you won’t be forced to target U-Boat pens.
  • By destroying V-Weapon Factories (and bringing their capacity down under 200), you won’t be forced to target V-Weapon Sites.

During play, if you are in doubt as to which commands are under mandatory targeting restrictions, open the “Set Bomber Targets” option and select a command. If that command is under the restriction, it will be marked in red. Commands under mandatory targeting cannot be ordered to attack non-mandatory targets as “primary targets.” However, you can attack any and all target types as “secondary” targets.

6.2.8 Axis Ground Troops

To simulate some of the ground war taking place during World War II, Bombing the Reich includes Axis ground troops (or ground units). Only Axis ground units are present in the game: Allied units are represented abstractly by removing targets and switching ownership of airfields as the Allied troops roll forward.

The only scenarios in BTR that have ground troops are Avalanche, Overlords I & II, and the full-length Campaigns of ’43 and ’44. In all of these campaigns, the targeting and (possible) destruction of these ground troops is important. As the Axis player, you cannot move these units. ’M They are static for the most part, but will move on their own depending upon various conditions during play. For example, during the Avalanche campaign, all ground troops will begin to pull back to the Gustav line sooner or later, and then try to hold that position until the end of play (if they get there, they are very difficult to take out). The more disruption the Allied player can deliver to ground troops, the easier it will be for Allied troops to cause a breakthrough (a breakthrough occurs when a permanent defensive line has been breached - ie , the Gustav Line, the Gothic Line, the Normandy Front, and the West Wall). The sooner the Allied breakthrough occurs, the better chance the Allied player has to score points necessary to win the campaign. But all is not as easy as it seems, for ground troops collect reinforcements as play goes on (through a line of rail yards), which helps them to maintain their combat effectiveness and hold their defensive lines.

There are several different ground troop types in Bombing the Reich:

  1. Infantry (divided between regular infantry (a box with a full X), static infantry (an empty box), and parachute troops (a box with paratroop symbol). There are no real differences between these infantry types; the difference is reflected in their Combat Values (see below).
  2. Panzergrenadier (a box with an X and an oval armor symbol) These units represent lighter armored units, half-tracks, etc.
  3. Armor (a box with an oval armor symbol). These represent stronger and more fully armed units.

6.2.8.1 Troop Combat Value

Each ground unit has a Combat Value. This represents how strong it is. As the unit takes damage, this number goes down and its disruption number goes up. Units with really high disruption values are weaker and therefore cannot fight as well, and thus are less likely to keep Allied troops from causing a breakthrough. All ground units are comprised of a certain number of infantry, artillery, and armored fighting vehicles (AFVs). Ground units also have then own intrinsic AA strength, so low-level bombing of them is difficult at best.

Damage to ground units is handled basically the same way as damage to other targets. As it takes damage, a ground unit changes color from gray to orange to red. This damage represents a unit’s disruption level. During play, this disruption is alleviated by reinforcements and resupply, which are piped into the unit through connected supply-line rail yards. Attacking a unit’s supply line (which is reflected by a white line when you select the unit), can delay reinforcements and supply from reaching the targets, but will rarely ever permanently cripple the unit.

6.2.9 How Allied Invasion and Ground Combat Works

The ground war in Bombing the Reich is handled behind the scenes. The player does not specifically control any ground units, move them, attack with them, etc. The goal of the Allied player, through his coordination of the air war, is to try to deliver as much disruption damage to ground units as he can. The more disruption/damage he delivers, the better his invasion forces will fight and the better the breakthrough.

At the end of each turn after an Allied invasion has occurred (a message will appear telling you when the invasion begins), the game determines the current state of the ground war by rolling dice. The game makes a separate roll for each Axis unit on the map. The game compares the combat value of the Axis unit against the roll, and if the Axis player wins, a breakthrough is delayed by one day. If the Axis player fails the roll, then the breakthrough is accelerated by one day. There are four Allied invasion stages:

First Invasion Stage: Right after the Allies come ashore. Axis units start moving toward their initial defensive line (the Gustav Line in Italy or the Normandy Line in France).

Second Invasion Stage: This is the Allies attempt at breaking through the initial defensive line.

Third Invasion Stage (delaying phase): After the breakthrough of the initial defensive line, Axis forces withdraw to their secondary defensive line (West Wall in Germany or the Gothic Line in Northern Italy). During this stage, there are dice roll chances that the Axis troops may delay the advance.

Fourth Invasion Stage: This is the Allies attempt at breaking through the secondary defensive line.

Fifth Invasion Stage: This is the period following the Allied breakthrough of the secondary defensive line. If Allied troops break the West Wall, they advance towards Berlin and (ultimately) win the scenario. If Allied troops break the Gothic Line, they advance towards Northern Italy.

6.2.9.1 Assessing Your Score

It’s important that you keep track of your score during play. You can do this in two ways: 1) by watching the score numbers, and 2) by accessing the Campaign Summary.

Game Score: For simplicity’s sake, the game score is displayed at all times on the main screen. If you are playing a Ground Support Campaign, the score is a total for both sides. If you are playing a Strategic Bombing Campaign, the score is divided out among the three damage levels: Air Superiority, Industry Damage, and Terror. At the end of each turn, the numbers here will change if a score change has occurred. In Ground Support Campaigns, the score may change often and usually between each turn. In the Strategic Bombing Campaigns, the three damage levels may change often, though it is expected that you’ll notice little change between individual turns. This is due to the nature of strategic bombing. It takes a long time to deliver enough damage to the enemy before the score begins to move. As a result, we’ve added a “campaign summary” (see below) which gives you more information about how the course of the battle is going.

Turn/End: This section shows you the current turn and the total turns (or days) in the campaign. When you reach the last turn, the game ends.

To Win: This section shows you the number of points you need to win the campaign. This only appears in Strategic Bombing Campaigns.

Attacker and Defender Losses: This is an up-to-the-minute tally of destroyed aircraft for both sides.

Campaign Summary: You may review the Campaign Summary during play. It provides a more detailed overview of your score and how it was derived.

This section shows the date, the campaign being played, the turn you’re on, and the current cloud cover. The “Score Summary” section shows the score broken down by damage level (if necessary). The “Score Details” section divides both Axis and Allied scoring into separate categories, as described below:

Points for Ready Aircraft: This IS the number of aircraft ready for service for the Allies. The number in parentheses is the number of aircraft currently out of service.

Points for Strategic Bombing: The Allied player scores points for damaging Axis industry). This is the current point total.

Points for Terror Bombing: The Allied player scores points for urban bombing. This is the current point total.

Points for Ready Aircraft: This is the number of aircraft ready for service for the Axis. The number in parentheses is the number of aircraft currently out of service.

Axis Industrial Output: This is the current Axis industrial output strength. As the Reich’s industrial might is attacked, this number goes down.

Damaging/Destroying Aircraft on the Ground: The “on ground” display shows two numbers divided by a colon (0:0). The first number is the number of Axis aircraft destroyed on the ground; the second number is the number of Axis aircraft damaged on the ground. Keep in mind that even with this adjustment, there will almost always be more damaged aircraft than destroyed aircraft.

To AA Fire: The “To AA Fire” display shows two numbers divided by a colon (0:0). The first number is the number of Allied aircraft destroyed by AA; the second number is the number of Allied aircraft damaged by AA.

Order of Battle Display: Select ‘Show Order of Battle’ to open your side’s list of units by command. You may then select a specific command to highlight all airfields on the map attached to that command. You may also select individual units in the list to see where they are currently located, and then review further details. The “R” column indicates the number of ready (serviceable) aircraft in the unit; the “U” column indicates the number of unavailable (out-of-service) aircraft in the unit. Units with an asterisk (*) beside their names are units with nighttime navigation equipment. The commands listed here are specific to the campaign you are playing. During the Reaction Phase, the information listed here is in a state of flux, because data is being updated all the time. It’s recommended that you review the Order of Battle during the Movement, Briefing, or Raid Planning Phases.

The information under “Score Details” will update itself during the Reaction Phase whenever you click on the Summary. And, it will fully update itself once the current Reaction Phase is complete.

6.2.10 Winning the Bombing the Reich Game

The “Attrition Summary” section is a running total of various data which are important for you to review to see how quickly your air force is being whittled down. It shows totals for both the current turn and the campaign It shows the number of sorties (i.e. the total number of aircraft launches), the number of aircraft lost, and highest aircraft loss type, and KIA, MIA, and WIA pilot totals.

This information does update during the current Reaction Phase, unlike the information under “Score Details.” It’s important to note that the “Highest Aircraft Loss” totals represent the highest losses for the indicated aircraft type, and also the total losses of that type for the campaign. For example, if you lost 13 B-17s during the current turn, the number 13 appears for the day and the total number of B-17s lost for the campaign will be listed under the campaign heading. Also, if a Reaction Phase comes and goes without any Allied sorties (and that’s very likely in long campaigns), the highest aircraft losses remain the same as the last turn in which German sorties ran.

The Score Summary section is a very useful but it is summary data. If you want more detailed information about the status of specific air units, location damage, top pilot lists, etc., refer to the specific database where that information can be found.

When is Victory Assessed? Victory is assessed at the very end of each Reaction Phase, right before the next Axis Movement or Allied Intelligence Briefing Phase. If victory is achieved, the game ends.


Area (AREA): Areas represent population centers (i.e., towns, suburbs, etc.). Bombing area targets (or “terror” bombing) increases Axis terror, which goes toward achieving victory in many campaigns.





Radar Site (RADAR): Radar sites are Germany’s first line of defense. Knocking out radar sites reduces Germany’s effectiveness to - spot and attack your raids. German radar can detect raids flying at 500 feet or higher. In addition, German radar can also be jammed by electronic warfare aircraft. This comes into play more frequently during the Nachtjagd scenarios.


Airfields (AF): Primary airfields are the main airfields from which all Axis units operate. Destroying primary airfields are of utmost importance, as doing so curtails the performance of aircraft flying out of those fields. Axis controlled airfields (in the far zoom-out mode) are colored yellow. These are the airfields you should try to destroy. Allied controlled airfields are colored white. Captured Axis airfields (during ground combat) are colored grey. Once an Axis airfield has been captured, you may move your units into that field and begin using it normally. Air units cannot launch from primary airfields with over 50% damage.


Aluminum Factory (ALUM): Aluminum factories are classified as “critical industries.” Aluminum factories help in the production of replacement aircraft, so serious damage to them reduces the effectiveness of aircraft factories.



Oil Storage (OILS): Oil storage facilities house most of the crude oil reserves of Europe. The Axis’ oil supplies are limited, (one of the reasons the Axis tried so hard to take North Africa and move on into the Middle East), so destroying oil storage facilities (along with attacks against oil refineries and chemical factories) begins to create a fuel shortage, which in turn reduces the amount of sorties the Axis can conduct.

Oil Refinery (OILR): Oil refineries convert crude oil into fuel for Axis aircraft. Destroying oil refineries (along with attacks against oil storage facilities and chemical factories) begins to create a fuel shortage, which in turn reduces the amount of sorties the Axis can conduct. The famous Ploesti raids are an example of such attacks.




Rubber Factory (RUBBER): Rubber factories are classified as “critical industries.” Damage to rubber factories reduces armaments factory production, which in turn hinders aircraft repairs and replacements.





Aircraft Factory (AFAC): Aircraft factories are the assembly facilities for replacement aircraft, thus destroying them hinders the Axis’ ability to replace aircraft.






Engine Factory (EFAC): Engine factories make aircraft engines, thus destroying them hinders the Axis’ ability to replace aircraft.







Avionics Factory (CFAC): Avionics factories manufacture parts for aircraft, thus destroying them hinders the Axis’ ability to repair and replace aircraft.






Armaments Factory (ARM): Armaments factories manufacture the weapons of war. Damage to armaments factories hinders the Axis’ aircraft and ground defense production.




Railyard (RAIL): Railyards are the hubs of the transportation system of Europe and also act as the supply lines for all ground troops. They also act as the primary communications network, and thus damaging them can greatly reduce the Axis player’s ability to transport his resources fuel, aircraft parts, etc., and ground defenses. Bombing a railyard also directly affects the performance of those industries near it. For example, if you are bombing a railyard close to a chemical factory and an armaments factory, the chemical and armaments factory’s performance goes down.



Ports (PORT): Ports contribute to the industrial strength of the Reich. Thus, destroying ports can help cripple the Axis’ industrial power.






Command Headquarters (HQ): Axis fighter and bomber commands appear on the map for the Axis player only. They appear so that the Axis player can know where his command centers are. They are not, however, viable targets which can be attacked by Allied raids. The Allied player should not bother trying to target these during his Raid Planning Phase. Occasionally, you will receive reports that a HQ has been bombed. This occurs sometimes when an HQ is hit as a “target of opportunity.”


U-Boat Factories (UFAC): U-Boat factories are the assembly plants for U-boats. Though not considered a critical industry, U-Boat factories may occasionally be classified as “political” targets and thus you may be forced to attack them under the mandatory targeting rules. But by taking the initiative and attacking these factories on your own, you may avoid being forced to bomb U-Boat pens, which are very often classified as “political” targets. Like other industrial targets, however, you do receive industrial damage points for attacking U-Boat factories. U-Boat factories are dependent upon armament, steel, and rubber factories.


U-Boat Pens (UPEN): U-Boat pens are the protected ports where U-Boats are refueled and repaired before returning to water. Though not considered a critical industry U-Boat pens are often classified as “political” targets and you may be forced to attack them under the mandatory targeting rules. You receive no victory points for attacking U-boat pens, so it is in your interest to either avoid them. or attack U-Boat factories to reduce political pressures for mandatory targeting.


V-Weapon Factories (VFAC): V-Weapon factories are the assembly plants for V-weapons. Though not considered a critical industry, V-Weapon factories may occasionally be classified as “political” targets and thus you may be forced to attack them under the mandatory targeting rules. But by taking the initiative and attacking these factories on your own, you may avoid being forced to bomb V-Weapon sites, which are often classified as “political” targets. Like other industrial targets, however, you do receive industrial damage points for attacking them. V-Weapon factories are dependent upon armament, steel, and rubber factories.

V-Weapon Sites (VSITE): V-Weapon Sites are a serious threat to England. They are often classified as “political” targets and you may be forced to attack then under the mandatory targeting rules. You receive no victory points for attacking V-Weapon sites, so it is in your interest to either avoid them, or attack V-Weapon



Ground Troops (TRP): Ground troops are represented by three infantry types (regular, defensive, and paratroop) and two armor types (light and heavy). In many campaigns, ground troops are present, and they represent the forces on the ground that will attempt to prevent Allied invasion and breakthrough. You may attack ground troops during play, and the more damage you give them, the more difficult it is for the Axis player to prevent successful invasion and breakthrough.

Overlord (OVER): Overlord is a collection of different target types located in Belgium and France. Overlord targets are railyards, airfields, ports, troops, radar stations, and V-weapon sites. During play of those campaigns where Overlord targets are available, you may select this target type and your staff will plot a variety of missions against airfields, ports, troops, V-weapon sites, and/or radar. Overlord targets are often classified as “political” targets, and thus you may be required to attack them under the mandatory targeting rules.

Avalanche (AVAL): Avalanche is a collection of different target types located in Italy and its surrounding areas. Avalanche targets are railyards, airfields, ports, troops, and radar sites. During play of those campaigns where Avalanche targets are available, you may select this target type and your staff will plot a variety of missions against railyards, airfields, ports, troops, and/or radar. Avalanche targets are also often classified as “political” targets, and thus you may be required to attack them under the mandatory targeting rules.

6.2.10.1 Target Damage

During the course of play, targets suffer damage due to Allied bombing. Potential target damage occurs when a bomber formation reaches its target and drops its bombs. The severity of the damage depends upon the number of bombers involved, flight altitude, recon photos status, etc. All non-airfield targets can take up to 100% damage. Airfields, however, because they have separate damage categories, could potentially receive 200% damage, because both the runway and the service area can suffer up to 100%. So, as you are watching your messages on the screen and the number “150” is flashed for damage to an Axis airfield, that could mean that the runway has suffered 75% damage, and the service center has suffered 75% damage.

6.2.11 Strategic Repair Rates

Target damage is repaired at various rates. There are two repair rate categories: strategic repair and tactical repair. All targets, except airfields and radar sites, fall under strategic repair rates. Each target repairs an average number of points between Reaction Phases, as per the chart below.


Average Repair Points Per Day Target

0.5

Urban

1

Aluminum Factory

1.5

Oil Storage

1

Oil Refinery

1

Chemical Factory

1.5

Ball Bearings Factory

1

Electric Power Plant

1

Steel Factory

1

Rubber Factory

1.5

Aircraft Factory

1.5

Engine Factory

1.5

Avionics Factory

1.5

Armaments Factory

1 0

Railyard

1

Port

3

V-Weapon Sites

1.5

V-Weapon Factories

1

U-Boat Pens

1.5

U-Boat Factories

1

Synthetic Fuel


One Week Campaigns and Industrial Repair: Regardless of the repairs rates mentioned above, no industrial targets repair damage during one-week campaigns.

Tactical Repair Rates: Airfields are repaired very quickly and, therefore, fall under tactical repair rates. In addition to airfields, radar sites also have a communications section, and it, too, is repaired quickly. Below is a list of tactical repair rates.


Target Section Points

Communications

1 per 3 hours (airfields and radar sites)

Airfield Service

1 per 6 hours

Radar Site

1 per 3 hours

Runway (over 50%)

1 per minute

Runway (50% or less)

1 per 2 minutes


An airfield with over 50% runway damage cannot launch aircraft.

However, as you can see by the repair rates above, this will hardly be a problem in most cases. Runway damage to airfields usually translates into launch delays. which can change quickly during play. Hostile Weather and Critical Industry Damage: Neither hostile weather nor damage suffered to targets due to critical industry adjustments affect repair rates in any way.

6.3 Introductory Tutorial - Bombing the Reich

Follow the steps below to play the one day (or one turn) 1943 “Introductory” scenario as the Allies. This scenario roughly simulates the Allied bombing attack against the Axis. In this tutorial, we will walk you through the steps in choosing a campaign and plotting bombing raids against Axis ball bearings factories.

  1. Select “New Allied Campaign” on the Start-up Screen. This takes you to the Campaign Selection Screen where you will choose your campaign.

  2. On the Campaign Selection Screen, select “Introductory 10/43” at the top of the campaign list.

    When you do this, the campaign’s description appears and the map in the bottom right-hand corner highlights. Read the campaign description carefully. To win this campaign, you must score 10 or more points. We’ll discuss how to score points later in this tutorial.

  3. Once you’ve read the campaign description, select “START GAME.” The Loading Screen appears. Don’t be surprised if it takes a long time for the campaign to load! Bombing the Reich is a very complex game with large internal databases. It takes time for all the internal data to be organized for play. When the campaign is finished loading, you are taken directly to the Main Game Screen.

It’s important to stop now and briefly describe the “phases” in the game and how the scoring system works. Bombing the Reich is played in phases. The Allied player has a Raid Planning Phase, a Reaction Phase, and an Intelligence Briefing Phase. The Axis player has a Movement Phase and a Reaction Phase. As the Allied player, when you first enter the Main Game Screen, you begin in the Raid Planning Phase. It is in this phase that you will begin planning your upcoming day’s raids against Axis targets. For this simple tutorial, we will walk you through the planning of three bombing raids against the ball bearings factories of C.A.M. Ivry, Vereinigte #1, and C.A.M. Bois. The two C.A.M. ball bearing factories are located near Paris, whereas the Vereinigte factory is near the Schweinfurt area. Your goal in targeting these three factories is to earn enough industrial damage points to win.

You win by having a total score of 10 or more points by the end of the turn.

6.3.1 How Do I Score Points?

Good question! There are two different scoring systems in Bombing the Reich. For now, just follow the information below. Your score is divided between the damage categories of Air Superiority, Industry Damage, and Terror.

Air Superiority affects the current “readiness” difference between the Allied and Axis air forces, Industry Damage reflects the amount of damage sustained by industrial targets, and Terror reflects damage sustained by urban areas. Notice that these categories already start with points in them. Most scenarios in the game start with the Allied player having some points. It’s your goal, then, as the Allied player to increase these points to earn victory. The total points needed to win are displayed to the right of the three damage categories. If your final points equal or exceed this “to win” number, you win!

In this introductory scenario, the scoring system has been adjusted so that you receive triple points for all damage delivered to ball bearings factories. This is why you are going to target these factory types. Though they are not the only ball bearings factories in this scenario, they are among the largest and will yield you more Industry Damage points than many of the others. You start this scenario with 2 Air Superiority points, 2 Industry Damage points, and 6 Terror points, for a total of 10 Points. You only need 2 more points to win.

  1. Looking at the map on the Main Game Screen, you’ll notice a lot of target icons. This swarming sea of gray, yellow, and blue targets might seem intimidating, but don’t worry There’s an easy way to find the factories you need to attack. To begin plotting your bombing missions, first select the “Bombing Mission” button in the upper left part of your screen.

Clicking this button places you in the planning screen. You are now ready to plot your first bombing mission.

At the bottom of the screen are the words “SET PRIMARY TARGET Mission 1.” This means the game is ready to take your first mission order. To plan your first mission, select the “Primary” button.

This tells the computer that you will select the primary target for your raid. Once you’ve done this, you are ready to select Kugelfischer as the first target.

  1. At the top of the screen is a button called “List Targets.”

Click this button to open a list of available targets. From this target list, you will choose ball bearings factories.

  1. On the List Targets screen, select the “ball bearings factory” button.

The list of ball bearings factories will be displayed.

On this list, click on the column heading “capacity” to sort the factory list from highest capacity to lowest. Once you’ve done this, notice that C.A.M. Ivry sorts to the top. This is because it has the highest capacity of any ball bearings factory in the game, and thus is the best factory to attack for this scenario.

  1. To choose C.A.M. Ivry to attack, click on the word “target” to the far right on the list of ball bearing factories. Immediately, the window will close and C.A.M. Ivry is marked on the map with a white and red line connected to an airfield in England.

These lines represent the flight path your raid will follow inbound (white) and outbound (red). You can modify this flight path in many ways, but for this tutorial, we’ll leave the flight paths alone.

  1. As soon as you selected C.A.M. Ivry as the primary target, the “Pick Lead Unit” button will display at the top of the screen directly beneath “List Targets.”

Click the “Pick Lead Unit” button to open a list of air units at the bottom of the screen.

  1. On this list, find the 92nd BG, a unit of B-17F Fortresses. You can scroll the list down to find the unit. This unit will be the raid’s “lead” unit. A lead bomber unit is the unit in a raid which takes the point in the formation. To select it, click the button to the left of the bomber group’s name. Next, click “Done” at the top of the screen.

  1. Once you have selected the lead unit, you’ll notice that another set of buttons appear beneath the “Pick Lead Unit” button. To add extra bombers that will accompany the “lead” unit to the target, select “Add Bomber Units.”

  2. On this list, find and select the 351st and 381st BG. For the purposes of this tutorial, it really doesn’t matter which ones you select; these are merely chosen arbitrarily to illustrate this point. These units will accompany the lead unit (marked with an “L”) to C.A.M. Ivry. You have now finished adding bomber units to the raid and are ready to add escort fighters. Click “Done” at the top of the screen.

  3. Now that you have assigned all bombers to the raid, you are ready to support them by adding escort fighters.

To add escort fighters, select “Add Fighter Escort.”

  1. On the escort fighter list that appears, find and select the 353rd, the 4th, and the 56th P-47C Thunderbolt fighter groups. Again, it doesn’t really matter for the purposes of the tutorial which ones you select (although it most definitely does matter in terms of range and such what fighters you assign to what units).

As soon as they are selected, you’ll notice a “ce” appearing beside their names. This means that these fighters will conduct a “close” escort of the bomber units. You may also put fighters on high escort (he). For now leave these units on close escort and select “Done” to close and end mission plotting for mission #1.

As you selected each fighter escort, you may have noticed that a green box, green line, and yellow box appeared alongside the inbound/outbound night path of the raid. These elements indicate where the escort unit will form-up with the raid (green box), the distance it will protect the bombers (green line) and where it will turn around and go home (yellow box). You can modify the location of these elements by first selecting an escort unit in [he list (as you are assigning them), and then right clicking anywhere on the flight path. Adjusting these elements changes the escort unit “delay” time. For now, leave these elements alone and proceed with the next step below.

  1. After assigning escorts to the raid, you are ready to close mission #1 and start mission #2.

To do this, select “New Mission” at the top of the screen. This secures your mission #1 assignments, and sets you up to begin plotting the next mission.

  1. Following the steps above, plot bombing mission #2 against the ball bearings factory of Vereinigte #1. Remember to pick a “lead” bomber unit, extra bombers (2-3 extras), and 2-3 escorts. When you are finished, select “New Mission” again to plot mission #3.

  2. Now that you are finished plotting your missions, you are ready to enter the Reaction Phase and watch your bombers do their work. To do so, click the “Done” button at the top of the page.

Next, click the “End Phase” button at the top of the screen. This places you in the Reaction Phase.

The Reaction Phase is where you, as the Allied player, will sit back and watch your raids in action. Once you click the “START” button in this phase, the clock begins and the phase continues until your raids have run the missions and a score is determined.

  1. To begin the Reaction Phase. click the “START” button. The button immediately becomes “STOP” and you may click it on/off to start/stop the Reaction Phase as you wish. For this tutorial, however, just sit back, relax, and watch your B-17s and P-47s fly across the Channel en route to the unsuspecting factories around Schweinfurt.

To get a better view of the map and the area of play, we recommend that you click the full screen button which appears on the bottom of the Preference Toolbar. This collapses the tabs and puts the map in lull screen. This is the best way to play the game.

6.3.2 Watching the Reaction Phase

The first thing you’ll notice when you begin the Reaction Phase is the radio activity in the bottom right hand corner. The black stripes at the top and bottom of the mini-map display the radio activity that is created by your units as they form up and take off. Your raids will eventually appear (depending upon their launch times), and will fly over the Channel until they reach their targets. But its not as easy as that. Your Axis opponent will scramble his air units to intercept your raids, and as the two forces converge, attack messages appear giving you details about how many of your aircraft are being shot down, and vice-versa. The Reaction Phase may take a while to complete, as the game is constantly updating and calculating data to generate a final score. Once all of your units land, the introductory scenario ends and you will either win or lose, depending upon the success of your raids.

6.3.3 Plot more Raids

Now that you have successfully completed the tutorial, you are ready to try again. Follow the steps above a few more times and plot more raids against even more ball bearings factories. Or, try your hand at attacking other industrial sites, railyards, and ports. In this scenario, you score triple points for hitting ball bearings factories, but you score normal points for hitting other targets. You may find a winning strategy that doesn’t include hitting ball bearings factories at all. In addition, changing the altitude of your raids, or staggering their launch times can greatly change the dynamic (and outcome) of the battle. You are welcome to plot any combination of missions, provided the resources are there. Be creative. And have fun.