The was delivered to me unsolicited by Christophe Massuyeau. He provides a Mission generator for a Fighter Bomber campaign following the RAF's 122 Wing into Germany at the end of World War II. I have only cleaned up the English and formatted it for the web. If you like this, please e-mail Christophe (aka Prof. Erata) and tell him. - Uncle Ted

Here the first operational scenario published in France for OTR. It drops you into the third part of the famous Pierre Clostermann's book, and takes off over Germany in your Tempests. The number of games you'll can make depend only on you, as this mission generator can fill a campaign.

The Big Show: Oct-44 to May-45

Background: After a brief period protecting the Normandy coasts and a summer given over to the V-1 hunt, at the end of September 1944, RAF No. 3, 56, 80, 274 and 486 Squadrons left Great Britain for Volkel in the Netherlands to constitute Wing No. 122. Volkel would become the home base for this Wing during during long months. Their mission was to procure and maintain air superiority over Germany, the Tempest proving to be the only British fighter to have the performance and range for this mission. This would be the period of glory for the Hawker fighter, which would accumulate success and victory at the price of high losses, due in great part to an often murderous and always dreaded flak.

122 Wing was later supported by 135 Wing (composed of No. 33 and 222 Squadrons, flying Tempests) at the end of February 1945. No. 274 was added later. No.122 Wing deployed in Germany from April, 1945, where it would fight until the agony of the Third Reich.

A young Free French pilot joined at the end of February for his third turn of operations with the 122 Wing in the 274 Squadron, then after the 56 and 3 Squadrons, and by the end of April, commanded the whole Wing. He became famous by giving us an epic of a remarkable literary quality. This mission generator allows you to reconstitute missions keeping close to the gasping and murderous mood of The Big Show, and to engage your Tempests in unforgettable sorties.

RAF 122 Wing (3, 56, 80, 274 and 486 Squadrons) Missions Orders: take off, fly to Germany and strafe opportunities targets on the ground or all that is in flight.

1. Roll a die for the principal mission profile:

   Die Roll	Mission
   1-5:	Attack targets of opportunity on the ground.
   6-10:	Armed patrol (ground targets can be attacked if the conditions are favourable or if the Lufwaffe does not appear ).

2. Roll another die for the distance to cover:

   Die Roll	Ops Box		Mods
   1-3	5		Based at Rheine	+4
   4-6	6		Based at Fassberg	+8
   7-8	7
   9-10	8
   10+	9

3. German player creates 3 targets of opportunity by rolling (for each one):

   Die Roll	Target in		Mods
   1	2		Based at Rheine	+1
   2	3		Based at Fassberg	+5
   3	4
   4-5	5
   6-7	6
   8-9	7
   10+	8
   Then three another times for the type of target :
   Die Roll	Target Type		Mods
   1-5	train (wagon counter)		Based at Rheine	+1
   6-10	truck convoy (truck counter)		Based at Fassberg	+2

   The distances and the types of targets are initially hidden from the Allied player. All targets in an ops box are revealed only when the Allied formation fly over them, on condition that this formation does not fly over Low Overcast Skies. All the targets are protected by a light Flak unit, by applying the medium Flak Attack Odds.

Even if the Allied player has the chance to strafe the enemy airfields, this kind of attack was particurlarly risky and was used only in the case of an opportunity (enemy formation surprised at take-off or at landing) or of a minutious preparation.

OMT Set Up:

Special Rules:

1. Allied Base: B-80 Volkel, the Tempests airfield is prepared and situated as ordinary in the circle of the OMT (OTR p.33). B-112/118 Rheine-Hopsten and B-152 Fassberg, situated in the squares 2 and 5, are prepared airfields (see further for determine the time of the installation of the Wing 122).
2. Strafing: the Tempests may attack and strafe German trucks, trains and airfields by ending an op-turn Movement Phase in the target square at hedge-hopping heights (OTR p.41). Strafers are subject to AAA attacks per the normal rules, the additional modifier of the Light and Medium AAA being applied (cf. Flak Attack Modifiers Table).

   Perform the strafing attack during the Intercept and Combat Phase when it is that formation's turn to act and counts as a deliberate encounter. Each strafer expends half a die roll of ammo and each may attack one truck, one train (in fact, the locomotive at the head of the train) or one A/C on the field with a range 2 shot using the normal combat rules. The deflection modifier for any ground enemy target is x1. Multiple strafers can shoot the same, or different, targets if they desire it.

3. Each formation can attack only ONE target at once during a Op turn. If there are several targets present in the same square (found during movement); the formation could wait for the next turn by flying at Endurance Speed (by adding the hopping height malus) and attacking another target in the next Op turn.

Historically, the trains were attacked only by pairs of Tempests, in order to lighten the murderous efficiency of their Flak.

Notes:

1. The front line is situated between the squares 1 and 2. There is no"underground" network in Germany.
2. The interceptors airfield is secretly determined at the beginning of the game, before the dice rolls concerning he target types. It is revelated as the moment of the take-off.
3. The German fighters can have drop tanks, but do not rearm and refuel during a mission.
4. German fighters can't fly beyond the current Friendly Border (which is "Enemy" for them, defended by light Flak on a die roll from 1 to 4 and by a possible unexpected medium/heavy Flak) where it is being situated (see further), The Germans cannot attack the 122 Wing airfield at any location.
5. The Tempests take-off always loaded with two 45 gal drop tanks. They cannot to rearm and refuel during a mission.
6. The Tempests can never exceed the ML band, not an altitude revolving about 15,000 feet, in order to respect the historical use of the Tempest and the poor performances of the Sabre engine in altitude.
7. The Tempests can have the bad luck to be shot by unexpected Allied medium/heavy Flak in flying over the "Friendly" Border at the return, if this result is obtained on the Enroute Events Table.
8. National training standards:
   RAF=Good until January 1945, then Average Feb 45 on;
   Luftwaffe=Limited in 1944, Poor in 1945
9. All the German airfields are defended by two light Flak units (make two consecutive dice rolls), except the one of Rheine-Hopsten in 2 - the principal base of the Me 262 - which has three units (make three dice rolls, but using this time the Medium Flak Attack Odds, this place is very dangerous!). Do not forget the separate fire of the medium Flak. But fly over squares containing the Enemy Border (the Flak not being omnipresent there and the Tempests do not fly over the places where it is grouped together - except unexpected medium/heavy Flak attack), ground targets or airfields does not signify that they are situated inevitably over (precise it before each moving).

   Note: If an Allied formation moves to strafe any type of target and if the German player obtains an unexpected medium/heavy Flak attack during the following Enroute Events Phase, this Flak unit can be added to any flak already existing in the square and resolve its attack in the same time; place an appropriate operational Flak counter on the type of target in question. If there are several different targets attacked at the same time in the same square, the German player chooses which target gets the additional Flak.

10. The victory points for trucks, locomotives, and grounded aircraft damaged or destroyed are deducted in accordance with OTR p.48.
11. If the Tempests are based at Rheine or at Fassberg (2 and 5), move the Weather Zone #1 forward in such a way that it begins on the squares 3 or 6. Place as usual the Weather above the base.

Historical Clarifications

• The Bf 109K-4 and the FW 190D-9 entered in service only at the end of December 1944.
• The Tempest used bombs only the last day of the operations and never the rockets.
• The famous operation "BODENPLATTE" (the Luftwaffe raid on the Allied airfields 1-Jan-45) didn't attack the Wing 122 airfield.
• In early March, the ground strikes were suspended because of high losses, but they resumed from the end of this month.
• 17-Mar-45, No. 274 Squadron left the 122 Wing to join the 135 Wing (No. 33 and 222 Squadrons, operational on Tempest since the 24 February).
• Beginning April 1945, the 122 Wing set up in Germany on B-112/118 Rheine-Hopsten (the ancient Me 262 base): The Allied airfield is then placed on the square 2, the borders are moved forward of only one square of distance.
• From 1 to 16 April, No. 3 Squadron went to England for gunnery training and is absent during this period.
• 20-Apr-45, No. 80 Squadron retired from the operation.
• 26-Apr-45, the 122 Wing set up on B-152 Fassberg: this airfield is situated on the square 5. The borders are moved forward of three squares more of distance.
• 4-May-45 was the last day of combat; only the 33 Squadron (belonging to the 135 Wing) had the occasion this day to use for the first and the last time the bombs in operations on Tempest during the war.

Variations:

• You can increase the number of Tempests and/or interceptors, in equal numbers if possible; up to 12 Tempests on the Allied side, but not any more 4 interceptors per airfield on the German side. You can choice between several interceptors types if you desire it.
• You can replace the Bf 109 and the Fw 190 by Ta 152H-1 based at Berlin in 8 (7 at the end of April) or by Me262A-1a/b based at Rheine in 2 until their evacuation at the end of March. The Me262 can only take off and land here; after, they can be set up where the German player desire it. The training standard of the Me 262 pilots is Excellent.
• The Luftwaffe made too attacks on the Allied lines; you arrange in consequence this scenario.
• The Spitfires F. XIVE of the Squadron 41 were integrated in the 122 Wing from February to beginnig March 1945 in order to give an altitude cover to the Tempests. You can therefore use them if you want; their range is inferior to these of the Tempest and they cannot fly beyond the square 5 (see the "Tragic landing" chapter in the Big Show).
• You can replace the Tempests by American fighters (P-51D and P-47D/M); they do not have the altitude limitations of the Tempests.
• The attacks of the airfields were possible with the help of antiFlak Typhoons. The card and the counters of the Typhoon being provided in ASP!, you can make a combined operation of this type with the Tempests if the players desire it.

The Big Show Encounter Tables

If a variant does not correspond to the period when the scenario takes place (or with Spitfires, if the encounter is made beyond the square 4 if the Wing 122 airfield is situated at Volkel or at Rheine, or beyond the square 6 if it is situated at Fassberg), use the variant between parentheses (or in the case of the Spitfires beyond their range, roll again the dice). There may not encounters with German fighters beyond the Friendly Border. If such an event is rolled, ignore it. If you have ASP!, you can modify the Encounter Table of Allied Fighters by adding the Typhoon (with the same limitations of range than the Spitfires and of ceiling than the Tempests).

The purists would be amazed at seeing only Ju 88C-6 on the German side, knowing that the Allied pilots on Tempest had in fact the occasion to shoot down, save more performing versions of the Ju 88 (S and G), some Ar 234, He 219, Ju 188, Ju 52, and many other types of aircraft. We have unfortunately to manage with the only Ju 88C-6 provided in the OTR box. These who have in their possession the cards of these aircraft [Most of these are available here at Uncle Ted's.] may modify to their convenience the Encounter Tables on the German side. If you have ASP!, you can add the Mosquito F.B. VI on the Allied side.

CONCEPTION: Christophe MASSUYEAU 1995-1997
E-mail: prof.errata@wanadoo.fr