Lightning Miscellany: November 1942

by Joe Ferrara

Background: In the early days in North Africa, the USAAF was firmly under the control of the Army. Units patrolled assigned sectors of the front, providing an "umbrella" against enemy aircraft and attacking ground targets of opportunity. High-altitude, long range P-38s were among those used for these fighter-bomber operations and often encountered veteran Luftwaffe and Regia Aeronautica crews at a disadvantage.

Map: Ground (from Achtung! Spitfire)

Set Up:

• Set up the P-38s in hexes 3005, 3104, 2904 and 2804, facing east, speed 5.0, altitude 5.0, wings level.

Ground Units: Set aside 6 PzIII, three Flak 37, four Flak 30, and all truck counters. The locations of possible target hexes are at 1338, 2027, 2034, 2146, 3425, 3434, 4043, and 4537.

Game Length: 20 game turns.

Special Rules:

1. 2

1. The P-38s begin loaded with two M64 bombs.
2. When any P-38 begins an initiative phase within 12 hexes of a possible target hex, roll one die and consult the table below:

   D10	Target
   1,2	2x PzKw III
   3,4	2x Trucks
   5	2x Infantry
   6	3x Flak 37
   7	2x Flak 30
   8,9	Nothing there!
   0	Axis air group

   Do not roll for any hex more than once.

3. Set up indicated ground units within one hex of the target hex, one unit per hex. Trucks must be set up on roads. If the target counters called for have all been used, then use two infantry units. Tank and infantry units are all armed with the equivalent of one MG34.
4. . If the result calls for an Axis Air Group, then roll a second die and consult the following table:

   D10	Target
   1,2,3	4x Bf109G-2
   4	4x Macchi MC.202
   5	4x FW190A-3
   6	4x Macchi MC-200
   7,8	9x Ju-87D loaded with bombs
   9	9x Ju-88A-5 loaded with bombs
   0	One Ju-88A-5 on reconnaissance

5. Treat all "buildings and houses" terrain as rough and all river terrain as clear. The river demarcates the front line.
6. The Axis air group enters (in level, unbanked flight) from the east edge of the map after all Allied aircraft have moved. Roll one die and multiply by ten to determine entry altitude. Axis AAA may not fire at an Allied aircraft within two hexes of an Axis aircraft. (Alternatively, have them fire and randomly selectthe target aircraft. - Uncle Ted)
7. Score five points for every bomb-laden JU-87/88 (and 25 points for each reconnaissance aircraft) that exits the west edge of the map still loaded.
8. If only Axis aircraft are left on the board at the end of the game, the Axis player automatically wins, regardless of VP count. If no Axis aircraft ever enter play, then award the Axis player two VPs for each undamaged tank and one VP for each undamaged truck or infantry platoon. Score other VPs normally. Most VPs wins.

Additional Rules: Pilot Quality - Training Standards:

Variant: Replace the P-38s with USAAF P-39Ds, P-40Fs or Spitfire VBs. On other fronts, try the Hurricane IID (from Uncle Ted), the Beaufighter (published in Airpower #53), or the Il-2M3 (published in Airpower #35).

ADC availability:

• The P-38F-15 and Ju87D-1 ADCs are available from Uncle Ted's ADC Collection.
• The Bf109G-2, FW190A-3, Ju88A-5 and Spitfire VB can be found in the Achtung! Spitfire game.
• The MC-200 ADC was published in Airpower #46. The P-39D and MC-202 were published in Airpower #53. The P-40F and a revised MC-202 was published in Airpower #54.