1/300 Battle of Britain Planes: PSC

I found these lurking in the PSC Battle of Britain Game Box when I was looking for a 1/300 Stuka of all things (yes, I was doing another random loft traverse). I do like them, or rather the way they have turned out [I painted the roundels free hand - but squadron "lettering" has so far has defeated me] .. and I need to finish off the German 1/300 kit that came in the box, Spitfires and Hurricanes being long "done" (see below, the RAF lesser known and unappreciated "odd ball" fighters of the Battle of Britain: Gloster Gladiator Boulton Paul Defiant and Bristol Blenheim Mk I Fighter version): 

Note: I also have this "collection" to make in 1/72 .. which as you may guess is a longer term item on teh wargaming "bucket list".

Plastic Soldier Company: 1/300 Plane Pack

Something I could not resist buying (sorry Mum it's in my blood) - a party pack of what I can only think of as "surplus to use for PSC" .. but 100 planes for a tenner (and £3.50 P&P) - there has got to be a great glorious wargaming use for them somewhere! Plenty of Stukas (27) for sure, Gloster Gladiators, Me 110s, Bristol Blenheims and various Luftwaffe Medium Bombers (see below, pass me the spray can, I got this!): 

I am thinking tactical formations of bombers to give a certain "mass" in the tactical element of the (Plastic Soldier Company remake of the original Airfix) Battle of Britain game. More visual that individual, as I am not keen on fiddly moving parts!

Battle of Britain 1940: Remembering the Battle through a Board Game

When considering the Battle of Britain I am always thrown back to the epic 1969 film which captures the mood perfectly, the authentic (well near enough) actual flying machines (pre-dating CGI with scale models when they had to blown up) and the sheer scale of the battle for me - including the bombing of Duxford aerodrome (see below, "Repeat Please" as the Polish pilots unofficially join the fight and thank God they did): 

The Plastic Soldier Company (PSC) did a revamp of the (Airfix?) boardgame and I even managed to paint most of the planes for the board game (see below, the start of the campaign, Kanalkampf - I still have a few German planes still to paint!):  

We managed to stumble through a turn, with heavy attractional losses for the Luftwaffe and big recovery problems for the RAF (see below, damaged RAF planes radar stations and an airfield, but a mass of Luftwaffe planes did not make it back to France):  

Definitely needs a longer revisit [probably three hours+ to do it justice]/ I think the key to a successful game is playing following the German historical sequence of attack by arranging the Mission Cards - historically, rather than drawn semi-randomly as suggested by the rules. In its purest form it needs to be played double blind with a White Control Room and added atmosphere!

Undaunted: Battle of Britain

I seem to be a serial collector of the Undaunted series of games (although I must confess getting them to the table top has been more of a challenge) as I cannot resist their production quality and 'Boys Own' appeal (see below, when I saw the cover of the box art, I knew they already "had me"): 

Perhaps something to be unwrapped (who am I kidding it is already unwrapped) but even perhaps "played" at the weekend sir?

Pendrakon Blood Red Skies Day II: Battle of Britain Aldertag (13th August)

13th August 1940 Aldertag: Dowding's Home Station Defence Network is picking up something incoming off the Kent coast (see below, the "eyes and ears" of the RAF - I just gotta love the terrain models Renko printed for this game): 

Unwanted guests (two formations of German Heinkel 111s heading to Manston airfield): 

With a gaggle (well technically two schwarms of Luftwaffe Me 109's) of little friends in tow in close escort position (see below, going left to right the air is full of Nazi bombers and escorting fighters, fourteen planes in all):  

"Achtung Spitfire" - the RAF greeting party arrives (see below, tilted back indicated the aircraft is in an advantaged position [Blood Red Skies game term]):

The desperate attack of "The Few" are pressed home against the bombers (see below, but with the sheer numbers of German fighters in the air a Spitfire is caught as his compatriot riddles a Heinkel with 303 machine gun fire at insanely short range): 

After one frantic pass through the bomber formation the Spitfires spin round again displaying their tight turning capability, but the Me 109s are closing in): 

Then suddenly, the sky is clear. A classic RAF "hit and run" - the Germans have lost a Me 109 ("Where is Sigmund?") and a Heinkel is trailing smoke but is still intent on pressing on (see below, target is set for Manston airfield):  

Then all hell breaks loose as Spitfires and Hurricanes appear out of no where, charging straight into teh bombers (see below, the RAF concentrate on the left side of the the German formation, attaining local superiority. Twelve fighters to seven, but the remaining eight German Me 109s are placed ideally to swing into the rear of the Spitfire formation): 

Again a Spitfire pays the price, but fortunately the pilot jumps clear (see below, the RAF bravery means the German bomber formation is once again penetrated and riddled):  

A Heinkel from the leading formation goes down in flames and another one is severely damaged in the rear formation but Manston comes into sight as a flak barrage greets the unwanted guests (see below, the "tail end Charlie" Heinkel in not a happy bunny - or rather Nazi!):  

Manston Sector Airfield: sirens start wailing and AA firing at full effect (see below, the Spitfires and Hurricanes again disappear as the bombers conduct their attack run): 

The surviving bomber of the lead formation scores a telling hit on Manston, but the rear formation is less successful (a near miss) but loses its damaged aircraft to accurate flak (see below, RAF ground crew watch as German parachutes open from the doomed bomber as the crew bails out): 

Manston is damaged but still operational, it lives to fight another day. Holes are repaired in teh runway, as wearing RAF pilots land, refuel and get ready to "go again"!

All told an absolutely brilliant big day out, the Blood Red Skies event hosted at Pendrakon, a nice follow on from the Low Countries Game Day, where I spent my morning and afternoon fighting the Belgian Air Force. Huge thanks must go out to Renko for organising it, respect! Respect also goes to the RAF that took out 50% of the German bomber force, Hermann Goering certainly won't like that! As I was too slow in painting my BRS Starter Set Spitfires I played Luftwaffe again, so I will doubtless have to face a telling off by my commanding officer!

Battle of Britain PSC Game Preparation - 1/300 Planes Painting

Take a quick look at my 'behind the scenes' frantic painting tray situation a few months back, all in preparation for the Stockton Pendrakon "Battle ground" wargaming show where I helped put on a Battle of Britain game (by PSC but revamped from an older TSR version). I decided that the little bland little playing pieces (standard raw plastic grey) in the PSC game needed to be painted up proper to look authentic (see below, the RAF contingent are being prepared, as the models had handy roundel indents I decided to try and paint them by hand - there are also a few 1/300 "metals" I found [milling to the left hand side, two Fairy Battles, two Hurricanes and three Spitfires] these were just  "kicking about", but in the end I did not use them): 

My good old fashioned Tamiya paints come to the rescue as the RAF fighters (Spitfires and Hurricanes) receive their classic BoB [Green/Brown] basecoats and I used a Revell acrylic Sky Blue for their undersides (see below, twelve basic fighter markers are required for the game, the exotic Bristol Blenheim, BP Defiant and a Gloster Gladiator are seen as "stretch goals"): 

Finally a flight of painted Hurricanes takes to the skies. The main purpose of the game was to show how a "double blind" version of the game played, so the painting was a "bit of chrome" (see below, with a WIP Blenheim, lurking in the background, varnish drying and ready for battle against the Luftwaffe): 

Squadron scramble teh RAF "are all up" (see below, 100% of RAF planes needed for the game are complete, nine on green mat and three on brown wooden table):

Both sides needed to be represented so once the RAF were finished out with those dark green paints for the Luftwaffe. A selection of seven planes of various "representative" types were required, some fighters, some bombers. I did use some existing painted metal Me 109s and a Stuka, to which I hand crafted some crosses on. It was the medium tactical bombers that I was really after. The He 111, Ju 88 and Do 17z  (see below, the first application of the base colours was rather unimpressive as the two colours were almost too close together to be able to distinguish between them): 

The painted Luftwaffe "end game" or rather finished products looked better though, as I darkened one and lightened the other - even though painting on the crosses by hand was nearly the very end of me (see below, a Heinkel He111 "Blitz Bomber" and a Dornier Do17z light/medium reconnaissance bomber): 

And with that they were ready for the show and off they went!

Show game report: https://exiledfog.blogspot.com/2021/11/stockton-battleground-2021-battle-of.html

Stockton Battleground (2021): Battle of Britain "Double Blind Game"

Stockton Battleground Wargames Show 2021

Cinderella you shall go to the "ball" (well it is actually a "wargames show"). Myself and fellow wargamer Ian took the relatively recently released PSC "Battle of Britain" Game (which older Grognards would recognise as a revised [and I would say much improved] version of the game from the earlier Airfix 1980/90's (?)edition of the "Battle of Britain" board game) off to the show to play it "double blind". This meant a partition board between the players and a slight revision to the rules. Rather than relying on the random shuffle of the deck of mission cards to provide intrigue and chance - the German would be allowed to choose or rather "determine" his targets and use an appropriate force composition - but he [as in "me" on the day] was playing fair and hitting targets in historical order (radar, airfields and then cities). The forces were selected to player preferences (although the Germans followed the rule of thumb that 50% Fighter and 50% Bomber in his formations - with at least one Ju87 Stuka and Me 110 squadron (until they ran out)). The RAF likewise controlled their force composition, naturally holding the Blenheims, Defiants and Gladiators to the "last line of defence". The German was playing with Fog of War - the RAF player being a semi-plumpire by virtue of handling all combat - the Luftwaffe player passing his cards over the wall to do "combat" and generally receiving "fewer" back. It worked really well (IMHO), as the Luftwaffe was deprived of th eobvious board game "tells" of how well (or bad) he was actually doing, so he had to do a bit of guesswork and bad guesswork often leads to bad mistakes.

The video of the Stockton Battleground 2021 event is here, with at 9:20 is a quick fly-by of the Battle of Britain Game: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEf3XkKugI8

Right at the start of the action and the "view" from the German side of the Battle of Britain board (see below, a lot of Red bombing missions to perform, with the Luftwaffe intent on eating them up, by nibbling from the south coast upwards in order of: Radar - Airfield - Cities): 

Kanalkamf and the bomber formations are 'mysteriously' intercepted and bounced by formations of RAF fighters (see below, in the game the RAF player tries to "intercept" rather than "dogfight" his German opponent wherever possible, by this tactic he stands a good chance of getting to those juicy bombers without having to tangle with those nasty Me 109s): 

The first wave returns after a partially successful mission strike. According to Luftwaffe intelligence estimates of 50% of the RAF radar stations have been destroyed [explousion markers denoting dead radar stations, or so the Luftwaffe player thinks]. The second mission wave with be sent to take out the remaining stations of the Home Radar Chain Defence Network (see below, a cunning trick of the game is that the German player cannot return to a "completed mission", so to his utter amazement he keeps getting intercepted by the RAF - annoying "detected" markers appearing on his fighter/bomber formations as if the destroyed radar stations and airfields had somehow been repaired [something that didn't happen in Poland and France]): 

With the radar chain taken out it is now time to move onto the RAF airfields (see below, the RAF radar stations on the coast are burning now so the historic name of Tangmere comes to the top of the German bombing list, this is going to be the "crux of the battle" RAF fighters defending their home turf, a bit of a "sticky wicket" as they say in cricket): 

The Luftwaffe target list is slowly creeping up the board. Despite the (very) heavy losses optimistic reports are being sent to Goering about significant RAF losses and numerous infrastructure targets totally destroyed. The RAF airfields are now to be put out of commission and as a final insult Luftflotte 5 will attack from Norway (we [the German player] expect only to meet the decrepit Gloster Gladiators and outclassed Blenheims). This is now the "tussle of eagles" (see below, the south coast is burning, one more push and the English surely will be on their knees):  

Alas, the Englanders have other plans. Luftflotte 5 reports disastrous losses. They found Spitfires and Hurricanes waiting for them - the converted long distanced Me 110s stripped of the rear gunners for extra fuel tanks could not protect the bombers. There losses were irreplaceable, tLuftflotte 5 are now a spent force. Meanwhile the fighting over the southern English coast is simply ferocious. "How are the Tommies still intercepting us?" A final wave of fury is unleashed on 10 and 11 Groups airfields, the Port of London and naval towns of Portsmouth and Southampton are also targeted. Another attempt to take out Tangmire is launched. The destruction is wanton, but the Luftwaffe is down to its bare bones of bomber formations, the crews are tired and dispirited. The London Docks blaze savagely and are totally destroyed in game terms, Portsmouth and Southampton are damaged, RAF airfields smoulder but somehow 11 Group, Keith Parkes boys, rise like a phoenix rises from the ashes, a punch-drunk boxer raising himself defiantly from the canvas one more time and slugs out at the arrogant Aryan. He lands a  body blow, a body blow, another body blow and then solid punch to the jaw. The airwaves are full of Polish chatter, Heinkels fall from the skies and dogfights mesmerise Londoners. Luftwaffe suffer terribly (see below, their bombs land and buildings fall, Luftwaffe pilots confidently tell their superiors of the destruction reeked.If this is true then is it time for Sealion? Tomorrow will tell):  

The RAF is ready and waiting in the morrow, in far better shape than the Germans think. Yes, the Germans will come but they will see the RAF still in the skies, not down the their last fifty Spitfires as Goering boasted. No, it is not the time for operation Sealion, disperse the invasion barges, send the infantry to the East ready for Russia. More bombing missions will follow, different towns will burn but the RAF has not been cracked or broken (see below, German intelligence cannot simply understand how the radars, how supplementary airfields have been used so effectively and how pilots are trained so quickly to replenish British losses. It is "the few" who stopped them by their persistence and doggedness "To keep buggering on" as Churchill said (see below, although seriously damaged the RAF are not down and out. 10 Group are reeling more than 11 Group, 12 Group supporting them on the South East coast. The constant  problem for the Luftwaffe player is that they do not known what to try and hit next - it really played well as a double blind game, particularly as the German had to "estimate" rather than know the RAF losses): 

Honourably mentioned in dispatches, the "other few", spare a thought for the "other" British fighters of the Battle of Britain. Along with the Spitfire and the Hurricane there were a fews RAF fighter squadrons who flew twin engine Bristol Blenheim Fighters, the twin seater Boulton Paul Defiant (a rear facing turret but no forward firing guns) and even the famous Gloster Gladiator biplane (see below, painted up in 1/300 from the PSC expansion pack): 

Other spoils from the Battleground show. Next year we plan to do the Battle of Gazala, so these 10mm Pendrakon Italian CV33s, British 8th Army Infantry and A13 Cruiser tanks (maybe not, too early in teh Desert War but I have a soft spot for them) are but the start of a long term painting project (see below, a small lead mountain to attack in the winter months):  

These will reinforce my previously purchased and now painted Pendrakon Italians. I wa hoping to pick up the tiny Italian L6s, but alas that will have to come in a later postal order.  

Footnote: Apologies as it was rude of me not to thank the many members of the wargaming public who popped by and helped with the game (drawing random cards from the Luftwaffe Player's hand (as in me)) plus engaged in fascinating conversation, passing on fascinating Battle of Britain comments. I learnt a lot .. thankyou! 

Blood Red Skies

 I finally gave in. With copies of the original becoming scare and my Blood Red Skies wargaming friends constantly buzzing with enthusiasm I had to jump onto the train before it left the station (see below, "my" copy of Blood Red Skies - I am now officially a BRS person): 

The classic 1940 Battle Britain dogfight starter kit, soon I believe to be replaced with version 2 Midway(?) if my sources are to be believed (see below, the unboxing): 

1/200 scale planes. Another scale I have a Spitfire in. Well they also match my Skytrex Action 1/200 .. but I cannot see a cross over (yet). Games will come but I need to do the first thing all new BRS players have to do - even before reading the rules - paint the planes

Blood Red Skies: Battle of Britain (3 of 3) Battle End

Adding insult to injury the Me110s find themselves now tangling with Spitfires (see below, a Spitfire racing to get into the rear are of a lumbering Me110, this is not what or how it happened in Spain. Poland, Norway, Holland, Belgium and France):

Thankfully Von Ken claims a final "boom chit" on a tight turning Spitfire and they have had enough, boom chits being greater than the number of engines on the table (see below, this comes as a great relief to this particular shot-up Me110 crew, Herman's "not so finest"):

As the Spitfires disappear and the Me110s morale (barely) hangs on (one more "boom chit" and they too will be off) the Destroyers try one more head-long charge at these pesky Hurricanes, bringing 20mm hard hitting cannon to a deflection shot on a "Cat" (see below, another 'boom chit' on the Hurricanes):

It is up to Von Ken to deliver the coup de grace, as a disadvantaged Hurricane finds itself "finally" on the receiving end of a burst of deadly fire from a Me109 (see below, and much to the relief of the crew of another shot up Me110):

The final act is for both the Me110 Squadron and Hurricane Squadron to call it a day with "boom chit bust" and go home (see below, the parting view is the Hurricane going down in flames and the RAF pilot parachuting down to home soil and a welcome from the local Home Guard):

The Me109s of Von Ken rule the skies over Kent before a low fuel gauge tells them it is time to go home (see below, where have the RAF gone?):

A good introductory game, although my Me110 nose (and in particular rear gunners) got a "bloodying"! A few less people round the dinner table at the chateau for the Destroyer Squadron but meanwhile high spirited toasts to Von Ken's for his latest kill in there more rough ad ready farmyard accommodation. Across "The Channel" there is earnest discussion in the 'Cat' Mess Bar over the real merits of the "Vic three formation" and down the Dog and Duck laughs as Maisie serves up another round for her favourite "Boys in Blue" as the ivories of the piano get a hammering!

End Note: Despite my collection of 1/144 fighters I may have to male a token dabble into 1/200. Although I am loathed to replicate across different scales (again)! The starter box set of Blood Red Skies might be a more sensible purchase!

Blood Red Skies: Battle of Britain (2 of 3) The Grist to Battle

Cunningly Von Ken's boys have sneaked (a complementary term) into a rear position behind teh Spitfires for tactical advantage - although out of gun range for the moment (see below, it is going to be a testing time for the "rookie" RAF Spitfire Pilot Commander, the dashing young Ian fresh from his exploits with Maisie the  barmaid):

Meanwhile the Me110s have made a desperate dash at the Hurricanes, trying to get their deadly 20mm frontal cannons into play. However the crafty "Dapper Dave" has learnt a thing or two from his experience fighting the Luftwaffe in France and is not going to fall for a frontal exchange (see below, the pilots trade curses and "skill tests" trying to out manoeuvre their opponents into disadvantaged positions - with mixed success):

Note: The upright position of the plane on the stand denotes it is in an "advantaged" position - while you have an advantage you cannot be shot at (which is really good believe me), therefore there is a lot of positioning and skill tests (a pilot action is used to make the other pilot 'make a skill test' or lose one grade of position [advantage/neutral/disadvantage - state change left to right] when you get within mine inches of their plane). The easiest way to be put in disadvantage is by letting an enemy in within gun range in your rear arc. You are very vulnerable to being shot down while at disadvantage - so the number one rule is to maintain an advantaged position at all costs (see below, multiple skill tests start to wear down the Me110s from advantaged positions, starting with my "wingman"):

I find out to my cost Me110's are poor chasers unless you can "zoom and boom" with a "great dive" ability - which gets you a boost of extra movement (see below, my incompetence lets this Hurricane escape):

It is satisfying when you manage to to get a bucket full of sixes (German Crosses on the Luftwaffe dice) but you can only ever get "one hit" - a second cross ups that to a critical (which makes it harder to save) but you do not automatically inflict damage. Things are handled rather abstractly, with the attacked plane allowed to make a saving throw. If this is failed when the plane is at a disadvantage, the plane is shot down, otherwise you "get a boom chit" which accumulates as fatigue and loss of morale. Eventually the accumulation of "boom chits" breaks the squadrons "will to fight" and they disengage. It's a very nice concept and game mechanic - other rules systems encourage a last man standing fight to the death (see below, it cannot get much better for the Germans, but even such skewed stats rolls do not produce overly devastating effects, but rather secure a good outcome):

One advantage of having a two-engined plane is that you effectively get two lives. The first life loses one engine (which loses some speed) and kills the rear gunner - which means you cannot get the Parthian shot at the Hurricane in your rear arc anymore, the second sees you tumble out of the skies like a flaming meteor (see below, disadvantaged and failed my skill test means my rear gunner and an engine is lost):

The Me109s are really taking it to the Spitfires, no losses but lots of "boom chits" acquired. The Spitfires tight turns give them plenty of dice to make their saving throws, which turns a rear arc shot into deflection shot. From auto kill to a morale "boom chit". At least four Spitfire pilots owed their lives to this ability! The Hurricanes meanwhile are certainly taking to Baron Mark's flight of "elite" Destroyers!

Blood Red Skies: Battle of Britain (1 of 3) Closing to Battle

Kent, August 1940 - Squadron Scramble, six Hurricanes from 43 Squadron vector in via the Dowding System to intercept German blips on the radar screen (see below, freshly painted ready for their first BRS battle - the Hurricanes recover from an initial bad set-up by playing their RADAR card which allows them to recover from an initial set of poor "advantage/neutral/disadvantage" positioning, to the German players curses):

The enemy, which turns out to be a group of four German Me110s "Destroyers" (see below, seeing as I had suffered at the hand of these beasts in a previous game I fancied my chances flying them):

Close by are a "swarm" of six Me109s (see below, paired up for combat, luckily for my sake in the hands of a veteran player):

Last but not least "the boys from the blue" a freshly commissioned brace of six shiny Spitfires from 19 Squadron (see below, can you sense the menace?):

The Hurricanes close with Destroyers. The German player (me) has played his "obselete tactics" card forcing the RAF player "Lucky Dave"  to chose the "RAF Vic Three" formation favoured in France (see below, the RAF have twelve engines [two separate forces of six which equate to a "boom chit" - think morale value - of six each], the Luftwaffe have fourteen [two separate forces of eight (Me110s) and six (Me109s) resectfully]):

The Spitfires and Me109s instinctively hurtle together (see below, cunningly Von Ken intends to use the left hand cloud to sweep behind and get into the Spitfires from behind):

Battle is about to commence in deadly earnest as the planes are almost within range of each others guns.