Fighter Appearance Variant


Thanks to Bruce Peckham for the following variant. We may use this for our next 25!

Improving The Odds

The way to improving the odds for B17s in the game is to cut down the number of German fighters.

This can be done in a fashion that is historically consistent. In Donald Caldwell’s book "JG 26" one of the quoted Luftwaffe pilots stated that German fighter pilots looked for ragged formations and stragglers preferring to attack them than a tight disciplined B17 combat box formation.

We could improve the present odds in QOS by implementing formation integrity for each B17 squadron which when good or excellent cuts down on the number of attacking enemy fighters. The GM calculates formation integrity during pre-mission preparation using historical factors of weather and crew experience.

A chart is designed for the GM to use at the start of each mission that defines the formation for each squadron as Tight, Normal or Loose. The better the formation, the better the chance of encountering fewer fighters.

The chart is a simple percentage chart with results modified for two of the prime factors that determined formation integrity, weather and crew experience. German fighter activity and flak also affected the formations, but as we do not fly zone to zone, but rather the entire mission we can’t easily use these additional factors for our purpose in this online game.

My proposal is that if the formation is Tight then no extra fighters appear for the lead and tail bombers and one attacker is removed from each wave. If the formation is Normal then one fighter is removed from each wave. If the formation is loose then all attacks are played per the normal QOS procedures.

An out of formation B17 is gamed in accordance with the standard QOS rule for that situation.

Using percentage dice the chance of the formation types are: 20% Tight or Loose. 60% Normal.

1. Modifiers are determined as follows:

Weather:

If the QOS pre-mission chart O-1 calls for good weather at both base and target there is no modification to the Formation Integrity Chart.

If either the base or target shows poor weather roll 1d6. A roll of 6 is inclement weather on the mission. All other results are good weather.

If either base or target shows bad weather roll 1d6. A roll of 4-6 is inclement weather.

If both base and target are poor or bad then the mission weather is automatically inclement.

Under inclement weather conditions add 10% to the percentage roll on the Formation Integrity Chart.

2. Crew Experience

Crew experience is calculated pre-mission by the GM as follows: Total the mission count for each squadron’s available B17s but exclude the two B17s with the highest and lowest mission count. Divide this total by the aggregate number of available B17s (including the two previous exclusions). Fractions are retained. This quotient is the Squadron Crew Experience Factor (SCE).

The percentage roll on the Formation Integrity Chart is affected by comparing SCE to the number of combat zones on the current mission. Changes to the chart result are made only under the following conditions:

SCE exceeds the number of mission zones by 2 or more subtract 10% to roll.

SCE is less than the number of mission zones by more than 2 adds 10% to roll.

If Squadron Crew Experience exceeds or is below the number of combat zones on the current mission by a factor of 2 add or subtract 10% to the percentage roll on the Formation Integrity Chart.

The GM does all the work and notifies each squadron what its formation will be for the mission. The player must remember the modifications to fighter attacks if his squadron is in a tight or normal formation. This isn’t a radical change. The present odds are not made worse. The missions will not be dull milk runs. But there is a chance for a better chance. My own Shady Lady was shot down by one shot from one fighter. Maybe she’d be still flying if the formation had been nice and tight that day.

Bruce/Popeye 401 SQD

Formation Integrity Chart (Pct Dice)

01-19 Tight Formation No "extra" 109 @ Lead or Tail B17. Remove one fighter from each attacking wave.

20-80 Normal Formation. Remove one fighter from each attacking wave.

81-00 Loose Formation. No change from QOS rules/procedures.

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