Ramrod -- Late Spring 1941

[MengJiao]

  This is based on a scenario from Victories.  The idea of the Ramrod is that a a huge number of fighters (Spitfire Vbs and Hurricane IIcs) escort a relatively small bomber force (in this case the target is a airfield in D0) in order to force the Germans to send up fighters.  Historically, there were even more RAF fighters than this scenario has, but I've left out the withdrawal cover since most of the shooting is over in about 4 or 5 minutes (say 6 or 7 game turns).  Historically, the Germans also faced a lot more fighters than appear here, but in the game, odds of over 2 to one are very hard on the outnumbered side and here we have 9 RAF squadrons to 4 Luftw squadrons -- which is very tough in game terms -- though nothing like the overwhelming odds the Germans faced.  Historically, the Germans were shooting down the RAF at this point at something like 7 or 8 to one, but the game will probably have this turn out to be a pretty good day for the RAF from what I've seen.  I guess the bad days would not make for much of a scenario.
   So I shoved a lot of game items onto the starting map -- the map tends to be pretty empty -- it being the sky and all -- so for starters I shoved on some aircraft cards and dogfight boxes:

[MengJiao]

  This is based on a scenario from Victories. 

  And...start of Turn 3, maybe almost 2 minutes into the battle...JG26/G/II spots 616 Squadron 4-5 miles away at around 27,000 feet above wispy clouds.
Spotting is one square less likely in Supremacy (you have to roll a modified d6 > the distance in squares) so this would be an impossible bit of spotting without the veteran modifier (+1), 616 in a large formation (+2) and radar information from the ground (+1) so  616 could be spotted on a roll of 3-6.
KG26 is already alert so that doesn't change.  616 sees nothing and neither does any other RAF squadron so they keep on course to bomb the airfield at cruise speed while KG26 closes in on them.

[MengJiao]

  This is based on a scenario from Victories. 

  And...start of Turn 3, maybe almost 2 minutes into the battle...JG26/G/II spots 616 Squadron 4-5 miles away at around 27,000 feet above wispy clouds.
Spotting is one square less likely in Supremacy (you have to roll a modified d6 > the distance in squares) so this would be an impossible bit of spotting without the veteran modifier (+1), 616 in a large formation (+2) and radar information from the ground (+1) so  616 could be spotted on a roll of 3-6.
KG26 is already alert so that doesn't change.  616 sees nothing and neither does any other RAF squadron so they keep on course to bomb the airfield at cruise speed while KG26 closes in on them.

  Turn 5:  A lot of KG26 sneakiness is spoiled by one good RAF Spotting Roll in Turn 4.    The Green pilots of 607 squadron climb to the attack under orders.  Nobody sees them and their target dives on 616 along with another KG26 flight.  Much shooting ensues.  Two 616 planes are hit, but not badly and one KG26 plane is shot out of the sky.  In this slashing attack, the 2-cannoned Spitfire Vbs come out ahead of the one-cannoned Me 109F2s.  The 109s aren't going to stick around to dogfight if they can help it and their dive-speed should let them avoid the dogfight.

 

[MengJiao]

  This is based on a scenario from Victories. 

  And...start of Turn 3, maybe almost 2 minutes into the battle...JG26/G/II spots 616 Squadron 4-5 miles away at around 27,000 feet above wispy clouds.
Spotting is one square less likely in Supremacy (you have to roll a modified d6 > the distance in squares) so this would be an impossible bit of spotting without the veteran modifier (+1), 616 in a large formation (+2) and radar information from the ground (+1) so  616 could be spotted on a roll of 3-6.
KG26 is already alert so that doesn't change.  616 sees nothing and neither does any other RAF squadron so they keep on course to bomb the airfield at cruise speed while KG26 closes in on them.

  Turn 5:  A lot of KG26 sneakiness is spoiled by one good RAF Spotting Roll in Turn 4.    The Green pilots of 607 squadron climb to the attack under orders.  Nobody sees them and their target dives on 616 along with another KG26 flight.  Much shooting ensues.  Two 616 planes are hit, but not badly and one KG26 plane is shot out of the sky.  In this slashing attack, the 2-cannoned Spitfire Vbs come out ahead of the one-cannoned Me 109F2s.  The 109s aren't going to stick around to dogfight if they can help it and their dive-speed should let them avoid the dogfight.

  Turn 6: I checked the dogfight rules and you roll to avoid a dogfight based on your basic speed.  At 27,000 feet, the 109F2 and the Spitfire Vb have the same basic speed.  The Spitfires roll higher, the Green pilots of 607 enter the dogfight and another 109 goes down.  Meanwhile, down at the bombing run, the 109Es shoot down a Hurricane IIc.  That still leaves things looking bad for KG26: 3 planes down, ammo depleted, and only one Hurricane for all their efforts.  A good day for the RAF so far.

[MengJiao]

  Turn 6: I checked the dogfight rules and you roll to avoid a dogfight based on your basic speed.  At 27,000 feet, the 109F2 and the Spitfire Vb have the same basic speed.  The Spitfires roll higher, the Green pilots of 607 enter the dogfight and another 109 goes down.  Meanwhile, down at the bombing run, the 109Es shoot down a Hurricane IIc.  That still leaves things looking bad for KG26: 3 planes down, ammo depleted, and only one Hurricane for all their efforts.  A good day for the RAF so far.

   Start of Turn 7:  The low 109Es avoid dogfighting and have shot down one Hurricane IIc.  The high cover 109f2s are going to break to get out of the dogfight and run.  Escaping is supposed to be more difficult in Supremacy, so we will see.  If they don't break (which they can chose to do automatically -- like right now), they will face six squadrons of Spitfire Vbs in a dogfight and that doesn't seem like a good idea:

[MengJiao]

  Turn 6: I checked the dogfight rules and you roll to avoid a dogfight based on your basic speed.  At 27,000 feet, the 109F2 and the Spitfire Vb have the same basic speed.  The Spitfires roll higher, the Green pilots of 607 enter the dogfight and another 109 goes down.  Meanwhile, down at the bombing run, the 109Es shoot down a Hurricane IIc.  That still leaves things looking bad for KG26: 3 planes down, ammo depleted, and only one Hurricane for all their efforts.  A good day for the RAF so far.

   Start of Turn 7:  The low 109Es avoid dogfighting and have shot down one Hurricane IIc.  The high cover 109f2s are going to break to get out of the dogfight and run.  Escaping is supposed to be more difficult in Supremacy, so we will see.  If they don't break (which they can chose to do automatically -- like right now), they will face six squadrons of Spitfire Vbs in a dogfight and that doesn't seem like a good idea:

  Turns 7 8 and 9:
1) the 109s escape after shooting down two more Hurricanes.
2) The Blenhiems bomb from 6,000 feet and score no damage
3) So the final score is: 3 109s shot down for 3 Hurricanes...which is a victory for the RAF even in game scenario terms
4) lessons learned:
A) for the RAF: Don't fly in big wings in a cloud layer of any kind (most of the RAF high cover never saw the 109s at all)
B) for KG26: get better planes (the 109F4 began to arrive in significant numbers about this time)