The Handley Page, whose name became synonymous with the word "bomber" to the British, even into the 1930s, was no exception to the RNAS first policy. In fact it seems odd to us now, but it was the RNAS, and not the RFC that attempted the first strategic bombing campaign. With missions closely tied into the French strategies, and some at the time claiming that the French intelligence and planning controlled this, it was only a matter of time before the control of strategic bombing became a political bun fight between Haig and the politicians.
For a long period on the Western Front squadrons of British Naval aircraft, bombing at the direction of the French, were very active. It makes sense I suppose to assume that Haig and his ilk saw the air war as a struggle to assert dominance for artillery spotting. The Navy saw it as an opportunity to damage the enemy behind the lines. As in so much else to do with this war later events showed that the Navy's viewpoint was far clearer than the Generals.
One thing I had massively wrong in my first games was fuel. It took me a long time to discover that the Handley Page carried 200 gallons of petrol, using roughly 25 gallons an hour. It also had a huge payload of 8 x 200 lbs and 8 x 100 lbs bombs. Given that I must add in the possibility of up to four separate drops, and a D6 roll for each seems to be in the right spirit.
The Mission
Flight Sub Lt. (The Hon) D. Niven is on his third mission in four days. He is two crewmen down, Gunlayers Dickie Attenborough is in hospital, over acting, and poor Alec Guiness caught a Hun bullet out over the Dogger. It's how he would have wanted to go, but he will be with us, always. .
New recruits Gunlayers Mills and Sinden (both -1) are on the team. Niven assigns them to the hatch and rear guns respectively. He keeps Gunlayer Will Hay on the nose machine guns. That boy is so crosseyed he will spot the Hun from two directions at once.
Rules slightly reworked.
Flight card
Each turn roll 5 Command Dice and Draw One Card1. Pilot, 2. Spotting, 3. Aim. 4. Shoot, 5. Navigation, 6. Wild dice.
Pilot.Move and turn, speed constant
Climb half movement or dive add half again.
Pilot needs to dice to pass a stage and enter the next patrol area.
Spotting
Use a success dice to spot and identify a target card. success.
Aim
The pilot needs to accumulate a success dice roll from his aim dice to commence the bombing run, or attack by rolling the command dice he has. 5 or 6 success unless stated on a card.
Shoot.
Bomb or Lewis, A simple D6 roll with any or all accumulated dice, 5 or 6 hits, 1 is a critical miss. Used at the end of a bombing run. Using all dice simulates the reload.
Navigation:
Pilot needs to accumulate 3 dice to move into next patrol area.
In an emergency may roll any accumulated dice 5 or 6 to succeed.
Wild card dice
Subsitute for any other dice. Roll 2 and you must draw a second card. Draw three and you must draw three cards and wipe all dice and previous cards.
Combat.
The card will state how many d6 the target can return fire with. Each 5 or 6 is a hit. Roll again
1 Pilot Hit, 2 Crewman wounded 3 Crewman Killed, 4 Engine 5 Aileron damage, 6 W are going down!
Anti Submarine Patrol out to the Dogger Bank and then due North to the Devil's Hole before returning to the Aerodrome.
CrewFlight Sub-Lieutenant the Hon. D.Niven
Gunlayer 3919 J. Mills
Gunlayer 3927 D. Sinden
Gunlayer 2799 W. Hay
HP serial 566
Air hours 14.
Maintenance check
Passed
200 gallons fuel.
Take off
Successful into patrol zone 1
Flight Sub-Lieutenant the Hon. D.Niven
Gunlayer 3919 J. Mills
Gunlayer 3927 D. Sinden
Gunlayer 2799 W. Hay
HP serial 566
Air hours 14.
Maintenance check
Passed
200 gallons fuel.
Take off
Successful into patrol zone 1
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