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SZCZEKOCINY 1794

[0.0] USING THESE RULES[1.0] INTRODUCTION [2.0] GENERAL COURSE OF PLAY [3.0] GAME EQUIPMENT [4.0] SEQUENCE OF PLAY [5.0] HOW TO WIN

[6.0] SETTING UP THE GAME[7.0] BEGIN THE OPERATION

THUNDERBIRDS

AT WAR

Table of Contents

[8.0] APPLYING DAMAGE[9.0] THE GRT[10.0] KEEPING TRACK

Bombing the Reich

Jan. to Jun. 1943

Design by: michel Boucher

Developed by: David Knepper

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[0.0] USING THESE RULES The rules are designed to be used in play order and with a minimum of detail required to get into the

game. Elaborations and historical notes are intended to give the player a feeling of immersion. The campaign game uses the historical selection of targets for the period January to June 1943, but the players are free to make any selection of targets they wish should they only want to play a session with a few random missions.

[1.0] INTRODUCTIONThunderbirds at War is a solitaire game that will tell you, the player, the story of 6 Group (RCAF) bomber squadron 426, the Thunderbirds. From January 1943 to May 1945, they were engaged in the largest undertaking in any war to date, that of taking the battle to the enemy, night after night, and at the cost of many thousands of lives.

The game covers the first five months of operations of 426 Squadron, from mid-January to mid-June 1943, when the squadron flew venerable two-engine Wellingtons (Wimpys). The squadrons of 6 Group were composed primarily of Canadians, with some New Zealanders, Australians, Britons and Americans, many of whom had trained in the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP) in the many schools in Canada and elsewhere.

1.1 Terms UsedBCATP – British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, administered by the Commonwealth, primarily by Canada, where pilots and crews were trained in North America and Australia, in relative safety away from combat zones.Flak - Fliegerabwehrkanone, aircraft defense cannon. By 1943, the majority of flak guns were Krupp FlaK 88mm, 105mm and 128mm. By the time these missions were flown, FlaK guns were larger and more effective, the most deadly being FlaK 41 (improved 88mm) firing 9.4kg shells at 1000m/s with a maximum ceiling of about 15,000 m as opposed to the old ceiling of about 8,000 m. A flak Zone is indicated by a coloured triangle in a shaded hex.Gardening – missions which consisted of mining harbours.Geschwader - roughly the size of an RAF wing, with about 90 to 120 aircraft under its command.GRT – General Results Table is used for resolution of all actions requiring a skill check by the crew as well as German fighter and flak units (see rule 9.0).Hex – part of hexagonal grid regulating movement on the map.Himmelbett – literally “sky bed”, a series of radar zones (or cells)

in the Kammhuber Line which consisted of a long triple layer corridor of radar stations extending from Denmark to the middle of France. The RAF was able to counter the effect by flying down the middle of a cell.Hit – the result of a successful roll on the GRT by the crew against an LW fighter, or by German fighter and flak units, against the Wimpy which results in turning over a single airframe counter and applying effects.Luftwaffe – literally, “air force”, German air combat arm under the command of Hermann Göring.Mission – in the game, a single assignment to reach and bomb or mine a target. Skill check – another way of saying “roll on the General Results Table”.Space – a location on a track.Sprog – a new arrival, a green member of the crew.Targets – assigned by High Command as strategic objectives.Tour of operations – a total of 30 successful missions, that is to say that targets were bombed 30 times.Wimpy – the nickname given by RAF crews to the Vickers Wellington, after the popular hamburger-loving Popeye character, J. Wellington Wimpy.Zone – another term for a hex when referring to German defenses.

[2.0] GENERAL COURSE OF PLAYThunderbirds at War is a solitaire game in which you, the player, assume the role of a pilot in RCAF 426 Squadron and, to win the game, you must complete a tour of operations of 30 successful missions. Thunderbirds at War uses chits to handle random elements such as Luftwaffe, flak, weather, sudden mishaps, etc. During the course of a mission, you will roll on a simple table and improve the chances of success using crew quality bonuses, pilot decisions, weather, random events.

[3.0] GAME EQUIPMENT •1map,includingplayingaids•1countersheet(seetables5and5afordescriptionanduse)•52HistoricalTargetssheet•Eventssheet(2pages)•CounterLegendsheet(2pages)•Theserules

You will also need 1 to 3 ten-sided dice (d10) numbered from 0-9 (the ‘0’’ is a ‘0’, and not a ‘10’), and 1 six-sided die (d6), all of which you will use to resolve skill checks, events, and other requirements for both 426 Sq. (RCAF) and the Luftwaffe, throughout the game.

The map represents the theatre of operations for Bomber Command (Europe, early 1943) with German radar zones highlighted, targets marked with coloured flak triangles denoting levels of flak intensity that indicate which bombing track to use, and some named targets. Hexes with darker shading are in

Text in boxes, like this, provides the voice of the game’s designer, who is addressing you to explain an idea or concept, or providing quotes from the squadron diaries in support of rules.

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Germany (7.5.2[1]). Around the map are the necessary tables and tracks to aid you, the player, in completing your missions.

[4.0] SEQUENCE OF PLAY Each mission represents one “turn” of a series of 30 successful bombing missions which constitute a “tour of operations”. Each turn consists of performing the following tasks until the plane either lands safely or crashes.

Preparatory1. Identify target2. Determine target conditions3. Select crew 4. Assign crew quality points.5. Determine flight path, fuel and airframe

Targetbound6. Begin operation, draw Luftwaffe Intensity chit, draw event

chits when advised. Resolve events as needed.7. Roll on LW Intensity Table when appropriate.8. Roll on flak table when appropriate. 9. Combat.10. At target, resolve event, fighters, and flak, as appropriate,

before bombing

Homebound11. Return home along flight path, drawing and resolving event

chits as needed.12. Land (or crash).

[5.0] HOW TO WINYou win a game of Thunderbirds at War by flying 30 successful missions (a tour of operations). A successful mission is defined as bombing the Target or another enemy location in Germany and followed by the return of the crew to England.

[6.0] SETTING UP THE GAMETo play the game, you will need to set out the parts (map, counters, & dice) on a table. Separate the counters into the various groups. Functions of counters are listed on tables 5 and 5a.

6.1 Identify the Target (select a target either in historical order or randomly)In order to select a target, you can do one of three things (it doesn’t really matter which) but if you plan to do a full or even shortened

tour of operations, you should continue using the same method of selection each time. These are:

Historical (see Table 4)Intentional selectionRandom assignment

In the case of the Historical order, the player uses targets in the sequence listed on the Historical Targets sheet (Table 4). In the case of Intentional selection, the player chooses any target he wishes from the Historical Targets sheet.In the case of Random assignment, the player may use Table 1, the Mission Randomizer Table, or determine a random method of their own devising to select targets or missions. Some targets, although named for historical purposes, are not specifically located on the map. A zone number has been assigned to five hexes to help locate these targets. For example, Oldenburg is located in Zone 3, Stuttgart in Zone 4, and all of the Ruhr sites are in Zone 5.

6.2 Roll two d10s on the Target Conditions table (one for weather and one for the phase of the moon) and place appropriate markers.Target conditions are sky and moon phase. They can be good or bad independently of each other. Missions were not planned in stormy weather although that happened occasionally, but there were different degrees of alertness depending on visibility caused by the moon and the presence of clouds. The player rolls on the Target Conditions Table for both the sky and the moon phase. Each “bad” condition modifies the General Results Table [GRT] die rolls by -1, average conditions have no die roll impact, and “good” conditions modify GRT die rolls by +1.Both sides are equally affected by these conditions, so a positive result can have a negative effect on the outcome of a mission.

6.3 Select Crew (pilot and four others)* 6.3.1 Selecting a crew: The player selects 5 crew members from the available roster, always selecting the Pilot as his first. The rest may depend on the type of target or atmospheric conditions: gunner, aimer, navigator, wireless and flight engineer. The pilot is the mission commander.

Pilot (P): The pilot is the mission commander and flies the Wimpy. He manoeuvres the Wimpy, spends discretionary points, and directs crew members to affect aircraft repairs and put out fires. A successful skill check is required.

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Historically, 426 Sq. flew 57 missions from January to June 1943, five of which were Sea Search and none of those resulted in spotting anyone. So the Sea Search missions were left out of the game. All others are listed on the historical targets sheet.

NOTE: The time divisions each represent a ten day period of the squadron’s operations. In some periods there were few missions, and in others there were many. Bad weather was the most significant contributing factor to the squadron’s enforced inacticity over the periods as long as a week.

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Gunner (AG): he is your primary line of defense, ensuring that night fighters are warned off, if not shot down outright. On dark or cloudy nights, he is not as effective. He may also put out fires.

Aimer (B): this crew member is specialized in identifying and lining up the target. He finds the target and drops the bombs. The aimer may also man the guns and put out fires.

Navigator (N): this crew member is specialized in identifying the Wimpy’s location with respect to the target and the home field. He is sorely needed most of the time. Some crews had navigators who could double as aimers. The navigator may also put out fires.

Wireless (WAG): this crew member ensures that the Wimpy receives alerts and is also important in signaling position in case of a ditch. The wireless operator may also man the guns and put out fires.

Flight Engineer (E): this crew member saw to the proper running of the Wimpy, checking fuel levels and keeping an eye on all the dials and gauges. He could perform spot repairs on damaged equipment to keep the plane aloft including putting out fires. The Flight Engineer was also trained to replace a Pilot that has been incapacitated, with no skill check handicap.

* Historical crew assignments provided at Table 2.

6.4 Assign Crew Quality/Pilot Discretionary Points (CQP/PDP)

6.4.1 The player starts with 0 points and accumulates them by completing missions, to a limit of 5, at the rate of:

1 for green targets2 for yellow targets3 for red targets (and the Ruhr)

6.4.1[1] He assigns up to 3 such points before the start of a mission, 1 each to enhance a crew member’s specialist ability to deal with certain events (as the player wishes). A CQP provides a ONE TIME ONLY die roll modifier (DRM) as follows:

+1 to gunnery (gunner only)+1 to bombing (aimer only)+1 to repairs (flight engineer only)+1 to navigation (navigator only)

Obviously, not every crew station will be covered and only expe-rience will give the player the knowledge to choose the right mix.6.4.1[2] A CQP assigned at the beginning of the mission may be spent by the specialist at any time to enhance his skill check, but only once during the mission and spent before the die roll. After

it has been used, further skill checks will not be modified unless directed otherwise by events or the pilot’s discretionary points.

6.4.2 Select the Pilot’s Discretionary Points

6.4.2[1] The pilot has a separate allocation of points (PDPs), also limited to 3 per mission, which can be selected. PDPs are as follows:

• +1toanyonemanoeuvre(mustbespentBEFOREthedieroll)

• +1Stamina(reducesthenegativeDRMofawoundedcrewmember to -1; can be combined with a DISCretionary)

• 1Rerollofanydieroll,includingLuftwaffeandflakrolls.• UptotwopilotDISCretionarymodifiers.

A PDP provides a ONE TIME ONLY modifier or a single die reroll.

6.4.2[2] Pilot DISCretionary Modifiers. These modifiers are used to improve crew (including pilot) performance during the current mission, as follows:

• toreplaceaCQPusedbyacrewmemberoraPDPusedbythe pilot

• toassignaCQPtoacrewmemberwhowasnotassignedaCQP at mission start or to the pilot for a PDP not selected at mission start

6.4.3 New crew member penalty: Sprogs (new arrivals from the BCATP) are assigned to replace wounded or deceased crew members as needed. If no crew member leaves, no sprog crew is assigned and none can be assigned before mission period 2, 2nd Lorient. The first mission of a sprog crew member will lower the crew’s ability to use the full allotment of crew quality points, and is reflected in a reduction of available CQPs by 1 (to a minimum of 1). So if the crew has accumulated 3 CQP, the CQP will be reduced to 2 as a result of the arrival of a sprog.

6.5 Map and Track MarkersDraw (from the entire pool) and place Flight Path markers (up to 12), event face down, on the map to form the path you have selected to the target and for the return flight to 6 Group (including the

If you find a target name in red, then you are the lucky recipient of a fresh-faced youngster, eager and willing. Sprogs do not receive a CQP on first mission.The reduction in available CQPs is intended to simulate shadowing by experienced crew members and the fact that their attention is sometimes directed elsewhere.

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Generally, 426 Sq. flew with 5-man crews. The point of the selection process is that the pilot will have to make choices. So the player chooses four from the five crew members available to him based on his experience and his hunches looking at the mission ahead.

IMPORTANT: Any crew member can attempt to perform any action, but only those qualified will get to use a bonus point unless they are given a discretionary point by the pilot during the mission. For repairs, see rules section 6.3.1.

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6th Group hex upon return, but NOT upon departure). These two paths need not be identical. Also draw (from the entire pool) and place eight Air Frame markers, event face down, on the Airframe Track. Prepare the pool of Event chits, number face down.

6.5.1 Flight Path: Plan your flight path knowing a) the target, b) the weather, and c) crew complement. Use one flight path marker per hex you must enter (between 8 and 12), selected randomly and placed face down (arrow side up) on the map, pointing the markers towards the hexsides that you will cross. Two path markers can occupy the same hex with no ill-effect. Remember to place one in the 6 Group hex to be turned over upon arrival. Keep in mind each hex entered represents a minimum of one point of fuel expended.

6.5.1[1] Event chits, which are drawn as indicated by the flight path markers, are placed face down on the playing area (or in an opaque container) and randomized. As chits are drawn, the corresponding event is located on the Event sheet and the instructions are followed, using the Targetbound event text for the flight to the target, including the target hex. The Homebound event text is used for the return flight, including 6 Group hex, and then the chit is either retained in the Active Events box if instructed to do so, or discarded. After the target hex event is resolved (whether or not bombing is successful), all event chits are turned face down (or returned to the opaque container) and randomized again for the trip home.

NOTE : The text of events takes precedence over rules.

6.5.1[2] Some events are “Unique” to their respective flight paths (Targetbound and Homebound) and if another “Unique” event is drawn in the same flight path, it is treated as a “No Event” draw, i.e., it is immediately discarded to the pool.

6.5.2 Air Frame: As there are eight blank locations on the airframe track, eight airframe markers are randomly selected from the pool and placed face down on the track.

NOTE  : Revealed airframe markers, with or without events, represent aircraft damage.

6.5.3 Perform other actionsa) Place the fuel marker on the Fuel track at the number

corresponding to the number of flight path markers.b) Place the bomb marker on the Start Here box of the

appropriate bombing track (same colour as target hex indicator).

c) Place the Luftwaffe counter at “0” the LW Intensity track.

[7.0] BEGIN THE OPERATION – There and Back Again

[7.0.1] You begin the operation by drawing a Luftwaffe Intensity chit. Place the chit in the Active Events box as reminder. The level of intensity determines which row of the LW Activity Table (see map sheet) you will consult when entering a shaded hex. When required, you will roll a 1d10 and cross-reference that roll with the intensity level to determine the number of LW fighters that

may appear at your location. The appearance of each of these fighters is still highly dependent on a spotting skill check [7.1.2], as modified by cloud cover and phase of the moon.

[7.0.2] The Luftwaffe Intensity chit is set aside at the end of the current mission. At the beginning of the next mission, the draw is made using the two remaining chits; then the previous mission chit is added back into the pool. So, for every mission but the first, there is a draw pool of two chits, which does NOT include the chit used in the previous mission.

NOTE: The player may choose to add the previous mission chit back into the pool and draw from a pool of three chits each turn.

[7.0.3] Move the Wimpy counter from the 6 Group hex into the first hex of the flight path, reduce the fuel track by one, and flip over the flight path marker. If an event is indicated, draw a chit from the event pool, and find that numbered event on Table 3. Otherwise, continue moving into the next hex, expending fuel, turning over the flight path marker and implementing any event occurring as your first action in each hex. The reason for this is that some events will scrub the rest of your mission and send you home.

NOTE: When entering a hex, always do the following in this order:

1. Expend fuel by decreasing the fuel track by the appropriate amount (1 per hexside crossed and possibly more due to damage)

2. Flip over the flight path marker and implement the event, if any

3. Determine if air combat or zone flak occurs:3.1 if flying at high altitude, roll on the LW Intensity

Table (rule 7.1.1[1]) or3.2 if flying at low altitude, roll on the Zone Flak Table

corresponding to the colour of the triangle (rule 7.2.1).

[7.0.4] The fuel marker is adjusted downward each time the Wimpy crosses a line INTO a hex or as otherwise directed by events. Damage to fuel lines, increased drag or being off course can result in greater fuel consumption or simply running out of fuel before being able to land at 6 Group.

[7.0.5] When the Wimpy crosses into a shaded hex, roll one d10 on the LW Intensity table, cross-referenced with the intensity level obtained earlier, to determine the number of LW fighters. If the Wimpy is flying at low altitude in a non-target shaded hex, roll on the zone flak table (colour matching the encounter triangle in the hex) to determine the amount of flak dice but not fighters.

Events may force you to cancel the mission. These represent any number of malfunctions. If you are forced to cancel a mission before reaching the target, remove all unused targetbound flight path markers and use the remaining homebound markers to set a new path to 6 Group from your current hex. If you have not yet left England, simply land and scrub the mission.

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7.1 Air Combat7.1.1 Air Combat [General]: When the Wimpy enters a shaded hex, at either high or low altitude, there is the possibility of LW fighter interception. The Wimpy’s altitude and the presence of a flak triangle impacts the resolution of the LW fighter interception.

7.1.1[1] High Altitude - with Flak Triangle: The player rolls 1d10 and cross-references that result with the level of LW intensity determined at the beginning of the mission. That generates the number of LW fighters that may intercept the Wimpy. Proceed to 7.1.2 Air Combat-Detail.

NOTE: There is no Air Combat step in the Ruhr hex.

7.1.1[2] Low Altitude - with Flak Triangle: No LW fighter interception occurs; flak is notorious for being unable to tell friend from foe.

7.1.2 Air Combat [Detail]:

7.1.2[1] For each LW fighter that may intercept the Wimpy, execute the following steps:

7.1.2[2] Roll a spotting skill check: Each LW fighter, in turn, rolls 1d10 on the GRT. This die roll IS modified by cloud cover and phase of the moon; this die roll could be modified by an event (see Table 3). If the result is a success, the fighter has spotted the Wimpy. Otherwise the fighter fails to spot the Wimpy; if no fighter spots the Wimpy, air combat ends.

7.1.2[3] Roll to spot LW fighter: The gunner rolls 1d10 on the GRT for each fighter in turn. This die roll IS modified by cloud cover and phase of the moon. If the result is a success, the gunner spots the fighter and chooses whether to open fire at it, rolling

1d10 on the GRT. This roll could be modified by: • CQP/PDP(see6.4.1[1]&6.4.2[1])• mentionedindispatches(see7.11)• wounds(see8.3)

A success is a hit which drives off [or, for the more blood-thirsty, shoots down] the fighter. The gunner gets only one attempt to spot and one attempt to shoot down each fighter encountered.

7.1.2[4] Roll to damage the Wimpy: If the gunner’s attempts to spot or to shoot down a fighter is a failure, the fighter fires on the Wimpy, rolling a 1d10 on the GRT. This die roll could be modi-fied by an event (see Table 3). If this results in a success, the fighter scores a hit on the Wimpy; a hit causes one point of damage. Whether the roll is a hit or a miss, air combat ends for that fighter.

7.1.2[5] Pilot skill/PDP: If the fighter hits the Wimpy, but before the damage is resolved, the pilot may attempt to evade the fighter’s shots by performing a manoeuvre skill check or by using a pilot’s Reroll PDP (see 6.4.2[2]). Note that the manoeuvre skill check may be modified by using a MAN +1 or Reroll PDP, Discretionary markers, and/or being mentioned in dispatches (see 7.11), if available. If either the manoeuver skill check or the Reroll results in a success, that damage is canceled and air combat with that fighter is ended.

7.1.2[6] If fighter damage is not canceled, flip one left most airframe counter for each hit and go to 8.0.

7.2 Zone Flak 7.2.1 When the Wimpy, flying at low altitude, enters a shaded hex with a coloured flak triangle, proceed to 7.2.1[1]. Otherwise continue flying.

7.2.1[1] Zone flak is resolved on the zone flak table that matches the coloured flak triangle in the shaded hex by rolling a 1d10. This generates a number between ‘0-3’ which is the number of dice the flak may roll.

NOTE: This roll is not a skill check.

7.2.1[2] If the shaded hex is the Ruhr (Zone 5), there is no zone flak.

7.2.2 The player then rolls a 1d10 skill check on the GRT to determine if the flak spots the Wimpy. The skill check IS modified by cloud cover and moon phase and may be modified by an event (Table 3). If a success is rolled, go to 7.2.2[1]; if not, flak combat t

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February 24 – Wilhemshaven: All crews were in their aircraft by 1800 hours and twelve Wellingtons from No 426 Squadron were on their way within 15 minutes—one failed to take off for mechanical reasons. Three returned early: one with an unserviceable rear turret, another when the pilot’s compass failed, and the third because the pilot took sick.

IMPORTANT: During the operation, NO crew action is mandatory beyond moving the Wimpy counter on the map. Everything else is at the discretion of the player. Crew members can always attempt actions but will not receive benefits unless they are specialists and have been assigned points.

12 May – Duisburg: Rear gunner Sergeant G.V. Andrew spotted the enemy aircraft first about 1000 yards off to the port quarter […] Closing in to 900 yards, the enemy opened fire and continued shooting until he banked away 400 yards off the port quarter. Stuart put his aircraft into a diving turn to starboard as the enemy pilot opened fire, and the crew watched his tracer burn out on their port quarter. The range was extreme, so Andrew did not open fire.14 January – Lorient: During this operation, Sergeant

Rands and his crew had an unusual experience. On the way to Lorient, they sighted two Me109s near Pointe du Chateau but the two enemy aircraft vanished, apparently without spotting the Wellington.

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ends.7.2.2[1] If the Wimpy was spotted, the player now rolls d10 dice equal to the amount of flak available (from 7.2.1[1]) to determine if the flak damages the Wimpy. Each die rolled on the GRT may be modified by an event (Table 3) and/or a +1 DRM to each die if in the Ruhr hex (Zone 5). For each roll that is a success, the Wimpy may be damaged. Otherwise, flak combat ends.7.2.2[2] For each flak die roll that may damage the Wimpy, the pilot may attempt to avoid the damage by rolling a successful manoeuvre skill check. The player may apply:

• theMan+1DRMPDP,• useaRerollPDPtorerolltheflakorpilot’smanoeuvredie

roll result• asdirectedbyanevent,

if any of these options are available.

If the manoeuvre skill check is a success or the flak die reroll results in failure, the damage is canceled. In any case, the second die roll stands.

7.2.2[3] If the flak damage is not canceled, flip the left most airframe counter and go to 8.0.

7.2.2[4] The pilot can always immediately attempt an unmodified manoeuvre to avoid damage. In fact he should do so as often as possible. If he chooses to force the flak to reroll, he can still attempt a manoeuvre to reduce any remaining hits.

7.3 If not……then consider yourself lucky and carry on with the mission.

7.4 Altitude When required to change altitude, place or remove the “Low Alt.” marker on the map.

Unless indicated otherwise, your bomber is assumed to be flying at “high altitude”. Events such as malfunctioning heaters and oxygen may require you to fly at ‘low altitude”. In essence this means you will find yourself at a distance between you and the ground that places you at bombing altitude or lower, but definitely within reach of flak.

7.5 Bombing7.5.1 When the Wimpy enters the target hex, expend a fuel (more if there are applicable events in effect) turn over the flight path marker to determine if an event occurs; resolve as required. Then, if the Wimpy entered the target hex at high altitude, roll 1d10 on

the LW Intensity Table to determine the number of intercepting LW fighters, if any.

7.5.1[1] At this point, the navigator attempts to locate the target using his instruments. The navigator rolls 1d10 on the GRT. This roll IS NOT modified by cloud cover or moon phase, but may be modified by the use of an event or CQP. Whether the roll is a success or a failure, resolve LW fighter interception (7.1.2) before proceeding. If the roll was a success, go to 7.5.1[2]; if the roll failed, go to 7.5.2.

NOTE: If the target hex is the Ruhr, no LW fighter interception occurs.

7.5.1[2] The Wimpy now descends to ‘low (bombing) altitude’ (move the Alt. marker accordingly). Place the bomb marker on the first space of the bombing track that matches the coloured triangle in the target hex and roll 1d10 on the corresponding Zone Flak Table. This generates a number between ‘0-3’ which is the number of dice the flak may roll. Resolve Zone Flak as per 7.2.2[1] - 7.2.2[4].

NOTE: This is not a skill check.

7.5.1[3] If the target hex is the Ruhr, there is no zone flak.

7.5.1[4] At this point, the aimer must locate the target using the ‘Mark I Eyeball’ ie., must locate the target visually. The aimer rolls 1d10 on the GRT. This roll IS modified by cloud cover and moon phase, and possibly an event or CQP. If a success is rolled, go to 7.5.3. If the roll fails, go to 7.5.2.

7.5.2 If the target has not been located using either method, the aimer jettisons the bomb load if over Germany (the mission counts as a successful one, see 7.5.2[1]) and the Wimpy climbs to high altitude if it can (remove the Low Alt. marker) and simply heads back to the barn (6 Group). The Wimpy only remains at low altitude if it cannot climb to high altitude because of damage or an event. In either case, take all event markers (discarded, used, and unused) and create a new pool for the flight home.

7.5.2[1] If the target is not located and it is in Germany, then the Aimer may still release his bombs and count it a successful mission, even if he failed to locate his target. Bombing anywhere else in Germany is considered a successful mission by Bomber Command, and nets a training value equal to a green target. If the target is not over Germany, the aimer must wait until the Wimpy is over the Atlantic to jettison them.

Mines are not jettisoned if the Gardening mission fails as they could become a liability to Allied shipping. Consequently, a pilot landing with a mine in the bomb bay is required to perform a skill check. Failure causes catastrophic loss of the aircraft and crew unless the pilot opts to ditch over the sea (go to Survival Table).

7.5.2[2] If the target is not located and the Wimpy is over Occupied Europe, then the Aimer may only release the bombs over water and the mission will be unsuccessful. Bombing of Occupied Europe is deemed inappropriate and is discouraged by Bomber Command.

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12 March - Essen: Sergeant Runciman’s Wellington was attacked at the Dutch coast. […] The fighter opened at 600 yards […] Throughout the attack Runciman corkscrewed to evade the fighter which gave up without attacking more closely. [Rear Gunner] Forland did not have to open fire and the aircraft was not hit.

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7.5.3 If the Aimer found the target, advance the bomb marker one hex on the bombing track.

7.5.4 Resolve Target flak as indicated on the bombing track.

7.5.4[1] Roll 1d10, modified by cloud cover and moon phase on the GRT, to determine if the target flak spots the Wimpy. If successful, roll the indicated target flak dice on the GRT. For each successful flak roll, the Wimpy may be damaged. If the roll fails, target flak combat ends.

7.5.4[2] For each target flak die roll that may damage the Wimpy, the pilot may attempt to avoid the damage by rolling a successful manoeuvre skill check. The player may apply:

• theMan+1DRMPDP,• useaRerollPDPtorerolltheflakdierollresult,• asdirectedbyanevent,

if any of these options apply.

If the manoeuvre skill check is a success or the flak die reroll results in a failure, the damage is canceled. In any case, the second die roll stands.

7.5.4[3] If the flak damage is not canceled, flip one left most airframe counter and go to 8.0.

7.5.5 If over the Ruhr, ignore LW Intensity and Zone Flak Tables, and flak spotting. The flak barrage is constant and was described by one crew member as “walking into a wall of fire”. Roll 3d10 flak, adding 1 to each die, and apply the result as damage. As before, the pilot can attempt to manoeuvre and also use his Reroll to avoid damage (see 7.5.4[2] above).

7.5.6 Once the Wimpy has run the gauntlet of fighters and flak, move the bomb marker to the Bombs Away! space and roll 1d10 on the GRT. The Aimer can use his CQP and MiD to modify the roll, if either are available. Apply other DRMs as appropriate. Rerolls are not permitted as the bombs cannot be recalled and dropped again.

7.5.6[1] Having completed the bomb run, move the bomb marker to the “Return to high altitude” hex. The Wimpy remains at low altitude if it cannot climb to high altitude because of damage or an event.

7.5.6[2] A successful bombing mission will net training points (CQP) for the air crew as outlined in 6.4.1, provided they make it back to England.

7.6 If the event chit pool is ever exhausted (an unlikely event), return all chits, face down, to the pool and randomize again.

7.7 Going Home7.7.1 The Wimpy moves to high altitude (remove Low Alt. marker if damage permits), and a new Homebound event chit pool is prepared. The chits are returned, face down, to the pool and randomized again.

7.7.2 The player moves the Wimpy counter along the return flight path which he set up at the beginning, flipping the path markers over to determine Events, acting on Events, and rolling either on the LW Intensity or Zone Flak tables (if flying at Low Alt.) when required.

7.8 Land/Crash/Ditch7.8.1 Landing at 6 Group is achieved by entering the hex, turning over the final flight path marker in case of event, and only rolling on the GRT if there is an event which indicates it is required (weather, damage to the landing gear, or the pilot is wounded/killed) or the Wimpy is returning with an undelivered mine.

Otherwise, landings are considered to have occurred without problems.

7.8.2 Landing elsewhere in England is permitted as long as the Wimpy has enough fuel to reach (enter) the hex. This includes any hex which has any part of England in it. Apply the same conditions as in 7.8.1 but disregard 6 Group hex weather.

7.8.3 Crashing may occur in England if the Wimpy is affected by weather (one of two possible events), landing gear malfunction, or the pilot is wounded/killed. In these cases, a single d10 roll on the GRT is required. Should the roll fail, the player then rolls 1d10 on the Survival Table (Over England) to determine the fate of aircraft and crew.t

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Indeed, this happened often (see 7.8.2) as crews ran out of fuel and were able to land in fields. Bombers were recovered and returned to the proper squadron.

February 1 - Hamburg: “a massive burst of heavy flak […] damaged the hydraulics […] the flaps fell several degrees increasing drag […] cutting airspeed and raising fuel consumption. […] they were flying at 8000 feet and they thought they had only enough fuel to carry them 12 minutes past the Dutch coast […]At 0033, more than three hours after leaving the target, Dowie set down his wounded Wellington at Coltishall with enough fuel for about seven more minutes of flying. For his determination and skill, Dowie was put up for a bar to his DFC, the squadron’s first decoration in action.

Quite a few crews were lost to a man due to the inclement weather of Yorkshire making landings treacherous (see 7.8.3). The reason for this is that the RAF located 6 Group in the Vale of York, a long corridor in northern England composed of flat farmland bordered by the Pennines on the west (heights between 2000 and 3000 feet) and the Howardian hills on the east (with irregular altitudes of up to 600 feet).

Many crews avoided danger by landing closer to the coast and this is a choice the pilot can make if he is aware ahead of time that he is faced with inclement weather at 6 Group.

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7.8.4 Ditching will occur Over England, Over Occupied Europe (to include Germany), or Over Sea, when caused by irreparable malfunctions, complete loss of fuel, or having flipped the last marker on the airframe track, regardless of what it is.

Roll for the Wireless operator (as instructed by the Survival Table) to give a possible +1 DRM on crew status rolls (only, of course, if there is a Wireless operator onboard the Wimpy).

NOTE: the Wireless Operator may be wounded (DRM applies).

Roll 1d10 on the appropriate Survival Table for each crew member to reveal their ultimate fate, i.e., they are killed, survived and saved by the Resistance, captured and confined to Luftstalag 13, or successful in their attempts to escape.

7.9 Lost Event CautionShould the “Lost” event occur, follow the event’s instructions but, in so doing, you cannot act in such a way as to exit the map. Roll 1d10 to determine the distance you have gone off course: 0-4 = 1 hex, 5-9 = 2 hexes. Then roll 1d6 to determine the direction referring to the numbers on the map’s direction chart. This could be closer to England or much further inland.

If the die roll sends the Wimpy marker off map, you are spared the event.

NOTE: You can only be Lost when you are over the Ruhr, Cologne, or any numbered zone hex. Otherwise treat as “no event”.

If the die rolls indicate you are Lost, take the reamining flight path markers and reorganize them face down on the map, one per hex, to create the shortest route to England.

Should you not be able to reach England, try to get as close as possible to increase your chances of rescue at sea.

7.10 KarmøyThe island port of Karmøy is two hexes above the map. Karmøy is an exception to the off-map movement rule. Also the “Lost” event is treated as “no event” when returning from Karmøy (as you are over the water almost the whole time).

To organize the flight, stack the required number of flight path markers (3 targetbound and 2 homebound) in the Karmøy hex and proceed normally, turning them over one by one.

7.11 Resolving Mentioned in Dispatches7.11.1 Should this event occur anytime after a successful bombing run or a critical repair, a crew member or the pilot is mentioned in dispatches, otherwise treat as “No Event”. Roll 1d6. On a die roll of 1, the pilot is listed for the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC). On a die roll of 2-6 (consult crew markers), the indicated crew member is listed for a Distinguished Flying Medal (DFM). Use the MiD +1 counter to indicate the crew member receives a morale bonus. If no one occupies the position, then the Dispatches are in error and the award is not given.

7.11.2[1] Starting with the next mission, the crew member listed for the DFM receives the benefit of having his CQPs increased by one (+1) until the end of the current period (see Historical Targets sheet) or his death, whichever comes first.

Place an MiD +1 marker in his space to indicate the bonus. This is a bonus and is in addition to the normal CQP allocation made before takeoff which means that a crew member could have a +2 bonus, one point of which will be burned during the mission and the other which will remain available each mission until the current period expires.

Should this be the last mission of the current period, the bonus will be extended into the next period but no further than the last mission of that period.

7.11.2[2] If the pilot is listed, starting with the next mission he also has a benefit of the MiD +1 marker to any skill check until the end of the current period or, if it is the final mission of that period, until the end of the next period.

7.11.3 If the crewmember is captured/killed and the player continues with a new crew, the MiD event is cancelled.

7.11.4 Note that a new MiD event cannot occur until the current MiD event ends. Treat any additional MiD events drawn as “No Effect” until the current MiD event ends.

[8.0] APPLYING DAMAGESee Table 5a for detailed instructions on how to use the Damage counters.

NOTE: Beginners may wish to remove the BOOM counter from the mix.

8.1 Event based damage8.1.1 There are several events which increase the Wimpy’s fuel consumption, either as a result of being forced to fly at low altitude or fuel tank damage. If the Wimpy suffers concurrent, repairable event damage increasing fuel consumption, the increased consumption will continue until all relevant events are repaired. However, the fuel consumption rate [one additional space on the fuel track for each two hexes flown] does not increase with the number of events, only the time required to effect repairs, unless otherwise stated.

8.1.2 Heater, fuel losses and altimeter malfunction can be repaired by a Flt. Eng. (one attempt per hex entered). Once fully repaired, the Wimpy can then return to High Altitude.

8.1.3 Events will stipulate certain conditions where the item in question can no longer be repaired.

8.1.4 When damage is caused by event draws, place the counter in the Active Events box as a reminder. When the damage is repaired, remove the counter from the Active Events box and discard it.

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8.2 Airframe damage (result of combat)8.2.1 Damage to the airframe is recorded by turning over the left most unrevealed counter on

the Airframe track. Consult the Damage counters section of the Counter Legend to determine the effect of the damage. Most are not repairable. Even “No Effect” results mean that structural damage has been caused.

8.2.2 Fuel Consumption

8.2.2[1] Airframe damage may increase the Wimpy’s fuel consumption, either as a result of being forced to fly at low altitude or fuel tank damage. This increased fuel consumption will continue until the Wimpy lands or runs out of fuel.

8.2.2[2] The fuel consumption rate [one additional space on the fuel track for each two hexes flown] does not increase based on the amount of concurrent airframe damage from combat. However, event damage which occurs concurrently with airframe damage is cumulative, i.e., repairable events will increase fuel consumption as per 8.1.1 until repaired.

8.2.2[3] The maximum amount of increased fuel consumption that can occur for concurrent repairable event damage and non-repairable airframe damage is one additional space on the fuel track for each hex flown.

8.2.3 Fire: Fire is treated separately. Any crewmember can attempt to put out a fire with a successful skill check with no DRMs.

• Therecanbetwo(2)attemptsperhexenteredtoputfiresout when in High Altitude and not in combat.

• Therecanonlybeone(1)attempttoputoutafirewheninthe Target hex or when at “Low Alt.” when not in combat (e.g. after bombing).

• OnlytheFlt.Eng.canputoutfireswhenincombat,attherate of one attempt per hex entered.

Once a fire has been extinguished, remove the counter from the Active Events box and discard it.

8.2.4 If unchecked, fire will spread every second map hex entered and cause further damage to the airframe. Turn over the next left most unrevealed counter on the airframe track. If still unchecked, continue to turn over counters until it is extinguished or the Wimpy is destroyed.

8.2.5 If the last airframe marker on the track is revealed, the Wimpy crashes from accumulated structural damage. No further attempts at repair are possible. Roll immediately on the applicable Survival Table.

8.3 Crew WoundsWounded crew (flip crew marker to wounded side) receive a -2 DRM to their skill checks on the GRT on the first wound and are killed on a second wound (remove the marker). A wounded crew member can receive a Stamina point from the pilot to make his modifier -1 instead of -2 on the GRT. IMPORTANT: Crew cannot be “repaired” while the mission is ongoing.

If the pilot is killed during a mission, he can be replaced by the Flight Engineer who will no longer be able to perform his usual duties. This crewmember will be able to land the bomber following a skill check with all applicable modifiers.Note: A deceased crew member is replaced by a BCATP sprog in the following mission, which will have the effect of lowering the number of CQPs available on the following mission. This does not apply to pilots.

[9.0] THE GRTThe General Results Table is used for resolution of all actions requiring a skill check by the crew as well as German fighter and flak units. The results for the German and the Wimpy crew are either Success (modified ≥ 6) or No Effect.

Rolling from modified 0 to 5 is No Effect (a failure), rolling from modified 6 to 9 is a success. The total number of modifiers of any sort to a die roll cannot be more than +2 or less than -2. The GRT cannot be used by any crew member or German unit if the net DRM is -3 or less.

[10.0] KEEPING TRACK10.1 A track is provided to record the number of Successful Missions. This serves to evaluate the success of campaign games where a player will fly at least thirty, quite likely more missions, to successfully bomb thirty targets. Although the requirement was for bomber crews to complete thirty missions, many were scrubbed early on for various reasons (primarily illness often due to poor t

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Failure to bomb properly reflects hitting objects other than the objective. In fact this happened regularly, what with German misinformation (lit fires and others) and general mayhem which can occur in the dark, so from a strategic standpoint, Bomber Command was happy that bombs hit anything at all. They had entered the war thinking bombing campaigns would be good enough to demoralize the German people and did not diverge from that agenda. Operationally, however, hitting the target was a good thing. In this game, dropping the bombs anywhere in any type of target hex in Germany nets a Successful Mission.

13 May - Bochum: As it passed north of Cologne, F/L Millward’s aircraft took a burst of heavy flak that damaged the starboard engine. The predicted heavy flak was intense so Millward’s crew jettisoned their bombload and turned back […] As the Wellington piloted by Sgt. L.G. Sutherland approached … the target, searchlights caught and coned it for fifteen minutes. During manoeuvres to get away from the searchlights, the aircraft was struck by heavy flak and lost altitude; near Krefeld, the crew armed and jettisoned the blockbuster they were carrying and Sutherland brought the aircraft safely back to England…

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nutrition and faulty equipment as the Wellingtons were RAF rejects) as pointed out above, so that it usually takes a few more successful missions to make the full thirty for a tour of operations.

10.2 If you lose an aircraft (options)10.2.1 (Option 1) If you lose an aircraft and its crew, reduce the missions completed to zero and continue with a new crew. Penalties apply to crew quality but otherwise, the game continues (not for the faint of heart).

10.2.2 (Option 2) If you lose an aircraft and its crew, keep track of the number of missions completed and continue with a new bird and a new crew. Penalties will apply with respect to crew quality but otherwise, the game just keeps rolling on.

CREDITSDesigner : Michel Boucher (alsandor@rogers.com)Developer : David Knepper (knepperd@bellsouth.net)Playtesters  : Gregory Wagland, Larry Sisson, John Mundie, Arnaud BouisGame Artwork: Brien Miller

DEDICATION This game is dedicated to Sgt. T.F. How (service number R132630), rear gunner, and members of the crew of 426 Sq. OW “M” bomber shot down by a night fighter during a raid on Bochum, 13-14 May 1943.Sgt. How is maternal granduncle to Catherine Lawrence, wife of John Mundie, playtester emeritus.

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Errata (discovered after the Counters were printed): •TheRepair1markershouldreadRepair+1.•TheClearmarkershouldshowahalf-moon night and read Clear +1•CloudymarkershouldreadHeavyClouds-1•RadiocrewmarkershouldreadWAG(for Wireless Air Gunner) in the badge (not RO) and Wireless (not Radio)

Table 1: Mission Randomizer TableSelecting missions randomly. Roll 1d6 and 1d10 and look up the number on the Target sheet (Table 4).

Fly those missions.

D6 | D10 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 91 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 102 11 12 13 14 15 1 2 3 4 53 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 154 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 105 11 12 13 14 15 1 2 3 4 56 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

Table 2: Crew Assignments

Replacing Pilot Rear Gunner Wireless Navigator Aimer Flt. Engineer

Crew Flt. Engineer Yes No Yes No No Aimer No Yes No No No Navigator No No Yes Yes (*) No Wireless No Yes No No No Rear Gunner No No No No No Pilot No No Yes No No

(*) Aimer and Navigator were often combined in one position.

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Preparation:

1. Identify target and take into account the difficulty level (green to red or Ruhr)

2. Determine target conditions (sky, moon) and place appropriate modifier marker.

3. Determine crew members and assign crew quality points.

4. Determine flight path by randomizing then placing upside down path markers.

5. Place airframe counters and fuel marker, bombing track marker and Luftwaffe counter in the appropriate boxes.

Begin Mission:

Draw one Luftwaffe Intensity chit and set it aside, face up. Move Wimpy counter along path (revealing flight path counters as you enter the hex). Advance the fuel marker. Draw Event chits when indicated on the reverse of a flight path counter. Refer to the event chart in the rules.

NOTE: Until you reach the objective, read the Targetbound portion of the Event only.

When over a shaded hex that is not the Target, roll on the portion of the Luftwaffe Intensity Table which corresponds to the chit you drew earlier.

6. Resolve Fighter combat if the Wimpy is flying at high altitude, or flak if the Wimpy is flying at “low altitude”.

Both the LW fighter pilot and the Gunner must pass skill check to spot. Under normal circumstances (*), the Gunner shoots first (rolls 1d10 using General Results table, apply modifiers if any); if Success (modified ≥ 6), the fighter is driven off. Otherwise, the fighter attacks on General Results table; if Success (modified ≥ 6), score a hit and flip over the next airframe marker, from the left, on the Airframe track. Apply any results immediately.

If the Wimpy is flying at low altitude, resolve flak, rolling one d10 skill check to spot the Wimpy. If spotted, roll a number of d10s equal to the flak dice on General Results table (apply modifiers if any); if Success (modified ≥ 6), score a hit and flip over the next airframe marker, from the left, on the Airframe track. Apply any results immediately.

(*) There are events that allow the LW fighter to fire first.

NOTE: The pilot has various skills he can apply to avoid the outcome of a hit: manoeuver, Reroll, MANoeuvre +1, and DISCretionaries. The choices made at the beginning of a mission setup will often determine the outcome.

Reaching the Target:

Upon reaching the Target hex, turn over the flight path marker to determine in an event occurs, consult the LW Intensity table and roll on the appropriate Zone Flak Table to determine flak available. Then:

Navigator rolls on GRT to find target using instruments. Success on modified ≥ 6, then if successful move action over to the Bombing Table. Resolve event and fighters before going to Low Alt. (place marker); the resolve Zone flak (unless in Ruhr) and then target flak, as indicated on the appropriate bombing track. If the Navigator failed to locate the target, the Aimer can try at this time using visual. Success on modified ≥ 6. Go to Bombs Away! Failing that, the crew can still salvage a successful mission by dropping their bombs in the target hex, if the target hex is in Germany, even without locating the target. Consider the mission automatically successful (no skill check required) and the zone equivalent to a green triangle for CQP purposes. Resolve the event, if any, and resolve flak, including the spotting skill check, to determine damage. Apply results.

7. Resolve flak over target (1 to 3 d10, depending on the die roll result on the colour coded table), including spotting skill check, apply +1 modifier to all three dice if in the Ruhr. Use Pilot’s skill and Reroll if available to evade hits, if any.

8. Continue bombing run. Aimer rolls on General Results table. Success on modified ≥ 6.

NOTE: After the bombs have dropped, take all event chits drawn up till now, return them to the pool, face down, and start a new draw, reading the Homebound portion only on the Event table.

Returning Home:

Return home along flight path, turning over markers and drawing/resolving event chits. If flying at low altitude over a shaded hex with a coloured triangle, see Zone Flak procedures. If encountering only fighters, see 6 above.

Land (or crash, rolling on the Over England survival table).

NOTE: In the event that you have to roll on the survival table (Wimpy is damaged to the last airframe point, or runs out of fuel or weather results in a crash), your career is over unless you are rescued at sea, taken in by the resistance, escape from Stalag 13 or crash land in England without crew losses (or at least the pilot, the Player, survives). You may in fact survive to fight again, but unfortunately not within the five months covered by this game. However, as the player, you can continue with another aircraft and crew.

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SUMMARYPlaying a historical mission

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Modifiers:

Target Conditions:

• Clear / Moon: +1 DRM for each condition onGeneral Results Table to Luftwaffe, Flak, Gunner, Aimer, Navigator

• LightCloud/CrescentMoon:0DRMonGeneralResults Table to Luftwaffe, Flak, Gunner, Aimer, Navigator

• Heavy Cloud / New Moon: -1 DRM for eachcondition on General Results Table to Luftwaffe, Flak, Gunner, Aimer, Navigator

NOTE: Total modifiers and apply to each skill check, both for Wimpy crew and Luftwaffe/Flak.

Crew Quality, max 3 (+1 DRM on General Results Table, discard once used):

• Aim+1:+1onGRTtobombtarget(see7.5)

• Gun+1:+1onGRTtofireatLWFighter(see7.1)

• Nav+1:+1onGRTtolocatetarget/6Group

• Repair +1: Assign a crew member to repair amalfunction

• Pilot’schoice:any3(+1DRMonGRT,discardonceused)

• Stam +1: Affects DRM by +1. This does notautomatically mean that other modifiers cannot make the task impossible (the new modifier could be -3). See 6.4.2[2].

• Man+1:PerformevasivemanoeuvresagainstflakorFighter (success cancels ONE hit)

• Reroll: Force a reroll of any unsuccessful result,applying modifiers, if any (see 6.4.2[2]).

(NOTE: a die roll result may only be rerolled once).

• DISC:Discretionaryorders,canreplaceanexpendedCQP, give any crew member an extra bonus, or force a reroll (a die roll result may only be rerolled once).

• EXCEPTION: the MiD +1 marker acts as apersistent CQP for whichever crew member receives it (NOTE: for the pilot, it is a persistent PDP). It has a duration of one mission period (see Table 4 and 6.4) and is extended to the next period if it occurs in the final mission of a period.

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WALKING INTO A WALL OF FIRE

A Short History of Canada’s Role in Bomber CommandBy Michel Boucher

“It drives one mad to think that some Canadian boor who proba-bly can’t even find Europe on the globe, flies here from a country glutted with natural resources, which his people don’t know how to exploit, to bombard a continent with a crowded population.”

Joseph Goebbels, diary, March 1943 (quoted in Ralph Allen, Or-deal by Fire, Toronto: Doubleday, 1961, p. 421)

In the night of January 14-15 1943, aging Wellington bombers, pilot-ed and crewed by Royal Canadian Air Force personnel, flew out of the vale of York and headed south to Lorient in France for their first ever mission as part of 6 Group, a newly minted Canadian bomber group under Bomber Command. They were sent there to bomb the Ger-man sub pens. By the time the war was over, 6 Group aircrews would have flown over 40,000 operational sorties as part of every major op-eration undertaken by Bomber Command from submarine spotting to bombing the Ruhr, often under adverse atmospheric conditions, and dropped over 125,000 tons of bombs and mines. Over 800 of its aircraft never returned, and almost 75% of the aircrews aboard those bombers lost their lives.

Many will wonder how this came about. Simply put, the story of 6 Group is the story of Canada at war. It is also the story of the will of William Lyon Mackenzie King, its Prime Minister, to cement Canada’s newly acquired independence from the British Empire with concessions from Britain.

The Treaty of Westminster (1931) set down the guidelines for a Brit-ish Commonwealth and guaranteed the “self-governing dominions” of the British Empire (Canada, the Irish Free State, the Union of South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Newfoundland) complete auton-omy with respect to the UK, including the autonomy to declare war by Parliamentary vote rather than being automatically thrust into war by the UK’s declaration, as happened in WWI.   So when George VI, as head of state of the newly established Commonwealth’s nations, appealed to its members for their support in the coming war, Prime Minister Mackenzie King, never one to take anything for granted, re-sponded quickly with a radio address to Canadians on September 3, 1939, in which he clearly stated the conditions under which Canada would agree to go to war:

“ This morning the King, speaking to his people at home and across the seas, appealed to all to make their own the cause of freedom which Britain again has taken up. Canada has already answered that call. On Friday last, the government, speaking on behalf of the Canadian people announced that in the event of the United Kingdom becoming engaged in war, in the effort to resist aggression, they would, as soon as Parliament meets, seek its au-thority for effective cooperation by Canada at the side of Britain. [...] All I need to add at the moment is that Canada, as a free nation of the Brit-ish Commonwealth, is bringing her co-operation voluntarily. Our effort will be Continued on page 49

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1

Targetbound: Reveal (flip) the first unrevealed airframe counter in the airframe track. Damage, if any, could be caused by ground crew inattention or simply wear and tear but it hardly matters. Apply this only over England or the North Sea/Channel and carry on with the mission, otherwise no event.

Homebound: Ace Helmut Schmidt of Nachtjagdgeschwader 1. The enemy ace attacks as two fighters. A hit from the first die roll is applied immediately (no evasion possible). Only the Ace’s second attack can be cancelled on successful rolls by either the Gunner or the Pilot using his manoeuver skill. No fighter/gunner spotting skill checks are required.

2

Targetbound: German Tactical Advantage. All LW fighter or flak spotting skill check (not combat) die rolls on the GRT gain a +1 DRM for the remainder of the targetbound flight. Discard any tactical advantage chit drawn earlier. Keep this chit until instructed otherwise.Homebound: Lost! A piece of shrapnel has damaged your equipment and you have become turned around in the dark. Roll a d10 and relocate your Wimpy one (if 0-4) or two (if 5-9) hexes away from the target hex. Roll a d6 and follow the indicator on the map. If already over water, ignore. See 7.9.

3

Targetbound: The gunner mumbles that he has spotted Luftwaffe night fighters against the clouds but it turns out to be shadows of other targetbound bombers. No Event.Homebound: Mentioned in dispatches. If returning from a successful mission or after repair of a major malfunction, roll a d6. On a 1, the pilot is listed for a Distinguished Flying Cross. On 2-6, the corresponding crew member gets mentioned in dispatches. See rule 7.12

4

Targetbound: Engine malfunction. Cancel mission if not in target zone and head home. Roll a d10 for each hex you enter. On a 0-2, the engine fails and your mission is compromised. You can no longer manoeuvre to avoid Luftwaffe or Flak. You must land now. If over England, you land safely, otherwise go to Survival Table.Homebound: The rear gunner spots a night fighter which does not appear to have seen you. On a d10 die roll of 6-9, it spots you and combat starts, otherwise, no event.

5

Targetbound: UNIQUE--The Gee triangulation is interrupted by the Luftwaffe. When entering the target hex, roll on the GRT with a -1 DRM to find the target. If you fail, go home. If you find it, resume mission. Discard Unique event chits drawn later. Keep this chit until Homebound.Homebound: Period of calm. A few minutes’ breather between crises and a cup of tea from the thermos invigorate the crew. Restore bonus to one unwounded crew member.

6

Targetbound: UNIQUE--Oboe triangulation works like a charm. When entering the target hex, roll on the GRT with a +2 DRM to find the target. Discard Unique event chits drawn later. Keep this chit until Homebound. Homebound: Search and Rescue. You spot a dinghy floating fairly close to the continental shore. You radio their position and SAR teams go out to locate them. On a die d10 roll of 0-4, the crew is rescued.

7

Targetbound: UNIQUE--The Luftwaffe successfully disrupt Oboe. When entering the target hex, roll on the GRT with a -2 DRM to find the target. Discard Unique event chits drawn later. Keep this chit until Homebound.Homebound: UNIQUE--Driving rain makes your landing hazardous. You will need to roll on the GRT with a -1 modifier. Apply this event at the end of the mission, no matter when it was drawn. This event takes precedence over the other unique event if drawn later. Keep this chit until you have landed.

8

Targetbound: Critical heating system malfunction. You must fly at low altitude. Roll for flak for every shaded hex you enter with a coloured triangle. Cancel mission if not in target zone and head home. If in target zone, suffer -2 DRM on all rolls on the GRT. You may continue the mission but must roll a d10 for each hex you enter. On a result of 0-2, the heating system fails completely and cannot be repaired. Prior to system failure, may be repaired by Flt. Eng., discarding chit/returning to high altitude.Homebound: UNIQUE--Heavy fog makes your landing hazardous. You will need to make a skill roll on the GRT with a modifier of -2. Apply this event at the end of the mission, no matter when it was drawn. This event takes precedence over the other unique event if drawn later. Keep this chit until you have landed.

9

Targetbound: Ace Hans Schultz of Nachtjagdgeschwader 1. The enemy ace attacks as two fighters. A hit from the first die roll is applied immediately (no evasion possible). Only the Ace’s second attack can be cancelled on successful rolls by either the Gunner or the Pilot using his manoeuver skill. No fighter/gunner spotting skill checks are required.Homebound: Advanced Training. The Wing Commander sends a coded radio message to the effect that you are to proceed immediately to Group headquarters and upon landing your crew will be sent up for advanced training. Skip the next mission.t

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Table 3: Random Events

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Targetbound: The pilot ate a bit of underdone potato and feels ill. If you are closer to base, return home. If you are closer to the target (but not homebound), continue but apply a -1 DRM to pilot manoeuvres in addition to other modifiers.Homebound: Flak damage. Flak damage has caused oxygen supply to fail. You must fly at low altitude. Roll a die when crossing a hexside. On a roll of 0-4 on d10, you expend an extra measure of fuel (advance fuel marker two spaces). If you cannot land in England, roll on the Survival Table.

11

Targetbound: Your father warned you there would be days like this. Wings ice up. Cancel mission if not yet in target zone and head home. Halve fuel if carrying bomb load. The player may drop the bomb load to avoid the fuel penalty and, if over Germany, score one completed mission. Land in the first available hex in England and roll on the GRT. Pilot may apply available modifiers.Homebound: Flak damage. Flak damage has caused the heating system to fail. You must fly at low altitude. Roll a d10 die when crossing a hexside. On a roll of 0-4, you expend an extra measure of fuel (advance fuel marker two spaces). If you cannot land in England, roll on the Survival Table.

12

Targetbound: CONED! You find yourself lit up by flak. No flak spotting skill check is required. Apply +1DRM to all flak rolls in this zone. You may attempt manoeuvre which will if successful, cancel the German advantage. Apply this event only in target hex or if forced to fly at low altitude by event or combat result. Otherwise, no event.

Homebound: German Tactical Advantage. All LW fighter attacks gain a +1 DRM for ALL die rolls on the GRT for the remainder of the homebound flight. Discard any tactical advantage event chit drawn earlier. Keep this chit until instructed otherwise.

13

Targetbound: Oxygen supply failure. You must fly at low altitude or scrub the mission. If within two hexes of the target, continue but at -2DRM on your rolls on the GRT over and above the already existing modifiers. You may continue the mission but must roll a d10 for each hex you enter. On a result of 0-2, the oxygen supply fails completely and cannot be repaired. Prior to system failure, may be repaired by Flt. Eng., discarding chit/returning to high altitude.Homebound: A member of the crew thinks he has spotted Luftwaffe night fighters in the distance but it turns out to be returning bombers. No Event.

14

Targetbound: If over the continent, gunner spots a night fighter which does not appear to have seen you. On a d10 roll of 6-9, it spots you and combat starts, otherwise, no event.Homebound: You suddenly realize you have been flying for hours with a perforated fuel tank. The loss of fuel is significant. If you can reach England in three hexes, you may land anywhere. Otherwise, go as close as you can to Britain then roll on the survival table for the dominant terrain in your hex.

15

Targetbound: German Tactical Advantage. All LW fighter attacks gain a +1 DRM for ALL die rolls on the GRT for the remainder of the targetbound flight. Discard any tactical advantage chit drawn earlier. Keep this chit until instructed otherwise.Homebound: German Tactical Advantage. All LW fighters and flak attacks gain a +1 DRM for ALL die rolls on the GRT for the remainder of the homebound flight. Discard any tactical advantage event chit drawn earlier. Keep this chit until instructed otherwise.

16

Targetbound: German Tactical Advantage. All Flak attacks gain a +1 DRM for ALL die rolls on the GRT forthe remainder of the targetbound flight. Discard any tactical advantage chit drawn earlier. Keep this chit until instructed otherwise.Homebound: It’s the equivalent of running out of gas, but you’re not on a date. Due to combat damage, your equipment is faulty and you have expended all your fuel. If over England, land immediately with a -1DRM to the skill check. Otherwise, roll on the survival table for the dominant terrain in your hex.

17

Targetbound: You realize your altimeter is not functioning properly. You may continue the mission but must roll a d10 for each hex you enter. On a result of 0-2, the instrument fails completely and cannot be repaired. You must fly using visual at low altitude. Apply -2DRM to all rolls on the GRT until mission ends. Prior to system failure, may be repaired by Flt. Eng., discarding chit/returning to high altitude.Homebound: This is your last mission for a few days. The crew has been given leave for three days. Enjoy the flight home.

18

Targetbound: German Tactical Advantage. All LW fighter or flak spotting skill check (not combat) die rolls on the GRT gain a +1 DRM for the remainder of the targetbound flight. Discard any tactical advantage chit drawn earlier. Keep this chit until instructed otherwise.Homebound: Sunday driver! In your eagerness to return to base, you don’t notice that another bomber approaches in the dark. Wings collide. The damage appears minor. For each hexside crossed, roll a d10 die. On a 0-2, the effect is critical. Roll on the survival table.

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RandomSelection #

MissionPeriod Dates Targets [Zones] Notes

1 January Period 2 1943/01/14‐20 Lorient

Lorient

2 JanuaryPeriod 3 1943/01/21‐30

Gardening [1]LorientLorientOldenburg [3]

Note: Oldenburg, only daytime mission of 6 Group.

3 FebruaryPeriod 1 1943/02/03‐08

Hamburg [2] Lorient Gardening [1] Lorient

4 FebruaryPeriod 2 1943/02/12‐20

Gardening [1] Lorient Cologne Lorient Gardening [1]Wilhemshaven [3]

5FebruaryPeriod 3 1943/02/20‐01

Gardening [1] Wilhemshaven [3] CologneGardening [1]Saint-Nazaire

6MarchPeriod 1 1943/03/01‐09

Gardening [1]Hamburg [2]Essen [R]Gardening [1]Gardening [1]

NOTE: Essen, beginning of Ruhr Cam-paign

7 March Period 2 1943/03/12‐20 Essen [R]

8MarchPeriod 3 1943/02/23‐30

Gardening [1] Duisburg [R]Saint-NazaireBochum [R]

9 AprilPeriod 1 1943/04/02‐09

Saint-Nazaire Kiel Duisburg [R]

10AprilPeriod 2 1943/04/10‐17

Frankfurt [4]Gardening [1] Stuttgart [4] Mannheim [4]

11 AprilPeriod 3 1943/04/26‐29

Duisburg [R] Gardening [1] Karmøy

NOTE: Karmøy was Gardening

12 May Period 1 1943/05/04‐05 Dortmund [R]

13 MayPeriod 2 1943/05/12‐17

Duisburg [R] Bochum [R] Gardening [1]

14 MayPeriod 3 1943/05/21‐30

Gardening [1]Dortmund [R]Dusseldorf [R]Essen [R]Wuppertal [R]

15 JunePeriod 1 1943/06/03‐12 Gardening [1]

Dusseldorf [R]

NOTE: After Dusseldorf, 426 Sq. is trans-ferred to Linton-on-Ouse and given Lan-casters. Dusseldorf also first crew to reach Tour of Operations completion (30 missions).

Table 4: Targets

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Front Back How to use

Represents the aircraft. Use on map to indicate position of the aircraft with respect to target and home. Use bomb to indicate position on the bombing track and the fuel gauge to indicate remaining fuel.

Luftwaffe Intensity (see rule 7.0), also and

Crew Quality Points (see rule 6.4). Use this counter to keep track of points remaining.

Phase of the Moon. Full Moon increases visibility by +1 for everybody (Luftwaffe and Flak, gunner, aimer), New Moon reduces it by -1 for everybody

Cloud cover, same effect as Phases of the Moon. NOTE that Full + Clear has a +2 effect and New + Heavy Cloud has a -2 effect.

CQP markers. Place in crew member box. Others include:

Flight path marker. Select up to twelve (as per rule 6.5) and place them front up on the map with the arrow pointing to the hexside that will be crossed. These can stack as long as the directions are different. Flip on entry.

If the event is revealed, draw a mission Event chit and follow the instructions on the Events chart.

Reverse sides show Event numbers from to Manoeuvre +1, a pilot’s Discretionary Points (see rule 6.4). Others include:

NOTE: The pilot may only choose three of the five. After drawing Mentioned in Dispatches, he may select one of the four to be permanently available. He would then be able to take three more. This may only occur once for a pilot.

Mission counter. There is also a x10 counter:

Low Altitude, placed on the map to remind the player that the bomber is within reach of Flak and cannot be attacked by fighters.

Mentioned in Dispatches (see rule 7.11).

Table 5: Counter Legend

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Front Back How to use

Crew wounds (see 8.3). Roll one d6. Matching number on front is crew wounded. The crew counter is flipped over to its wounded side and skill checks are reduced by 2 (net effect -2). A second hit on a wounded crewman results in death. Crew damage also results in structural damage to the aircraft (see Airframe damage, rule 8.2 above).

Airframe no specific effect when flipped upon taking damage. NOTE: No Effect still represents structural damage and counts as much as system or crew damage.

Below: twelve possible outcomes of Airframe damage (see 8.2). Note that all structural damage but fire are not repairable. When damage occurs, discard No Effect counters but place all others in the Active Events box.

(see Crew Damage above)

Critical to landing gear, -2 to landing, any other adverse effect will result in automatic failure of the landing attempt. Roll on crew survival table.

Will cause one more point of damage for each counter revealed (turn over another airframe marker). Can be extinguished by crew member successful roll on GRT. (see 8.2.4) Treat two fire counters as separate events even if they occur one after the other.

Will slow down aircraft causing it to “fly low” and use more fuel at the rate of one point more per two hexes (in other words, consume three points every two hexes)

Prevents the use of Manoeuvre (and MAN +1) to avoid damage.

Prevents dropping of bombs and results in mission being scrubbed. Only critical BEFORE dropping bombs, not afterwards.

Forces pilot to “fly low” causing greater consumption of fuel at rate of 1 point extra per two hexes (in other words, consume three points every two hexes)

Forces pilot to fly lower causing greater consumption of fuel at rate of 1 point extra per two hexes (in other words, consume two points every second hex)

Flak hits bomb bay, bomber and crew are destroyed. Only valid if the Wimpy is carrying bombs, otherwise calculated as simple structural damage (NOTE: This may be left out of the mix for beginners).

Table 5a: Damage Counters

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49

voluntary.” (Transcribed by the author from the broadcast on CBC Internet archives.)

Parliament voted by near unanimity to declare war on Germany on 10 September 1939.

Canada’s Plan

Canada, luckily, already had a plan in place that it could present to the Commonwealth as a fait accompli, at least on paper.

In 1936, with the rumbling of war increasing, Group Capt. Robert Leckie (RAF), former Wing Commander and former member of the Canadian Air Board (the precursor of the RCAF), sent a report to Air Commodore Arthur Tedder, who was at the time head of training for the RAF. The report was entitled “Notes on a Proposal to Establish a Flight Training School in Canada”. He argued, successfully as it turned out, that Canada was the ideal location and had the requisite manpower to carry out the task.   When Mackenzie King heard of this proposal he balked at the idea and a week later Cabinet rejected the proposal, declaring that “it would be inadvisable to have Canadian territory used by the British Government for training school purposes for British airmen […] It is the intention of the Canadian Government to establish training schools of its own.”  The point of contention was that if the British set up this training school, there would eventu-ally be discord between Canada and the British “over fields, pilots, equipment and the like.”  

On 17 December 1939, after three months of multilateral discus-sions, an agreement was reached in Ottawa between the parties (the U.K., Australia, New Zealand and Canada) pertaining to the training of pilots and other air related trades in Canada aimed at service overseas. Its purpose was to create the British Com-monwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP) in Canada, or Empire Air Training Plan (EATP) elsewhere, which would, as Group Capt. Leckie had proposed, train pilots and aircrews in the safe haven that was Canada.

“What had been Britain’s Plan, carried out on Canadian soil, now became Canada’s Plan, pure and simple. […] That the Plan survived at all, that it came to flower months ahead of original schedules, is one of the miracles of the war.

”Leslie Roberts, Canada’s War in the Air, quoted in Dunmore, Wings for Victory, p. 66

The Canadians had won control over all BCATP schools in Can-ada, nearly 100 in all, aimed at turning out 3000 trained aircrew a month at peak of performance.  Under the agreement, Canada would bear the entire cost of infrastructures and training within Canada (1.6$ billion), as well as manufacturing the fleet of aircraft required for said training, in exchange for autonomy when it came to making decisions.

The section of the agreement which guaranteed this was Article XV, also known as the “infiltration” or “Canadianization” clause, which set down the conditions by which member nations would have recognition in their own right instead of serving in the RAF. Canada had the volume of graduates necessary to achieve that rec-ognition. Although the expected number was 40 bomber squad-

rons, in reality it was only 15. Some of the discrepancy can be attributed to the horrendous losses which had to be filled. None-theless, the agreement resulted in “Article XV squadrons” and the creation of a bomber group crewed mostly by Canadians, with some Commonwealth and Americans, and commanded entirely by Canadians.

The creation of 6 Group was a political compromise to ensure the success of the BCATP, piloted, so to speak, by Mackenzie King.   He had insisted that Canada be given its own group of bombers.  Whitehall agreed over the objections of C-in-C Bomb-er Command Arthur Harris who wanted Canadians to be inte-grated into the RAF to serve as replacements. That had been the attitude of the British to “colonials” in WWI and Mackenzie King was determined to break the pattern.

This initiative, bold indeed for a nation of 7 million, is what Presi-dent Roosevelt was referring to when he spoke of Canada as “The Aerodrome of Democracy”.

Lester B. Pearson (Prime Minister from 1963 to 1968) claims in his autobiography to have put the words in Roosevelt’s mouth:

“Once in Washington I was even a ghost writer for President Roosevelt, though he may never have known it. The Presi-dent wished to send a message of congratulation to Mr. King on the third anniversary of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, a project in which Canada now took a great and justifiable pride. I was surprised when a friend on the White House staff, ignoring all rules of diplomatic propriety and without telling the State Department anything, asked me whether I would be kind enough to do a draft of the mes-sage for the President. I did. So on 1 January 1943 the Prime Minister of Canada received a very impressive letter lauding Canada as the ‘aerodrome of democracy’ drafted by me but signed by the President of the United States!”’

Quoted in Hatch, p. iv

Canada’s Plan: The undertaking

The work quickly ramped up in earnest to craft, largely from nothing, the necessary infrastructures required in a country the size of Canada.   Building, developing, supplying and manning close to 100 train-ing stations and emergency fields throughout this vast country became the largest public undertaking ever launched in Canada. Roads had to be shaped out of the wilderness, forests cleared to make room for landing strips, barracks, hangars, fuel depots, infir-maries, etc.  In the beginning, to get the ball rolling, the emphasis was placed on transforming existing aero clubs into training cen-tres, and making the officers of these clubs into flight instructors, but fairly quickly they ran out of space.  

A survey of existing airfields in the fall of 1939 gave the initiative a six month head start as 24 airfields were identified as being al-most ready and another 15 needed more extensive work.   Another 80 airfields had to be hewn out of the landscape.   The minister of Transport in the King gov-ernment in the late 1930’s was the Amer-

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ican-born Clarence Decatur “C.D.” Howe. He had overseen in 1937 the creation of Trans-Canada Air Lines, the first large commercial airline in Canada, a business owned by the Canadian government. As

a precaution, emergency landing fields one-hundred miles apart had been carved out of Crown Lands in the wilderness in north-ern Ontario.   These were ready to be added to the number of BCATP ready and nearly ready fields.

Elsewhere, Canadian National Railway real estate agents handled the purchase of suitable land for the BCATP, usually at rock bot-tom prices, which displeased farmers trying to recover from the difficult conditions of the “dirty thirties”.

The fact was that not just any land was suitable. Airfields should ideally be situated in areas with an absence of hills, tall buildings, trees and telephone and power lines. However, there was also the need for access to electrical power and water.  That the soil should be sufficiently fertile to support good sod but porous enough to provide proper drainage was of paramount consideration. The re-quirement for relatively uniform surfaces resulted in a preference for airfields located primarily in Southern Ontario and southern portions of the prairie provinces. In essence, the BCATP was appropriating good agricultural land.  

The magnitude of the enterprise was such that the Royal Cana-dian Engineers, who had until then been charged with all con-struction projects for the RCAF, were deemed insufficient to the task.  As a result, Dick Collard, a civilian and vice-president of a construction firm in Winnipeg with experience in large projects, was enrolled in the RCAF, given a rank of wing commander (lat-er promoted to vice air-marshal) and made head of the RCAF’s newly formed Directorate of Works and Buildings.

The work progressed at such a good pace that by July 1940, Otta-wa was able to advise the RAF that they were prepared to receive the students from four British training schools.  

In September 1940, the US indicated that it was under the im-pression that the BCATP was behind schedule and deemed a fail-ure and questioned whether they should continue sending train-ing aircraft to Canada. Howe issued a press release in the US pointing out that this impression was mistaken, that construction and training was well ahead of schedule but that the main diffi-culty was the lack of aircraft which “was gradually being overcome by purchases in the United States and new production in Canada”. For the sake of diplomacy the real reason airplanes were delayed in delivery was not mentioned. It was interference from within the US caused by the US Neutrality Act which effectively prohibited the delivery of air combat equipment.

The US becomes involved

As the fields were being leveled and the structures were going up, it was noted that the BCATP had on hand too few instructors to meet demand.

To remedy this situation, Billy Bishop, honorary Air Marshall and Canada’s leading WWI air ace, traveled to the US in late 1939 with the intention of meeting friend and former fellow RAF pilot, the New York artist Clayton Knight. He proposed to Knight that

he, in collaboration with Homer Smith, a wealthy Canadian with ties to the oil industry, set up recruitment offices in the US in or-der to find pilots and other suitable crew trainers that would want to work in Canada. The project was a success and before Pearl Harbor, 10,000 US citizens had crossed the border to work in the BCATP. In order to protect their US citizenship, the relevant authorities in Ottawa issued an Order in Council to exempt them from the obligatory oath of allegiance to the Monarch.

After December 1941, a train was commissioned to travel through Canada to repatriate US citizens employed by the BCATP. Of the 10,000 who crossed the border, only 2,000 returned to the US and for the rest of the war, Canada (and indeed the world) bene-fitted from this very timely scheme.

Late in 1940, the Minister of Defense for Air, Charles “Chubby” Power, and his Deputy-Minister for Air, James Duncan, were fac-ing a crisis of confidence from the public, so they hastily created the RCAF Directorate of Public Relations and placed at its head two very able men, Norman Smith, journalist, and Joseph Clark, director of an advertising firm and a former pilot with the RAF in WWI.

In December 1940, Clark tracked down and found Hal Wallis, ex-ecutive producer at Warner Bros., sick in bed in a New York hotel room. He showed him transparencies of colour pictures featuring BCATP personnel taken for a photo essay to be published in the Saturday Evening Post, a splashy spread which Clark himself had arranged. Wallis became enthused about the subject. Despite the general reluctance in the US to appear to favour the Allies, Warner Bros. had already made anti-Nazi movies and cartoon reels, and this was why Clark had chosen to pursue this matter with them.

On January 28, 1941, Clark (for the RCAF) and Wallis (for War-ner Bros.) signed a contract for a full-length feature film “to illus-trate the gallant work of the Canadian air force in the war against Germany”. Captains of the Clouds was the first Hollywood film shot entirely in Canada. After some discussion as to who should be the lead, James Cagney was selected and played, of all things, a heroic Canadian bush pilot.

Billy Bishop became involved in the film and appears as himself on screen, handing out trade badges to graduates of the BCATP training program. Much of the film’s appeal, unlike previous ef-forts done in studios, is its authenticity in locales and equipment, being filmed primarily in Ottawa and North Bay, Ontario.

The film opened to rave reviews in New York on 12 February 1942 and without reserve as the US was finally engaged in the war. The RCAF Ferry service had shipped copies of the film for a simul-taneous opening night in Cairo, Melbourne, London, Vancouver, Ottawa and Toronto. It was a public relations exercise that was in all respects a success.

Canada’s Plan : Aircrew Trades“The time has come,” the Walrus said, “To talk of many things:Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--Of cabbages--and kings--And why the sea is boiling hot--And whether pigs have wings.” – Lewis Carroll, The Walrus and the Carpenter, 1872

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Training in the BCATP looks at first glance like nothing so much as a hotchpotch of unrelated tasks. Essentially, a candidate for the BCATP started at one of Manning Depots where he was sort-ed out and rejected or sent on to one of seven Initial Training Schools (ITS) where his fate was decided. His abilities were as-sessed quickly and there was absolutely no choice in the matter. If accepted, he was sent to one of 82 schools covering every related trade, including cooking and air medical; there were even flight instructor schools (no service overseas for them!). It was a gruel-ing programme which could last months or even years. Once the candidate had finished his training in Canada, he graduated and was sent on to his new appointment. The ones who would fly mis-sions were sent on to England and trained on the specific aircraft, fighters or bombers, used by their squadrons. Ground crews, in some cases, had only trained on parts of aircraft and did not work on a complete plane until they were in England.

Air-related trades were very task specific and evolved as the work to be performed became more complex requiring 17 dif-ferent types of schools and nine categories for aircrews. Early in the history of combat flight, the only trade that existed for RFC flight personnel was that of “air observers”, which consisted in flying over trenches to report on enemy troop movement.  Later, there were two trades: observer/navigator/aimer and pilot.  Gun-nery positions (largely defensive) on larger aircraft were assigned to ground crews enlisted for the duration of a single mission.   By the end of WWII, the creation of quite a few more aircrew trades had proved necessary: Aimer (or Bomber), Navigator, Wireless, Gunner and eventually Flight Engineer. A large number of these trained specialists who flew with the Commonwealth air units, and indeed also in some US units after 1941, were trained in Canada.   The Aimer trade was created in March 1942 at the request of Air Marshall Arthur “Bomber” Harris to divide the tasks pre-viously performed by the navigator.   This resulted in a spe-cialist being charged with spotting the target, guiding the pilot, operating the bomb-sight and releasing the bombs as well as operating the machine-gun in the front turret. Gunnery was eventually divided between three crewmembers: the rear gunner, the wireless operator also known as the WAG (wire-less air gunner) and the aimer.  It should be noted that the number of trades in bombers remained fairly constant as aircrews migrated to larger aircraft although the number of actual gunners increased as the number of guns did.

The final trade to come out of the BCATP was that of flight en-gineer. The first Canadian-trained flight engineers did not arrive in England until late 1944. Until then, squadrons of 6 Group used ground crew volunteers to fill that post, and a good number of them were British ground crews, especially in the early days of 6 Group.

It should be noted that, on missions, hierarchy among Canadian aircrew members was not relative to actual rank of the individu-als but rather their functions or in more modern parlance, spe-cialty.  The pilots, many of whom were Flight Sergeants, were in command over and above Pilot Officers within the crew.   Photos of the period clearly indicate that rank was no impediment to

camaraderie among aircrew members, something the British had a hard time accepting. To make matters worse, Canadians were very popular with British women.

A Sidebar on Training

It should be noted however that, despite the emphasis placed on training by High Command throughout the war, an emphasis based on the belief that it increased the chances of survival, its impact was in fact negligible as attested by the high mortality rate among Bomber Command flight crews. Freeman Dyson, who was employed as statistician for Bomber Command in 1944, rec-ollected similar conclusions drawn by Daniel Kahnemann a de-cade later in Israel. He used Kahnemann’s expression to describe this act of faith unsubstantiated by verifiable facts as “the illusion of validity” which he said “is a false belief in the reliability of our own judgment”. He wrote (bold-faced mine):

When I was collecting the data in the spring of 1944, the chance of a crew reaching the end of a thirty-operation tour was about 25 percent. The illusion that experience would help them to survive was essential to their morale […] I did a careful analysis of the correlation between the experience of the crews and their loss rates, subdividing the data into many small packages so as to eliminate effects of weather and geog-raphy. My results were […] conclusive […] There was no ef-fect of experience on loss rate. So far as I could tell, wheth-er a crew lived or died was purely a matter of chance. Their belief in the life-saving effect of experience was an illusion.

Joining the Fight in Earnest

After the Casablanca Conference in January 1943, the Allies agreed to a policy of saturation bombing for Germany.  Bomber Command had long held the view, defunct by early 1943, that the bombing campaign alone would win the war.   It became obvious that High Command intended for Bomber Command’s role to shift from one of primary aggressor to one of support, in light of the anticipated invasions of the Continent. This directive changed the objectives of Bomber Command just as many Canadian air-crew were coming in to the war with 6 Group.

Memorandum C.C.S. 166/1/D by the Combined Chiefs of Staff, 21 January 1943, stated:

Directive to the appropriate British and U.S. Air Force Com-manders to govern the operation of the British and U.S. Bomber Commands in the United Kingdom

Your Primary object will be the progressive destruction and dislocation of the German military, industrial, and economic system, and the undermining of the morale of the German people to a point where their capacity for armed resistance is fatally weakened. […] You should take every opportunity to attack Germany […] to sustain continuous pressure on Ger-man morale…

(University of Wisconsin Digital Collections, Foreign Relations of the United States)

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FRANCO-PRUSSIAN WAR 40

52

The British provided equipment and bases to 6 Group: the by-now antiquated fleet of Welling-ton two-engine bombers (some of which were still

flying missions in October 1943) in which critical systems often malfunctioned, and bases in the Vale of York where bad weather (fog, driving rain) was the norm in winter. Add to that the com-mon occurrence of landing on instruments between two mountain ranges and you had a recipe for disaster.

Food was a constant complaint. Canadians were used to better food than the gristly meat stews they were being served. Diges-tive ailments were common and sufficient cause for scrubbing a sortie. Despite these setbacks, weather, bad food, old equipment, Canadians performed their duty. As they had their own Bomber group, complaints could be aired and understood by other fellow Canadians, although not much could be done.

By June 1943 many of the squadrons in 6 Group were transferring to Lancasters and crews increased from 5 to 7. The 420th, 424th and 425th Squadrons were still flying missions from North Africa using Wellingtons in support of Canadian forces during the inva-sions of Sicily and Italy starting in March 1943 and did not return until October.

After the smoke had cleared…

Some historians consider the contribution of Bomber Command as fundamental to the victory over Germany.   Terry Copp expresses it in this way:

“(...) Indeed, it is important to understand the amount of materiel and manpower that the Germans diverted to the defense of Germany in the course of 1943. Not only anti-air-craft guns, the famous 88, but most of the fighter aircraft that came on stream were diverted to the defense of Germany. In general the Nazis responded to the bombing offensive over the skies of Germany by turning it into one of the principal confrontations of 1943. And therefore it seems clear to me that the bomber offensive was one of the decisive factors in the defeat of Nazi Germany.”

The human cost was immense. After the war was over, it was estimated that only 27% of all Bomber Command crews survived the 30 mission tour of operations. For 6 Group, the numbers are quite similar.

“The Canadian Bomber Group had flown 40,000 operational sorties and dropped 126,122 tons of bombs and mines. In the course of operations, the Group’s aircraft had had 1,312 en-counters with enemy aircraft—116 of which were shot down. Another twenty-four enemy fighters were claimed as “prob-

ably destroyed”. No fewer that 814 aircraft from 6 Group, Wellingtons, Halifaxes and Lancasters, had not come back from operations. Of the approximately 5,700 airmen aboard those aircraft, 4,272 or almost 75% of them lost their lives. Hundreds more died in non-operational accidents.”

The toll of the never ending missions on crew morale was the most telling as this letter home attests:

“Dear Dawn,

“The longer I stay on the ground, the better I like it. Flying in Bomber Command is just about the worst thing that could happen to anyone. When night after night buddies fail to return it gets you down. Maybe I’ve always been high strung and nervous, but late-ly my nerves have been going to hell. Just last night we lost three kites. Most of the guys I was with when I joined the Squadron are gone. To sum the whole thing up, I haven’t a Chinaman’s chance in this game. It didn’t used to be so bad over Germany, but now its like walking into a wall of fire. I try not to think about it.”

F/O Kenneth Canning (RCAF) in a letter home,  no date, quoted in Terry Copp, No Price Too High (documentary, 1996, transcribed by John Mundie). F/O Canning (WAG) died in 1944 and is buried in Rheinberg War Cemetery.

Some Canadian historians have tried, with mitigated success, to assign the “birth” of the nation to economic or military events that precede its existence, in some cases by quite a stretch: the Fur Trade, the War of 1812, the capture of Vimy Ridge. Most of these, however, were political in inspiration.

Here, however, we have a perfect example of nation building at its best. In a time of dire necessity, a small nation of 7 million, resource rich but recovering from a debilitating economic decade, stands up to put together, under the very able leadership of its Prime Minister, an air training program that starts from nothing but a few fields and flying clubs and within a few years is filling the sky with planes, training the air forces personnel of much of the Western Allies, ground and flying crews, as well as sending many of its own to fly over the killing skies of Germany.

Although every nation had its moments of glory on the battle-fields, Canada’s most distinguished achievement of WWII was the result of quiet work in smoke-filled government offices and a determination to do what had to be done. As a result, and com-bined with the Naval building program, the military presence in Europe, and the participation in the Manhattan Project, Canada took its place in the world as the fourth strongest power, the third largest navy, and one of the three nuclear powers. But that’s a story for another time.

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