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Aviation Cards for WWII Naval table top games
Incorporating aviation into WWII naval games.
It strikes me that a lot of World War Two naval games have no aviation element or ,if they do ,it is dealt with in a cursory manner.I have devised a way in which air attacks can be portrayed in a World War Two naval game using cards placed in front of ships in order to represent aircraft.The aircraft are allied to a talbe marked with the range ,reconaisance capability ,bomb ,torpedo and combat numbers . I have done away with the measuring of distance between ships by placing the ships upon range lines.As the ships change lines so do the ranges between ships .Ships on a short range line attacking ships on the long range lines reflect a time lag between attacks ,the ships changing range in between air attacks.
Any scale may be used .In this instance the aviation units are early war period .Both sides should have a good complement of carriers , battleships and cruisers reflecting a pre Pearl Harbour ,Midway situation .
The game may be used to complement another set of rules,the air actions undertaken using the ships on the table edges ,the main ship to ship combat decided in the space between both short range lines ,the ships between these lines at short range in aviation terms only(200 miles).It will be possible to combat ship to ship in this area as a 12,000 yard main gun range is possible.
It is not necessary to stick with this period of the war as the player may make their own cards .To arrive at the combat numbers and range factors check aircraft kills and performance figures.Reconnaissance capability can be ascertained by noting the function of the machine and its range,long range better at reconnaissance as they have a longer loiter time.
Preparation
Select ten ship types and two aircraft carriers per side .Using three horizontal lines respectively six,twelve and eighteen inches from the table edges near to each player ,place ships and aircraft carriers.
Sequence
Move ships
Place C.A.P(Combat Air Patrol)
Reconnaissance
Place Combat Air Patrol
Torpedo strike/Dive bomb attack
Damage assessment
Move ships
Ships may be interchanged with the ship immediately adjacent or moved up or down one range line only .This is done secretly ,the opponent looking away from the table.Keep face back aircraft cards with the ships as they aqre moved.Dead in the water ships are not moved.
Place C.A.P(Combat Air Patrol)
Players take aircraft cards and places them in front of any carrier or ship or adjacent to a carrier or ship owned by the player. Up to three cards may be placed in front of a single ship.
Reconnaissance
Select one target ship per reconnaissance aircraft card.Note target ships range and range of aircraft.Both must be the same.(This applies to all of the below paragraphs).If opponent wants to intercept recon flight roll 1d6.If the number in the defender fighters combat column is rolled the recon flight fails.Turn all cards face back.If the number is not rolled the recon flight gets through the fighters.Note reconnaissance number of reconnoitring aircraft card .Roll 1d6.If recon number in column is rolled the defending player reveals the ship behind the aircraft card.If the recce number is not rolled the reconnaissance segment for this aircraft is over .Go on to any other aircraft the player wishes to use for reconnaissance and repeat the above.When all complete go on to the next sequence .This aircraft used may not be used again on this sequence of turns. (This applies to bomb and torpedo paragraphs also).
Dive bombing attacks
The attacker places any of his aircraft cards facing opponent .He selects one target ship per card .The opponent now turns the targeted ships defender fighter aircraft card face towards the attacker .Roll 1d6.If the die number in the defender fighter column is rolled the dive bomb attack has been turned back .Turn dive bomber aircraft card face back towards the owning player.Do not use this card again on this sequence of turns.If the die is higher than that listed in the column the dive bombers get through the C.A.P.Roll 1d6.If the die is that listed as the aircraft torpedo number roll one more dice on the below.If it is higher the attack fails .Turn the aircraft card towards the owning player.This card may not be used this turn.
Dive bombing attacks on Aircraft Carriers.
Roll 1d6.
1-2=bridge hit ,all torpedo aircraft die numbers now -1 when attacking this ship.
3-4=deck hit .Roll one more dice.1-3 aircraft hit,all bomb and torpedo die numbers now -1 for aircraft when attacking this ship.4-6 aviation fuel ignited.Roll one more dice.1-4 ship out of commission.Do not place aircraft cards at this ship .Any already placed are removed from game.5-6=fire out ,use this ship as normal.
Dive bombing attacks on battleships cruisers and destroyers.
Roll 1d6.
5-6= gun turret hit .Roll 1d6=1-4=US ship,5-6=Japanese ship.
4=Directory conning tower hit.Roll 1d6 1-4 US ship hit ,5-6 Japanese ship hit. Torpedo attack number on this ship now -1 .
3=Directory gunnery position hit.Roll 1d6.1-2 US ship,3-6 Japanese ship hit. Dive bomber attack number on this ship now -1 .For cruisers -1 from die,for destroyers-2.
2=Rudder hit .Roll 1d6.1-2 US ship hit ,3-6 Japanese ship hit. Do not change this ships position on movement turn.May change range lines only.If ship listed is not being attacked result is void.
1=Magazine hit .Ship explodes on a 1-4 for Japanese ship and 5-6 for a US ship.Remove exploding ship from play. For cruisers -1 from die,for destroyers-2.If ship listed is not being attacked result is void.
Make a note of the damage on the ship damage report.1 is relevant for victory conditions only ,2,3,4,is now relevant for all future turns,5 is relevant for this turn only
Torpedo strikes
The attacker places any of his aircraft cards facing opponent .He selects one target ship per card .The opponent now turns the targeted ships aircraft card face towards the attacker .Roll 1d6.If the die number is that listed in the defender combat column the torpedo planes are turned back .Face the the card towards the owning player .If defender die is not rolled roll one more dice. If the die is that listed as the attacker aircraft torpedo number the strike has gone through.Roll 1d6.
1-2 Japanese ships armour belt penetrated,3-5 US ships armour belt penetrated.If rolled die number does not pertain to ships that are attacked the attack fails.If it does roll 1d6.1-2 ship listing ,all attacking aircraft torpedo and bomb die numbers now -1 that rolled.This is relevant throughout the game. 6 is a rudder hit .No changing this ships position on the line.May change range lines only one line up or down per turn.
Damage assessment
For ships that are damaged that remain in play fill in the damage report for each individual ship.Go to move ships.
Aircraft Cards:The alphabic letter denotes the primary type of mission the aricraft is used for. It is not a strict rule but in practice aircaft used in their pirmary role do betters The first set of numbers is the combat number for this aircraft. The second number is the bomb number, the third is the torpedo number. If it is rolled there is a hit. The range of the aircraft is then noted by followed by the recconnasance number.The range decides which targets can be engaged by the particular aircraft,the reocconnaisance number denotes a succesful recconnaisance.
Aircaft card markings
Place the below on pictorial cards.The first number in the die number required to win an air to air combat, the second in the number required to win an air to sea combat, using bombs,the third number is the die number required to win an air to sea combat using torpedo( only one choice), the short,medium,long words refer to the aircraft range regarding targets,the fourth number refers to the aircraft combat capability.
Zeke/F4F(F) 1-5.1 -Short 1
Kate(T)1- 2. 1-4.1-2 Med 1-3
SBD(DB) 1- 3.1-4.1-2 Med 1-2
Val(DB) 1-2.1-2.1-2 Short 1
TBM(T) 1-2.1-3.1-4 Med 1-3
PBY(R) 1-2 1-4.1-2 Med 1-3
Betty(B/R) 1-2.1-4.1-2 Long 1-3
Code:F-Fighter,DB=Dive bomber,T=Torpedo plane,R=Recconaisance