NEW RULES CONTINUED

Flight Paths

Flight paths are always straight lines.  The French player chooses an entry point subject to the following restrictions.  The plane then “flies” in a straight line to the target point and continues on that course to the exit point.

Flak

 “Flak” includes small arms fire from VM rifle squads, HMG fire and 37mm AAA fire.

As the aircraft proceeds along its flight path the VM player may fire flak as reactive fire.  To fire flak the squad must be in the open, or be on the edge of a jungle, wood or scrub terrain piece, and be in arc.  If firing at low level aircraft the firer must have LOS to the flightpath that is not obstructed by woods, jungle or hill terrain features or by a building within two base widths.  If firing at a high level target the firer must have LOS that is not obstructed by a woods, jungle hill or building terrain feature within two base widths.

 “Flak” is adjudicated at the closest clear LOS point between the firer and the flight path.  As the aircraft flies along the path the VM player fires each squad individually, there is no group flak fire.  Once the aircraft crosses the closest clear LOS point the opportunity to fire is lost for this pass.

Flak Firing Dice

The number of firing dice depends upon the range.  If the firer is within two base widths of the flight path use the “flight path” column below.  At all other ranges use the “table” column.

Deduct one dice versus high level or dive bomber targets.

Deduct one dice versus Invaders or Corsairs.

Flak Results

Pinned:     Pilot is rattled.  His aim will be affected this pass and acquisition in the next pass.  Navy pilots always ignore the first pinned result in a pass for acquisition and aiming purposes

Suppressed:     Aircraft takes flak damage.  Pass is aborted at this point without weapons release.  French player dices for pilot morale.  On a score of 1 for Navy pilots or 12 for army and air force pilots the aircraft aborts mission.

Killed:     Aircraft takes severe flak damage, aborts mission.  Pilot hopes that he can make it back safely

Flak “suppressed” results are not cumulative.

Weapon Errors and Effects

"Pilot errors" are covered in the target acquisition mechanism thus this section deals with the errors inherent in the weapons used and the effects of the weapon.  All boxes shown in the following sections represent one squad base size.

Strafing

Strafing affects the target point and everything else within two base widths before and beyond the target point on the flight path.  Anything which has part of its base in this area is hit by the number of strafing dice given on the "Weapons Load" table, less one dice for every pinned result against the aircraft this pass.

Flight Path

Strafing attacks are subject to modifiers in exactly the same way as small arms fire, expect that if at any point in the affected area a dice is deducted because the target is in vertical cover (e.g. hills, woods, walls, buildings) this deduction is applied to all other targets further along the flight path whether or not they are in the protective terrain because they derive some cover from the vertical obstruction.

Rockets

Rockets are delivered either from a high angle, high level dive, or as part of a strafing attack.  Rockets are always delivered in "pairs" of 2, 4, 6 or 8 in one pass.

If the rockets are delivered from high level, centre the rocket grid on the target point and throw two dice for each rocket to determine which squad base size area the rocket lands in.

If the rockets are delivered as part of a strafing attack the pilot will be "leading in" the rockets with his tracers.  This makes aiming the rockets easier but also diminishes the effect of the strafing (because the pilot cannot "fishtail" to cover a wider area.)  To recreate this centre both the strafing pattern and the rocket pattern on the target point and conduct both attacks simultaneously however:

Deduct one fire dice from the strafing

If the rocket score is 2 to 6 add 1 to the score.  If the rocket score is 8 to 12 deduct 1 from the score.

Apply only the worse of the two results to any target.  If both the rockets and strafing result in a "suppressed" the target is only "suppressed", not killed.

If the aircraft has received one pinned result throw again for results of 4 or 10, if it has received two pins throw again for results of 4,7 and 10.

Anything which has part of its base within a rocket box is hit.  If it straddles several boxes it is hit by the highest number of rockets in any of the boxes.

The first rocket in a box has an effect of 4 fire dice.  Each additional rocket after the first adds one dice, (e.g. if three rockets hit one box the target is attacked by 6 fire dice.)

Rockets are subject to modifiers in the same way as overhead fire.

Napalm

Napalm is delivered at low level.  The canisters are not stabilized so first establish delivery error.  Throw one dice to determine the new TP:

If the aircraft has taken a pin result this pass dice again on a result of 5 or 6.

Napalm covers an area equivalent to 8 base sizes as follows.  Either of the TP bases may be used.

Squads with any part of their base within the pattern are attacked by fire dice as follows:  

If a squad straddles two areas count the highest number of fire dice.

Napalm is subject to modifiers in the same way as small arms fire except:

Enfiladed trenches provide no protection.

-1 dice if target in wet jungle.

After the fire effect has been determined all squads within the napalm zone that are not in overhead cover are moved out of the now burning affected area by the shortest route.  Then:

Squads which were unaffected by the attack become pinned.

Squads which were pinned take a rally test for "if suppressed."  If they fail they become     suppressed.  If the pass they remain pinned.

Squads that were suppressed remain so.

Now place smoke on the affected area.  This will continue to burn until a 5 or 6 is thrown at the end of each initiative.  Add one to dice if the affected are includes any water feature or wet jungle.

Squads in overhead cover in napalm burning areas may not move, fire or test to rally until the fire is out.

Bombing 

Low level bombing is not subject to error unless aim is disturbed by flak.

If the aircraft has suffered a pinned result this pass test for delivery error using the napalm error chart.

High level bombing is subject to delivery error as follows :

      Add 1 from dice if dive bomber.

      Deduct 1 from dice for each pinned result this pass.

If the result is 0 or less dice again for direction and move the TP two further bases horizontally or vertically outward.

Any squad which has part of its base in the blast area of the bomb is affected as follows :

* Flechette ordnance primarily for targets in open.  Deduct 2 dice for cover or hills and count all non-hill cover as hard point, i.e. -1 to score.

+ If the centre of the blast radius is on a hardpoint do not deduct 1 from the score for heavy bombs.

~ FIN ~  

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