Wargame Aircraft Gun Fire

Gun Fire

            Gunfire is resolved simultaneously for all fixed gun tubes on an aircraft.  They must all fire at the same target.  Fixed guns fire at targets within 90 degrees of the front of the aircraft.  Flexible guns may fire on any single target within their arc of fire.  Aircraft using visual sighting may fire at any target that they can see, if the weapons are within range and able to bear on the target.  Aircraft strafe attacks are made on targets that are within 1250m and within 90 degrees of the front of the aircraft.  Aircraft with single barrel guns use the aircraft gun template with one set of leafs per barrel.  Aircraft with multi-barrel guns roll a single “to hit” die to determine if the target is struck.  Then use the total number of barrels to determine the number of hit location dice, with one die per barrel.

            To compute the percentage chance to hit the target, check the aircraft data card.  Determine the “to hit” modifiers.  Add or subtract the “to hit” modifiers to the number on the to hit chart.  Damage is determined by tossing one twenty sided die and one six sided die.  If the number is on the chart, then the target is hit.  If the target was hit, the six sided die will determine the nature of the damage.  A result of 0 or less on the damage die is complete explosive destruction of the target aircraft and crew, cargo and passengers.

Any aircraft without one of the parts listed on the aircraft hit chart will suffer no damage.  Consult the damage location chart to determine the nature of the damage.  Aircraft that are carrying external stores will dogfight at a -50% chance to hit unless they jettison stores.  Then they fight normally.  Stores that are jettisoned fall harmlessly to the ground.  External fuel tanks are considered as stores.

            Aircraft may fire only at targets one level above, the same level, or one or two levels below.  Aircraft diving on a flying target receive a 10% to hit bonus.  Aircraft below a target receive a 10% deduction from the chance to hit.

CANNON FIRE

For a 20mm cannon, take no change on the hit location die.

For a 30mm cannon, take a DM of -1 on the hit location die and

a -1 on crew hit selections.

For a 37+mm cannon, take a DM of -2 on the hit location die and

a -1 on crew hit selections.

            Use the .30 caliber tripod chart for all .30 caliber weapons.  Use the .50 caliber chart for all other guns, or combination of guns.  Roll one hit location die for each gun firing.  Check for armor at the hit location.  If the firing weapon penetrated the armor, then crew, engine, fuel or airframe is destroyed.  Armor will protect against .30 caliber and .50 caliber machine gun hits.  When the pilot and co-pilot are killed or all engines are destroyed or the fuel is hit the airplane crashes.  A hit on a weapon, destroys the weapon.

            Engagement rules for aircraft vary with the capabilities of the aircraft.  Aircraft types operate using visual sighting, attack targets within range of their weapons.  In the World War One era aircraft were armed with .30 caliber machine guns.  In World War Two, aircraft often carried .50 caliber machine guns, and small cannon of 20mm, or 37mm.  As radar was developed the engagement ranges increased.

            Some aircraft may have a long engagement range, greater than the size of the table.  To simulate this, each side will chart the movement of their aircraft on a map overlay, every turn.  The Bunkermeister can then compare the overlays with the master map, and mark the aircraft on the map, if they would have detected them.  After marking the overlays, the Bunkermeister can return them to each player.  Players may then announce if they wish to engage or not during their firing phase.

Aircraft Hit Location and Damage

0          EXPLOSIVE DESTRUCTION

Aircraft, crew, passengers, and cargo explode in a ball of flame and tiny bits fall harmlessly to earth.  No chance to bail out, no damage to anyone on the ground.

1          CREW 

One member of the aircrew is hit.  Roll a die to determine which crew member is hit.  Crewmember is automatically killed unless using wound rules.  If the pilot and co-pilot are killed, the plane will crash and the remainder of the crew may bail out.

2          FUEL

 A Fuel damage result means that the fuel tanks have been hit. The aircraft catches on fire and the crew must bailout.  Helicopters may auto-rotate within a 90-degree arc from direction of travel and must land within 1250m.  Self-sealing fuel tanks and armored fuel tanks are not damaged unless the gun is larger than .50 caliber.  Aircraft will trail black smoke.

3          ENGINE

An Engine damage result destroys one engine.  On a single engine aircraft the target will crash immediately and the crew will bail out.  Single engine helicopters cannot auto-rotate and will crash.  On multi-engine aircraft the speed and range will be reduced, based on the total number of engines the aircraft has when it is undamaged.  Aircraft will trail black smoke.

            An AIRFRAME hit will take the aircraft "out of action" for the remainder of the turn, due to buffeting and control surface damage.  There are three types of airframe hits, fuselage, wing and tail.  Any attempt to make an attack will cause the aircraft to immediately crash and the crew will all be killed.  The aircraft will have to come around and make another pass.  The aircraft may resume normal operations at the beginning of the next turn.  The aircraft may fire flexible weapons in defense only.  The aircraft may not drop bombs or launch any form of ground attack or launch missiles of any type.  The aircrew may bailout at any time.  The aircraft will trail white smoke from the area hit.  A second airframe hit in the same location will cause the plane to crash. 

4          FUSELAGE

Damage to fuselage, and aborts the attack this turn.

5          WING

Damage to wings, and aborts the attack this turn.

6                TAIL

Damage to tail, and aborts the attack this turn.

Aircraft have four bursts of ammunition for all cannons and machine guns.  All bombs of the same size drop all at once.  All unguided rockets fire at the same time.  Missiles fire one per phase.

Crew Hits

1 Pilot                           1 Pilot

2 Co-Pilot                     2 Co-Pilot

3 Bombardier                3 Passenger

4 Navigator                   4 Passenger

5 Gunner                      5 Passenger

6 Gunner                      6 Passenger

If there is no crewman of that type, go up one level.  Example if you roll a 5 or 6 and there is on Gunner, then the navigator gets killed.  If the Pilot & Co-Pilot are killed, aircraft crashes, crew may bail out.  Results of less than 1 are a 1, if Pilot is already dead, go back to the Co-Pilot.