In order to distinguish the traditional Down in Flames campaigns that first appeared in Rise of the Luftwaffe from later systems such as the Operations that debuted in Eighth Air Force, the Carrier Campaigns of Zero!, and the progressive Guadalcanal campaign of Corsairs & Hellcats, we’re calling them “Land Campaigns.” Fully half of the campaigns in Wild Blue Yonder (7 of 13) are of this type, and every one has at least two stages to enhance variety. Each features a set number of randomly-determined historical Missions in which players select Resources to support assigned Mission aircraft. The outcome of each Mission does not affect later Missions.
Through careful research, the campaigns in WBY include only missions that actually took place. The frequency of a mission within a given campaign is proportional to what actually occurred as far as is known and within the limits of the mission determination mechanism. Forces are scaled to those that participated and. with one exception, the aircraft are the correct types and models for those missions.
Malta
The original Malta campaign appeared in C3i #3, introduced some new aircraft, and was quite fun. It was a less than accurate presentation of the history, however, including some missions, matchups, and situations that were more potential than factual.
I set out to remedy this by starting from scratch. As the comings and goings of the Luftwaffe in Sicily and the progression of RAF fighters from Hurricane Mk I to Hurricane Mk II to Spitfire V made natural dividing points for the stages and their resources, it became clear that one campaign card would not suffice. So in WBY we have two campaigns of three stages each: Malta 1940-41 and Malta 1941-42.
In 1940-41, Stage I (6 missions) is the period June-December 1940, when the Regia Aeronautica faces the RAF alone. Stage II (5 missions) is the “First Blitz” of January-March 1941, in which the RAF relies on Hurricane I fighters to oppose the full weight of Fliegerkorps X. Stage III (4 missions) is April-May 1941, when the bulk of the German formations leave for Libya and the Balkans and Hurricane II fighters take over from the weary Mark I models.
Action intensifies in 1941-42 as more improved fighters appear in greater numbers, and every stage lasts 6 missions. In Stage IV (June-December 1941), the Italians are once again on their own with MC.200s (and 202s towards the end) facing Hurricane IIs. The Germans return with Fliegerkorps II for the “Second Blitz” in Stage V (December 1941-March 1942), when Bf109F-4 fighters oppose now-outmatched Hurricanes. Balance is restored in Stage VI (March-August 1942) as growing numbers of Spitfire Mk Vs oppose combined forces of Germans and Italians.
Rommel Attacks
I first designed this campaign eight years ago, hoping for publication in C3i magazine. But with RotL long out of print, the number of aircraft cards required would have been prohibitive. Instead, it makes a perfect introductory campaign for WBY with minimal complexity and low numbers of relatively short missions.
The campaign recreates the first German Libyan offensive in Spring 1941, Operation Sonnenblume. The short Stage I (1-10 April, 3 missions) covers the advance to Tobruk and the Egyptian frontier, with Bf110Cs providing air cover for attacking Stukas. In Stage II (11-18 April, 4 missions), the first hasty attacks on Tobruk occur while Italian CR.42 and G.50 fighters assist the Zerstörer. Stage III (19 April-2 May, 6 missions) adds Bf109E fighters as the emphasis shifts to attacks on lines of communication by bombers of both sides. British Hurricane Mk Is oppose the Axis in all cases.
Barbarossa
Unlike the original campaign in RotL, this new version covers almost the entire opening phase of the Axis attack on the Soviet Union from late June into early September 1941. Since the first few days saw minimal fighter opposition to the German air assault and the unescorted Soviet bombers that tried to attack then were massacred, those one-sided missions are omitted. And because the later offensives against Leningrad and Moscow featured large numbers of new Soviet fighters, they deserve to be treated separately.
Instead, this campaign features separate 6-mission stages for each of the three major axes of attack. Besides the expected panoply of bombers on all fronts, in the North, I-153s, I-16s, MiG-3s, and the first LaGG-3s oppose Bf109F-2s and the Bf110s shifted north to support the drive towards Leningrad. In the Center, I-16s and MiG-3s take on the last Gruppen with Bf109Es and more Bf109F-2s, with a resource appearance by the first Yak-1s. And in the South, I-153s and I-16s struggle with Bf109F-2s and late-appearing Hungarian CR.42s and Italian MC.200s.
Sadly, we couldn’t include the wide assortment of Romanian Air Force aircraft in this volume. But a draft campaign of the attack into Bessarabia and the southern Ukraine already exists, and hopefully will appear in a future expansion.
North Africa 1942
This campaign by rookie designer Jack Beckman is brand new and depicts the fighting in Libya and Egypt during the middle of 1942. The first 6-mission stage (April-June) portrays the Battle of Gazala and the fall of Tobruk. The shorter second stage (July-September, 4 missions) covers the subsequent Axis advance through the Battle of Alam Halfa. Both feature Bf109F-4s, Bf110Ds, and MC.202s against Hurricane Mk IIs, Tomahawks, Kittyhawks, and Spitfire Mk Vs in support of mostly ground attack missions.
8th Air Force 1943
This campaign resembles the one that appeared in Eighth Air Force in that it consists of two 6-mission stages. Here, however, the forces and missions more accurately reflect what historically occurred.
The Early 1943 stage (January-June) sees limited numbers of B-17Fs with Spitfire and/or P-47C escorts attacking targets in France, Belgium, and western Germany defended by Bf109Gs and/or Fw190As plus a few Bf110 Fs and Gs. In the POINTBLANK stage (June-October), increasing numbers of bombers (including B-26s) and escorts penetrate ever deeper against even greater opposition including Aerial Rockets. Often, this stage will include one or more Schweinfurt Operations (more on this in the next installment).
Battle of Berlin
Even without using the optional Fuel rules, this campaign has by far the longest missions in the game. It includes parts of three EAF campaigns and covers the period October 1943 to March 1944 when Air Marshal Harris’s Bomber Command conducted its Battle of Berlin and the 8th Air Force continued to extend its reach into Germany, culminating in its first attacks on the German capital. Rather than different time periods, the two 6-mission stages are Daylight and Night.
The Daylight stage features B-17Fs and Gs plus B-24Js, escorted by increasing numbers of P-47Cs as well as P-38Js, late-model P-47Ds, and P-51Bs. The defending 109s, 110s, and 190s also grow more numerous, augmented by Me410As.
In the Night Stage, Bomber Command’s Lancasters and Halifaxes face a wide variety of German night fighters, mainly Bf110G-4s, Ju88Cs, and Wilde Sau Bf109Gs, along with Do217s, everyone’s favorite He219, and a Wilde Sau Fw190A resource. The new Oblique Guns Special ratings and rules definitely get a workout. Unlike in EAF, however, this campaign is not a solitaire experience. Instead, it uses a refined version of the Night Mission rules from C&H, and the Allied player has three models of Mosquito night fighters and the odd Beaufighter Mark VIF to oppose the Nachtjagdflieger.
Ambitious players may try a Combined Bomber Offensive by alternately playing the middle four missions of the two stages for a total of eight missions.
In the last installment, I’ll describe the remaining six campaigns in WBY.