Category Archives: Bag the Hun

World War II Aerial

BAG THE BLENHEIMS, MALTA 1941

Next week there’s a Bag the Hun 2 game set over the island of Malta in November ’41. The Mc202 pilots of 73 Squadriglia will be chasing a formation of Bristol Blenheims as they come in to land, with the Hurricane pilots of No185 Squadron scrambled to intercept them. There will be probably be a space or two spare if you want to join in. As usual, there will also be a range of other games being played including a multiplayer Sharp Practice Napoleonic skirmish and the Fields of Glory competitors fine tuning their cunning plans for BELGARUM 2019.

BTH2 Bandits Over Berlin

This was a playtest game for the local Lard Day event in March, ‘Come and Have a Go if you Think You’re Lard Enough’ organised by the Sarisbury Green club. In the scenario, the Luftwaffe clashed with the USAAF, RAF and VVS in the skies over Berlin in the last days of the war. In the end, it was a Luftwaffe victory, with two Allied fighters lost for one FW190.

Thanks to all the play testers for taking part and providing some really good feedback. There will be another play test BTH2 game next month for the other scenario that will be running in the afternoon session on the Lard Day itself.

Bag the Hun 2: Rocketeers over the Reich

There’s been a slight change of plan for the Bag the Hun multiplayer game on Tuesday 21st but otherwise it’s all systems go for a late war scenario, actually set on 21st November 1944.

336th Fighter Squadron P-51D Mustang

The new scenario is based on the exploits of the 336th Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Group, the fabulously named ‘Rocketeers’. This will involve a dogfight at medium to low level in heavy over cast conditions, with the 336th in their P51-D Mustangs engaging a formation of FW-190’s and Bf109’s to the West of Merseberg in Saxony-Anhalt.

Captain Fred Glover, 336th FS, 4th FG

The historical action featured three kills for the 336th ‘Rocketeers’ CO Captain Fred Glover, who  will make an appearance as a Junior Ace in the game. The Luftwaffe will be appearing (and disappearing) in strength, as they zoom in and out of the overcast. The scenario will make use of some lightly tweaked rules for flying in cloud cover and will inevitably involve some ‘bogeys’ to add a bit of fun!

Tally Ho!

Bag the Hun 2 B17 Combat Box Game

On the 21st November there’s another Bag the Hun 2 game at the club, this time featuring a combat box formation of 8th Air Force B17G’s being attacked by the fighters of the Luftwaffe, somewhere over Germany in early 1945.

There are seven players already signed up to play and one place remaining for anyone who would like to fly for the Fatherland or for good old Uncle Sam. Alan will be leading the Luftwaffe while the job of USAAF fighter leader is up for grabs!

The game will feature P51D Mustang, P38J Lightning and P47D Thunderbolt ‘Little Friends’ as escorts for the ‘Heavies’, while the Luftwaffe will be flying FW190A8’s, FW190D9’s, Bf109K’s and Me262’s, in an attempt to shoot down the ‘Dicke Autos’. There may even be some Me163 Komet rocket powered interceptors!

Pauke! Pauke!

Bag the Hun Berlin 1945

The Bag the Hun Two club multiplayer game, set in the skies over Berlin in April 1945, ended in a decisive victory for the Allies despite being slightly outnumbered by the Luftwaffe.

The Spitfire XIV’s of 610 Squadron did particularly well, using a combination of the ‘bounce’ and close range cannon fire to great effect. A DFC has been awarded to P/O Renfrey in recognition of his skill and leadership. Jolly Good Show!

Not to be outdone, Chuck and Bud of the 336th Fighter Squadron flew their P-51D’s in true ‘Rocketeers’ style, blasting the Krauts out of the sky. Although Bud has as yet failed to return from the mission, it is likely that he may have survived a crash landing in US held territory, so has been awarded a Purple Heart for wounds sustained in action. Yee Ha!

The Soviets also achieved some success in their light and agile La-7’s, and have claimed fourteen anti-fascist kills for no loss in he latest edition of Pravda! Major Martynovski has been awarded the Order of Lenin with dangly bits for his demonstration of inevitably superior proletarian tactics and for trouncing the decadent western capitalists at their own game. Huzzah!

However, it was a disappointing dogfight for the Jet Jockeys of 616 Squadron, whose Meteors failed to live up to expectations (although they didn’t actually blow up or plummet to the ground in a flat spin). The boffins at Farnborough are expecting a full report from Squadron Leader Stephens, as soon as he lands, in order to explain the Meteors apparent lack of air to air combat success. I say old chap, bad show!

The Luftwaffe put up a stiff fight but, unfortunately, ran out of time and fuel by the end of the game. The Fw190D ‘Dora’s did perform well and were able to hold their own, with the Me262’s also contributing to Allied losses. The late arrival of Fw190A8 and D9 reinforcements was just too late to swing the balance in the Luftwaffe’s favour.

In the final analysis, a lack of co-ordination and some serious ‘spotting’ failures meant that the enemy were able to inflict some telling damage on the Luftwaffe defenders, including the loss of the Top Ace Me262 rotte leader. Donner und Blitzen!!!!

Here are the overall Victory Points awarded by the Intelligence Officers back at HQ:

RAF = 17

USAAF = 11

VVS = 4

LUFTWAFFE = 18

Grand Total

AXIS = 18

ALLIES = 32

Tally Ho!

Bag the Hun Two

There’s a Bag the Hun 2 game on the 26th September.

This will be an April 1945 free for all dogfight over the outskirts of Berlin featuring the RAF, USAAF, VVS and, last but not least, the remnants of the Luftwaffe.

The game is fully booked up with players, who will each be assigned a pair of aircraft to fly, with the objective being to shoot down as many of the enemy as possible before their fuel goes ‘Bingo!’

If you’re coming along, please bring a pen or pencil and plenty of D6. If you have your own copy of the rules that would be really handy. Jim will provide all the aircraft, record sheets, cards and tiddly dice.

Tally Ho!

Bag the Hun 2: Buchanan’s Party

The Buchanan’s Party scenario for Bag the Hun 2 was played at the club this week, with seven players taking on the role of Luftwaffe and RAF aircrew. In the end, the experienced Luftwaffe pilots of Stab III.JG27 shot down two No229 Squadron Hurricanes of Yellow Section, one in a catastrophic mid-air explosion and the other in a gradual slow glide down to earth to crash land in the desert. They didn’t manage to shoot down any of the No14 Squadron Blenheims, however, which succeeded in dropping three sticks of bomb on the convoy but only destroyed one of the target markers in the process.

In addition, one of the Bf109 F-4’s suffered a gun jam and was effectively out of the game by Turn Three. The Victory Points worked out at four for the Luftwaffe but only one for the RAF, so a clear Axis victory. We did run out of time though, so it would be fair to expect that several of the bombers would have exited the table in Turn Six to claim additional VP’s.  Even though the RAF fighters had a rough deal, due to an unlucky turn of the cards and some dodgy dice rolls, they did succeed in their mission objective to protect the bombers so that they could hit the target.
…more Bag the Hun to follow soon.

Bag the Hun 2 Operation Crusader Game

There’s a Bag the Hun 2 multiplayer game at the club this week, based on a  bombing mission by Blenheim Mk IV’s of 14 Squadron RAF against Axis motor transport during Operation Crusader. There are six players taking part, with the Hurricanes  of No.299 Squadron as top cover for the bombers and the Bf109’s  of III.JG27 trying to stop them. It’s all in glorious 1/285th scale and there will be a full after action report to follow. Tally Ho!