World War II Sourcebook

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WARBIRDSWorld War II World War II Sourcebook

A Steve Bergeron

Timothy Smith (order #7572815) World War II

Ch A

Join The Fight! The Warbirds World War II Sourcebook lets you recreate the deadly aerial battles of the Sec- ond Wolrd War using Outrider Studios’ Rapidfire Dogfighting rules.

Fly RAF Spitfires against Messerschmitt BF 109s in the Battle of Britain, or have US Navy F4F Wildcats square off agains Japanese Zeros at the battle of Midway. You can even play a bombing crew risking the skies over Germany, or strafing the jungles of Indochina.

The World War II Sourcebook contains the stats for 25 of the most famous aircraft of the war, conversion rules for naval ships, trains, and tanks, and rules modifications to make War- birds into a gritty war game.

OUTRIDER STUDIOS B OS 301

Timothy Smith (order #7572815) World War II WARBIRDS World War II Sourcebook

Written By Steve Bergeron

Produced By Cait Bergeron, Chris Scott, Cameron Macdonald, and Ashley Dinning

Rapidﬁ re Rules By Steve Bergeron and Quinton Oliviero

Cover and Interior Art All images are public domain and owned by their respective governments. Images can be found in the archives of the Imperial War Museum in the United Kingdom, the Library of Congress in the United States, and the National Archives of Australia.

Published By Outrider Studios - outriderstudios.com

Web For more Warbirds info go to www.warbirdsrpg.com

Credits 1 P-51DContents Mustang 6 Multi-Role aircraft 10 Gritty Rules 2 Bf 109 7 de Havillan Mosquito 10 Rank and Money 2 Focke-Wulf Fw 190 7 Junkers Ju 88 11 Me 262 8 Mitsubishi A6M Zero 8 Fighters 2 Yakovlev Yak-1 8 Bombers 11 Hawker Hurricane 3 B-17 Flying Fortress 12 Avro Lancaster 12 Supermarine Spit re 3 Dive Bombers P-38 Lightning 4 B-25 Mitchell 13 P-39 Airacobra 4 and Torpedo Planes 9 Heinkel He 111 13 P-40 Warhawk 4 Ju 87 Stuka 9 Dornier Do 17 13 P-47D underbolt 5 SBD Dauntless 9 Mitsubishi G4M Betty 14 F4f Wildcat 5 TBF Avenger 10 F6F Hellcat 5 B5N Kate 10 Naval Ships 14 F4U Corsair 6 Tanks and Trains 15

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Timothy Smith (order #7572815) World War II Recreating WWII High- ying comic book action is not for everyone, and some players may want a serious and more gritty game. is booklet contains optional rules to turn Warbirds into a more lethal and realistic game, some basic information on World War II, and examples of some of the most popular planes of that war.

GrittyCh Rules - Shoot To KillA Guns are lethal and the injuries they cause are traumatic. Whenever guns are drawn in personal combat, the characters’ lives are automatically Put On the Line, and no one gets the associated bonuses. Characters who su er gunshot wounds require double the normal recovery time, and when a character is knocked out of the ght by a gunshot, the recovery time quadruples. Whenever characters are ying, everyone’s life is Put On the Line, and no one gets the associated bonuses. If a plane is hit hard enough that it is Going Down, then the pilot might be able to bail out in time. Roll a 1d6 +Spirit versus di culty 5. Success means the pilot bails out; failure means they are dead.

Rank and Money While skilled pilots did become famous during the war, the Warbirds Fame system is not applicable to the pilots who received a basic monthly wage. e wage was based on military rank, but even senior ying o cers were not rich men. Instead of Fame, pilots have Rank. All pilots start o at Rank 1 and the ight leader has Rank 2. Rank 3 is for squadron commanders and is the highest Rank a character can hold while still maintaining frontline combat status. Ranks 4 to 6 are senior o cers who do not y regular combat sorties. Rank acts like money in the same way that Fame does, and can be used to in uence social situations with other members of the military just like Fame. e caveat is that a higher Rank character can always negate a lower Rank character’s attempt to in uence a situation; aka “pulling Rank.”

WWII Fighters e aircraft of the Second World War were fast, maneuverable, and relatively fragile. Aircraft also had very specialized roles. e high-performance dog ghters rarely carried bombs or rockets, while torpedo planes and bombers were almost helpless against ghters. Below are some examples of the most popular aircraft of the war converted into Warbirds stats. e

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simpli ed nature of Rapid re loses some of the nuance of the di erences between some planes, but their general statistics will be comparable. Another common trait of WWII planes was mixing armament. It was common for aircraft to have both machine guns and cannons. For simplicity’s sake, the stats listed are for the most powerful guns on the airframe and ignore the machine gun mix. e numbers below are not set in stone, as aircraft designers were constantly upgrading and tinkering with their designs over the course of the war. e Spit re, for example, went through over 20 variants. Each aircraft is designed as a full-up warbird. It will be up the GM to provide stats and skills for the pilots. Numbers hew to Rapid re standards, with most pilots having SA 0, and 2 in their primary skills. Aces will have SA +1 or +2, and skills in the 3 to 4 range. e very best pilots will be SA +2, with skills at level 5 or even 6.

Hawker Hurricane Performance 2 Armour 1 Structure 3 (0 -1 -1) Weapons: Light Machine Guns Innate Traits: Environmental Controls (36,000 ft ceiling), Radio (line of sight, 100 km range), Gun Camera, Limited Fuel (~2 hours, or 950 km) Warbird Traits: None Description: e Hurricane was Britain’s most common ghter at the outset of the war. It was outclassed by the German BF 109, and was mainly used against German bombers. It was a steady gun platform, and holding for a round or Cutting It Close in a Hurricane results in a +2 Gunnery bonus instead of a +1. Later versions of the Hurricane had two hard points for bombs and swapped out the light machine guns for 20mm cannons.

Supermarine Spitﬁ re (Mark I) Performance 3 Armour 2 Structure 3 (0 -1 -1) Weapons: Light Machine Guns Innate Traits: Environmental Controls (35,000 ft ceiling), Radio (line of sight, 100 km range), Gun Camera, Limited Fuel (~2 hours, or 1,000 km) Warbird Traits: Reduced Turn Radius Description: e Spit re was the backbone of Britain’s ghter force throughout the entire war. It was heavily modi ed over the course of the con ict. Later variants can have 20mm cannons and any of the following traits: Improved Turbo-Supercharger, Improved Structure, Extra Hard Point, Fire Protection, Enhanced Crew Protection, Drop Tanks, High-Visibility Canopy.

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P-38 Lightning Performance 3 Armour 2 Structure 4 (0 0 -1 -1) Weapons: Cannons and 4 Hard Points Innate Traits: Environmental Controls (44,000 ft ceiling), Radio (line of sight, 100 km range), Gun Camera, Extra Fuel (~2 hours, or 2,100 km) Warbird Traits: Extra Guns, Improved Structure, Enhanced Crew Protection, Fire Protection, Improved Turbo- Supercharger, High-Velocity Shells Description: e P-38 was a capable multi-role ghter that saw use in both the Atlantic and Paci c theatres. Its long range allowedCh it to serve as a bomber escort, and its heavy armament made it a dangerous stra ng aircraft. Its twin-engineA design put all of the guns in a central nacelle, which allowed for longer engagement ranges. ( is is represented by the High-Velocity Shells trait.)

P-39 Airacobra Performance 3 Armour 1 Structure 3 (0 -1 -1) Weapons: Heavy Machine Guns and Heavy Cannon and 2 Hard Points Innate Traits: Environmental Controls (35,000 ft ceiling), Radio (line of sight, 100 km range), Gun Camera, Very Limited Fuel (1.5 hours, or 850 km) Warbird Traits: Drop Tanks, Extra Capacity (Heavy Cannon) Description: e P-39 was one of the mainstay ghters on the Eastern Front. A result of the Lend-Lease program, the Soviet Air Force employed almost 5,000 of this type of aircraft. It was famous for its rear-mounted engine and its 37mm cannon that red through the propeller hub. e Airacobra su ers at high altitude and is -1 to Dog ghting rolls when above 20,000 feet.

P-40 Warhawk Performance 3 Armour 2 Structure 3 (0 -1 -1) Weapons: Heavy Machine Gun and 1 Hard Point Innate Traits: Environmental Controls (29,000 ft ceiling), Radio (line of sight, 100 km range), Gun Camera, Limited Fuel (~2 hours, or 1100 km) Warbird Traits: Improved Turn Radius, Improved Turbo- Supercharger Description: e P-40 saw action in all of the war’s theatres but is perhaps most famous for its action in North Africa and China. It was famous as the primary ghter of the Flying Tigers mercenary company.

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P-47D Thunderbolt Performance 3 Armour 3 Structure 5 (0 0 0 -1 -1) Weapons: Heavy Machine Guns and 5 Hard Points Innate Traits: Environmental Controls (43,000 ft ceiling), Radio (line of sight, 100 km range), Gun Camera, Limited Fuel (~2 hours, or 1,000 km) Warbird Traits: Radial Engine, Extra Guns, Improved Structure, Improved Armour, Frontal Armour, Improved Redundant systems, Enhanced Crew Protection, Fire Protection Description: One of the heaviest ghters of the war, the P-47, known as the “Jug,” was famous for its ability to absorb damage and keep ying. It excelled in ground attack roles but is -1 Performance when more than half of its hard points are loaded with bombs.

F4F Wildcat Performance 2 Armour 2 Structure 4 (0 0 -1 -1) Weapons: Heavy Machine Guns and 2 Hard Points Innate Traits: Environmental Controls (37,000 ft ceiling), Radio (line of sight, 100 km range), Gun Camera, Limited Fuel (~2 hours, or 1,000 km) Warbird Traits: Radial Engine, Enhanced Crew Protection, Fire Protection Description: e F4F was the U.S. Navy’s main ghter at the outset of the war. It faired poorly against Japanese A6M Zeros due to its lack of range and manoeuvrability. Navy pilots made up for the performance gap by developing new tactics like the ach Weave. e Wildcat was replaced by the far more powerful F6F Hellcat.

F6F Hellcat Performance 3 Armour 3 Structure 4 (0 0 -1 -1) Weapons: Heavy Machine Guns and 2 Hard Points Innate Traits: Environmental Controls (37,000 ft ceiling), Radio (line of sight, 100 km range), Gun Camera, Limited Fuel (~2 hours, or 1,000 km) Warbird Traits: Radial Engine, Improved Turbo-Supercharger, Improved Armour, Improved Redundant Systems, Enhanced Crew Protection, Fire Protection Description: e F6F has the distinction of having the most kills of all allied aircraft. ( e Bf 109 holds the record for the Axis and overall tallies.) e F6F was the premiere ghter in the Paci c theatre, operating from American carriers and ghter bases.

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F4U Corsair Performance 3 Armour 3 Structure 4 (0 0 -1 -1) Weapons: Heavy Machine Guns and 3 Hard Points Innate Traits: Environmental Controls (37,000 ft ceiling), Radio (line of sight, 100 km range), Gun Camera, Limited Fuel (~2 hours, or 1,000 km) Warbird Traits: Radial Engine, Improved Turbo-Supercharger, Improved Armour, Improved Redundant Systems, Enhanced Crew Protection, Fire Protection Description: e F4U Corsair was the main ghter of the U.S. Marine Corps. It was known for its distinctive inverted gull-wingCh design. e Corsair is nearly identical to the Hellcat performance-wise, with one exception: its gull wings, extendedA nose, and tendency to bounce on landing made it very di cult to land on carriers, so it was mainly used from land bases.

P-51D Mustang Performance 4 Armour 2 Structure 3 (0 -1 -1) Weapons: Heavy Machine Guns and 2 Hard Points (rockets or bombs) Innate Traits: Environmental Controls (42,000 ft ceiling), Radio (line of sight, 100 km range), Gun Camera, Extended Range (~6 to 8 hours, or 2,700+ km) Warbird Traits: Improved Flight Controls, Enhanced Crew Protection, High-Visibility Canopy, Gyroscopic Gunsight, Drop Tanks Description: In terms of raw performance, the Mustang was one of the best ghters of the war. Its primary role, however, was bomber escort, as it had the range to stay with Allied bomber formations as they headed to their targets. e Mustang was a latecomer to the war and did not see extensive use until the summer of 1944.

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Messerschmitt Bf 109 Performance 3 Armour 2 Structure 3 (0 -1 -1) Weapons: Cannons and 1 Hard Point (usually drop tanks) Innate Traits: Environmental Controls (39,000 ft ceiling), Radio (line of sight, 100 km range), Gun Camera, Limited Fuel (~2 hours, or 1,000 km) Warbird Traits: Improved Turbo-Supercharger, Enhanced Crew Protection, Drop Tanks Description: e arch nemesis of the Spit re was the German Bf 109. It went through fewer variants than the Spit re, but eventually gained Extra Guns, Extra Hard Point (usually with rockets or heavy cannons), Fire Protection, and Improved Flight Controls. Early in the war, the 109’s fuel-injected engine gave it a signi cant advantage when disengaging from Spit res and Hurricanes with their gravity-fed carbureted engines. is makes the 109s +1 to rolls to Disengage. is bonus disappears later in the war as British technology improved to match.

Focke-Wulf Fw190 Performance 3 Armour 2 Structure 4 (0 0 -1 -1) Weapons: Cannons Innate Traits: Environmental Controls (37,000 ft ceiling), Radio (line of sight, 100 km range), Gun Camera, Limited Fuel (~1.5 hours, or 800 km) Warbird Traits: Radial Engine, Extra Guns, Improved Turbo-Supercharger, Improved Flight Controls, Drop Tanks Description: e 109‘s big brother, the Fw190, entered service in 1941 and became an important part of the Luftwa e. Its heavy cannons and good low-altitude performance made it an excellent ground attack plane, but it had high altitude problems. Fw190 are -1 to Dog ghting above 20,000 feet.

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Messerschmitt Me 262 Performance 5 Armour 2 Structure 3 (0 0 -1 -1) Weapons: Cannons and 5 Hard Points (rockets or bombs) Innate Traits: Environmental Controls (37,500 ft ceiling), Radio (line of sight, 100 km range), Gun Camera, Limited Fuel (1.5 hours, or 1,000 km) Warbird Traits: Extra Guns, Enhanced Crew Protection, High-Visibility Canopy Description: e Me 262 was the fastest ghter of the war and also one of the most heavily armed. Out tted with rockets and heavy cannons, the Me 262 was the world’s rst operational jet ghter. Its engines were unreliable at low speed, andCh the Me 262 was vulnerable during take-o and landing (use Shoot Defence). A Mitsubishi A6M Zero Performance 3 Armour 0 Structure 3 (0 -1 -1) Weapons: Cannons and 2 Hard Points Innate Traits: Environmental Controls (35,000 ft ceiling), Radio (line of sight, 100 km range) Extended Range (~8 hours, or 3,100 km) Warbird Traits: Reduced Turn Radius x2, Improved Flight Controls Description: e Zero is a long-range dog ghter that focuses on attack, with little thought for the defence of the pilot. American ghter pilots learned to avoid dog ghts with Zeros, and would drop in from high altitude, attack, and then dive away. Zeros have trouble with dives, and lose their bonuses from their Reduced Turn Radius when they try to chase pilots trying to Disengage.

Yakovlev Yak-1 Performance 2 Armour 1 Structure 3 (0 -1 -1) Weapons: Cannons Innate Traits: Environmental Controls (32,000 ft ceiling), Radio (line of sight, 10 km range) Limited Fuel (~1.5 hours, or 700 km) Warbird Traits: None Description: e Yak-1 was a light, and generally underperforming, Russian ghter; the imported American P-39s were far superior. Yak-1s had terrible radios and they often ew without any radio equipment. ey also lack proper re ector gunsights and are -1 to attack. Finally, the Yak-1 had poor high-altitude performance; it is -1 to all Dog ghting rolls when above 10,000 feet.

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Timothy Smith (order #7572815) World War II Dive Bombers and Torpedo Planes ere were plenty of ghter-sized aircraft that were not designed to mix it up in the skies. eir primary role was to attack ground targets and ships. ey fare poorly if they are forced to dog ght, and require ghter escorts to protect them from air threats.

Torpedoes Generally speaking, torpedoes have the same stats as drop bombs, but there are some special exceptions: Torpedoes can only attack targets on the water, and a plane has to make the normal Stra ng roll to line up the shot. At the beginning of the war, torpedoes su er an extra -1 to hit, AP, and damage. As the war progressed, torpedo technology improved and these penalties gradually disappear. e hit location of a torpedo is always the main Structure (see page 14).

Junkers Ju 87 Stuka Performance 2 Armour 1 Structure 3 ( 0 -1 -1) Weapons: Light Machine Guns and 3 Hard Points Innate Traits: Environmental Controls (26,000 ft ceiling), Radio (line of sight, 100 km range), Gun Camera, Limited Fuel (~1.5 hours, or 500 km) Warbird Traits: Dive Brakes, Dive Siren, Tail Gunner Description: e Stuka is famous for the wailing siren that accompanied its diving attacks. Its automatic dive brakes allowed it to dive steeper than any dive-bomber of the war. e g-forces experienced by the pilots during the dives and recoveries were so extreme that pilots could pass out for a few moments. As the war progressed, the Stuka’s poor performance made it easy prey for Allied ghter aircraft.

Douglas SBD Dauntless Performance 2 Armour 3 Structure 4 (0 0 -1 -1) Weapons: Heavy Machine Guns and 2 Hard Points Innate Traits: Environmental Controls (25,000 ft ceiling), Radio (line of sight, 100 km range), Gun Camera, Extended Range (~3.5 hours, or 1,800 km) Warbird Traits: Radial Engine, Fire Protection, Dive Brakes, Heavy Bombs, Tail Gunner Description: e Dauntless was one of the best dive bombers of the war. It operated from U.S. naval ships and land bases, and was famous for delivering the killing blows to Japanese carriers at the Battle of Midway.

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Grumman TBF Avenger Performance 2 Armour 2 Structure 4 (0 0 -1 -1) Weapons: Heavy Machine Guns, and 1 or 3 Hard Points Innate Traits: Environmental Controls (30,000 ft ceiling), Radio (line of sight, 100 km range), Gun Camera, Extended Range (~3.5 hours, or 1,600 km) Warbird Traits: Radial Engine, Tail Gunner Description: e Avenger was an American torpedo bomber that Ch saw use by several nations during and after the war. It could carry the A extremely powerful Mark 13 Torpedo (+1 damage) or a mixture of bombs and rockets.

Nakajima B5N Kate Performance 2 Armour 1 Structure 4 (0 0 -1 -1) Weapons: Light Machine Guns, and 1 or 3 Hard Points Innate Traits: Environmental Controls (27,000 ft ceiling), Radio (line of sight, 100 km range), Extended Range (~4 hours, or 2,000 km) Warbird Traits: Radial Engine, Dive Brakes, Tail Gunner Description: e Kate was Japan’s premier attack aircraft during the war. It could mount a torpedo or multiple bombs, depending on the mission.

Multi-Role Aircraft e war saw the use of several di erent medium-sized multi-role aircraft. ese heavier planes tended to be fast, if not very manoeuvrable, and were capable of carrying out di erent missions depending on their loadout. In Warbirds rules, they are still small enough to be considered ghters, but they often have crews of two or more people and sport multiple weapon systems.

de Havilland Mosquito Performance 2 Armour 0 Structure 4 (0 -1 -1 -2) Weapons: Light Machine Guns or Cannons or 4 Drop Bombs Innate Traits: Environmental Controls (37,000 ft ceiling), Radio (line of sight, 100 km range), Gun Camera, Variable Fuel (between 1,400 and 2,400 km, depending on variant) Warbird Traits: Improved Turbo-Supercharger, Extra Guns (no

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ammo or performance penalty) Description: e Mosquito is a twin-engine multi-role aircraft. Nicknamed “the Wooden Wonder,” it served as a ghter, light bomber, and reconnaissance platform. It was a very fast aircraft but it lacked armour, as it was made almost entirely of wood. Wooden construction made it easy for the British to produce the plane in large numbers; even furniture shops produced parts for its airframe. e traits listed above are even more variable than with most aircraft of the era, and the “Mossie” could have one of several dozen mission speci c loadouts.

Junkers Ju 88 Performance 2 Armour 2 Structure 5 (0 0 -1 -1 -2) Weapons: Heavy Machine Guns or Cannons and 6 Drop Bombs Innate Traits: Environmental Controls (32,000 ft ceiling), Radio (line of sight, 100 km range), Gun Camera, Extended Range (~6 hours, or 2,400 km ) Warbird Traits: Improved Turbo-Supercharger, Extra Guns (no ammo or performance penalty), Tail Gunner x2, Improved Bomb Sight (later models only) Description: e Ju 88 was Germany’s most versatile aircraft. It saw duty as a heavy ghter, light bomber, and night ghter. It has a crew of three or four, depending on the variant, and has a forward ring turret. e turret has stats as a tail gun and res at the same time that the pilot res the primary armament.

Bombers World War II saw the rise of the bomber. Loaded down with explosives and sent out in massive formations, bombers could pound entire cities to dust. e bombings of Dresden and Tokyo were particularly horri c. At the end of the war, it was the bomber that brought the world into the Atomic Age with the attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Under Rapid re rules, bombers fall under the courier rules, as laid out on page 180 of the main rule book. ey can have far greater bomb capacities than those listed in the main book due to their specialized roles.

Napalm and Nukes e most terrifying weapons of the war did not appear until near the end of it. Napalm incendiary bombs were rst used in March 1944, and are most famous for burning much of Tokyo to the ground in 1945. Napalm bombs act as incendiary weapons but have the blast radius of fragmentation bombs. e use of nuclear weapons in 1945 changed warfare forever. Nukes have no in-game stats and will automatically destroy anything caught in their blast radius, which can range from a few hundred metres to several dozen kilometres for the largest weapons.

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B-17 Flying Fortress Performance 2 Armour 3 reat 14 Structure 6 (0 0 -1 -1 -2 -2) Weapons: 8 Turrets (Lead +2 damage), Bomb Bay (up to 16 bombs) Innate Traits: Environmental Controls (21,000 ft ceiling), Radio (line of sight, 100 km range), Extended Range (~8 hours, or 3,100+ km) Warbird Traits: Improved Bomb Sight, Fire Protection Description: e B-17 is a well-armed long-range daylight bomber. B-17s were active in both major theatres of the war, and while they were quite capable, many were shot down. B-17s operate best when they are covering each other in large formations and protected by ghter escorts.

Avro Lancaster Performance 2 Armour 2 reat 10 Structure 6 (0 0 -1 -1 -2 -2) Weapons: 3 Turrets (Lead +1 damage), Bomb Bay (up to 20 bombs) Innate Traits: Environmental Controls (42,000 ft ceiling), Radio (line of sight, 100 km range), Extended Range (~8 hours, or 4,000+ km) Warbird Traits: Improved Bomb Sight, Fire Protection, Gyroscopic Gunsight, Extra Guns (tail gunner only) Description: e Lancaster was Britain’s primary heavy bomber of the war. Used for night bombings, it lacked the heavy defences of the B-17, but it could carry larger bomb loads and had a slightly greater range. It could carry a variety of specialized bombs, including ultra-heavy blockbusters (use the stats for heavy bombs but with double the blast radius and +1 damage) and specialized dam-busting bombs.

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B-25 Mitchell Performance 2 Armour 3 reat 8 to 11 (depending on variant) Structure 5 (0 0 -1 -1 -2) Weapons: Heavy Machine Guns, 2 to 5 Turrets (Lead +2 damage), Bomb Bay (up to 6 bombs) Innate Traits: Environmental Controls (21,000 ft ceiling), Radio (line of sight, 100 km range), Extended Range (~8 hours, or 3,100+ km) Warbird Traits: Improved Bomb Sight, Fire Protection, Extra Guns x 2 (no ammo penalties) Description: e Mitchell was a medium bomber, but its most impressive use was as a stra ng aircraft. Variants had as many as 12 forward facing .50 calibre machine guns that could tear apart ground targets, and due to the volume of re, it ignores the -2 penalty for attacking person-sized targets. If an attacking ghter critical fails its Stra ng roll, it ends up being targeted by the Mitchell’s main armament.

Heinkel He 111 Performance 2 Armour 2 reat 11 Structure 5 (0 0 -1 -1 -2) Weapons: 5 Turrets (Lead +1 damage), Bomb Bay (up to 6 bombs) Innate Traits: Environmental Controls (21,000 ft ceiling), Radio (line of sight, 100 km range), Extended Range (~5 hours, or 2,300 km) Warbird Traits: None Description: e He 111 was Germany’s primary medium bomber during the war. While it performed well during Germany’s early attacks on the continent, its poor speed and altitude performance combined with light turret armament made it easy prey for Royal Air Force Spit res and Hurricanes. Gun camera footage from an RAF Spit re ring on an He 111. Dornier Do 17 Performance 2 Armour 1 reat 9 Structure 4 (0 -1 -1 -2) Weapons: 3 Turrets (Lead +1 damage), Bomb Bay (up to 4 bombs) Innate Traits: Environmental Controls (27,000 ft ceiling), Radio (line of sight, 100 km range), Limited Range (660 km, or 330 km with a full bomb load) Warbird Traits: None Description: e Do 17 was Germany’s light bomber. It was hard to hit due to its narrow fuselage (+1 Defence) but was otherwise an underpowered bomber that could not compare to later Allied designs.

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Mitsubishi G4M Betty Performance 2 Armour 0 reat 11 Structure 5 (0 -1 -1 -2 -2) Weapons: 4 Turrets (Lead +1 damage), 1 Heavy turret (Lead +3 damage -1 acc, AP 1), Bomb Bay (4 bombs or 1 torpedo) Innate Traits: Environmental Controls (28,000 ft ceiling), Radio (line of sight, 100 km range), Extended Ch Range (~6 hours, or 2,800+ km) A Warbird Traits: None Description: e Betty was Japan’s premier medium bomber. While comparable to the B-25 in terms of role and armament, the complete lack of armour and protective systems made the Betty very vulnerable to ghter attacks.

Naval Ships Surface ships played a major role in the war. Ships generally follow the stats as laid out for airships starting on page 167 of the main Warbirds rule book but with a few changes, as laid out below.

Structure Instead of armoured cores keeping ships a oat, ships extensive hulls. is is represented with a second hit location for main structure (whenever players roll a 6 for hit location). When the main structure track of a ship is lled up, the ship starts to list and sink as it lls up with water. is is a relatively slow process and it can take hours for larger ships to completely sink. Doing double the ship’s Structure in damage will cause a massive explosion that will kill most of the crew. As with cores, the engineering crew can prevent a breached structure from sinking the ship with a di culty 9 Mechanics roll. Ship structures do not su er from incendiary weapons the way cores do, but they have another weakness: If torpedoes punch holes in the hull, it is much harder to keep the ship a oat. Add 1 to the di culty of the Mechanics rolls for every torpedo that in icts damage up to a maximum of 12.

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Light Armament Frigates, corvettes, and destroyers do not have bomb bays like the bombardment frigate listed on page 169 of the main rule book. Instead, they have some form of light armament, depending on their role. e options are as follows:

Depth Charge Launchers - Defence 6, Armour 3, Structure 4 (0 0 0 0) Depth charges -- and several other similar weapons systems -- are designed to attack submarines and are not a threat to aircraft. ey are common on corvettes.

Torpedo Launchers - Defence 6, Armour 3, Structure 4 (0 0 0 0) Found mainly on destroyers, naval torpedoes tend to be much heavier than their air-dropped cousins. Add 1 to damage and AP.

Light Batteries - Defence 6, Armour 3, Structure 3 (0 0 0) Cannons on smaller ships lack the punch of larger turrets. ey attack every round at 1d6 -1. Each attack does Lead +5 damage and has AP 2. e guns can engage Stra ng ghters but su er a -1 penalty to do so.

Trains and Tanks Fighters frequently attacked trains during the war. e rules laid out on page 176 of the main rule book apply, but trains in WWII were tougher than those in Azure; add +1 Armour and Structure to make up the di erence. Tanks and APCs can be treated as single-train cars (either artillery or anti-aircraft), but are harder to hit due to their relative mobility and smaller size. Add +1 Defence, but they do not get the +1 Armour and Structure listed above.

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