T the Start of World War II the Standard Tactical Fighter Formation for The

t the start of World War II the standard tactical Using the Vie formation in the game: fighter formation for the Royal Air Force was the Vie. Add the following rules when playing with the Vie formation: The Vie was a tight formation of three aircraft spaced about 50 or 60 yards apart. The center plane was the leader and 1. For each British fighter element, flew in front of the other two aircraft forming a vee shape, which add a second wingman card. The gave the formation its name. Tactical doctrine dictated that the player designates one as the first wingman and the other as the only time the spacing in the formation would be changed was second wingman. when the flight leader ordered certain types of fighter attacks on an enemy bomber group. During normal maneuvering the 2. During the Wingman Attack Phase, formation would be maintained as best as possible. This meant attacks are resolved for both that any turn that the formation made had to be fairly gentle as wingmen in the Vie. the outside fighter had to accelerate to maintain position while 3. Vie wingmen may never attack the inside fighter throttled back. This also meant that the trailing unengaged enemy fighters. When aircraft spent more time watching the leader and his moves than the wingmen attack enemy fighters, watching the sky around them. the first wingman attacks normally, but subtract one (-1) from the second wingman's Offensive Rating. The standardization of the Vie formation was enacted by the Air 4. Vie wingmen may only attack Fighting Development Establishment bombers (including fighters armed (AFDE) in the thirties. The AFDE felt with bombs) if their leader attacked that the primary threat to Britain lay the bombers in the previous turn. in large formations of unescorted The second wingman does not have enemy bombers. It was considered his Offensive Rating reduced when that the dog fighting of the previous attacking bombers (including fighters war was a thing of the past and rigid armed with bombs). air fighting tactics were the future. The AFDE introduced the Vie and 5. When defending against an devised a set of complicated maneu- attack, subtract one (-1) from each vers meant to bring the most guns to wingman's Defensive Rating (this bear against a bomber formation. Officially Fighter Command kept the may reduced the Defensive Rating While these tactics did seem to be outmoded Vie formation and tactics to zero). If only one wingman is left, effective against unescorted forma- in effect until the spring of 1941. this restriction is removed. tions (the attack on unescorted Ju-88s However, many squadrons discarded from Luftflotte 5 on August 15,1940 the rigid formation and time wasting When to use the Vie formation rules: was a prime example of this), the maneuvers during the Battle of While players could use the Vie rules rigid formation and tactics put the Britain. But certainly, many Fighter in any game involving British (or British fighters at a huge disadvan- Command pilots paid with their lives Commonwealth) fighters up to early tage when faced with a fighter escort. for following the tactics. 1941,1 recommend that you use it in the following games: "In the summer of 1940, Fighter "We learned tactics pretty quickly, • For British Fighters in a dogfight Command had good aeroplanes, but there wasn't much time during before August 1940. a sophisticated radar system, an the Battle. We learned to spread • For British Fighters in the Invasion excellent chain of command and the Vies. One chap was put in as of the West campaign. a highly respected leader of 'weaver' - arse-end Charlie - • For British Fighters in a July game impeccable integrity, but weaving about behind our forma- of the Battle of Britain campaign. our main weakness was tion, keeping a look-out. They were • For British Fighters in a 1940 game our abysmal fighter tactics." often shot down, weaving behind of the Malta Under Siege campaign Air Vice-Marshall and never seen again." (C3i, Nr.3) J.E. (Johnnie) Johnson Air Commodore Alan Deere .

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