7. AIR SUPPORT18
7.1 DYO: See H1.531.
7.2 ARRIVAL: Air Support is never allowed during night or Overcast, or against a Location in or beneath Fog. However, in any other scenario in which a player has received Air Support by SSR or DYO, he makes a dr during the RPh of each of his Player Turns until he rolls < the current Game Turn Number. Once he does this, his Air Support must be placed onboard in his next MPh. See Clarification
7.21 ENTRY: Upon mapboard entry, another Air Support dr (halved; FRU) must be made to determine the number of aircraft the player receives. This determined, one more dr is made for all aircraft as a group to determine if they are armed with bombs (and in some cases to see if Stukas or Fighter-Bombers {hereafter referred to as FB} are received) by rolling ≤ the exponent of the applicable Air Support Number (see 7.1 Table). The aircraft are then placed onboard with the appropriate side face-up. All aircraft received will be of the same type and armament. Aircraft have an unlimited movement capability and may be placed anywhere on the mapboard. As aircraft operate at a level above the topography represented by the board, their movement is not restricted by terrain, enemy units, stacking, or any other factor. However, once an aircraft leaves the mapboard it may not return. Each aircraft remains on the mapboard until eliminated (7.22, 7.511, 7.52), Recalled (7.24), or voluntarily exited during an enemy MPh (unless engaged in Aerial Melee; 7.22).
7.22 AERIAL COMBAT: Only an undamaged FB can voluntarily enter Aerial Combat. To enter Aerial Combat, a player places his FB on top of one or more enemy aircraft during the CCPh and covers them with a CC marker. He may place several of his FB on one enemy aircraft, one FB on several enemy aircraft, or place several of his FB on several enemy aircraft in one or more groups. Each group (or stack) of aircraft beneath a CC/
7.221 DOGFIGHT RESOLUTION: Aircraft in each Dogfight must predesignate their initial targets (ATTACKER first); i.e., a plane may not await the outcome of earlier attacks in its Dogfight to determine which opposing plane in that Dogfight to attack. A plane can attack only one opposing plane at a time - regardless of the number of enemy planes in that Dogfight. A Final Attack DR ≤ 4 eliminates the target. A Final Attack DR of 5 Damages (7.226) the target (mark it with a Wound counter). If a FB rolls an Original Aerial Combat DR of 11 while attacking a Stuka, it is assumed to have been hit by the Stuka's rear gunner. If the colored dr of the Original 11 DR was a 6, it is eliminated; otherwise it is Damaged. Aerial Combat DR are subject to the following cumulative DRM:
| DRM | Cause |
| +1 | Firer is Stuka |
| +1 | Firer has bombs |
| +1 | Firer is Damaged |
| -1 | Target is Damaged |
| -1 | Target is not a FB |
| -1 | Target has bombs |
7.222 ROF: A FB has an Aerial Combat ROF of 1 if carrying bombs, and 2 if not. Thus, if the colored dr of an Aerial Combat Attack DR of any FB without bombs is ≤ 2, it may attack again during that CCPh before receiving any return fire. Its target may be any plane in its Dogfight. Only FB have an Aerial Combat ROF. An Aerial Combat ROF cannot be used against a ground target.
7.223 MALFUNCTION: An Original Aerial Combat DR of 12 results in MG malfunction. Mark that plane with a MG Disabled counter; it may not attack in Aerial Combat or Ground Support thereafter [EXC: it may still bomb]. A FB with disabled MG may opt for Recall (7.24) at the end of the current CCPh unless it is in Aerial Melee with an undamaged enemy FB whose MG are functioning.
7.224 RECALL: Any plane that is attacked by a Final Aerial Combat DR of ≥10 has the option to accept Recall (7.24), thereby escaping Melee by leaving the game. Such option must be exercised at the end of that CCPh.
7.225 JETTISON: A plane may jettison its bombs by simply inverting its counter during its own MPh (even if in Melee) to improve its chances in Aerial Combat.
7.226 DAMAGE: A Damaged plane is Recalled (7.24 unless held in Aerial Melee. Any Damaged aircraft that is Damaged a second time by any means is eliminated.
EX: Two British FB with no bombs are placed on top of three bomb-laden Stukas during the British CCPh. The British player designates that his planes will attack separate targets. The first British plane rolls an Original 7 DR (with 1 on the colored dr), resulting in a Final DR of 5 (7 - 1 [target is not a FB] - 1 [target has bombs] = 5) which Damages Stuka "A". Having retained his ROF, the FB attacks again - choosing to attack the Damaged Stuka "A" again to receive an additional -1 DRM, and rolls an Original 8 for a Final DR of 5 which eliminates Stuka "A". Having retained his ROF ye again, the FB now attacks Stuka "C" but rolls a 12, thereby disabling his MG and giving Stuka "C" a Recall Option. The British player would like to attack Stuka "C" with his other FB before that Stuka can escape at the end of the CCPh, but is unable to do so now because his initial attack was predesignated against Stuka "B". He must attack Stuka "B" at least once before switching targets to Stuka "C". However, his Original Aerial Combat DR is a 9, resulting in no effect and failure to retain his ROF. The German may now return fire with the two surviving Stukas but is subject to a +2 DRM to both attacks, and his Original DR of 4 and 7 fail to have any effect. The CCPh is now over and the CC counter is flipped to the Melee side. The British player, because he is not opposed by FB, may leave Melee but chooses not to. Instead he Recalls only the FB with the Disabled MG. The German chooses not to Recall Stuka "C" and consequently the two German Stukas will be allowed to attack the remaining FB first in their CCPh.
7.23 ELIMINATION & VICTORY POINTS: Aircraft may not ram other aircraft or ground units. If shot down they are simply removed from play, although they are worth two Victory Points (A26.2) [EXC: the Passengers of a glider are worth Victory Points - not the glider itself.] Aircraft never earn Exit Victory Points (A26.3).
7.24 RECALL: A Recalled aircraft is simply removed from play at the end of the current phase; it is not counted towards Casualty Victory Conditions. An aircraft can be Recalled in three ways: during Aerial Combat (7.223-.224), during a Sighting TC (7.31), or due to Damage (7.226, 7.511, 7.52).
7.25 AERIAL LOS: Given its ability to fly anywhere over the mapboard (and thus to move to the most advantageous viewing position), an aircraft counter is theoretically able to see (provided it passes a Sighting TC; 7.3) any non-hidden unit that is not completely surrounded by LOS obstacles at least one level higher than its own Location. Before it can attack, an aircraft counter must always move to an attack position (7.4-.403) - from which Blind Hexes can still occur. Aircraft cannot cause loss of "?" or prevent the gaining of "?" by "seeing" an enemy unit; aircraft cause "?"- loss only by attacking concealed units and scoring at least a PTC result on the IFT (provided that attacked unit is within the LOS of a Good Order enemy ground unit). However, a unit moving in Open Ground would not be considered concealed to the aircraft, although the aircraft player may not inspect that stack unless it passes the Sighting TC. Should such a Sighting TC reveal only a Dummy unit, the aircraft has the option of whether or not to count that Sighting TC as its only allowed Sighting TC for that turn, but is subject to Light AA fire regardless of his choice. All Aerial units are considered to be at sufficient elevation to reduce the number of Blind Hexes created by any full-level-or-higher LOS Obstacle to one hex, and to reduce any non-cliff Crest Line Blind hexes to zero if there is ≤ 1 level elevation difference (see B10.23), and to see into any Depression barring other LOS obstacles. To an Aerial viewer, the Blind Hex created by bocage is the hex formed by the bocage hexside. LV Hindrances (Mist; 3.32) also apply to Aerial LOS, as per the Aerial Range (E.5). Q&A
7.3 SIGHTING TC: Before a plane can make a Ground Support attack it must first pass a Sighting TC from its initial attack hex along a specified Hex Grain to the target it wishes to "sight". All aircraft have a Morale Level of 8 for purposes of Sighting TC. Failure to pass a Sighting TC results in the aircraft being unable to make a ground attack [EXC: Mistaken Attack; 7.32, 7.62], and being immune to Light AA (7.51) fire, during that Player Turn. The Sighting TC is based on the easiest non-HIP [EXC: Observation Planes may target "empty" hexes] target to spot in its initial target hex. Once an aircraft has sighted its initial target it need not take any additional Sighting TC to attack other units along the same Strafing Run during that Player Turn (see 7.43). The Sighting TC is subject to the following cumulative DRM:
| SIGHTING TC DRM | |
| DRM | Condition |
| +X | SMOKE Hindrance DRM as per E.6 |
| +3 | Target is in building/ |
| +1 | Target is in brush/ |
| +1 | Target is within four hexes of non-HIP vehicle/ |
| +1 | Mist/ |
| -1 | Target is vehicular, or boat in water |
| -1 | Target has entered a new hex/ |
| -1 | Target is part of a Convoy or Column |
| -1 | Target has been attacked by a friendly plane during this Player Turn |
| -2 | Target is not entirely concealed/ |
*Dashing or movement totally inside a building/
EX: A 4-6-7 is in the 19K7 building, and a truck is in stationary Bypass at K7-K6-J6 (red dot). The FB is moved to K3 and faced towards K7 to make its Sighting TC along the K3-K4 Hex Grain. Were the truck not present (or if it were out of the plane's LOS at vertex K7-K8-J7 {green dot}), the FB would have to add a +3 DRM for the building and a -2 DRM for the squad's not being concealed, so it would have to roll ≤ an Original 7 to pass its Sighting TC. However since the vehicle is in LOS and in the Open Ground portion of the building hex, the -1 DRM for a vehicular target and the -2 DRM for not being concealed are applicable, so the Sighting TC is passed on an Original DR of ≤ 11. K8 and K10 cannot be attacked because they are Blind Hexes [EXC: K10 could be attacked with a + 1 LOS Hindrance DRM if the K9 orchard were out-of-season; B14.2], but K9 can be attacked without an additional Sighting TC. Had a non-dispersed WP Level 4 counter existed in K6, a +2 DRM would have applied to both the Sighting TC and the resulting attack. Any SMOKE Hindrance in K7 would have applied to the Sighting TC and resulting attack.
7.31 RECALL: An Original Sighting TC DR of 12 results in Recall at the end of the MPh, although if it also results in a Sighting/
7.32 MISTAKEN ATTACK: A Final Sighting TC DR ≥12 results in a Mistaken Attack (even if the Sighting TC was passed). The ATTACKER may then immediately move the aircraft (but only onboard; he may not exit it from play by moving it offboard) and attack (without a new Sighting TC) the DEFENDER's non-hidden onboard ground unit that is closest (in hexes) to the aircraft's initial target and not in a completely Blind Hex (ATTACKER's choice of equidistant targets). If strafing, this attack must be continued (using MG/
7.4 GROUND SUPPORT: Aircraft may attack ground targets (but no Locations devoid of enemy units [EXC: Observation Planes; subsequent hexes of a strafing run]) anytime during the opponent's MPh (or the plane's DFPh) by making a Strafing Run or Point Attack. An aircraft must always state whether it is making a Strafing or Point Attack just before resolving its second attack. Aircraft attack individually; they may not form a FG, but may attack the same target(s) and leave Residual FP normally. The C3 To Hit Table notes the applicability of To Hit DRM to Aerial attacks. Walls/
7.401 STRAFING: An aircraft strafes by first being placed along a specified Hex Grain so that it is four hexes away from the initial target hex and facing same. After it passes its Sighting TC, and after all Light AA fire (7.51) against it has been resolved, it may fire on its initial target. The aircraft then moves to the next hex along the predesignated Hex Grain toward that target and, after receiving all Light AA fire in this hex, may (if it chooses) make another attack DR on a new target hex four hexes distant. The aircraft repeats this procedure (henceforth referred to as a Strafing Run) in every hex traversed until it occupies the target hex of its initial target. At this point it cannot attack again during that Player Turn, but must attempt to continue moving along that Hex Grain to receive all possible Light AA fire until it occupies the last hex it attacked. After receiving all Light AA fire in that last target hex, it is moved to an out-of-the-way corner of the mapboard where it is immune to further Light AA fire until it attacks again in a subsequent Player Turn.
7.402 POINT ATTACKS: A FB makes a Point Attack in the same manner as a Strafing Run with the following differences. After a FB has made its initial attack from four hexes away and has moved toward that target to the next hex along the predesignated Hex Grain, it may attack the same target hex again. Moreover, because it is now attacking from only three hexes away (six-hex Aerial Range), any To Hit DR is based on the 0-6 column of the To Hit Table instead of the 7-12 column. After this second attack, the FB must still attempt to continue moving along the predesignated Hex Grain until it occupies its target hex for purposes of receiving Light AA fire, but cannot make any additional attacks during that Player Turn.
7.403 STUKA: A Stuka must start a Point Attack from a hex adjacent to its target hex MG (only) attack. Regardless of the outcome of its first MG Point Attack, all unbroken Infantry [EXC: those normally immune to Pin effects] fired on in the target hex are pinned. After its initial MG attack (if any) is resolved, the Stuka is moved to the target hex itself where it may attack again with its MG and drop its bomb load, using the 0-6 column of the To Hit Table. Following its attack, the Stuka must attempt to continue moving along its Hex Grain of Approach for three more hexes for purposes of receiving Light AA fire. A Stuka making a Point Attack, unlike a FB, may attack from its present hex before receiving Light AA fire. A Stuka making a Strafing Run must do so normally; i.e., from four hexes distant, receiving Light AA fire before making each attack. A Stuka cannot bomb during a Strafing Run. Q&A
7.41 MG ARMAMENT: The IFT FP of FB varies according to the time frame of the scenario. All FB have six FP prior to 1942, eight FP in 1942-43, and 12 FP in 1944-45. This FP can be used against up to four target hexes during each Player Turn in a single Strafing Run. If attacking a building hex, each level of the building in that hex (including Rooftops if that rule is in play) in LOS is attacked with the same IFT Effects DR as a single attack vs that hex. No To Hit DR is necessary except vs an armored target (A9.6), in which case a hit must be secured (with a separate DR and all applicable Aerial Attack DRM; C6) on the 7-12 column if the Aerial Range is eight hexes, or on the 0-6 column if the Aerial Range is ≤ six hexes, using the Vehicle Target Type and the Black To Hit Number. An aircraft's MG Basic To Kill Number is listed under either 39F, 42F, or 44F (depending on the scenario's year) on the AP To Kill Table (C7.31) [EXC: both Stuka types always use the 39F TK#], and is modified only by the Aerial AF of an AFV (C7.12), Aerial Advantage (C7.22), and rear Target Facing (C7.21). Neither To Kill Case C (CH) nor Case D (Range Effects) apply to Aerial MG attacks. Unlike all other MG To Kill attempts however, an aircraft's MG may attack other unarmored targets in the same hex as the AFV - using the Original To Hit DR vs the AFV as the IFT Effects DR (modified appropriately) vs any unarmored targets. Use the MG - not the Direct Fire - column of the AFV Destruction Table to resolve the attack vs the AFV. A MG attack Original Effects (or To Hit if used as ordnance) DR of 12 results in the permanent breakdown of that weapon. Mark that aircraft with a MG Disabled counter. Q&A
7.42 BOMBS: Each FB or Stuka can carry one HE bomb load which it fires as an Ordnance weapon on the IFT vs unarmored targets or on the HE To Kill Table (C7.34) vs armored targets. If attacking a building hex, the effect is resolved against all targets in LOS in the building hex with the same IFT Effects DR as a single attack vs that hex. This bombing capacity can be used only once per aircraft. A FB can bomb any target four hexes distant as part of its Strafing Run (or three hexes distant if making the second attack of a Point Attack), but must first score a hit on the 7-12 column (or the 0-6 column if the Aerial Range is ≤ six hexes) of the applicable Infantry/
7.421 vs AFV: Unless occurring on the Area Target Type (7.422), a bomb hit vs an AFV can be one of two types. If the Final To Hit DR is ≤ half of the Basic TH# (i.e., ≤ 5 unless a FB bombs from an Aerial Range of eight hexes), the result is a Direct Hit and is resolved vs the Aerial AF of the AFV with the HE Basic TK# of the bomb load. If the Final To Hit DR yields a hit, but is not ≤ half of the Basic TH#, the result is a Near Miss and is resolved vs the Aerial AF but with only half of the bomb's Basic TK#. To Kill Cases A and B (C7.21-.22) for Aerial Advantage and rear Target Facing apply in both instances. Any additional AFV in the same Location is unaffected except by the provisions of Overstacking (A5.132). Regardless of the type of hit achieved vs an AFV [EXC: Dud], all unarmored targets in the same Location are also attacked if hit. Each unit hit is attacked with the same IFT or To Kill DR. See Clarification
EX: A FB making a Point Attack from three hexes away is dropping its bombs on an Open Ground hex containing a moving, BU Pz VIE Tiger tank, a stationary Opel Blitz truck, a squad, and an entrenched HS. The bombs can conceivably affect all four units, depending on the To Hit DR. The Tiger is hit on an Original To Hit DR ≤ 9 (10 [Basic TH# at six-hex Aerial range] + 1 [Target Size Modifier] - 2 [Moving] = 9) and the truck by an Original TH DR ≤ 10. The squad is hit by an Original TH DR ≤ 8, and the HS by an Original TH DR ≤ 6 ( +2 TEM). All four targets are hit if the Original TH DR is ≤ 6, and each hit is resolved with the same IFT or To Kill DR.
7.422 AREA TARGET TYPE: An aircraft may make a bomb attack using the Area Target Type instead of the Vehicle/
7.43 TARGET STATUS: An attacking aircraft counter does not have to base its Sighting TC on a moving unit. Unlike other units, it may attack both moving/
7.5 AA FIRE: Whenever the ATTACKER uses AA fire vs aircraft, he must do so with AA-capable units that have not yet exhausted their fire capabilities during that Player Turn. Only an AA-capable weapon (as listed in 7.51 & 7.52) that sets up able to fire can set up in AA mode (i.e., marked with an "AA" counter). An AA counter must be placed on any AA-capable weapon that attacks an Aerial target while not in AA mode, and the AA counter is removed from any weapon that fires on a ground target while in AA mode [EXC: Vehicular AAMG do not use AA counters and can fire at ground/
7.51 LIGHT AA: Because aircraft counters attack during the opponent's MPh/
7.511 RESOLUTION: Light AA fire vs aircraft is resolved on the ★ Vehicle Line of the IFT, but is never modified by TEM or Hindrances other than LV/
7.512 UNLIKELY KILL: An Original IFT DR of 2 vs an aircraft always results in a chance of success for the attacker, even if a combination of DRM/
EX: It is the German MPh in a 1944 scenario. The 4-6-7 enters 4G6, so the American player places his FB in C8, makes a Sighting TC on it, and rolls an Original "11" which, due to the -1 DRM for a moving target and the -2 DRM for an unconcealed target, allows the aircraft to attack that unit - as well as any other in-LOS unit in that hex. However, before me aircraft can attack from C8, the stationary FlaKPz 38(t) in L4, nine hexes away (Aerial Range 18 hexes) and already marked with an AA counter, conducts Light AA fire at it with three FP (halved IFE due to Long Range) on the ★ Vehicle Line of the IFT. The German unit rolls an Original 4 (1 on the colored dr to maintain its Multiple ROF), but the +3 DRM for the 1944 FB results in a Final DR of 7 and thus no effect. The aircraft makes its attack against G6 with its full 12 MG FP. A -2 DRM (FFMO /
EX: A Non-Stopped (C.8) FlaKPz IV/
7.52 HEAVY AA20: Only an AA Gun without a printed IFE may use Heavy AA fire vs aircraft, and only during that Gun's PFPh/
7.6 AERIAL OBSERVATION: Observation Planes were valuable as mobile, all-seeing artillery Observers for directing OBA. Only one Observation Plane is available per side in any scenario, and is subject to normal aircraft rules except where specified otherwise below. An Observation Plane has an inherent radio, which replaces the one normally included as part of an OBA battery. Heavy AA fire (7.52) is the only way ground units can attack an Observation Plane. Even though technically offboard, an Observation Plane can be attacked in Aerial Combat (although it cannot fire back), and if held in Aerial Melee loses Radio Contact. The DYO cost of an Observation Plane is 25 points, which is recorded in the "OBA" section of the DYO purchase Roster. An Observation Plane is available only during 43-45 to the U.S., German, or British/
7.61 SIGHTING: An Observation Plane does not take counter form, but is considered just offboard until Recalled/
7.62 MISTAKEN ATTACK: When a Mistaken Attack opportunity occurs (7.32), the opposing player calls for a FFE immediately with the plane's OBA - he does not require Sighting TC, Radio Contact, or Spotting Rounds. (If Battery Access is not achieved, no Mistaken Attack occurs.) The opponent's control of the plane and its OBA is limited to one Fire Mission vs the non-hidden enemy ground unit that is closest (in hexes) to the original target of the Sighting TC and in the Observation Plane's LOS. If the initial FFE is not accurately placed (C1.3), it must be Corrected toward either that unit or the original AR in its next PFPh or DFPh (whichever comes first).
