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In August of 1940 Hitler had demonstrated Germany's apparently unstoppable military might. The French had fallen like so many toy soldiers, and now the German high command could look across the English Channel and literally see the next target of their desire: Great Britain. Once British soil was in their possession, any chance of an Allied invasion from the west would be eliminated and Germany would be unassailable. All that stood between Hitler's dreams and England was a small strip of water and the few planes and pilots that made up the Royal Air Force.

Achtung Spitfire! covers the entire early air war over Europe, but its heart is the recreation of that desperate struggle for Britain's, and thus the Allies', survival. Since much of the general dogfighting tactics are very similar to those covered in a previous strategy guide for Over the Reich, this article will focus on the strategy specific to the Battle of Britain campaign in Achtung Spitfire!.

First, some advice applicable to both the German and British player. While most die-hard grognards never play at the lowest difficulty level, it is very advisable to play your first campaigns at the "easiest" setting. This has no effect on AI, only on the number of enemy planes you will face. Playing at this lowest setting, the computer will still probably kick your tail, but you'll likely live long enough to learn a few lessons. On the other hand, the "General" skill setting (separate from the aforementioned level) is the only level recommended for the serious gamer, as it is the only level that includes altitude effects.

"Never have so many owed so much to so few..."
The British player, like the actual British Fighter Command, has a daunting task: you are outnumbered and the Luftwaffe pilots you face have more experience. Success as the British commander requires a delicate balancing act. Your most critical task is squadron management; you have but a handful of pilots, with replacements few and far between. It is very easy for the beginning player to have a couple of days left in a campaign segment and have only three or four pilots fit to fly, resulting in the frustration of watching incoming German raids flying over England uncontested.

The first decision you must make in managing a squadron is how to balance experience and skills in your intercepting sorties. Take a look at your initial squadron inventory screen; some pilots will be skilled flyers, some will have good experience levels, some will be expert marksmen, etc., while a few pilots will be completely green. It is very tempting to send your best pilots up at every opportunity, but you must remember that focusing on the short term, to the exclusion of the long haul of the entire battle, is the surest path to defeat for the British. Sending up sorties consisting of only your top pilots will be self-defeating in two ways: first, your green pilots will not receive the experience they need to grow into skilled fighters; and secondly, you'll find all your top pilots tired and unable to fly, requiring you to send up intercepting sorties consisting entirely of green pilots. Guess what the survival odds are for a group of green pilots who are faced with the grizzled veterans of Galland's JG26? Therefore, try to compose your sorties with a balanced mix of veterans and greenhorns, skilled and unskilled. Then, once in battle, keep the inexperienced pilots coupled with the vets.

The next juggling act asked of the British player is balancing the need for protecting British assets with the necessity of the survival of the Royal Air Force (as represented by your squadron). This requires a tough, long term mindset. If you simply throw everything you've got at every raid and try to shoot down every German plane possible, you will quickly be out of planes and pilots. Long-term considerations should guide all of your decisions. For example, if you only have a very few pilots able to fly, and a bomber group accompanied by a very large number of fighters is detected, your best course of action, as difficult as it may be, is to ignore the incoming group. You simply cannot afford to waste pilots. Similarly, if a German group is determined to be a fighter sweep, by all means leave it alone. Your job is solely to deter bombers from hitting their targets.

Okay, so you've detected a bomber group incoming, you've got the right mix of pilots in an intercepting sortie, how do you maximize your defense of the targets while also maximizing your pilots' survivability? First, optimize your approach to the enemy. There is a panel on your screen that indicates the direction from which you must approach to come out of the sun (remember you must also attack from a higher altitude to receive this benefit); this will allow you to take the enemy by surprise, giving your force a strong advantage. However, this is not always a clear cut decision. Coming out of the sun may require, depending upon the time of day and the direction of the German flight, a head on attack. The surprise factor is probably not enough to outweigh an attack from the enemy's rear position. Secondly, realize that altitudes given by the radar stations are only estimates. Always err on the high side when deciding the altitude of your intercepting force: altitude equals energy equals advantage, and, if you attack from a lower altitude, there is a chance that the German fighter escort may "bounce" you – hitting you from on high – allowing the bombers an automatic escape.

Once engaged, remember the importance of your pilots' survival. Use hit and run tactics, concentrating on the bombers. Never get drawn into extended dogfights with enemy fighters. Use the "Blaze away" setting for your guns: you've got more than enough ammo if you hit fast, hit hard, and escape. As difficult as it may be, realize that you often will not be able to shoot down every bomber, particularly if they are escorted by fighters. Do as much damage as you can quickly, then head home to fight another day.

mmorphon00@yahoo.com

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Page Updated Mon Feb 28, 2000 8:25pm EST