The Last Mission of Camille Plubeau (9-Jun-40)

Background:

S/Lieutenant Camille Plubeau was one of the best of the Armée de l'Air, with 14 victories and 4 probables. On 9-Jun-40, while leading a flight escorting a Potez, he spotted an isolated He111, which he decided to attack. On his third pass, with the bomber heavily damaged, he was bounced by a Luftwaffe fighter, who shot him down.

Map: Achtung Spitfire land map

Length: 20 turns

Set Up:

• He111: Speed 3.5, altitude 13.1, headed East in level flight, hex 2020.
• Bf109s: Set up in two Schwarmen, all at speed 6.0, alt 16.4
  hexes 1105, 1205, 1204, 1203, all headed NNE; hexes 2905, 2805, 2804, and 2803, all headed SSE.
• Hawk 75: All are at Speed 5.5, altitude 13.1, headed West in level flight: hexes 1129, 1229 (Plubeau), and 1329.
  
  

Additional Rules

1. National Training Standards:

   - He111s:	Regular, no special characteristics
   - Bf109Es:	See Special Rule below.
   - French:	· French: Plubeau is a Vet/Ace/Hero/CS. One pilot is a Vet/Ace, the other is a Vet.

   Roll for special characteristics for the fighter pilots if desired.

2. Organization:
   • French: Organized as a vic..
   • · Bf109Es: Organized as two independent Schwarms of two Rotte. However, see special rules below.
3. He111 is not loaded.

Special Rules

1. Bf109 pilot quality: There are 4 assigned pilots: Vet/Ace, Vet, Reg, Green.

2. At the beginning of the game, the Luftwaffe player decides which of its planes are dummies, assigns the pilots among the real planes and notes the information down. All the planes are moved normally but as soon as a Bf109 is within range 8 (hexes and alt) of a French plane, its type is declared: dummy or real plane. A dummy is immediately withdrawn from the play. A real plane behaves normally.

3. All the planes which are not revealed yet are regarded as having Reg pilots with no special characteristics. The German player can decide to reveal one of his planes (a real plane) to use a pilot's initiative bonus.

ADCs

The Curtiss Hawk 75A-3 was published in Air Power #45.
The Heinkel He111H-2 and the Bf109E-3 (as a variant on the Bf109E-4 card) were published in Achtung! Spitfire.

Source

• Armée de l'Air 1940 (game)
• La Bataille de France, vol XIV, Icare