WWII AERIAL WARFARE:
Red Sun/Blue Sky

Cover picture


Brief Description Players each command one or more aircraft, with rules covering combat, bombing (level, dive, and torpedo), and anti-aircraft fire. Advanced rules add clouds, experience levels, and a new movement sequence. Played on a hexagonal gridded surface, with 24 altitude levels. Rulebook includes a discussion of tactics, designer's notes, bibliography, and a primer on painting.

sample rules page

Set includes 12 scenarios (3 solitaire, 9 standard):

Caught! (December 10, 1941)
In the aftermath of Pearl Harbor, two SBD Dauntlesses from Scouting Six attack the I-70, a Japanese submarine tracking an American task force. Solitaire scenario.
Butch O'Hare's Flight Into Glory (February 20, 1942)
One F4F-3 Wildcat with an "ace" pilot intercepts eight G4M1 Betty bombers. Solitaire scenario.
The Master Teaches (May 24, 1942)
Saburo Sakai leads eleven A6M2 Zeros in an interception of six B-25C's over the Owen Stanley Mountains. Solitaire scenario.
Tigers Over Burma (January 29, 1942)
Claire Chennault ambushes a Japanese fighter sweep. Twenty Ki-27 Nates vs. eight P-40C's and two Hurricane II's.
Cat and Mouse (April 9, 1942)
Claire Chennault ambushes the Japanese as they attack an Allied airbase. Eleven Ki-43 Oscars vs. eight P-40C's.
Doom in the Gloom (May 7, 1942)
Four F4F-3 Wildcats from Lexington's CAP intercept nine B5N2 Kates at the Battle of the Coral Sea.
Buffalo Wings (June 4th, 1942)
Four F2A-3 Buffalos from Marine Corps VMF-221 intercept five B5N2 Kates with three A6M2 Zero escorts in defense of Midway Island.
Only One Will Survive (June 4, 1942)
Eight TBD Devastator torpedo planes of Torpedo Eight attack the Japanese fleet at Midway, fighting off eighteen A6M2 Zero interceptors.
Lightning Strikes! (August 15, 1942)
The P-38 Lightning debuts in the Pacific, with six P-38F's meeting nine A6M2 Zeros during a fighter sweep.
Nagumo's Gambit (August 24, 1942)
Lt. Bruce Harwood of VT-8 leads his division of five TBF Avengers on a strike against the Japanese carrier Ryujo, defended by two A6M2 Zeros.
The 'Blue Goose' To The Rescue (October 15, 1942)
The Japanese have worn down the Marine Air Wing on Guadalcanal sufficiently to dare to unload transports in broad daylight. The Marines attack with their final reserves - twelve SBD Dauntlesses, six P-400 Airacobras, and a lone PBY Catalina (the Blue Goose) carrying torpedoes. Their escort of four F4F-4 Wildcats must fend off nine A6M2 Zeros.
Cactus Stings the Hiei (November 14, 1942)
The "Cactus Air Force" out of Guadalcanal must sink the disabled Japanese battleship Hiei; the Japanese CAP must protect the ship. Five TBF Avengers with seven F4F-4 Wildcat escorts vs. three A6M2 Zeros.

There are also 3 mini-campaigns:

Scratch One Flattop! (May 7, 1942)
This extra-long scenario recreates the strikes on the Shoho at Coral Sea, involving multiple strikes over many hours. Ten F4F-3 Wildcats, twenty-eight SBD Dauntlesses, and twelve TDB Devastators fight against seven A6M2 Zeros and two A5M4 Claudes.

Shoho template from rulebook

America Strikes Back! (June 4, 1942)
Four scenarios recreate key events at the Battle of Midway from an American perspective. Some scenarios affect the following scenario. The last scenario can be played by multiple players, but all must be on the American side.
Retribution! (June 4, 1942)
Six linked scenarios follow the Japanese attempts to sink the Yorktown, following the destruction of their own carriers. Most scenarios affect the following scenarios.

Data is provided for 23 Allied and 13 Japanese aircraft, and for 96 ships.

Japanese Aircraft
FightersBombers
A5M4 ClaudeB5N2 Kate
A6M2 ZeroD3A1 Val
A6M2-N RufeG3M2 Nell
Ki-27 NateG4M1 Betty
Ki-43 OscarH6K5 Mavis
Ki-45 NickH8K1 Emily
Ki-21 IIb Sally
Alled Aircraft
FightersBombers
CA-12 BoomerangAlbacore
Hurricane IIBlenheim I
FulmarSwordfish
F-2A BuffaloA-20C Havoc
F4F-3 WildcatA-29 Hudson
F4F-4 WildcatA-31 Vengeance
P-26 PeashooterB-25C Mitchell
P-36 Mohawk B-26A Marauder
P-38F Lightning SBD Dauntless
P-40C Tomahawk TBD Devastator
P-400 Airacobra TBF Avenger
PBY Catalina
Period Second World War, Pacific Theater, 1938-42
Scale Tactical. 1.7 seconds per turn. Ground scale is 1 hex = 100 feet, one "elevation level" = 500 feet. Each figure represents an individual aircraft. Designed for use with 1/285, 1/300, or 1/432 scale planes.
Basing It is convenient to base the aircraft in such a way as to be able to indicate their elevation level. The designer recommends the Flight Stand system from Blue Sky Enterprises.
Contents 68-page rules booklet, including two data cards

sample reference card Zero data from reference card

Designer John F. Stanoch
Publisher First edition published 1995 by Simtac. An earlier, simpler version of these rules is available titled Squadrons, covering the Battle of Britain.

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Last Updates
2 January 1998added Red Star/Blue Sky
13 September 1996added cover art
13 August 1996page published
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