Target for Tonight: Wargaming Lancaster Bomber Raids Against Germany 1942-1944

The RAF and the USAAF dropped 1.6 billion tons of bombs on Germany between 1939 and 1945. The impact on the German war machine was huge, but so was the cost. 55,573 Bomber Command crew lost their lives during this campaign.

Each morning the weather and moon state were suitable, the target(s) were selected by Bomber Command. Often the orders included the phrase ‘Maximum Effort’ that meant all bombers that had crews were to be part of the attack. A complex series of steps were then initiated to ensure the bombers were in the air, over the target at the appointed hour to deliver their bombs in the shortest possible time. Concentration of the bomber fleet was designed to overwhelm the enemy defences.

The game allows the player to assemble their crew, select their target and go through the various stages of the mission. From take-off, over the enemy coast, through the flak zones and onto the target. Key to returning home was avoiding the enemy night-fighters.

The rules are embedded in historical research and includes briefings, aide memories, maps and other period material. Playing the game aims to help the player(s) understand the experience of the crews of Bomber Command a little better.