==beginning==

You have been appointed Commander-in-Chief of RAF Bomber Command.  The Air Ministry have instructed you to employ
 your forces on attacks upon enemy shipping and upon purely military targets; your crews are under standing orders
 not to bomb if there is any danger to civilians, and in particular not to drop their bombs without visual
 identification of the target.

The Air Ministry further reminds you that owing to the shortage of industrial capacity, and the lack of trained
 aircrews, losses must be conserved as much as possible.  Nonetheless you are expected to strike against the enemy
 with as much force as these restrictions allow.

You are also notified that the Political Warfare department wishes you to drop their propaganda leaflets
 (Operation "Nickel") over Germany whenever you can spare the forces to do so, in order to sow dissent and
 discontent amongst the German people.

The Navy have asked you to drop mines in strategic sea lanes; such operations are code-named "Gardening".

Your front-line forces consist of the following types:
Bristol Blenheim:
 A light bomber for attacking coastal targets and tactical bombing.  It can't penetrate deep into Germany though.
Armstrong-Whitworth Whitley:
 Designed as a night bomber, the Whitley carries the heaviest load, and has the range to reach Berlin.
Handley Page Hampden:
 A high-performance bomber with good bombing accuracy, the Hampden can reach well beyond the Ruhr.
Vickers Wellington:
 A rugged and reliable all-rounder.  It's just able to reach Berlin with a maximum fuel load.

The Third Reich is known to be operating the following fighter types:
Messerschmitt Bf109:
 A high-performance day-fighter pressed into interceptor service.
Dornier Do17Z:
 A converted bomber with infrared equipment for night-time target finding.

==NORWAY==

The German Navy has assembled a fleet heading north to invade Norway.
You are ordered to blow them out of the water.

The so-called "Phoney War" is over.

==CIV==

In light of the costs of waging the bomber campaign, and of the enemy's clear indication that he intends to
 observe no limits to the conduct of war (as demonstrated by recent events), the restrictions upon bombing in
 civilian areas have been lifted; bombs may be dropped without positive target identification.  However, you are
 still directed to aim your attacks upon military and industrial targets; the War Office does not believe this
 country should engage in the indiscriminate bombing of civilians.

Strategic attacks are to be made upon German industry, with the intention of breaking the economic base of the
 Nazi war machine.  Priority targets include oil refineries, the aircraft and ballbearing industries, steelworks,
 and the huge Krupps armament works at Essen.

Your bombers will also be required to support the battle for France, with attacks on communications and enemy
 troop concentrations.

==BARGE==

The Germans have begun amassing barges in several Continental ports; it appears they are preparing for an
 invasion.  The War Office has ordered you to attack these barges, and prevent the invasion!

==ENDBARGE==

The invasion fleet appears to have been dispersed.  The Germans, defeated in the Battle of Britain, appear to have
 postponed their plans for invasion.  You can now return to the primary objectives.

==LONDON==

Last night, Luftwaffe bombers attacked London.  The Air Ministry urges you to retaliate, and authorises immediate
 attacks on the German capital, Berlin.

==COVENTRY==

After last night's heavy Luftwaffe raids on Coventry, discussions are taking place at the highest level on whether
 Bomber Command should mount retaliatory area raids on German cities.
Until a decision is taken, you are to continue attacking industrial and military targets, as previously.

==MANNHEIM==

The government has decided to authorise Operation Abigail Rachel, an area attack upon the city of Mannheim.
This is to be considered an experiment.

==UBOAT==

Losses in the Battle of the Atlantic are becoming critical.  The Air Ministry has asked you to attack German
 U-boats, in their factories and in the Kiel and Bremerhaven shipyards.

==ABD==

As experience has shown that precision bombing requires much greater accuracy than appears to be attainable, you
 are now directed to pursue the area bombing of cities.  Your attacks should now be focused upon the morale of the
 enemy civil population, and in particular industrial workers.  You are accordingly authorised to employ your
 forces without restriction.

==ITALY==

The Air Ministry has asked you to attack the Italian cities of Turin and Milan, as part of the preparations for
 the invasion of North-West Africa.

==INV==

As part of the preparations for the invasion of the Continent, you are ordered to attack marshalling yards,
 railways, and airfields.  The area bombing campaign has been suspended; for the next six months you are under the
 direction of General Eisenhower.

==V1==

The Germans have begun to launch pilotless aircraft called "V1" or "FZG76" against London and the ports.  You are
 directed to bomb the launching sites and factories responsible for the supply of these flying bombs.

==DDAY==

Today is D-Day, the Allied invasion of Continental Europe.  Your bomber forces will now be required for army
 co-operation, attacking enemy troop concentrations and vital transport links.

==V1END==

The invasion forces have now reached far enough into Europe that Britain is no longer within range of V1 attack.

==R2AB==

As the Allied forces are now well-established on the Continent, you have been freed from army co-operation duties,
 and can now return to the Area Bombing campaign.

==TERROR==

I have received the following minute from Churchill:
    "It seems to me that the moment has come when the question of bombing of German cities simply for the sake of
     increasing the terror, though under other pretexts, should be reviewed.  I feel the need for more precise
     concentration upon military objectives such as oil and communications behind the immediate battle-zone,
     rather than on mere acts of terror and wanton destruction, however impressive."

==MANNA==

As ground forces have entered Berlin, the war is clearly almost over; you are now directed to cease strategic
 bombing attacks.  Your aircraft are now required for Operation Manna, the supply of food by air to famine-
 stricken regions in the Netherlands.

==VE==

Germany has surrendered!  After six long years, the war in Europe is over.
The bombers' job is done, and the aircrews can stand down at last.

Congratulations!

==PFF==

The Air Ministry have mandated the creation of "Pathfinder Force", a unit drawn from the best crews in the
 command, to mark the targets using radionavigation and the new TI, or "Target Indicator", pyrotechnic flares.

No. 8 Group, led by Air Vice-Marshal Don Bennett, has been formed for this rôle.

==FLT_ENG==

The new heavy bombers currently in development will require a specialist 'flight engineer' as part of their crew;
 training of airmen to fill this rôle has now begun.  Engineers will train separately from other positions, and
 only join crews after the latter complete their OTU course, since the medium bombers used at Operational Training
 Units do not carry a flight engineer.

==HCU==

The Air Ministry have decided to set up Heavy Conversion Units to train aircrews on heavy bombers after completion
 of their OTU courses, rather than relying on operational Squadrons to convert them.  This was felt necessary
 owing to the growing proportion of the heavy force to the Command as a whole.

==LFS==

To give freshly-trained crews Lancaster experience without tying down a large number of these aircraft for HCU
 use, the Air Ministry have instituted the Lancaster Finishing Schools, an additional stage in the training
 pipeline, to which aircrew can be sent after completing their HCU course.

==OTUB==

With the retirement of the Armstrong Whitworth Whitleys (which were the only medium bomber type to carry a bomb
 aimer), new procedures have been enacted whereby Vickers Wellingtons at Operational Training Units will carry a
 bomb-aimer as a supernumerary crew member, allowing these aircrew to be trained for service on the heavy bombers.

==GEE==

A new radionavigation aid, GEE, has been developed.  Using synchronised pulse transmissions from three ground
 stations, it gives aircrews a rough idea of their position, but is insufficiently accurate for blind bombing.

This aid to navigation enables the use of "bomber stream" tactics; from now on, all bombers will follow the same
 route to the target, concentrating the attack to overwhelm enemy ground-controlled interception.

==OBOE==

A blind bombing aid has been developed and is now available for installation into your bombers.  Called OBOE, it
 relies on radio transmissions from ground stations and can only handle a small number of aircraft (about fifteen
 per hour for each pair of ground stations).

==H2S==

A new navigation aid has been developed.  H2S is an air-to-ground radar which enables aircrews to navigate in
 cloud.  Rivers and coastlines give the best 'fixes'.

==GH==

A new blind bombing aid, Gee-H, has been developed.  Based on the OBOE principle, it retains that system's
 accuracy but can be used by several aircraft at the same time.  A pair of ground stations can typically support
 about twenty concurrent users.

==ALLGEE==

GEE sets are now plentiful enough to be installed on the production line in every new bomber.

==MOD_TWINGUN==
The armament of the Bristol Blenheims is being improved: the single Vickers 'K' gun in the turret is being
 replaced with a pair of .303 Brownings.
The Handley Page Hampden is getting a similar treatment, with twin 'K' guns in the rear dorsal position.

==MOD_SSTANK==

A new self-sealing fuel tank has been developed to reduce the loss rate of bombers.  The first units have been
 installed in your Whitleys; bombers of other types will be modified as production permits.

==MOD_SSTEND==

All bombers now have self-sealing fuel tanks installed.

==MOD_RELEASE==

Your Whitley bombers have now been equipped with an electric bomb release, replacing their earlier, somewhat
 crude, mechanical system.  This should improve their bombing accuracy slightly.

==MOD_CREWSTIR==

The crews of your Stirling bombers are being rationalised; instead of a second pilot they will now carry a
 specialist bomb-aimer.

==MOD_CREWMANC==

Crew rationalisation has also been applied to the Avro Manchester; the second pilot is replaced with a flight
 engineer to improve aircraft performance and help with damage control.

==BROUGHTON==

As the shadow factory at Broughton is now fully operational, Vickers Wellingtons can now be produced much more
 rapidly and cheaply.  Accordingly, they now cost only £8,000 out of your budget, rather than £12,000.

==MOD_BEAMGUNS==

As night bombers are rarely attacked from abeam, the beam guns have been removed from all your Handley Page
 Halifaxes.  This reduces their weight and thus helps improve their somewhat sluggish performance.

==MOD_DERATE==

We have been unable to devote sufficient resources to make the Rolls-Royce Vulture engine reliable.  Consequently
 it has been decided to de-rate the engine, reducing its maximum power but hopefully extending its working life.
Your Avro Manchesters, powered by this engine, will now only carry 9,000lb of bombs, at a lower maximum speed,
 but should manage greater serviceability, and fewer losses through mechanical failure.

==MOD_EXACTOR==

New procedures for the handling of Short Stirling throttle controls have been promulgated and distributed to all
 Stirling aircrew.  It is expected that by properly priming the 'Exactor' control units, various failures will be
 rendered less frequent, improving the Stirling's woeful serviceability record.

==MOD_SHROUD==

To reduce Halifax losses to nightfighters, exhaust shrouds are being fitted to cover the engine exhaust flames
 which are so dangerously visible to an attacker behind the bomber.

==MOD_RUDDER==

A partial solution to the Halifax's rudder overbalance woes has been found.  The new bulbous rudder has been
 fitted to all Halifaxes, and is expected to reduce the heavy losses which, it is thought, have occurred when the
 bomber fails to recover from evasive maneuvers.
However, the new rudder is not perfect; a complete fix will have to wait for the redesigned tailplane on the Mark
 III Halifax which Handley Page are developing.

==MOD_NOSHROUD==

It has been found that the Halifax exhaust shrouds severely hamper the performance of the engines.  As well as
 reducing reliability, they decrease the aircraft's speed, ceiling and range.  Consequently, they have been
 removed.

==MOD_XIV==

The new Mark XIV Computing Bomb Sight, now being installed in your Lancaster bombers, should considerably
 increase bombing accuracy.  Your other heavy bombers will be similarly equipped as production permits.

==MOD_OVLTANK==

Overload tanks have been developed for the Handley Page Halifax.  These tanks can be carried in the bomb bay to
 increase the aircraft's range at the expense of some payload.

==MOD_NOSETRT==

The nose turrets are being removed from all Halifax bombers to reduce weight, it having been determined by the
 Operational Research branch that nose guns are not very useful for the type's defence.  The nose gunner will be
 replaced by a full-time bomb aimer.

==MOD_XIVEND==

The Mark XIV vector bomb sight has now been fitted to all heavy bombers.

==MOD_TSIGHT==

American production of the T-1 bomb sight, based on the Mark XIV, has enabled us to fit these sights to the force
 of Vickers Wellington bombers, thus giving them an acceptable accuracy.

==MOD_BBBAY==
With the addition of a new bulged bomb bay to the de Havilland Mosquito, it can now carry 4,000lb loads such as
 the high-capacity blockbuster bomb, better known as the 'cookie'.

==MOD_PROP==

Your Avro Lancasters are being modified with new wide-chord airscrews, able to more efficiently absorb the power
 from the ever-improving Merlin engines.  This will augment the type's maximum speed and ceiling altitude.

==MOD_GLODGE==

A modification has been applied to your Lancaster Mark I aircraft.  Known as the "Gransden Lodge" mod, it
 involves the removal of some of the perspex from the tail gunner's turret, improving his night vision (at the
 expense of his comfort).  This should help to reduce losses to nightfighter attacks.
This mod is not applicable to the Mark X Lancasters, as they have the Rose twin .50 caliber turret in place of
 the Fraser-Nash FN120 quad-.303 of the Mark I.

==STIRLING_III==

Short Stirling production has switched over to the Mark III upgrade, which brings slight increases in speed and
 ceiling altitude, slightly increasing survivability.  Also, the troublesome 'Exactor' controls are replaced by
 ordinary wire controls which will hopefully prove easier to maintain.

==WELLINGTON_IC==

Vickers Wellington production has switched over to the Mark Ic variant.  The ventral turret has been replaced with
 a pair of waist guns, slightly improving speed and survivability.

==WELLINGTON_III=

Another new Vickers Wellington variant has been developed.  New Wellingtons coming off the production line will be
 Mk IIIs, with more powerful Hercules XI engines for greater speed and altitude.

==MOSQUITO_IX==

The new two-stage supercharged Merlin 77 engines power the de Havilland Mosquito Mk IX, giving it an increased top
 speed of 340mph, as well as improving the service ceiling and range.  Newly-built Mosquitoes will be of this
 upgraded variant.

==BOOZER==

A new radio countermeasure, codenamed "Boozer", is now being installed into your bombers.  It detects the
 emissions of German radar and warns the aircrew when they are being tracked.

==WINDOW==

A new radio countermeasure, codenamed "Window", is ready for introduction.  It consists of strips of metal foil
 which are pushed out of the bombers and which blind the enemy radar by producing spurious echoes.

The War Office advises that the first use is likely to cause extra confusion and disruption to the enemy defences,
 and should thus be on a large-scale raid.

==MOONSHINE==

A new radio countermeasure, codenamed "Moonshine", is now being installed into bomber support aircraft.  It picks
 up German 'Freya' ground radar and sends back delayed echoes, causing a single aircraft to look like a whole
 squadron.  This should reduce losses to nightfighter attack.

==ABC==

A new radio countermeasure is now available.  "Airborne Cigar" operators will use transmitters codenamed "Jostle"
 and "Piperack" to jam enemy radiotelephony frequencies, preventing ground-controlled interception.

==FISHPOND==

A new radio countermeasure is now being installed into your bombers.  "Fishpond" is a modification to the H2S
 receiver that allows it to detect aircraft below and somewhat to either side of the bomber.

==SERRATE==

A new radio countermeasure is now available.  "Serrate" sets will allow our 'Intruder' nightfighters to track
 German nightfighters by the emissions from their Lichtenstein B/C radar.

==WURZBURG==

Intelligence reports suggest that the Germans now have radar equipment for searchlight and intercept control,
 known as "Würzburg".

==KAMMHUBER==

Intelligence reports that the Germans are building a line of flak, searchlights and radar covering the approaches
 to the Continent.

==TAMEBOAR==

Intelligence reports that the Germans are changing their night-fighting tactics.  The new system, "Zahme Sau", is
 reportedly a response to Window.

==LICHTENSTEIN==

Intelligence reports that the enemy have developed an airborne radar set, called "Lichtenstein", but have not
 deployed it yet owing to operational difficulties.

==L_BC==

Intelligence reports that the German airborne radar set, the Lichtenstein B/C, is now becoming operational in the
 Luftwaffe's nightfighters.

==NAXOS==

Intelligence reports that enemy nightfighters are now being equipped with Naxos, a device for homing in on
 emissions from a bomber's H2S set.  Aircrews are advised to use the H2S for as short a time as possible.

==L_SN==

Intelligence reports a new German radar set, the Lichtenstein SN, which can defeat our radio countermeasures.
Enemy nightfighters are likely to increase their kills.

==MUSIK==

Intelligence reports that the Germans are applying a mod known as "Schräge Musik" enabling them to attack our
 bombers from beneath, where they have a blind spot.

==GEEJAM==

The Germans have begun to jam GEE on a large scale; aircrews report that the system becomes unusable shortly after
 crossing the Continental coast.

==FREYA==

Intelligence reports that the German defences are being directed by 'Freya', a coastal radar network.  It is
 believed to operate on a similar principle to our Chain Home.

==V_WEAPONS==

Intelligence reports that the Germans are developing pilotless aircraft, long-range rockets, and other
 "superweapons", at Peenemünde.

==SECRET==

Intelligence reports that the Germans have an undisclosed secret weapon "against which no defence would avail".

==FLAKGAS==

Intelligence reports a new German anti-aircraft weapon, "FLAK GAS", which is alleged to stop the engines of
 aircraft.  No further details are available at this time.

==FRANCE==

Today, the French forces surrendered to Germany at Compiègne.  We now fight alone against the Nazi terror.

In a speech to the House of Commons, Churchill said,
    "…the Battle of France is over.  I expect that the Battle of Britain is about to begin."

==CRETE==

Bad news from the Mediterranean: the island of Crete has surrendered to German troops.  With this defeat, we have
 lost our last remaining positions in the Balkans.

==BARBAROSSA==

The Germans have launched Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union.  It is expected that this will
 dilute their home defence forces.

==AMERICA==

With the attack today by Japanese aircraft on the American base at Pearl Harbour, the United States has joined
 the war.
In other news, the German offensive against Soviet Russia has stalled.  Although within sight of Moscow, they are
 being rapidly pushed back by the Russian counter-offensive.

==TORCH==

Today Allied forces commenced Operation Torch, with landings in Morocco and Algiers.  By taking French North
 Africa, we hope to trap Rommel's Afrika Korps in a pincer.

==EL_ALAMEIN==

Good news from Egypt, where Lt Gen Montgomery's forces have won a major victory at El Alamein.  The tide of the
 North African campaign appears finally to have turned.
In the words of Churchill,
    "This is not the end; it is not even the beginning of the end.  But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning."

==STALINGRAD==

Good news from the Eastern Front: the Soviet forces have surrounded the city of Stalingrad, trapping approximately
 30,000 German troops.

==KURSK==

The Soviets have won a decisive victory at the Battle of Kursk, and begun the long march to Berlin.  While Germany
 is certainly not defeated yet, an eventual Allied victory finally seems probable.

==BADOGLIO==

Italy, under Marshal Pietro Badoglio, has signed an armistice with Eisenhower's forces.

==RSI==

German forces have taken northern Italy and proclaimed the Italian Social Republic, a fascist puppet state of
 Nazi Germany.  However, the Air Ministry does not believe the RAF should resume the bombing of Italy.

==BERLIN==

The Propaganda Department has been telling all and sundry of the first bombs to fall on the German capital.

==THOUSAND==

Today's newspapers are filled with reports of last night's raid, the first ever to involve 1,000 bombers.

==DESTROYED==

The RAF is pleased to inform the world's press that for the first time in this campaign, a strategic target has
 been completely destroyed.

==CITYDEST==

Much is being made by our propagandists of the complete destruction, for the first time, of an entire German city.

==INTEL_BT==

Basic Training
 
Pilots and navigators receive their basic flying training in North
 America or Australasia, under the Empire Air Training Scheme, while
 gunners, engineers etc. learn their 'trades' at ground schools.
Aircrew leaving Basic Training, though no longer raw recruits, are
 not yet able to operate effectively in a combat environment.

==INTEL_OTU==

O.T.U.
 
At Operational Training Units, individuals are for the first time
 assembled into crews, and learn to operate a medium bomber by
 engaging in cross-country flights, fighter affiliation and bombing-
 range practice.  A crew graduating from their OTU are ready to take
 any of the RAF's medium bombers into battle, but will need
 additional training to handle a heavy.

==INTEL_HCU==

H.C.U.
 
The intensive four-week course at a Heavy Conversion Unit provides
 crews with experience handling heavy bomber aircraft, which are far
 more complex beasts than the mediums.
On completion of this course, the aircrew are ready to take most
 heavies into battle; however, unless their HCU course was flown on
 Lancasters, they will need to pass through LFS before truly ready
 for that type.

==INTEL_LFS==

L.F.S.
 
Aircrews destined to fly the Lancaster on operations complete their
 training with a ten-day stint at the Lancaster Finishing School.
As most of their skills transfer from their HCU experience, this
 short course is sufficient to convert them onto the 'Lanc',
 minimising the number of these valuable aircraft that have to be
 reserved for training.

==Blenheim==

The twin-engined Bristol Blenheim (Bristol Type 142M) was, when     
introduced in 1937, as fast as contemporary fighters.  By the
outbreak of war, however, it had already been outclassed by the
rapid pace of aeronautical development.  This, combined with its
poor defensive armament, leave it vulnerable to fighter attack.  As
a light bomber, it carries a mere 1,200lb of bombs, and hasn't the
range to attack distant targets.  It's best employed against coastal
targets and enemy-held airfields and troop concentrations in France.

==Whitley==

The Armstrong Whitworth A.W.38 Whitley is a twin-engined medium
bomber, designed for night operations.  Due to the high angle of
incidence of the wings (to ensure good takeoff performance), the
Whitley flies with a nose-down attitude; the resulting high drag
makes it rather slow, and consequently vulnerable.  However, it can
carry a bomb load of about 7,000lb, the heaviest of the bombers
available to you at the start of the war.  It's best used for
mining, leaflet raids, and long-range sorties.

==Hampden==

The Handley Page HP.52 Hampden was conceived as a fast, manoeuvrable
"fighting bomber".  It's a twin-engined medium bomber, and the
fastest of the bombers available in 1939.  Its bomb load is lighter
than the other medium bombers, and its range is fairly limited.
It's fairly vulnerable to modern fighters, and may struggle to reach
well-defended targets.  It's a good bombing platform, though, so
accuracy is good.

==Wellington==

The Vickers Wellington, popularly dubbed the "Wimpy", is anything
but; its geodesic construction allows it to withstand terrible
damage and continue with the operation.  It's the most survivable,
and also the most reliable, of the twin-engined medium bombers at
the start of the war.  It carries a reasonable medium-bomber payload
of 4,500lb, and is a solid all-rounder.

==Manchester==

The Avro 679 Manchester is the first of the heavy bombers to come
into service.  It's powered by two Vulture engines, which are sadly
unreliable and underpowered; as a result, it's likely to suffer
losses both from enemy action and from mechanical failure.  However,
it does carry a decent bomb load of 10,350lb.  It should probably be
treated as a Whitley replacement.

==NEW_Manchester==

A new type of bomber has been developed and is now going into production.  The Avro Manchester is a twin-engined
 heavy bomber, capable of carrying 50% more bombs than a Whitley.  There have been a few teething problems with
 the Vulture engines, though.

==Southampton==

The Supermarine Type 317 Southampton is a heavy bomber with four
 Bristol Hercules radials.  Its 16,000lb payload is impressive, and
 its speed and altitude are also good, but its short range and poor
 defence are limiting.  It's also rather expensive to build.
 
Historical notes: The Type 317 project was cancelled after a
 Luftwaffe raid on Supermarine's works at Woolston on 26-09-1940
 destroyed the prototypes and many of the drawings.
 The type was never given a service name.
 Its specification, B.12/36, was filled by the Short Stirling.

==NEW_Southampton==

A new type of bomber has been developed and is now going into production.  The Supermarine Type 317 is a large
 four-engined bomber with a 16,000lb payload.

==Stirling==

The Short S.29 Stirling is the first four-engined heavy bomber
available.  It's fairly slow with a low ceiling, but good
manoeuvrability gives it a decent chance of survival.  It carries a
heavy 14,000lb load, but isn't great for accuracy.  It also has poor
reliability and serviceability, and a limited range.  Nonetheless,
it's a welcome addition to the heavy striking force.

==NEW_Stirling==

The first of the new four-engined heavy bombers is now going into production.  The Short Stirling, a very large
 aircraft, carries a huge 14,000lb of bombs.

==Elswick==

The Armstrong-Whitworth Elswick is a development of the Whitley
 using Armstrong-Siddeley Deerhound radial engines.  It's cheap to
 produce and carries 7,500lb of bombs.  However, it's vulnerable to
 attack, slow, and not very accurate.  Still, its long range helps.
 
Historical notes: The Elswick is almost completely fictional, being
 inspired by the use of a Whitley II as a test-bed for the Deerhound
 engine.  The Deerhound itself was cancelled in April 1941.

==NEW_Elswick==

A new medium bomber has been developed and is now going into production.  The Armstrong-Whitworth Elswick is a
 cheap-and-cheerful alternative to heavy bombers, with a long range and a 7,500lb load but otherwise rather poor
 performance.  It's also weak defensively and lacks accuracy.

==Halifax I==

The Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax I is a four-engined heavy.  Its load
is slightly less than the Stirling, and it suffers from a fatal yaw
spiral in violent evasive manoeuvres, but it's faster, more
reliable, and much more serviceable.  It's also a better bombing
platform.  It gives you a realistic long-range heavy capability.

==NEW_Halifax I==

A new type of bomber has been developed and is now going into production.  The Handley Page Halifax is generally
 an improvement over the Stirling and has a longer range, but it does carry slightly less ordnance.

==Lancaster I==

The Avro 683 Lancaster is the classic heavy bomber.  Developed from
the Manchester, but re-engined with four Merlins, it carries
14,000lb of bombs, is reliable and survivable, and makes a good
bombing platform.  It's a great all-round heavy, capable of anything
from area bombing cities at night to precision strikes on special
targets by day.  However, it's fairly expensive to build.

==NEW_Lancaster I==

A new type of bomber has been developed and is now going into production.  All the signs suggest that the Avro
 Lancaster will prove to be a classic heavy bomber: it's fast, reliable, and well-equipped to survive in the harsh
 night skies of Europe.

==Mosquito==

The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito is a high-performance, multi-rôle
aircraft.  It's made chiefly of wood, making it easy to produce;
it's extremely fast, reliable, and almost impossible to shoot down.
However, its 4,000lb bombload is fairly small.  It's best used as an
OBOE-equipped Pathfinder, marking targets with pyrotechnics for the
heavies to aim at.  It can also make 'nuisance raids' deep into
enemy territory, keeping the Germans awake and nervous on nights
without a major raid, and it's handy for diversionary attacks too.

==NEW_Mosquito==

A new type of bomber has been developed and is now going into production.  The de Havilland Mosquito is small but
 powerful; its high performance makes it almost invulnerable.  Combined with OBOE, it looks as though it will
 prove to be the perfect Pathfinder aircraft.

==Halifax III==

The H.P.61 Halifax III is an improved Halifax; the yaw spiral has
been fixed with a revised tailplane, and the bombload increased to
13,500lb.  Though eclipsed by the more famous Lancaster, the
"Halibag" is a solid workhorse; for one thing, it's cheaper.  It's
also easier to maintain, due to its rugged construction.  It can
prove handy for secondary tasks, such as minelaying and diversionary
raids, and it's not a bad bomber... it's just not the best.

==NEW_Halifax III==

A new type of bomber has been developed and is now going into production.  The Halifax Mark III is easier to
 produce in quantity, and to maintain, than the Lancaster, but has slightly inferior performance.

==Windsor==

The Vickers Type 447 Windsor is a high-altitude heavy with a
 pressurised cockpit.  It carries 15,000lb of bombs at a high speed
 and can climb to 27,000ft.
Its geodetic structure, more complex than that of its predecessor
 the Wellington, is difficult to produce in quantity, but its high
 performance should keep losses low.
 
Historical notes: The Air Ministry lost interest in the Windsor
 project after improvements to the Lancaster enabled the latter to
 fulfil the high-altitude rôle envisaged for the Windsor.

==NEW_Windsor==

A new type of bomber has been developed and is now going into production.  The Vickers Windsor, with its
 pressurised crew compartment and highly supercharged Merlin engines, can reach an altitude of 27,000ft.

==Selkirk==

The Short Selkirk, developed from the Stirling, is even larger than
 its stablemate; its wingspan measures 135ft!  It can carry 18,000lb
 of bombs, although its speed is low and its range limited.  It's
 also somewhat vulnerable to flak and fighters.
 
Historical notes: the Air Ministry wrote Specification B.8/41 around
 Shorts' proposed "Super Stirling", but C-in-C Arthur Harris
 discouraged the project on the grounds that production would be
 slow.  The Air Ministry terminated the B.8/41 project in May 1942.

==NEW_Selkirk==

A new type of bomber has been developed and is now going into production.  The Short Selkirk carries a colossal
 18,000lb of bombs, but its performance and survivability aren't great.

==Lancaster X==

The designation "Lancaster B.X" actually refers only to airframes
built in Canada by Victory Aircraft Ltd., but in Harris it
represents all the developed variants of the Lanc.  With more
powerful engines and better armament (the four .303 Brownings in the
tail are replaced with twin .50s), the upgraded Lanc is faster,
carries a heavier payload, is more reliable and survivable - in many
ways it's the ultimate heavy bomber.

==NEW_Lancaster X==

Advanced versions of the Lancaster are now going into production.
These new variants carry more bombs and mount better defensive armament.

==Bf109E==

The main German day-fighter of the Battle of Britain, early raids
saw the Messerschmitt Bf109E "Emil" pressed into service in defence
of the Reich.  While fast and maneuvrable, it's too small to carry
radar, so is only effective with searchlight support or on clear
moonlit nights.

==Do17Z==

Converted versions of the Dornier Do17Z "Fliegende Bleistift" bomber
were among Nazi Germany's first night-fighters.  Lacking airborne
radar, they relied upon searchlight support and infrared equipment.
The Dorniers are slow and not very effective.

==Ju88C==

The Junkers Ju88 serves in almost every rôle from bombing to
reconnaissance.  The nightfighter variant of this versatile aircraft
is fast and maneuvrable, but its armament is only moderate.

==NEW_Ju88C==

The Germans are bringing a new type of night-fighter into service.  The Junkers Ju88C has the performance to pose
 a real threat to your bombers.

==Bf110==

The Messerschmitt Bf110 "Zerstörer" (Destroyer) was designed as a
'heavy fighter'.  It's well suited to night operations and mounts a
heavy armament.  However, it's slower than its contemporary, the
Ju88, and slightly less maneuvrable.

==NEW_Bf110==

The Germans are bringing a night-fighter variant of the Messerschmitt Bf110 into service.  It's heavily armed.

==Fw190A==

The Focke-Wulf Fw190A is a high-performance, rugged day-fighter,
with very heavy armament.  Like all day-fighters, it's too small to
carry radar, so must rely on "Wilde Sau" tactics.

==NEW_Fw190A==

The Germans are beginning to deploy a new day-fighter, the Focke-Wulf Fw190A.  It's a heavily-armed and rugged
 aircraft and could prove troublesome on moonlit nights.

==Do217J==

The Dornier Do217J is a development of the old Dornier 17.  With
more powerful engines and improved avionics, it's a
cheap-and-cheerful night-fighter, though its capabilities are less
than its contemporaries.

==NEW_Do217J==

The Germans are bringing a new type of night-fighter into service.  The Dornier Do217J is an uprated Do17
 development with significant hitting power.

==Bf109G==

The Messerschmitt Bf109G "Gustav" is an enhanced variant of the
earlier 109E.  Its greater speed and heavier armament come at the
cost of a slight reduction in maneuvrability.

==NEW_Bf109G==

The Germans are bringing a new day-fighter into service.
The Messerschmitt Bf109G is faster than both the Bf109E and the Fw190.

==Me262==

The Messerschmitt Me262B-1a/U1 Schwalbe ("Swallow") is a jet-powered
nightfighter.  It's extremely fast, but relatively rare due to
production difficulties.

==NEW_Me262==

The Germans are beginning to deploy night-fighter versions of the Me262 jet fighter.
Its very high speed could make it a potent threat.
