Bomber Command

Bomber Command puts you in charge of American air forces assembling in England in 1943. You plan and oversee bombing missions against the German war machine, facing an experienced enemy whose strength grows over time. Your performance affects the campaign, from the resources assigned to your forces to the skill and morale of your aircrews.

Plan the campaign

Choose which parts of the German war effort to target, such as oil reserves, aircraft manufacturers, aircrews, ball-bearing works or engine factories. The campaign includes more than 200 German-controlled installations based on sites bombed during World War II. Each facility is part of an interconnected economy: factories have inputs and outputs that affect the war machine and its ability to defend itself.

The German economy responds to your attacks by redeploying fighters to critical areas and trying to limit damage to its factories, so you may need to strike targets repeatedly. German research also continues on weapons that could change the war, including jet aircraft, rocket aircraft, Vengeance weapons and the atomic bomb. The U-Boat threat is another concern: if left unchecked in the Atlantic, it can prevent your forces from receiving supplies.

Plan and fly missions

Plan missions using historically accurate units and bases, all based on real counterparts. Overlays on the planning map show concentrations of flak and fighters, helping you choose a safer route or draw the Luftwaffe into a battle with your fighters. You can also control the bombsight during missions, affecting the outcome of raids in which hundreds of planes follow your accuracy.

Missions unfold in real time as your bombers and fighters pass through flak fields and enemy fighters. Weather is difficult to predict, so changing conditions can force you to revise your plans.

Manage your forces

You must balance demands from other theaters and commanders for supplies and equipment. Your forces receive more resources when they succeed and less when they fail. Well-flown missions improve your crews’ skill and morale, making them more likely to perform well in future missions; poor performance can have the opposite effect. Success in the air therefore contributes to success on the ground.