S3 #56 - Keeper of the Peace - NW Europe Fall 1944

Game Settings

  • USAAF Players(green) - 109 est
  • LW Players(gold) - 87 est
  • Icons – d24 friendly, d18 range, d6 enemy plane
  • Clouds - scattered overcast below 20,000ft - 4 cloud layers
  • Radar30 mile radius, grey dots, inflight arrow. Minimum alt is 500 ft.
  • Flak - all Flak is limited to 30,000ft
  • USAAF Airfields(green) - England & Belgium
  • LW Airfields(gold) - Germany
  • Fuel Multiplier - set at 0.90 for all planes. NO DROP TANKS
  • Rebuild Time - 300 mins
  • Game Length – 180 mins
  • Lives – 1 life per frame

Basic Rules

Initial Format - subject to change before the first frame.

Start Times - each frame uses the following schedule;

  • T+0 - Dawn - Flight enabled for all a/c, sun just rising.
  • T+20 - Morning light, sun up and continues to rise through frame
  • T+160 - last surface attacks completed.
  • T+170 - Dusk - all a/c must disengage ASAP, sun almost down.
  • T+180 - Near dark, all squads must be in tower or on final.

Operational Restrictions - each side may only conduct operations on mainland Europe, England is out of play. Operations over water and hunting down shipping are allowed up to the English shore. See the area outlined in the game map.

Clouds - expect a thicker overcast running between 1,000 to 20,000ft. This cloud cover will vary slightly from frame to frame in depth and thickness as the weather changes.

Bomber/Strike AI - no AI allowed

Bombers - with only medium bombers in this series and the notoriously tough B25 being a major one we are trying a softer buff-tuff but deadlier otto. So bombers need to fly tight formations and interceptors do not attack from dead 6, slashing high angle attacks only and longer range fire. Fighters if you get in close and hold steady you will be dead.

Ord restrictions - the F4U1D is used as a tiffie sub and only rockets or bombs can be carried not both. Typically RCAF Typhoon squadrons carried bombs and RAF ones carried rockets in the 2nd TAF. Tempests, Spitfires, P51Bs, FW190D9s and Bf109s cannot carry ord. Only those a/c than can carry ord may attack surface targets. Those that cannot are used as fighters only.

Airfield Basing Restrictions - only specific airfields will have a/c steps based at them as outlined in the gameboard for each frame. The amount of steps that can base at these airfields is indicated on the map, this number will change as damage is done to these fields and a/c losses are withdrawn from the gameboard. KOTP gameboard

Homebase - All squads must be assigned a homebase and must replane there during the frame. Only if that homebase is closed may a squad move to another open base that does not have another squad there. Frame COs must be aware of this and assign such squads to empty fields. The squad so moved continues to fly their initial a/c regardless of what their new homebase has based there.

Tac Fields - some tac fields have sticky grass and careful attention must be paid in t/o and landing. Its best to have someone check out your homebase for the best areas to land.

Droptanks - no a/c may use droptanks in this series. Fuel conservation and control is paramount because of the lack of droptanks and the fuel divider being reduced. This is for an even playing field and also for historical operations in this short-range theatre. Squads must make sure none of their players choose droptanks.

Target Hardness - some buildings at tac towns are very difficult to damage heavily. Bombers must salvo large bombs onto the major tac buildings to destroy them. Industry targets are even more difficult as POS proved. All targets are tougher and all bombs have smaller blast radius so large bombs do more damage than small bombs.

Surface Targets - there are three types of surface targets; structures, GVs and ships. Each side may attack any surface targets located on mainland Europe or on the high seas. England is out of play. Points are scored for those targets destroyed or sunk. Ships score the most points followed by GVs and structures. Operational ground structures such as bridge spans, airfield hangars and tac barracks score more points while collateral structures like houses do not. Know your targets especially in the tac spawn points. A target list is provided to gauge the importance of targets. Tac spawn points will be removed from play if they are hit hard enough and cannot be targeted again in subsequent frames. Only certain types of a/c may attack ships and GVs.

Airfield Reduction - heavy damage on most airfields will reduce the steps based there by 1 each frame they are so damaged. The step type so reduced is based upon a die roll if more than one a/c type is based there. The exception to this rule are all the tac grass fields which cannot be reduced. They represent the many small landing fields in the area. This does not include the tac fields that base more than 2 steps, these can be reduced.

Aircraft Steps - each side begins play with 46 a/c steps allocated to various airfields. All a/c confirmed killed during a frame are added up and their step value reduced from each sides deployed steps. Furthermore any airfields heavily damaged will reduce the steps based there as well. Before Frame 4 each side receives a very limited number of reinforcement steps they can use at any field they choose. Once placed these reinforcement steps cannot be moved.

Aircraft Steps
Bf109G6/R6 2
FW190D9 2
ME262 1
He177(B17F) 1
Spitfire XIV 2
Tempest(F4U4) 2
B26G(B25H) 1
B17G 1

ME262 Pilots - The only Me262s in the game represent the jabo experten active at this time in NW Germany. Pilots are assigned by the Frame CO based upon their ranking in the top 10 S6 strike pilots(all pure strike a/c, highest BDA). From the list provided the highest ranked players flying LW will have first choice as Jabo Experten. If any of the Jet Experten are killed they loose their 262 slot and the next player in line will replace them next frame. Only 6 Me262 jabos may be used at one time. Me262 are only flown by the best strike pilots in the game and as such they will concentrate on their primary mission and ignore all e/a unless engaged or their homebase is under enemy CAP.

Pilot BDA
1. mt-dew 156
2. shack+ 146
3. farout 116
4. grung+ 113
5. norron 113
6. houndg 105
7. -cbra- 84
8. skylar 79
9. doones 70
10. irgood 62
11. stlrai 62

Pilot KIA/POWs - each pilot is ranked in the S6 based upon their total number of S3 frames played. They represent six levels of pilot; experten, aces, experienced, green, rookies, trainees. Player KIAs and POWs reduce the points scored each frame and the higher the class the more points taken off.

AI Flak Targets - each flak target represents artillery/flak concentrations of 4 88mm AI. Once destroyed these targets will respawn between 20-30 mins and can be hit again. Only Typhoons, P47Ds, P38Ls and FW190A8s may attack 88mms.

AI Tank Targets - each ground target represents AFV concentrations of 4 tank AI. Once destroyed these targets will respawn between 30-40 mins and can be hit again. Note: tanks are notoriously difficult to destroy and as such may be unloaded by the CM to score damaged vehicles. Only Typhoons, P47Ds, P38Ls and FW190A8s may attack tanks.

AI Ship Targets - each ship target represents a destroyer, freighter or boat. Up to 8 ships at any one time may travelling along or near the indicated shipping lanes. Once sunk these targets will respawn between 5-10 mins and can be hit again. Only Mos VI FBs, Ju88A4s, B25Js and FW190A8s may attack shipping.

Penalty Planes - every player that continues to fight beyond the T+170 cutoff, uses droptanks, teleports or switches a/c types(exception: G6 and G6/R6)without immediately correcting the mistake will be assigned a penalty plane they have to fly for 1 frame. Squads are responsible for ensuring that players fly their penalty plane in this series or next before returning to proper a/c assignment.

  • Allied penalty plane - Hurricane IIC
  • Luftwaffe penalty plane - Ju87D

Scoring - points are scored in two categories, a/c confirmed kills and ground BDA and subtracted in one category, pilot KIA/POWs. Points scored are pro-rated based upon the side turnout so that the side with the lower pilot numbers scores more points for for confirmed kills and ground BDA. Pilot KIA/POWs are not pro-rated.

Victory Conditions - Victory conditions are cumulative and a winner is declared only after all the frames have been run. The total points for both sides are compared after 5 frames;

  • 0-5 point difference is a draw
  • 5-10 point difference is a minor victory for the side with the greatest number.
  • 11-20 point difference is a victory for the side with the greatest number.
  • 21+ point difference is a major victory for the side with the greatest number.

S3 Clarifications - the S3 staff reserves the right to make a ruling on questions or game situations not answered completely or missed by the rules. For further clarification please post on the S3 forum or email Jabo.

[ Aircraft - Series Map - Player Rules ]