S3#93 – The Soft Underbelly; Sicily - Summer 1943

Game Settings

  • Axis Players(gold) - 65 est
  • Allied Players(green) - 46 est
  • Icons – d24 friendly, d12 range, d6 enemy plane
  • Clouds - clouds above 25,000ft
  • Radar – 50 mile radius, coloured dots, inflight arrow. Minimum alt is 300 ft.
  • Flak - AAA limited to 25,000ft in height.
  • Axis Airfields(gold) - Sicily and several islands
  • Allied Airfields(green) - Tunisia and Malta
  • Fuel Multipler - set at 1.0 for all planes.
  • Rebuild Time - 300 mins
  • Game Length – 180 mins
  • Lives – 1 life per frame
  • Game Scale - 1 squad = 1 historical unit and 1 frame = 1 set of operations.

Basic Rules

Initial Format - changes after in bold italics.

1. Start Times - each frame uses the following schedule;

  • T+0 - Dawn(04:30), flight enabled.
  • T+160 - Last surface attacks completed all a/c must disengage ASAP.
  • T+180 - Dark(12:00), all squads must be in tower or land in the dark.

2. Operational Restrictions - each side may only conduct operations in the area outlined in the game map.

3. Bomber Damage - the new secondary damage makes all aircraft more fragile in the tail sections but this will be most noticable in bombers with an increased likelyhood of loosing their stabs. BUFFTUFF is 1.5 and each bomber aircraft may have the addition of two AI wingman should be used to help in all round defense, if not attack capability.

4. Ord\Aircraft Restrictions - there are no ord or drop tank restrictions. All aircraft may fly any loadouts available. The Bf109G6 can be swapped during the frame with the Bf109G6\R6 to represent anti-bomber loadouts. This is the only exception to the one a/c type during a frame rule. FW190F must be used as a strike aircraft and begin play with a bomb loadout.

5. Squad Aircraft - each pilot must fly the aircraft listed for their squad in the A/C table at least once. It is up to the squad to decide which a\c type they will fly more than once during the series. No new a\c will be deployed for this series with the possible exception of the P40F. If it is updated for play in WB this may be subsituted for the P40E if the player so chooses.

6. Squad Basing - each squad must start at a designated airfield but then can replane at will at any airfield after that. Landing strips are unavailable at the start but can be used normally afterward. The initial deployment is based upon the following step allowances;

  • LAF - 3 steps
  • MAF - 3 steps
  • SAF - 2 steps
  • GAF - 1 step
  • LS - 0 steps(can replane here during play)

7. Frame 1 - this is the pre-invasion frame and all allied beachheads will start destroyed and unavailable. Axis control Sardinia, Pantelleria and Lampedusa and may use those airfields. AI shipping will be proceeding to Tunis and Malta from the west and east and should be a primary target of Axis strike aircraft.

8. Frame 2 - this is the invasion frame with allied beachheads in Sicily. Axis still control Sardinia but the Allies have taken over Pantelleria and Lampedusa. AI shipping will be proceeing to and from the invasion beachheads and the entire invasion area should be a primary target of Axis strike aircraft.

9. Frame 3 - the is the post-invasion frame and the allies will have captured a number of nearby locations that may be attacked by the Axis along with the invasion beachheads.

10. Frame 4 -5 - the allies continue to expand their hold on sicily and airfields are now available on the island to support their invasion.

11. Supply Locations - each provincial area of Sicily(indicated on the game map)has a supply location, either a supply depot or marshalling yard. All the bridge locations in a provincial area are attached to these supply locations. To close and score a substantial amount of points the location itself and all attached bridges must be destroyed. Tunisia has one supply depot that can be attacked by the Axis.

12. Arty & Flak Locations - arty and flak locations have a number of batteries spread out over a large area. Expect to have to search for these locations in order to close the location. Arty needs to be destroyed but all AAA objects do not, as is the case for all locations.

13. Static Shipping - static shipping locations including beachheads can also have a random amount of AI ships in the area for flak defense and additional targets.

14. AI Shipping - supply convoys and invasion fleets will be in the area of the indicated shipping routes. This will change from frame to frame as the invasion begins and ports are taken. Scouts will be needed to find moving AI targets. Flying on the hope of running into enemy shipping will be a fruitless endeavour as the sea area is quite large. AI freighters can be strafed down while DDs and CVs cannot.

15. Closed Bases - bases closed during a frame will stay closed & destroyed for the series. If occupied by the Allied advance they will reopen and can be destroyed again by the Axis.

16. Penalty Planes - players that commit errors in basic rules and do not attempt to correct the error during play will have a penalty plane assigned to them to conduct a hair-raising mission behind enemy lines. If they survive they can teleport and replane in their regular ride. Examples of penalty plane errors include flying different a/c during a frame, teleporting fields when not allowed by special rules, gunning from ships or flak positions. If a player immediately addresses the error they will not be assigned a penalty plane but always inform the CM so the log entry will be ignored. It is up to each squad to make sure the penalty planes are flown.

  • Axis Penalty Planes - Ju52
  • Allied Penalty Plane - C47

17. Victory Points - points are awarded for e/a losses, enemy pilot KIAs and POWs as well as destruction of surface targets. Axis points will be slightly higher in several areas due to the number imbalance. Relative points for objects is available in the summary for this event.

18. Victory Conditions - The side with the most VPs at the end of the series wins.

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 ]