S3 Series

Please help me understand the object of this series. We want to move the front line into France, therefore, we must destroy or close airfields along the front. Jabo is forcing a confrontation between T51 and T43 by enabling ground forces and troop transport routines between them. If we do not close T43, but successfully get troops out over it, will it be captured?

Anticipating The Enemy
There are about six enemy TAC fields nearby T51. All of their fighter forces (even bombers) could be in the air rushing to destroy T51 within minutes. How would our fighters perform in a head-to-head fight? Would it be possible to gain the advantage (altitude) if our fighters were based right on the other side of the line?

Do we have to do what is expected by defending T51 and attacking T43? What if we did an end run and closed other airfields?

If we don't defend T51, they could close it, kill all GVS, and troop it. That would be a significant score.

Is it possible to give our fighters time to wipe out the majority of 352nd and 4th before sending in our strike force? Is that possible with the a/c match-up?

What ideas do you have?

P.S. I can't get the points summary to open. It would be nice to see target values.

A key to understanding how the system works may be helpful.
We would strike a field, any field close to the front as you normally would, killing the objects. As soon as your aircraft appear over the field, that field will also spawn a antiaircraft gv routine that will move around and take potshots at you. These have to be killed to get the field to go gray and capturable. As long as the field objects are up that antiaircraft gv routine will continue to respawn when they are killed UNTIL the objects are down upon which, they don't respawn. So.....your gonna want to kill them AFTER the field objects are down. When you fly out of range, they will disappear, but reappear when you fly back into range
Whether or not jabo is gonna rule em closed and captured at that point, OR allow them to be trooped is his call. ATM, if the contested field is within range etc with a x in y chance of occurring...The General on both sides MAY generate a capture/recapture routine that would have an x in Y chance of succeeding. Of course striking the enemies capture routine would certainly help our own sides routine getting in.
It can be a lot of jabo work ( pun intended) but if it goes right, a truly positive interactive way to support the ground war from the air.....that's the idea anyway.
It certainly raises the bar as far as coordinating strikes and cover IMHO

So, that combined arms stuff is now in the S3?.....

Anyone able to answer the other questions I had?

Wiping out of enemy fighters for any side will be tough....weak guns (unless the weapons files are messed with) for both sides....

Horrido!

I am with Darryl about unclear criteria and "points" and such.

Also agree with Dobs about the lite line-up. And I am really upset about having to fly a myriad of planes throughout the series. Good grief! Give us one or two planes and let us improvise, innovate, find a way, overcome. We have not had a lotta time to get used to the new flight models, and not we have to witch every week or so. Ditto whine for the fuel load -75%. Let us use what fuel we have to to get the mission done, and it's bad enuf we already have the 75% fuel divisor.

I am not clear what the field closure criteria is. Para troops taking the tower? Destruction of all tgts and then para drop? What is required? The "rules" are not real clear about this.

Oh well, the Nomad folks will do what needs to be done to help the Axis critters crawl to the English Channel and try to reduce the ack for other attack pukes like us.

Whoa! New downgrade when trying to fly the assigned aircraft and such. May need to tell all, huh?

Herr Gums sends...

Despite my reservation on how much this smells of us getting pideon holed into field farming, I think the intent is destruction in support of ground forces. Less focus on our part on capture. The targets will capture themselves as long as we are decisive in their destruction and provide enough protection for our own forces to get in. We won't be able to dabble over the target and expect decent survival and irritation rate.

They are actually set up with more flexibility to counter our moves than we are. They have more airfields at the front than we do so it might be a crapshoot either way to go up the gut or try hitting the edges.

We have distance to get up around 20k ft where the 109 lives. It can hit harder with the 20mm, but will run out fast where its BBs do little to the ironass Hurricanes. While the 109s are good in a 1v1 match, a protracted fight will allow them to gather numbers and start picking us off quickly.

110s are the only effective Jabo (outside of light bombers) we have and absolutely suck on the defensive. They need to be used in a situation where getting bounced is minimal as possible. It does okay on the offensive flying faster than most Allied. P-36s give it fits, but careful angles cuts its ability to keep E if the pilot wants to shoot you. The allied squads love cranking their a/c in a tight turn where it hangs a couple seconds at D4-5 on your tail and blast away with the .303s and .50s and long range. This may seem scary at first but trust your angles and speed and you will get away or set up a run for your buddy following behind. Zikker and I stayed alive for a good hour and half with 110s in a 2 v 5 scenario staying fast and staying above the enemy. We failed when one got above and could push us down into the others waiting below.

Think of it this way. You are ordered to support the ground forces attacking a set area. You can decide to either CAP the ground forces with fighters only and/or insert bomber\strike missions to help them along. Depending on what you think the enemy airforce will do you can then choose your missions. You do not have to bomb targets in support of the FEBA. But it is probably wise to make sure the enemy cannot bomb the FEBA and help advance their ground forces either.

Everyone is getting side-tracked by the FEBA. Before we would indicate where the enemy was attacking and\or defending and left it up to the Frame CO to decide if it was prudent to attack and/or defend there. The only thing that has changed is that the General will attack and defend without your interference. That does not mean fields will fall quickly or in succession, especially the strung out Tac fields of the ETO. Before based upon history and the result of a frame we would move the front. Now based upon the support shown the FEBA we will do the same. But support is a relative term, putting the majority your fighters over the FEBA is very strong support in a defensive way. Sending your bombers to an undefended locality may be the smart move gaining you points but still protecting your FEBA from enemy advances with the fighter CAP.

Bf110s are best used to escort high-flying bombers where their speed advantage can at least run away from the Hurricanes. Use down low should be limited to jabo strikes on GVs\locations or shipping.

The 110 is a much stronger fighter than it was before. It just has to be used properly. It has the strongest cannon of the choices available, is faster than anything the allies have and carries a great deal more ammo. If you stay fast and don't turn fight it is a capable platform, basically untouchable by enemy fighters if flown to its strengths.

Last Tuesday night I was able to make passes on enemy fighters and egress with no real danger. It will lose control authority at high speeds so watch out for that.

While the 109 turns a bit better than the 110, it cannot hang with anything the Allies have in a turn fight for more than 360 degrees of turn before it is on the losing end (be sure to use flaps if you want to try to turn). Also the guns on the E1 and E3 are nearly worthless outside of 200 yards and the cannon on the E3 is a short clip.

Boom and Zoom with a hard deck of 2000 AGL (That means if you get below 2000 you better be running in a straight line) is what is called for.