S3 Series

REVISED FRAME 5 ORDERS (AS OF T – 24 HOURS )
TO ALL SQUADRON LEADERS
FROM: COMMAND HEADQUARTERS

THE INTELLIGENCE BOYS ARE TELLING US THAT THE JAPS ARE VERY LIKELY TO BEGIN AN ALL-OUT PUSH TO DESTROY RANGOON AND DO AS MUCH DAMAGE TO OUR SUPPLY CONVOYS. WE CANNOT LET THEN HINDER RESUPPLING EFFORT FOR THE CHINESE DEFENCE FORCES WHO ARE DOING THEIR BEST TO STOP OR AT LEAST SLOW DOWN THE JAPANESE ADVANCES INTO CHINA.
WE SUSPECT HEAVY ACTION OVER THE RANGOON AND THE MOUNTAIN SUPPLY ROUTES. THE EMPEROR WANTS THEM CLOSED WHILE THE AMERICAN FORCES ARE STILL TOO WEAK TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE.

ORDERS FOR EACH UNIT
RCAF SQUADRONS AT RANGOON ARE TO LAUCH AND CREATE A HIGH CAP OVER RANGOON WITH A CEILING AT THE MAX OF YOUR BEST OPERATIONAL LIMITS. YOU ARE TO MAINTAIN HIGH CAP EAST AND SOUTH OF RANGOON AS A SECOND LINE OF DEFENCE AGAINST ANY ENEMY AIRCRAFT THAT ELUDE OR SURVIVE PRIOR ENCOUNTER WITH ALLIED DEFENDERS. IF ENEMY FORCES SHOW ON RADAR, RADIO BUFFER WITH INDICATE APPROX. ALTITUE. IF NECESSARY, CONTINUE TO CLIMB SO THAT YOU HAVE AN ADVANTAGE IN AN ATTACK.

AVG 1 AND 2 LAUNCH FROM KUNMING AND HEAD SOUTH TO RANGOON. YOU WILL NEED TO SPLIT YOUR FORCES TO COVER TWO AREAS

AVG 1 LAUNCH AND HEAD TO RANGOON WITH HASTE WHILE GAINING AS MUCH ALTITUDE AS POSSIBLE WHILE MAINTAINING YOUR SPEED. YOU ARE TO COORDINATE WITH THE RCAF SQUADRON BASED AT RANGOON. AT RANGOON, AVG 1 IS TO CREATE A DEFENSE PERIMETER EAST OF RANGOON ALONG A LINE FROM APPROXIMATELY 10 OCLOCK OF THE 2.6 GRID TO THE 2.8 CROSS. THIS IS A LONG LINE SO DEPLOY YOUR FLIGHT ELEMENTS AS BEST YOU CAN. CALL OUT FOR REINFORCEMENTS IF NEEDED AND WE WILL HELP REINFORCE FROM OTHER SQUADS. DO NOT NEGLECT THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE JAPS WILL COME IN FROM THE BAY OF BENGAL NOE. IF SQUAD GCIs DON'T PICK - UP RADAR BETWEEN T-0 AND T-30 SUSPECT SOME TYPE OF ROUSE. DON'T FORGET THEY LOVE TRICKERY. AVG 3 WILL HAVE A SCOUT ELEMENT GOING TO THE 2.5 GRID TO HELP YOU FROM BEING OUT FLANKED ALONG THE BAY AREA. THEY ARE TO CONTACT YOU IF ANY PLANES ARE SPOTTED SO BE AWARE OF POSSIBLE BUFFER COMM. FROM THEM.

AVG 2 SHOULD SET A COURSE TO FOLLOW THE BURMA CONVOY ROUTES BETWEEN RANGOON AND KUNMING. USE A MULTIPLE ALTITUDE SEARCH PLAN WITH FLIGHT ELEMENT SET FAR ENOUGH APART TO INCREASE SEARCH AREA WHILE STILL CLOSE ENOUGH TO PROVIDE SUPPORT TO OTHER SQUADRON MEMBERS. REMEMBER THAT THE JAPS HAVE USED THE VAL AS A WEAPON ON THE TRUCK ROUTES AND WERE SUCCESSFUL COMING IN NOE. MAXIMIZE YOUR EFFICIENCY BY KEEPING MOST OF THE GROUPS AT YOUR BEST FIGHTING ALTITUDE WITH SMALLER FORCES AT HIGHER AND LOWER ALTITUDES.

AVG 3 LAUNCH FROM 117 AND HEAD SOUTH EAST TOWARD 144. SET UP TO ELIMINATE A POSSIBLE EASTERN ATTACK ON RANGOON AND THE CONVOY ROUTES BETWEEN 142 AND 87. BE AWARE THAT THEY COULD BE BOTH HIGH AND LOW SO SPREAD YOUR ELEMENTS TO COVER THE AREAS AS BEST YOU CAN.

SPECIAL MISSION AVG3: SEND ONE ELEMENT ON A DIRECT ROUTE TO THE 171 AREA IN THE SOUTH TO OBSERVE IF AN NOE ATTACK GROUP MAY BE COMING FROM THAT DIRECTION. THEIR ORDERS ARE TO IN NO WAY TO ENGAGE OR APPROACH CLOSER THAN IS NECESSARY FOR OBSERVATION. USE BEST SPEED TO GET THERE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. THEY ARE TO NOTIFY THE COMMAND IF THEY SPOT ANYTHING. THEY ARE NOT TO ENGAGE, I REPEAT DO NOT ENGAGE. REMIND THEM WE NEED THEIR EYES NOT THEIR GUNS ON THIS MISSION. THEY SHOULD SHADOW ANY ENEMY FORCES UNTIL AVG 1 OR 2 HAS VISUALS ON THE ENEMY. THEY ARE TO RETURN 117 TO REFUEL AND THEN REJOIN AVG 3 AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

TO ALL PILOTS:
THE JAPS HAVE A NUMBER OF THE ZERO FIGHTER IN THE AREA. THEY ARE FAST AND TURN ON A DIME. STAY HIGH AND FAST. UNLESS FORCED INTO THE SITUATION, DON’T TURN FIGHT WITH THESE SNAKES. THEIR BIT IS PAINFUL AND DEADLY.

ONCE INITIAL ACTIONS HAVE BEEN MADE, SQUADS WILL REGROUP AND REARM AS NEEDED TO PREPARE FOR SECONDARY ATTACKS. AT THAT TIME, ORDERS MAY REQUIRE REVISION TO ADDRESS ADDITIONAL THREATS.

I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS SET OF ORDERS LEAVES OUR CHUNGKING SUPPLY ROUTES MORE VULNERABLE THAN THE REST. HOWEVER, THIS CAN’T NOT BE HELPED AS OUR PRIMARY OBJECTIVE IS TO 1) PROTECT RANGOON AT ALL COST, AND 2) PROVIDE AS MUCH PROTECTION TO SUPPLY ROUTES LEAVING THE RANGOON AREA. IF NECESSARY, I WILL ORDER INDIVIDUAL SQUADS INTO THE NORTHEASTERN AREA IF WE SEE HEAVY ATTACKS ON THE NORTHERN SUPPLY ROUTES. HOWEVER, AT NO TIME IS RANGOON TO BE LEFT WITHOUT SOME TYPE OF CAP.

COMMANDS PLEASE PROVIDE INPUT IF YOU SEE FIT AND USE YOUR DISCRETION TO INTERPRET YOUR ORDERS IN A MANNER TO INFLICT THE MOST DAMAGE WHILE MAINTAINING THE INTEGRITY OF YOUR UNITS.

THAT MEANS COMMAND WANTS TO TOAST YOU ALL ON A SUCCESSFUL MISSION ON YOUR RETURN.

GOOD LUCK AND GOOD HUNTING

(error on map below.. AVG 3 not AVG 4)

Good plans. I’d expect them to come in from the bay. But you never know. It’s good to have a wing pair out there as scouts.

Maybe AVG 1 and 2 can have a wing pair cover the northern Burma rd. The P40E is fast and the Axis has been using slow dive bombers to hit the supply trucks so far. Given that, one wing pair of P40E’s might be enough to disrupt any attacks in the N

Nook

That is good insight Captain,

I had not thought of it but I was unsure as to the operational strength of AVG 1 and 2. I didn't want to ask them to weaken their defense perimeter. Squad commanders are closer to knowing operational strength at T-30 when order revisions would still have time for distribution. Any suggestions as to which squad might have a flight element that could be send north to observe activities there?

The old man is get really pissed by the lack of depth of action and operational status reports we are getting from the flight units. We are not sure if that is from lack of due diligence on the part of squad communications staff or how they are processed to by the Chinese aids here at headquarters.

He has promised that once we get through this last push by the Japs, he will have to shape up AVGs staffs before we get migrated back into regular Army Aircorp units.

We are expecting orders from McArthur's people anytime now concerning where and how we will be deployed.

KJ