S3 Series

Details are available on the TNS scoring page

Frame 3 - SINK THE BISMARCK
Light turnout. 19 Axis, 23 Allied

Scouting RNAS Hurricanes found the Bismarck fairly early in the frame and were able to shadow her throughout the frame, but the unthinkable happened.
Bf100G-2s, armed with 1000Kg bombs found VICTORIOUS without effective air cover. Three waves of dive bombing 110s, attacking at T+45, T+84 and T+99 smashed through her armoured flight deck causing extensive damage and fires. A thunderous explosion ripped through her aviation storage tanks and munitions stores and she was gone. The aircraft that had previously launched from her deck barely had sufficient fuel to land back in the UK.
A brilliant follow up attack by two Ju88s against VICTORIOUS's escorts sank two destroyers, but the attackers were shot down by anti-aircraft fire. Luckily, if it could be called that, the Hood and Prince of Wales escaped with minor damage.

But the RAF got its revenge. At T+104 a massed attack of torpedo armed Wellingtons launched their deadly lances at the Bismarck and her escorts. After multiple hits the mighty battleship rolled on her side and blew up as the seawater rushed into her boilers. What could have been the scourge of the North Atlantic convoys was no more. Her escorts faired little better, with the Prinz Eugen adrift and on fire, and a destroyer heavily damaged.
But the attackers paid the price. None of the Wellingtons returned from the mission.

Allied: 117 pts
Axis: 127.5

VIII BOMBER COMAND
Again light turnout 20 Axis, 19 Allied

Just the quick version on this one. A small group of P47s and Spitfire IXs Attempted a diversion across the Netherlands while the buffs headed well out to sea before heading into Wilhelmshaven. They were intercepted early and suffered heavily. The only pilot to drop on the port was Wild Bill flying the Memphis Bell. Miraculously his experienced crew, an escorting fighters got him home. As a result of this attack VIII Bomber Command suspended operations for 6 weeks to rebuild its losses.
Allied aircraft looking for U-Boats were surprised when they encountered several Kreigsmarine destroyers. Although damaged, the aircraft sank one destroyer.

Huge allied bomber losses this frame. 19 B-17s and 4 B-24s fell to German guns.

Allied: 47 pts
Axis: 103 pts!


Going into frame 5, series stands at:
Allied: 425.0
Axis: 497.0