S3 Series

Question to the Fighter Groups...

What would you like to do this frame? How would you go about it?

Would you rather have 1 or 2 large strike groups that need escorting?
Would you rather have pairs of strike teams all over the map?
Would you like to try a coordinated attack on their CV?

Would you like to sweep areas and or close escort?

I realize that a mission directive is essential for planning, but I'm just looking for info to guide in the planning of attacks now and for later too.

^^^^
What the fighters do, IMHO, has to do with the overall mission. Every element has some role in an overall plan. IF it were a buff mission, generally speaking, our Group prefers the role of"sweep escort"; out in front of the bomb stream far enough to interrupt any fighter force that is trying to make a pass on the reciprocal heading to the buffs' path. On "low level" strikes with aircraft that happen to carry torpedoes, especially if it is their intent to fly NOE in the target area, "close escort" generally results in the "escort fighters" all getting killed once discovered by enemy fighters that have a fairly decent altitude advantage. The COs we have these days are capable people. Tell them what the concept happens to be, and let them tell you how they think that they can best assist with what you have in mind for the strikers.

Resolution of how many (if any) penalty planes need to be flown needs to occur. IF one doesn't want to lose several of the penalty planes, some "escort" of those aircraft will, likely, be required. This issue "should" be able to be resolved internally so we can go forward. It DOES NOT MATTER what any Group was ORDERED to do. If one or several aircraft landed on a land base, and did not, then, take off from that land base and fly to the CV to continue operations from there, but just "moved" to the CV for operations using the mouse, that's a "teleport". IF the System automatically moved one or several pilots from the CV to the field in question, but they never actually landed there, that is a different discussion. The individual pilots involved must know if they did this or not. If they did, then, we need a plan with a whole bunch of C-47s involved.

Salute!

I realize that most lites do not like "close" escort for the low altitude TBF's carrying torps.

However, seems to me that good lookout and weaving behind the buffs at a decent speed should really help. If the enema comes in with 6 or 7 Zekes all at once, then it could be a different story. When we were decimated in an early frame, it was only a single Zeke that spotted us, then two more showed up and picked us off one by one.

To summarize, it sure looks like the buffs are gonna fly with torps to sink boats. That means we won't fly real high. There is a possibility that we can attack F21 from a few thousand feet using bombs, but the TBF and SBD ain't real good getting altitude. Now the buffs can turn and give time for our little friends to do some harm, so we'll work on that. But if we are all alone, then we're toast once spotted.

Time for the lites to improvise, innovate, overcome.

Gums sends...

--

Sir Gums

Not parsing words here, just clarifying only. Lites are not in a "Like" ,"Don't Like" situation, it is an effective vs non-effective mode.
But, that being said, often and most often we (352nd) will have a contingent flight close to the buffs for spotting and real time intel on position and speed angle etc. This enhances effectiveness. We do this with volunteers and or command personnel because of the "Take the first Hit" nature of it, basically very close escort does not prevent a determined attack it mearly delays it a bit. So what is wanted are personnel who understand it or are able to survive long enough for effective support to engage.

Other small things like, buffs (unless they request it) should never not be escorted in my opinion, and that ----- effectively. Total loss is unacceptable. Communication on any changes to make escort effectiveness high and not "where are you?" is essential. Changes in plans at the last moment (not minute) are always difficult but we adapt. NON-communication is a negative.

I actually do not say these thing to you Sir Gums as I know you are ---- well----- you.

Also I do not speak for the 352nd and speak for myself in this matter, and I let our effectiveness speak for itself in all cases. If I have task to escort you YOU are escorted, enemy will die, if we die they will pay manyfold.

information

Juice

PS I love all possibilities of targets in the mission, period.

The mission that we create for frame 5 just needs to generate about 30 points. This will bring our total lead to about 94 points. The enemy will need to generate 95 points to overcome our lead. They are very unlikely to do this in a single frame.

After speaking with COOLON, while viewing the available targets, it seems that we could put all our TBD strike force into sinking the CV group (DD's and all) and killing any A6Ms that might be guarding the shipping and we would pick up the necessary points.

It would be a lot of fun for the bomber and fighter groups.

We'd send out scouts from our carrier group, while the rest flew cap over our ships. The bomber group would fly north while being escorted by fighters in the south. Once the carrier group was spotted, we would all vector to it and destroy both carriers and all the DDs. The fighters would knock out the fighters and we'd all fly home happily ever after.

The End.

<S>

Salute!

So what you are proposing, Darryl, is the IJN plan they used in last frame, right?

The IJN Betty's can still rack up points on our boats if we don't guard them.

Anyway, could be an awesome attack if all the objects close together don't give us warp city and disco city.

Gums...

P.S. There's a super NS mission available and I have sent a PM to Cool. Could be 5 or 6 boats to be had with minimal ack.

their Zeros with the cannons are effective vs static shipping too I believe.

Very easy to test all this stuff in the MA.
Same settings so strafe the ships bomb stuff and get an idea what works in the S3.

Salute!

The Nomad gaggle requests to fly attached to the NS, especially if their idea of a "plan" is acceptable to the Frame CO.

We're talking 7 or 8 planes, total, due to some folks having connect or other problems.

NS has found a potential "gold mine" of boats and we would be far enough away from any mass effort to get in and sink some boats.

Gums sends....