S3 Series

OK, you asked for it and I'm taking the CO Chair for Frame IV. I need some new (or different) ideas as how we are to approach this frame. What we've been doing isn't working. Scattered attacks and single groups have been getting our arses handed to us.

First off, I'm not going to have any squad being put into a position to be wipped out. If we don't have mutual support we'll have another night of squads being picked off one by one.

Bombers: What can you hit with some reliability of survival? What are the high value targets, or are we better off trying to take down many smaller targets?

Fighters: How can we support each other and the buffs?

With the small map and large radar coverage just about anything we do is known to the LW. How do we counter this problem?

I'm open to just about anything, as long as we have a reasonable chance of living to the end of the frame.

=wilz=

We took our bombers up to 30K and the enemy still got to us. Even though we had only a few bombers on the holiday frame 3, we were able to close 10 outposts/arty installations for a total of 32 points. The bombers can hit the targets from that altitude with the B17F. It ain't easy, but we did it in frame 3. We can do it again in frame 4.

We just have to have plenty of fighter cover to keep the bombers alive.

Before we can give you suggested targets, we'll have to wait to see where the front line moves.

Maybe it would be a good idea to evaluate what the enemy did that was so successful in the last frame, apart from more of them showing up even on a holiday.

<S>

Wilz..just a reminder..Heaven will be in command of AE's for frame 4.. AE's will only be able to put up 3 pilots for this frame..you might want to attach them to another squad..
Bluzoo and myself will be on leave attending Sluger's wedding.

What they did was swarm an area with 30-40 aircraft and bombers, more aircraft then we had in total. If we sent everyone to that area, everywhere else on the map was open.

Darryl, RCAF 127 Wing will be in Spit IXe's for the rest of the series. We can get to 30K. If we are escorting you, a DTF or route map and timings would be good so we could meet you just as you enter NME territory. Of course, we only have 54 minutes of fuel @100% power.

Salute!

The buffs must fly Mitchells for one more frame, and Forts.

Darryl and I have already posted about not being to see much above 8 or 9K due to the terrain model and target contrast. I am surprised the DR did as well as they seemed to have done for Fr 3 up high.

I realize the lites do not like the buffs flying low ( by their standards) , but I do not see any way around it if we want to wreck destruction upon the enema in one pass.

Secondly, I see no reason not to use lites with eggs to hit a lot of critters and small outposts.

Lastly, my feeling is to keep a few lites for field defense. Might be boring if they are not at the point of the spear, but the folks at the point of the spear should have plenty of chances to do their thing.

Gums sends...

Sounds good to me Gums. RCAF 127 has been hitting JU auto routes and shipping to keep up with points later in the frame. We have no more Drop Tank equipped aircraft to fly, so some one else should go deep along the edges of the map into the LW back area. Don't fly off the map, just stay on the map but see the edge and go NOE.

I think an important part of our success will be focusing on MAtchups and roles. We dont have a great answer for the 109 g2s, but the 202s can be held in check with spit 9s. 12 spit 9s can control twice that many 202s as long as they keep the alt. If we use the b25s they need to be NOE and in small groups hitting where the 352nd is Not. Can the DR use their p38Fs to finish off targets that the b25s hit? Or use the p38s as the big guns on enemy bombers?
Basing is important too. We cant be wasting tons of time flying around ferrying whole squads back to home base or f10.

So when the frame starts we gotta find out , where is the enemy and what are they flying?? Send the squads that have the right aircraft to do the right missions at the right times.
Maybe set up two strike zones North and South and have someone in charge of each, planning strikes. Wilz can direct the necessary fighter covers all around ....

ehh just trying to stir up some tactical thinking, my 2 cents

The following are the points gained by each side closing base targets:

Axis:

Fields = 8 points
79

GAF = 12 points
22, 80

Outposts = 30 points
15, 23, 30, 36, 48, 49, 63, 64, 67, 69

Arty = 12 points
55, 58, 70

Total: 62 points

Allies:

Outposts: 27 points
41, 43, 44, 45, 50, 57, 60, 62, 72

Arty = 8 points
42, 73

Total: 35 points

The Allied bomber group didn't do too badly, considering the overwhelming odds against us. We are thankful for the fighter cover that we did have for as long as you could hang with us.

BEAVER:
I can appreciate the fact that you would like to have a DTF for the bomber missions in this series. And, before the first frame, I would have thought it was a good idea, too. However, please note that every frame of this series has been the same. The initial plans have been tossed out the window because the enemy put up a brick wall between us and our planned missions. DTFs will not be able to be counted upon because of what has already happened in the first three frames. We have had to improvise (modify) our plans on the fly.

For example, in frame 3, we had to modify the plans at least 4-5 times before we actually got into enemy territory to hit their targets.

The best thing you can do for our bombers is allow us to grab off radar to 27-30K feet and then start our run into the targets. Once we are ready, we will need to give you our estimated time to reach an agreed upon RP. You don't need to be flying around with us while we are grabbing altitude. If you can just be in a position to land and re-up to the RP in time, that would be the best way to have enough fuel to follow us as far as we can go. If you are following us around off dar, it is time/fuel wasted.

In the first sortie, we were able to close 2 targets (72, 73) before we were forced to return to base. We lost a few bombers. The enemy prevented us from making that planned run around the northern sector. So, once we were back on the ground, we had to up quickly because the enemy was pressing down on F77. We took off and climbed out to the west off radar. The suggested targets kept changing because intell was telling us that the enemy was operating in the North and Central sectors, so we kept moving further to the South. None of this was planned, it was because of the enemy operations.

Something I need to explain about the last frame, second sortie. Once we got into enemy territory, we knew that the enemy was coming our way and we had just lost all our fighter cover due to empty fuel tanks. I split up our bomber group to hit several targets that were spread all over the South end and center map. Doing this allowed us to pick up an additional 8 closed targets. There's no way that we would have picked them up if I hadn't assigned the bombers to their own targets.

It takes time to climb up to where you'd like us to be for our protection, but the enemy is not doing that. They are rushing in and closing outposts, artys, and fields quickly. But, it has put them into a huge lead, as a result.

To win this series, we'd have to stop them from hitting our targets AND keep our bombers alive long enough to close 1.5 the number of bases they closed in frame 3 during the last two frames. Even then, that will probably only get us to break even.

Best I think we can do is close the gap, so it isn't as big a loss as it is shaping up to be.

Waiting for some great ideas from those who have been around a while.

<S>

Salute!

I wait for the DR to decide what plane we fly. Gotta fly a mission with Mitchells and another with Forts.

Regardless of what plane the buffs fly, it takes a long, long time to get to altitude. So going to the stratosphere seems a bad idea. Even the Forts can do well down at 10K, and only take 15 minutes to get there. And we can actualy see the tgts from there compared to very high.

I still like the idea of jabo attacks on critters ( tanks and the AI Ju planes).

The Mitchells need more close escort than the Forts due to the guns we have on each plane.

Lastly, we need some defensive lites to keep the Knights from blowing up stuff. Just look at the S6 numbers.

Gums opines....

Not being high is not a problem, if you are at 10K, we can park above you at 15K and dive in on any enemy who come in low, or intercept guys trying to dive past us to get to the buffs. All of the lights can carry bombs, I think it would be a good idea if every light took bombs and did a lightning strike across the border at multiple places, then reforming for defensive duty or buff defense.