Wednesday Night Snapshot 9/16 "Operation Torch"

[68Raptor]

Artist Credit: To McDonnell Douglas via Harry Gann

During OPERATION TORCH in November of 1942, the Ranger was joined with 4 escort carriers, the USS Santee, USS Suwanee, USS Sangamon and USS Chenango, for the North African engagement. At the time OPERATION TORCH was considered the most ambitious naval operation yet conducted in the European-African theater. This SNAPSHOT will reenact one such Air Strike Mission to destroy the Vichy French Naval fleet.


Arena:
SEA

Country Percentages:
Allies 60%
Axis 40%

Allies:
F4F  33%
SBD 33%
TBM 33%

Orders:
The F4Fs will take off from C49 and provide fighter CAP for the strike force. The SBDs and TBMs will take off from C50 and attack the Vichy French fleet at P55 as well as the port facility. All ground objects are valid targets.

Restrictions:
Three F4Fs must remain over each fleet to provide CAP. The bombers may only carry the 500 lb. bomb. The TBMs may not carry rockets.

Axis:
P-40B      50%
Boston III 50%

Orders:
The Boston IIIs will take off from A15 to find and destroy the American fleet in sectors 1,13 and 2,13. The P-40Bs will take off from A14 and provide air cover for the bomber group.

Restrictions:
Six P-40Bs must provide CAP over port P55.



Victory Conditions:

Allies:

Fighter = 3 points
Bomber = 3 points
Ships = 10 points
Hangers = 10 points
Radar = 2 points
Ammo = 2 points
Ack = 1 points
Fuel = 2 points
Barracks = 2 points


Axis:
Fighter = 5 points
Bomber = 7 points
Ships = 10 points
 
Arena Settings:
1. Terrain - Tunisia
2. Icon Range – Short
3. Wind – 5 knots south
4. Time – 0800 hours
5. Fighter & Bomber Warning Range – 36,960 (about 7 Miles)
6. Enemy Collisions – On
7. External view for bombers (F3) – on

8. Visibility - 17 miles
9. Friendly Collisions - off
10. Fuel - 1.0
11. Ack - 0.4
12. Kill shooter - off
13. Tower Range – 36,960 (for display to aid players, set to match the above setting)
14. Radar – off

Designers Notes:
The Tunisia map only covers the Eastern US invasion force. So this snapshot is not historically accurate.

CM Notes:
All target must be attached at T+50. The second frame should be F4F vs P-40Bs.

Designed by:
Redtail7 on September 8th 2008

[gyrene81]

Sounds like a lot of fun.

Just a note...in case you want to make the adjustments.

The axis should be flying limited numbers of Bf109-E4s, Bf109-F4s, Ju88s..and I think the Macchi C-202...not P-40s and Bostons.

[68Raptor]

I'd have to do some looking again but I think Redtail7 went with the P40s and Boston as they are close (performance and gun package) to the actual planes. I don't remember the actual planeset used and I'm on the road ATM so I'm doing good to be able to even post 

[swareiam]

Sounds like a lot of fun.

Just a note...in case you want to make the adjustments.

The axis should be flying limited numbers of Bf109-E4s, Bf109-F4s, Ju88s..and I think the Macchi C-202...not P-40s and Bostons.

This is Operation Torch...

The American's were up against the Vichy French, not the Luftwaffe. At least they were for this particluar Snapshot. There will not be any Luftwaffe aircraft.
Because there weren't many around in Morocco at the time.The Vichy French Air Forces were flying Curtiss P-36 Hawks and Douglas DB-7s. These aircraft
were acquired by the French government prior to the hostilies of 1939. Of course, we don't have a P-36 Hawk. So the best we could match was the P-40B.
Luckily the Boston III is a vailable with similar performce to the DB-7. The French had other aircraft of course, but we have none of them in our current planeset
to choose from.

The battle that you are speaking of happens many months later in East Algiera and all of Tunisia.

Wiki Info on Vichy French Air Forces and Operation Torch;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vichy_French_Air_Force

Enjoy...

Redtail7

[gyrene81]

Sorry, but according to my resources the Luftwaffe did get involved with Operation Torch after the initial attack phase...so I kinda made the assumption that the LW aircraft would be in this event..didn't realize.

Lufwaffe Aces: German Combat Pilots of World War II...detail on a Ju88 bomber wing called the 1st Training and Demonstration wing (pretty strange name) commanded by Joachim (?) Helbig. He did get escorts from Bf109's during daylight missions.


The Boston is a good sub for the Douglas DB-7 considering the A-20 in AH is a much more uber plane than the early DB-7/A-20 that the French bought.


P-40B in place of the P-36...err...ok I guess that works considering the 4 revisions shipped:
# Hawk 75A-1 - First production batch for France, 4 × 7.5 mm (.295 in) machine guns, R-1830-SC-G engine with 900 hp (671 kW), 100 built# # Hawk 75A-2 - Second production batch for France, either R-1830-SC-G engine or 1,050 hp (783 kW) R-1830-SC3-G engine, 6 × 7.5 mm (0.295 in) machine guns, 100 built
# Hawk 75A-3 - Third production batch for France, similar with Hawk 75A-2[5], 135 built
# Hawk 75A-4 - Last production batch for France, Hawk 75A-2 with Wright R-1820-G205A Cyclone engine with 1,200 hp (895 kW). 285 built, 81 delivered to France, others to Great Britain as Mohawk IV




Should prove to be an interesting fight with the plane matchups...and the 60/40 ratio...if nothing goes haywire at work during this event, count me in on the French side please.

[swareiam]

Sorry, but according to my resources the Luftwaffe did get involved with Operation Torch after the initial attack phase...so I kinda made the assumption that the LW aircraft would be in this event..didn't realize.

Luftwaffe Aces: German Combat Pilots of World War II...detail on a Ju88 bomber wing called the 1st Training and Demonstration wing (pretty strange name) commanded by Joachim (?) Helbig. He did get escorts from Bf109's during daylight missions.


The Boston is a good sub for the Douglas DB-7 considering the A-20 in AH is a much more uber plane than the early DB-7/A-20 that the French bought.


P-40B in place of the P-36...err...ok I guess that works considering the 4 revisions shipped:
# Hawk 75A-1 - First production batch for France, 4 × 7.5 mm (.295 in) machine guns, R-1830-SC-G engine with 900 hp (671 kW), 100 built# # Hawk 75A-2 - Second production batch for France, either R-1830-SC-G engine or 1,050 hp (783 kW) R-1830-SC3-G engine, 6 × 7.5 mm (0.295 in) machine guns, 100 built
# Hawk 75A-3 - Third production batch for France, similar with Hawk 75A-2[5], 135 built
# Hawk 75A-4 - Last production batch for France, Hawk 75A-2 with Wright R-1820-G205A Cyclone engine with 1,200 hp (895 kW). 285 built, 81 delivered to France, others to Great Britain as Mohawk IV




Should prove to be an interesting fight with the plane matchups...and the 60/40 ratio...if nothing goes haywire at work during this event, count me in on the French side please.

Sir,

You win hands down. You'll not find me refuting history in that manner. Changing its context or anything like that. So, if that is what you're looking for I concede already. What I will say is this. This Snapshot is historically based on one such day in history somewhere around the 8th of November 1942. It parameters specifically focus upon the short battle that the US. Navy had with the Vichy French Air Force. That's about it.

No debate on the Luftwaffe or anything like that. The A-20G which is represented in the AHII planeset didn't see combat until 1943. So sticking with the Boston III is good. It's not really about how uber. It's about closely matching history. Yes, there were many versions of the Hawk. None of which we have in our planeset. The next production model fighter up the Curtis line was the 40B. So, I thought I would just keep it in the family. It's all close enough to have fun; is the way I look at it. Hope to see you there next Wednesday.

Cheers.

[boomerlu]

One quibble: Axis have no aircraft assigned to protect their port facilities? Seems all their P-40s are assigned to escort on the offensive missions.

[gyrene81]

One quibble: Axis have no aircraft assigned to protect their port facilities? Seems all their P-40s are assigned to escort on the offensive missions.

Did you miss this?

Restrictions:
Six P-40Bs must provide CAP over port P55.




I think as far as the French forces were concerned during Operation Torch...considered a success in 3 days or something like that? Similar to the first gulf war operation desert shield.

[boomerlu]

Did you miss this?

Restrictions:
Six P-40Bs must provide CAP over port P55.

Woops sorry. I retract my previous statement. There needs to be a foot in mouth icon .

[68Raptor]

The map is loaded in SEA II in case anyone needs to download it.

[vonKrimm]

Woo-Hoo! that was a fun SS!!!  Thank you &  for providing such an enjoyable one.  also,  to all the sticks that showed-up.

[68Raptor]

Hope everyone else had fun

Logs can be found here
http://ahevents.org/eventlogs.html

[potsNpans]

I enjoyed yesterdays Snapshot very much. You guys got every body off and up to speed without a hitch for a good event. Thanks.