CT's OPEN: Setup - Time of Aces

[Mister Fork]

Time of Aces - 7th of October 1944

October was a pivotal month for the air campaign on Guadalcanal. It was a time when the men who had arrived in August were clearly at the end of their endurance, for sickness and fatigue hit them after they had survived Japanese bullets. However, new squadrons and crews were arriving, among them VMF-121, led by Major Leonard K. "Duke" Davis. His executive officer, Captain Joseph J. Foss, would soon make a name for himself. Other veterans of the campaign had not stayed idle. Major Smith of VMF-223 had taken his squadron up on 2 October against a raid by Japanese bombers and fighters. The Zero escorts dove on the climbing Navy and Marine Wildcats, quickly shooting down two fighters from VMF-223. Smith exited a cloud to confront three Zeros. He blasted a fighter into a ball of flame. However, the two remaining Zeros got on his tail and peppered the struggling little blue-gray F6F with cannon and machine gun fire. Listening to a repaired radio from a damaged SBD back at Guadalcanal, the crews of Dennis Byrd's VMSB-232 heard Captain Carl call to his skipper. "John, you've got a Zero on your tail!" "I know, I know," Smith replied, "shoot the SOB if you can!" Then all was silence


Terrain – the Slot

Aircraft

Allied
1.B-26 (with Formations)
2.F4U-1D
3.F4U-1C
4.P-38L
6.F6f-5
5.SBD-5

Axis
1.KI67 (with formations)
2.N1K2
3.A6M5b
4.KI61
5.KI84
6.B5N2


Arena Settings
- Fuel 1.5
- Icons short
- .51 Ack
- Fighter and Bomber warning range 42,000 (about 8 miles)
- Tower range set to 42,000 (for display only to match the above setting)
- Clouds / visibility (17 miles)
- Friendly collisions off
- Kill shooter off
- South East 10 knots

68KO
Aces High CT Advisor

[Mister Fork]

Couple of notes:

- The corner ports are disabled and useless to bomb (they're bishop HQ's - so unless you like to bomb a HQ where there is no enemy, knock yourself out.)
- There are no CV's. All aircraft are land based. (for now, but that might change tomorrow).

[wonton]

Looks good forkster, thanks for setting it up!

[Shifty]

Originally posted by Mister Fork

- There are no CV's. All aircraft are land based. (for now, but that might change tomorrow).

Hey a little suspence.......... Nice touch .

[eskimo2]

Wooo Hoo!

That was a fun hour!  
It would be great if those two close bases couldn't be captured.

eskimo

[humble]

Sounds like fun...but we're talking Oct of 1942....not 1944.

The only F4U in service at thew time was the the -1. I dont think the -1A (bubble canopy) was in service. VMF-223 flew F4F-4 wildacts. VMSB-232 flew SBD-3's.

The 1st P-38G's arrived on 11/12/42, 8 P38G's under Dale Brannon. 8 more P-38F's from the 39th FS 35 FG arrived the next day. The 1st P-40's arrived in Jan, 1943. None of the planes listed in the allied order of battle actually saw action with the exception of the SBD (subbing 3 for 5). There were 10 B-26's at start but 99% of bombardment was carried out by B-17's...

Obviously N1K2, Ki-61 Ki-84 not in service either....

Nice setup but totally wrong historically as an FYI....

[Pappy35]

Originally posted by humble
Sounds like fun...but we're talking Oct of 1942....not 1944.

The only F4U in service at thew time was the the -1. I dont think the -1A (bubble canopy) was in service. VMF-223 flew F4F-4 wildacts. VMSB-232 flew SBD-3's.

Humble

I really don't think Vought F4U-1 Corsair did not see any action in 1942 (VF-12 were the first to use Corsairs, but they were order to fly F6F Hellcat after Operational landing problem and VF-17 were the second squadron to take F4U, then VMF-124), but to know that they did see action in the early 1943 and also Vought F4U-1A Corsair with tear drop canopy enter service in late 1943.  About F4U-1C, they didn't see the action until late May 1945, same for F4U-4.

Then again, just fun game and there is nothing wrong with that.

Pappy35 aka Rafe

[humble]

Originally posted by Pappy35
Humble

I really don't think Vought F4U-1 Corsair did not see any action in 1942 (VF-12 were the first to use Corsairs, but they were order to fly F6F Hellcat after Operational landing problem and VF-17 were the second squadron to take F4U, then VMF-124), but to know that they did see action in the early 1943 and also Vought F4U-1A Corsair with tear drop canopy enter service in late 1943.  About F4U-1C, they didn't see the action until late May 1945, same for F4U-4.

Then again, just fun game and there is nothing wrong with that.

Pappy35 aka Rafe

I'm unaware of them anywhere in pac in 42...however I wasnt sure if they saw any action in early 43 prior to actual fall of the canal. To the best of my knowledge all marine air (as well as naval air) was F4F-4. The P400 was actually primary allied aircraft thruout the campaign. Not really a good sub but P-40 would be closest thing we have.

[Pappy35]

Originally posted by humble
I'm unaware of them anywhere in pac in 42...however I wasnt sure if they saw any action in early 43 prior to actual fall of the canal. To the best of my knowledge all marine air (as well as naval air) was F4F-4. The P400 was actually primary allied aircraft thruout the campaign. Not really a good sub but P-40 would be closest thing we have.

The Corsairs (F4U-1s) of VMF-124 would be the first to commit this fighter in combat on 13 February 1943 at Guadalcanal, and would fly from airfields in the Solomon Islands such as Guadalcanal, Russell Islands, and Munda, between February and September 1943.  During the 13 February 1943 engagement, 12 Corsairs of VMF-124 were assigned as fighter escort for fifteen Thirteenth Air Force B-24 Liberator bombers belonging to the 307th Bomb Group.  This mission was a 300 mile attack against the airfields on Bougainville.  On 14 February 1943, the Corsairs of VMF-124 and 70th Fighter Squadron P-38s again escorted the B-24s of the 307th BG and Navy VB-101 PB4Ys against this same target.  What became known as the "St. Valentine's Day Massacre," resulted in the loss of eight bombers, two Corsairs, two P-38s, and two P-40s, but they had three Zeros in return.

Pappy

[Suave]

Bomb sites are set on easy mode, pls fix.

I spent half an hour trying to figure out why I couldn't calibrate my bomb site before I realized this.

[Suave]

Also c47s aren't available.

[68KO]

Guys I know the dates are not correct but, I try to mke it excieting. I think the plane set balances out and I allways try to add some drama with my setups . I hope you like it and there are more to come I have a boat load.

[Mister Fork]

Yeah, no C-47's. Guess you'll have to drive an LVT over...

It's just to make bases harder to capture.

[Karnak]

Looks fun, except for maybe the F4U-1Cs.

If I can bring my computer back to life (WinXP's registry died on me last night) I may give it a try.  I haven't flown in a long time.  We'll see.

[humble]

Originally posted by 68KO
Guys I know the dates are not correct but, I try to mke it excieting. I think the plane set balances out and I allways try to add some drama with my setups . I hope you like it and there are more to come I have a boat load.

Not bashing it at all....just historically way off. As for plane set....

Trufthfully the best set (not totally correct historically) would be P38G/P40/P47D11 (USAAC), F6F (carrier based only) F4U-1 (USMC land based only). Japanese A6M5 (carrier based only), Ki-61 & Ki-84 (JAAF) land based only. That is the closest "historical" matchup thats really balanced. The Ki-61 can easily hold its own vs both the F6F and the -1 hog and the Ki-84 is probably best plane in set. You can add the B pony or 38J (entered pac service in late 43). But the bulk of 38's where G & H till 44...The Ki-61 entered service in June 43, the Ki-84 entered production in Aug 43 but didnt really see front line service till late 43/early 44....but you have a 6 month window from 8/43 till 2/44 where you really have a "balanced" set before the "J" and other upgrades arrive. The N1K2 wasnt really historically important and its really not needed. your "fudging in" the Ki-84 by a few months but otherwise its dead on and it gives a real contrast.