Just want to add some clarity for Drano here:
I built the basic structure for the Allies plan in the first frame. I wasn't there to fly it so I don't know what happened. I believe I understood perfectly what the designer was trying to achieve with the "sweep". Send at least 15 Spitfire 9's over to France and mix it up with at least 15 190-A5's. The plan had that task in it. Fuel was always going to be a problem for the Spits. Good. Makes everybody work a little harder.
In the second frame I was flying in one of the Spit 9's that was given the same basic task. What went wrong? Well really nothing, but it just didn't work out as the designer originally intended - that's the fog of war thingy.
15 Spit 9's took off and headed for the sweep task. They weren't all from one squad so they got a little spread out on the way. The first and lowest group ran right into some 109's half way across the channel. They engaged. The second group joined straight in. The third group, lagging behind, arrived over the fight. After a bit of coordination it was decided to keep this third group high and headed toward the orginal target to intercept any 190's that may come out to the fight.
Ships that pass in the night.
The third group went all the way to the target area without seeing so much as a sparrow. It then flew east, west and sideways around the target field getting hammered by puffy ack. Finally with about 10 minutes fuel left to complete a 15 minute flight they departed for home. Outbound over the coast they overflew a much lower group of 190s and 109's apparently on the way to refuel at the base just left.
Now right here is where FSO is superior to MA. Spits could not engage even for a moment without running out of fuel and all ending up in the drink. In the MA the spits would have screamed back to the field after a few minutes to catch the 190s etc on the rearm pads. Didn't happen, wasn't going to happen. This wasn't out of "gentlemen don't behave this way" thoughts, but rather the prime directives, in their priority, for squad ops:
1. Complete the task
2. Come home safely
3. Shoot the red dudes.
This small group of Spits didn't get a fight for the first 90 minutes, not because there wasn't one there somewhere, but because it either was the wrong fight or it was a suicide fight. In the end, they did get an engagement (and completely screwed it up) but it was worth waiting for.
This FSO has been the absolute best for CO's I have seen. There is a lot of work here. You have to be on the ball or get run over in this series. It's a model for future FSO scenarios.
It's not about a fast all in brawl for me. It's about immersion and the sweat that rolls down the joystick when you realise that you are going into battle with one life, and it matters.
