Drano thanks for your input - please don't feed the troll.
Directly from the written orders:
CV Control
The CO of each defensive fighter squad is responsible for “Turning the CV” during an attack. This is generally only effective for Torpedo attacks, but as a rule – If it’s flashing start spinning it about.
It is clearly written in the defensive half of the orders. I don't believe it is ambiguous even standing alone here, let alone in the context of where it sat in the written orders. Specific COs were responsible for defensive manouvres during an actual attack. They had no other CV command or routing responsibilies. These remained with the CIC.
What happened on the day from my perspective:
Sled discussed with me well before the start of frame as to the positioning and control of the CVs. I was to place them on course a couple of minutes before frame start and he would jump them. This would give time for them to straighten before H00.
When I tried to set the courses at H - 3.00 I was unable to do so. I advised Sled and he was able to bring control of them to me.
H. 00 the cvs were in the right position and on course.
On becoming airborne I started contacting defensive squad CO's to ensure they understood their responsibility for defensive CV control. I discussed this with Nomde and MGD for C5 and C6 on command 150. I used a mixture of communications channels (including vox) to talk with 1hungloe who intimated himself as CO of VF-4 & VF-31 Co-Op. He had taken control of the CV4 before H:00 and had placed it on a course different to that which I wanted. He had obviously read the written order and was acting on it, though not understanding it.
After discussion of what I intended and what his responsibilities were to be, he gave up control and the CV was placed correctly on course by me.
Shortly after launch of the initial attack wave someone started to turn the cv with the defensive force still taking off. Strong vox messages were transmitted of the form "stop turning the cv".
Sometime after launch, Sled contacted me and advised that I had the CVs headed out of the correct area.
A check of the map showed that CV5 and CV6 had been routed more or less on a convoluted course to attack Port Moresby (A10). Attempts to correct the courses failed as the buttons on the panel were greyed out to me. Attempts to take control of the cvs failed. I advised Sled. CV4 was under the command of 1hungloe and still on its correct course.
Sled can fill in the next bit as/if he wishes. A number of appeals, orders and threats were issued for people who were "not authorised," to leave to cvs alone. I believe Sled was able to wrest control of the 2 misguided ones and I was then able to correct their courses. No CV ever left its assigned area. It was a disruptive but fairly short exercise in crapology.
A couple of players then started complaining that we were not sticking to the orders??? I then asked for the responsible COs ie. Nomde, MGD and 1hungloe to take control of the CVs to prevent the rogue player from continuing to screw up the game, as it were. Once control of a CV was taken by a player there was no way to take it back as player ranks were all zero. Only CM intervention was effective.
For the greater portion of the frame there was no problem with CV control. A few players, I believe all from the same squad, may have argued about who was in charge. This was with respect to C4? I am uncertain as to how VF-4 & VF-31 Co-Op organise themselves, but if there really was trouble there, it is up to them to fix it. If the trouble was elsewhere then I am even further from understanding what the noise was about.
There were a couple of cases of people requesting CVs to be straightened to allow them to land. I think one guy might have asked 2 or 3 times. One can presume the controlling CO was too busy to do it instantly or it may have been that he thought the CV was under threat and he wasn't going to risk it to make it easy for a zeke to land. I don't know. It gets busy in events. Try being in charge of one if you don't believe me.
Now this whole thing has been extremely trivial and its effects in game were almost non-existent except for, and this is the most important thing:
It detracted from people's fun and in fact ruined somebody's enjoyment completely! That sucks. That really sucks. A lot of people go to a heck of a lot of trouble to bring fun to a whole bunch more who just have to show up. For rogues and trolls to rob them of that is despicable.
CO's are responsible for the conduct of their squads. That's it.
