The Pause

[Oldman731]

THE PAUSE - DECEMBER 1943   

The disastrous October 14, 1943 Schweinfurt
mission has at last convinced the 8th Air Force
leadership that it cannot continue to send
unescorted bomber formations into the teeth
of the Luftwaffe day fighter defense.  Winter
descends on the Continent, foreclosing continuous
strategic operations.  The 8th uses this winter
pause to work out new tactics with new weapons. 
P-38s and P-51s fly their early combat missions. 
More important, the mainstay P-47 fighter squadrons
are equipped with new long-range drop tanks.

During December, 1943 the 8th flys eight major
raids - all of them under fighter escort.  The
RAF, as it has done for three long years,
continues to fly cross-Channel fighter missions,
seeking out the German fighter squadrons which
are now experiencing serious - and ultimately
decisive - attrition of their best pilots.


ALLIES (Bishops)

A-20G
B-17
B-24
B-26
C-47
Mosquito
P-38J
P-47D11
P-51B
Spitfire Mk 9
Jeep
The M's
T-34/76 (reverse lend-lease?)


AXIS (Knights)

Me-109G6
Me-110G2
C-47
Fw-190A5
Ju-88
Jeep
M-8
Pz IV
SdKfz 251
Ostwind
Wirblewind


SETTINGS

Visibility:  12.0 miles
Radar: Tower 158400, Sector 343200
Field Ack: low-level and puffy are both .25
Killshooter is on
Fuel burn rate is 1.0
Field capture: 10 troops (maproom hardness .0015)
Strat is disabled.

[Shifty]

Okay I'm going to catch hell from friends on this one...

However I'm for historical setups but balance as well.

I love your setup. However this is one setup where I think the Spit9 will unbalance the setup.
The 109G6 doesn't have the agility of the G2, or F4 models. Just my opinion but the Spit-9 is needed more against those two aircraft and it did historically fight against those two. The
P-47D11, and P-38J will matchup well against the 109G6, 190A5, and 110G. Granted the regular Luftwaffe guys will be more than able to handle noobs in a Spit-9, but still I have to say this is one setup where the Spit-9 might be a liability. I still standby my beliefs that the Spit-9 should be used more in historical setups especially in a Tunisa setup where you usually have F4Fs, P-38Gs, P-40Es, and SpitVs going against FW-190A5s, Bf-110Gs, Bf-109Fs and G2s, plus MC202s... The Spit-9 in a least limited numbers would help balance that setup. This one I'm not so sure.

You may well end up having to pull the Spit before the week is out if people come in and only fly it. I know I've complained in the past about not including it, if you run a 2.0 fuel burn that may take some of impact out of the Spit-9. I think your setup is about as well balanced as you can get if you remove the Spit-9.

<S>

[Odee]

Oldman;
Nice scenario... but why the C-47 for the Axis if there's no base taking?

Shifty:

My old friend, you sound like a Polish sex manual; "Put it in, pull it ou, put it in"    Had to read it three times to get what you're saying. **I'm a Kraut mutt, Poles would still be pondering it** j/k

I agree with limiting the Spit9, or at least cutting the fuel/range they are allowed to fly.  Something like "Spit9's may only operate in sectors such-n-such, or May not cross grid line so-n-so..."

[Dawger]

I like it. Just need some bombers to escort

[Shifty]

Shifty:

My old friend, you sound like a Polish sex manual; "Put it in, pull it ou, put it in"    Had to read it three times to get what you're saying. **I'm a Kraut mutt, Poles would still be pondering it** j/k

I agree with limiting the Spit9, or at least cutting the fuel/range they are allowed to fly.  Something like "Spit9's may only operate in sectors such-n-such, or May not cross grid line so-n-so..."

True. 

I guess my point is there are historical setups where it would be a useful and historical addition and it's been left out.
This setup seems pretty sweet without it in my opinion, but you know what they say about opinions.

[texastc316]

Excellent!

What time is the AvA the busiest? I love the AvA but it has normally really died down by the time I get home from work (10pm central) Would love to get in on this set up.

[Anaxogoras]

Again, by December 1943 there would have been 109G-6s with MW50 or GM-1 boost in the ETO, not to mention the missing 30mm option.

Bring on the SpitIX.

[captain1ma]

lets just try it the way it is and ask for adjustments as needed. let see how this goes first. we can tweak as necessary. just my thoughts 

[Oldman731]

Here are my thoughts on a couple of the points raised:

First, the Spit 9.  Thanks, Shifty, for bringing this up.  Basically, I sense that the Luftwaffe flyers are more competent in their rides now than they were three years ago.  I also suspect that the more experienced Allied pilots will want to fly the more challenging rides.  The Spits are there because they were there, and because they give some of the newer folks a bit of a handicap when fighting some of the Axis regulars.  If it turns out that all we see are Spit 9s, we can adjust the plane set.

As to the goonies and tanks and stuff....Historically there was obviously not an invasion of Europe (or England) in December 1944.  I doubt there will be now, but the tools are there in case some of the base-taking types want to give it a try.  We can reset bases if things get too weird.  I'm also expecting that at least a few intrepid souls will take German E-boats and fight British MTBs out in the Channel (the two look remarkably alike).  Different people have the opportunity to do different things.

As Jaeger said, let's see how things work, and then we can make adjustments.  Please post your observations here!

- oldman

[B4Buster]

Should be fun 

[Karnak]

Spit IX should be replaced by the Spitfire Mk VIII or Spitfire Mk XVI as either is a far more accurate representation of the Spitfire LF.Mk IXs used in the time period depicted here.  The Spitfire F.Mk IX we have in AH is only really appropriate for settings from mid 1942 through early/mid 1943.

[Anaxogoras]

Spit IX should be replaced by the Spitfire Mk VIII or Spitfire Mk XVI as either is a far more accurate representation of the Spitfire LF.Mk IXs used in the time period depicted here.  The Spitfire F.Mk IX we have in AH is only really appropriate for settings from mid 1942 through early/mid 1943.

Not until I get a 109G-6 with MW-50 or GM-1!

[Karnak]

Not until I get a 109G-6 with MW-50 or GM-1!

Use the Bf109G-14 as a stand in.  I don't know how close those are as I am not a Bf109 expert.

The Spitfire F.Mk IX with the Merlin 61 is just not representative of what was being flown from mid-1943 on.  The Spitfire Mk IXs were mostly LF.Mk IXs with a Merlin 66, just like our Mk VIII and Mk XVI (yes, the charts for our XVI match a Merlin 66 and not the Merlin 266).

[Anaxogoras]

Use the Bf109G-14 as a stand in.  I don't know how close those are as I am not a Bf109 expert.

The Spitfire F.Mk IX with the Merlin 61 is just not representative of what was being flown from mid-1943 on.  The Spitfire Mk IXs were mostly LF.Mk IXs with a Merlin 66, just like our Mk VIII and Mk XVI (yes, the charts for our XVI match a Merlin 66 and not the Merlin 266).

They're pretty much identical, but I'm yet to convince Oldman to sub the G-14 for a December '43 G-6.

As for the Spit VIII, I agree with you.