FSO Proposal: Battle of the Bismarck Sea

[Stoney]

I think I'd just get rid of the 4-engine bombers and concentrate on the B-25 and A-20/Bostons.  Zeros and B-17s/B-24s don't balance out very well.

[Guppy35]

It was Beaufort torpedo bombers...only 2 made any contact...and since they aren't part of the plane set...

Take the Bostons and P-40s.

30 Squadron Beaus were there with the B25C Strafers.  Some of the best Bismarck Sea film came from one of the Beaus.

[gyrene81]

30 Squadron Beaus were there with the B25C Strafers.  Some of the best Bismarck Sea film came from one of the Beaus.

My apologies Guppy, I found the conflicting information. It seems there was a reported 12 Beaufighters from 30 Sq that low level strafed the convoy. They were at such low levels that one report says they looked like Beauforts making torpedo runs...not surprising since there were some Beauforts in the battle as well.

I think I'd just get rid of the 4-engine bombers and concentrate on the B-25 and A-20/Bostons.  Zeros and B-17s/B-24s don't balance out very well.

Awww come one Stoney...if the 4 engine heavies were restricted to Port Moresby they wouldn't be able to get higher than 7-8k anyway with full loads. If the CMs limit the numbers allowed to up, it would be a fair fight assuming that at least 30% of the Japanese fighter cover could be Ki-61s or A6M5s.

[Soulyss]

Awww come one Stoney...if the 4 engine heavies were restricted to Port Moresby they wouldn't be able to get higher than 7-8k anyway with full loads. If the CMs limit the numbers allowed to up, it would be a fair fight assuming that at least 30% of the Japanese fighter cover could be Ki-61s or A6M5s.

Weather was also a concern during the battle, the Japanese were actually counting on bad weather to shelter the fleet during the run.  The CM's could also set a wind layer at like 10K and some cloud cover that could make bombing above that altitude a little dicey. 

[ghostdancer]

I think as you guys said that P-39s could come into play since we have some on Milne Bay.

By this I mean you have roughly 240 to 250 a side. Both sides need attack and defense targets. Roughly we usually try to go with 5 or 6 of each resulting in 10 to 12 objectives per side. So in the design I would do a frame with the battle of the Bismark Sea which 2 or 3 fleets simulating the battle. You still would want to have 2 or 3 more objectives. So you can also say you are simulating other actions going on in the same time frame ... thus the P-39s out of Milne Bay might be pounding Japanese position along the New Guinea Coast while forces out of Portmoresby are hitting the convoys and also maybe hitting Japanese positions along the coast.

That way you get the essence of the battle but spread things out to accomodate 480 to 500 players. It would be hard to do an event with that many players whose only objective is stopping a convoy or three. Or even 5 convoys but then having to spread them out across a front of say 10 to 12 sectors.

So instead saying like 2 water targets and 3 ground targets I think might achieve more of the essence of what you want. Plus, P-39s could be involved if you wish. Of you can stick with the bulk of the fighter forces as P40s with some P38s versus the build of the IJN as A6M2s or A6M5s and some Ki61s.

[Soulyss]

Over a multi-frame event, I would suppose that each frame could have different objectives.  Japanese objectives could be successfully bombing Port Moresby (this was still going on, the last major bombing raid took place on April 12th 1943), driving the allies out of and capturing Wau airstrip, and successfully delivering troops and supplies to Lae (aka ships survive the Battle of Bismark Sea). 

The allies could be on the defensive in frame 1 (defend Port Moresby), frame 2 could be hold Wau and deliver reinforcements (P-39's were escorting C-47's on a regular basis, bringing fresh Australian troops to Wau), and Frame 3 would culminate in the Battle of Bismark Sea.

[ghostdancer]

Yep, depends on if you envision this for a snap shot, 1 night event, or for an FSO a three night event. Adjustments then can be made also depending on this. A Battle of Bismark Sea snapshot could be very fun and might be able to focus much better on just that battle. Otherwise what you laid out is definitely plausible and workable.