Author Topic: Next AH Scenario- Guadalcanal - Operation Watchtower (Read 3188 times)

jordi · « **on:** February 11, 2003, 05:56:32 AM »

The Next Historical Scenario

Guadalcanal - Operation Watchtower[/color][/size]

Intro

The island of Tulagi had been occupied by the Japanese during the Battle of the Coral Sea in May, 1942. The Japanese quickly established a seaplane base there. However, in June the Japanese began constructing a full-fledged airbase on the nearby island of Guadalcanal. Allied intelligence actually knew of Japanese intentions in the area shortly before the first Japanese construction units landed. An American response, in the form of the 1st Marine Division, was not long in coming.

For the next four months, the land, sea and air around Guadalcanal would be the unlikely scene of the most bitter and protracted battle between the US and Japan in the Pacific war.

Can you help the US hold Guadalcanal or will you side with the Japanese to WIN the Decisive Battle they have been looking for to crush the US in the Pacific.

The below is pulled from the Web page for the Scenario that can be found at.

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/mikebowman/Guad/Guad-web.htm

Goals
The Guadalcanal Historical Scenario is designed to recreate to the best of our ability the major events that took place from Aug through Dec 1942.

We will be using most of the areas of combat that AH Allows. Air to Air and Air to Ground Combat , Air to Ship, Ship to Ship and Ship Bombardment of Land targets.

We will have opposing Carrier Fleets attacking each other and supporting other actions.

We will have ship to ship battles in "Iron Bottom Sound"

We will have the vaunted Cactus AF defending Henderson field against the Japanese bombers and fighters.

We will have the Japanese sending the "Tokyo Express" and launching LVT's to resupply vital Japanese Bases on Guadalcanal while keeping the Cactus AF at bay..

The Japanese will have a edge on the number of pilots and planes and ships available. The US forces have to make due with what they have and go toe to toe with a superior equipped force.

REGISTRATION INFORMATION
REGISTRATION DATE - March 29th
Registration will be a first come first serve.
Each Flight will be allowed a MAX Number of pilots allowed. Once a flight is filled no additional pilots will be allowed to sign up for that flight.

Frame Dates [/b]
April 26th ( Saturday )
May 3rd ( Saturday )
May 11th ( Sunday AFTER MOTHERS DAY )
May 18th ( Sunday also )

Start time to be IN THE ARENA will be listed 2:30 PM ET - TAKEOFF at 3:00 PM ET. Each frame will last no more than 2 hours.

This gives us 2 Saturday frames and 2 Sunday Frames. We have the Memorial Day weekend that is forcing us to start a week sooner than we normally would. This also has a smaller impact on TOD's and CAP Events by having just 2 Saturday Frames.

Start time will be listed 2:30 PM ET - TAKEOFF at 3:00 PM ET

CM's and CO's

CM TEAM 3 Headed Monster - Jordi, Skernsk, Bikekill

CO's - to be determined NO LATER than March 1st

Anyone who wants to be considered for a CO Position needs to email me at mikebowman@comcast.net - I will then send you back a questionnaire so we can get a feel for all of the potential candidates.

We will be using a modified SLOT Terrain with new tiles and field layouts and NEW Skins by our Terrain team and other volunteers.

( See pictures in the following Replies )

Fleet / Air power [/color]
Each side gets a CV Fleet and an escort fleet they have to defend.

The Japanese also have a Bombardment Fleet to try to destroy Henderson Field and they have to try to run the Tokyo Express to resupply the army they have on Guadalcanal.

The US also has a Defense Fleet they can use against the Bombardment Fleet or the Tokyo Express.

The US has CV Based planes
VF-5 - F4F-4
VB-3 – SBD-3
VS-3 - SBD-3
VT-8 – TBF

They also have the CACTUS AIR FORCE Based out of Henderson Field.

VMF-121 – F4F-4
VMF-223 – F4F-4
VMF-224 – F4F-4
VMSB-131 – TBF
VMSB-231 - SBD-3
VMSB-232 – SBD-3

Total US Pilots = 148

The Japanese have a slight advantage in the total number of Planes.

The CV based planes are
A6M2
D3A1
B5N2

They also have Land based planes base throughout the Island chains reaching up toward Rabual.
100 – A6m2 from the following Air Groups.
Tainan kokutai
2nd kokutai
251st kokutai
252nd kokutai
253rd kokutai

They also have at their disposal up to 20 bombers from the following groups.
Citose kokutai - Betty Bombers ( substitued with the Ju-88 )
582nd kokutai - D3A1’s
Jokosuka kokutai – B5N2’s

Total Japanese Planes = 192

Plane substitutions

Since we do not have a BETTY and the PEGGY is just too fast and powerful compared to the Betty we are looking at RE-SKINNING a JU88 to substitute for the Betty. This is the only substitution we anticipate using.

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We listen to ALL Comments made by the by the player base. Please keep in mind we may have already discussed many points that may be brought up. Even if we do not reply to each and every question posted we are watching and listening to what you have to say.

Thanks,

CM 3 Headed Monster Team - Jordi, Skernsk, Bikekill

jordi · « **Reply #1 on:** February 11, 2003, 05:59:19 AM »

jordi · « **Reply #2 on:** February 11, 2003, 06:00:19 AM »

AH Version of Henderson Field - WTG Terrain guys !

jordi · « **Reply #3 on:** February 11, 2003, 06:46:22 AM »

NHMadmax · « **Reply #4 on:** February 11, 2003, 01:08:18 PM »

WTG Terrain guys ! great job i would love to know how you do that stuff

jordi · « **Reply #5 on:** February 11, 2003, 02:26:13 PM »

They told me if I gave out thier secret they would have to kill me.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmphs the word !

I am just glad we have such TALENTED people to work with.

funkedup · « **Reply #6 on:** February 11, 2003, 04:49:44 PM »

Wheeee!

Taiaha · « **Reply #7 on:** February 13, 2003, 07:34:47 PM »

This looks fantastic, and I can hardly wait. And WTG on the terrain guys, awesome job.

However

JU 88 for KI 67? Puhlease.

You are seriously telling me that we have a japanese bomber, introduced into the planeset especially for scenarios like this, and we're not going to use it?

Is it faster than the Betty? Oh yes, quite a bit faster. More powerful? Debatable. Betty bombload was 1000KG versus 800 for Peggy. Peggy is armed with 1 20mm and the rest are 12.7s. Most versions of the Betty were armed with 2 7.7mm guns and FOUR 20mm cannon.

And the biggest plus of the Peggy for this scenario? It doesn't look like a Friggin Luftwaffe bomber. Occasionally we have to make some pretty strange substitutions for these scenarios, (who can forget the "dive-vertically-at-500mph-and-release-your-torpedo" TBMs in the midway scenario). Given that you are talking about a relatively small group in the overall plane set, and at worst it might actually make for survivable buff piloting, I'm not sure why we'd want to sacrifice the overall immersion of the thing. If we can deal with a late model 88 in the BOB scenario and those dumb-ass TBMS in the midway scenario, and the substitutions for Russian bombers in the current scenario, we can deal with a faster Japanese buff, surely.

Please reconsider this.

jordi · « **Reply #8 on:** February 13, 2003, 09:10:17 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Taiaha
This looks fantastic, and I can hardly wait. And WTG on the terrain guys, awesome job.

However

Jordi - It tool THIS Long before someone brought this up !

Let me do my best to explain

JU 88 for KI 67? Puhlease.

You are seriously telling me that we have a japanese bomber, introduced into the planeset especially for scenarios like this, and we're not going to use it?

Jordi - The KI-67 is was not available during the time period we are recreating.

Is it faster than the Betty? Oh yes, quite a bit faster. More powerful? Debatable. Betty bombload was 1000KG versus 800 for Peggy. Peggy is armed with 1 20mm and the rest are 12.7s. Most versions of the Betty were armed with 2 7.7mm guns and FOUR 20mm cannon.

Jordi - Yes it is faster - so much so that the F4F will have at best 1 shot at the bomber before it starts eating her dust. We can restrict the bomb load of the Ju88 to come as close to the Betty as allowable. We expect that the lower armament of the Ju88 will make up for its better Tuffness compared to Betty's tendency to catch fire at the drop of a pin. The Speed of hte Ju*8 is much closer to that of the Betty also.

And the biggest plus of the Peggy for this scenario? It doesn't look like a Friggin Luftwaffe bomber. Occasionally we have to make some pretty strange substitutions for these scenarios, (who can forget the "dive-vertically-at-500mph-and-release-your-torpedo" TBMs in the midway scenario). Given that you are talking about a relatively small group in the overall plane set, and at worst it might actually make for survivable buff piloting, I'm not sure why we'd want to sacrifice the overall immersion of the thing. If we can deal with a late model 88 in the BOB scenario and those dumb-ass TBMS in the midway scenario, and the substitutions for Russian bombers in the current scenario, we can deal with a faster Japanese buff, surely.

Jordi - We have out BEST SKINNERS working on making it look LESS likea LW Bomber and MORE Like a IJN Bomber.

We are also waiting to pick the CO's and see what thier take on the changes are also.

Please reconsider this.

We had the same debate in the CM Forums - with the same Pro's and Con's you have brought up.

Mike "DmdJordi" Bowman
AH CM Scenario Staff

Taiaha · « **Reply #9 on:** February 14, 2003, 05:38:44 PM »

LOL, thanks for the reply, Jordi. And yes, I held off thinking that someone else was bound to complain about this. So, when no one did, I felt it was honour and duty to step up and whine for the silent majority. . .

I realize it's not an easy job working the substitutions for these, and you are right that the F4Fs would get just one shot (although effective squad tactics and attacking in waves might make up for this). As a last point I would say, however, that this would not be that dissimilar to the situation that prevailed in the BOB scenario. The vast majority of us poor schleps piloting Hurricanes most of the time had only one pass on the bombers because they were so much faster than the period bombers.

And if you get one shot, all the more incentive to make the most of it!

I'm not worried about the skin, I know it will be great (I have been gobsmacked with some of the stuff that has been produced for the CT recently). But it's just, you know, the principle of the thing!

SLAMMER · « **Reply #10 on:** February 15, 2003, 10:57:20 AM »

Jordi- on 3/29/03, registration begins. Newbie question- how and where does one register? Thanks in advance!

Flossy · « **Reply #11 on:** February 15, 2003, 12:19:09 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by SLAMMER
Jordi- on 3/29/03, registration begins. Newbie question- how and where does one register? Thanks in advance!

~~Hi SLAM! I will post details of the registration site in plenty of time - just keep an eye on the SE Announcements forum a bit nearer the time!~~

SLAMMER · « **Reply #12 on:** February 15, 2003, 01:38:36 PM »

~~Flossy, and thanks!~~

AKcurly · « **Reply #13 on:** February 18, 2003, 04:52:07 PM »

How many frames to the scenario? Is it a one life per frame event? When you kill a plane, is that plane removed from the enemy's inventory or will they start with a fresh set of planes next frame?

I sure like the scheme we've been using in Niemen.

curly

Flossy · « **Reply #14 on:** February 18, 2003, 05:35:04 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by AKcurly
How many frames to the scenario?

From the first message in the thread:

Frame Dates
April 26th ( Saturday )
May 3rd ( Saturday )
May 11th ( Sunday AFTER MOTHERS DAY )
May 18th ( Sunday also )

therefore....... 4 frames.....