Note: This is a very preliminary re-work of the Air Warrior Ploesti! event design. Thoughts appreciated.
1. DESCRIPTION
By late 1943 the protracted Allied bombing campaign had taken a heavy toll on the Axis war machine's production ability in Western Europe. Further in the East however, the Axis controlled oil refinery complexes on the perifery of the Romanian city of Ploesti were a major source of petrolium produts increasingly needed to keep the Axis machine running at all. 1944 saw several low-level raids on this vital and well protected area using a variety of methods and aircraft. The most infamous of these raids was "Operation Tidal Wave" (later known as "Black Sunday") in which nearly 1/3 of the 165 bombers that flew to target never got back, while another 1/3 were heavily damaged.
This scenario is a "semi-historical" event in which the Allied CO will have sevaral options and planesets available with which to attack the Ploesti complex, and the Axis will have choices to make as to how to best defend the area depending on what they percieve the Allied "attack du jour" is all about.
1.1 Overview
The Aces High Ploesti! Scenario is designed to be a 6 frame switch side event. There is no set "Allied and Axis" team. EACH TEAM will get three chances to both attack Ploesti, and three chances to defend it. Cumulative point score will decide the winner of the event. Versitility is paramount.
Note: In the original running of this event, the problem arose that the team that "got to bat second" (ie Allied last), had a bit of an advantage as they already knew how well thier opponant scored, and therefore they could deduce how agressive or prudent they needed to be to maximise thier chance at victory. This will be eliminated by alternating the roles. The "Red Team" will be Allied in Frames 1, 3 and 5 and the Blue team will be Allied in Frames 2,4 and 6 - no such thing as a "home court advantage".
The pilots in this event will enjoy a variety of rides, all in a very "target rich environment". In the couse of this one event, a participant will likely get to: drive heavy bombers, escort heavy bomers, drive light or heavy P38's, man an anti-aircraft guns in a "turkey shoot" environment, pre-emptively hunt bombers, lay chase to egressing bombers etc etc...
The team that wins is the one that will be the best at allocating the correct resources in the place (and time) they will do the most damage. The best pilots in the event will be the ones who can exhibit the best level of competancy in a variety of airframes.
1.2 Orders
Allies: Successfully attack the refinery complexes surrounding Ploesti, Rumania - with minimal loss of assets.
Axis: Prevent the destruction of your Rumanian refineries and inflict damage to the Allied air assets.
2 FORCES
2.1 Each team is alocated 73 players
3 groups of 8 "bomber pilots"
6 groups of 8 "fighter pilots"
One CO ride (choice)
3 ORDER OF BATTLE
3.1 THE ALLIED TEAM will be allowed to run three out of five varients of the following historical missions, with of couse enough "wiggle room" to improvise on History to have the chance to surprise and succeed.
RAID 1) "Operation Tidal Wave"; August 1, 1943
Objective: A low level raid on Ploesti (Max Bomber Alt for this raid is 400ft).
3 groups of 8 B-24 Liberator Boxes. (24 drivers - 96 planes)
--The Allied CO can opt to gun his force of B-24's with some of his fighter pilots OR can opt to man up to 6 groups of 8 P-38Js
--The P-38Js will not be allowed to fly within one sector of Ploesti
itself.
--The US forces must launch from Benghazi and/or the alternate field at Aleppo.
RAID 2) "Lightning Strikes Twice" (Historical); June 10, 1944
Objective: A raid on Ploesti refineries composed of heavy P-38J's
escorted by light P-38Js (Max. Fighter Alt. is 5k; Max. Drop Alt of
P-38Js is 1K)
5 groups of 8 P-38Js heavy (3 BG's + 2 FG's)
4 groups of 8 P-38Js light (4 FG's)
RAID 3) "For Those Who Fall" (Historical); June 23, 1944 (Inspired by the account of John Muirhead in his biographical narrative.)
Allies:
Objective: A raid on Ploesti with B-24s with P-51D and P-38J escort.
3 groups of 8 B24's (24 drivers = 96 aircraft)
3 groups of 8 P-51Ds
3 groups of 8 P-38Js
--US forces may launch from any Italian field.
RAID 4) "Lightning Strikes Twice" (Variant)
Objective: A raid on Ploesti refineries composed of heavy P-38J's
escorted by light P-38Js In this choice the B-24s will be flown unescorted and ungunned, they may not enter the Ploesti! area but may bomb an alternative target for reduced points or to act as a diversion. (Max. Bomber Alt. is 5k, Max. Fighter Alt. is 5k; Max. Drop Alt of P-38Js is 1K) - US forces may launch from any Italian field.
3 groups of 8 P-38Js heavy (FG's)
3 groups of 8 P-38Js light (FG's)
and
3 groups of B-24 Liberators (96AC)
RAID 5) "For Those Who Fall" (Variations)
ALLIES:
Objective: A B24 raid on Ploesti with P-51D and P38J escourt. OR The Allied CO can OPT to have his P-38Js fly heavy to Ploesti and strike, while the B-24s and P-51s fly to the alternative target.
3 groups of 8 B-24s
3 groups of P-51s
3 groups of P-38Js
--US forces may launch from any Italian field.
3.2 THE AXIS TEAM: Needs to use it's personell to cover the following aircraft. The objective is to rotate the AAA duty so that each player is stuck on the ground no more than 1/2 a frame. (Remember that surviving AAA/Flak gunners can up in BF109's and lay chase after the Allies are confirmed as RTB)
3 groups of 8 BF109G's
3 groups of 8 IAR 80's (FW190A-3s)
3 groups of 8 flakpanzers
4 GENERAL RULES: (as yet unrevised)
--Ploesti! Because of this sideswitch and needs
of the Allied and Axis teams during each phase, the following structure is necessary:
Each team will have a CO a Bomber XO and a Fighter XO.
Each team will also have:
Bombers: 3 Groups of 8 including GL and FL (8 pilots per group, 4 per flight)
will be registered with 2 in reserve; reserve rules in effect)
Fighters: 5 Groups of 10 including GL and FL (12 pilots per
group will be registered with 2 in reserve; reserve rules in effect)
--All participants are bound by duty to report their AAR to their GL and GLs to their CO at the end of each frame. CO's must report final results to CM's via e-mail no later than 12 hours after frames end. SCORING DEPENDS ON GOOD ACCURATE REPORTS as well as arena logs.
--This will be a "film on" scenario. All kills and bomb drops should be filmed and that film should be kept until the end of the scenario. Any challenges to scoring will be verified by viewing these films.
--Max. Alt. for bombers is set at 25k and for fighters at 30k with the
following exceptions:
--Max. Alt for "Tidal Wave" buffs is 0.5k (500 feet)
--Max. Alt for "Lightning Strikes Twice" P38's and Bombers is 5k.
--A penalty of -20 points will be incurred for exceeding Max. Alt.
per infraction (subject to review by all parties).
ALLIED Specific Rules:
--The US CO must disclose to the CMs his chosen raid 24 hours before the frame. This information is not to be disclosed to the Axis CO and will be for arena setting changes in AAA only.
--The US CO may launch no more than 60 bomb laden aircraft per frame.
--Allied planes may rearm and replane at launch field only.
--The US CO may choose to substitute fighter pilots for gunners in any frame choice with the exception of "Lightning Strikes Twice" at his
discretion.
--US Gunners whose bombers are shot down have not used their one life
provided they have not been shot down in any plane piloted by
themselves. They will be allowed to up in a SpitV from the field that
the raid launched from (Benghazi/Aleppo for Tidal Wave and whichever
Italian field(s) used in the rest of the choices) to escort their
bombers home. These SpitVs must stay over the Medittereanean Sea and
will be able to go no farther than the Yugoslavian, Greece, and
Bulgarian coastlines.
Axis Specific Rules:
--The Axis CO must form a plan of rotation to rotate his pilots through the various craft available. All Axis pilots will pull one frame of AAA/FP duty but noone is to remain on panzer duty for the duration of the phase.
--Axis pilots may rearm and replane at any axis base if their launch field becomes damaged.
--Axis flights must remain over land until Allied planes are RTB. Axis pilots will be allowed to pursue Allied planes who are RTB at the discretion of the Axis CO.
--After the Allies attack and are RTB, flakpanzer troops will be allowed to up in a BF109F to "lay chase" to the RTB Allied pilots. US pilots must be verified 2 sector grids out of range of their target before the panzer to BF109F change occurs.
--If Axis scouts discover Allied bombers at an alt above 5K it can be assumed that the "Tidal Wave" or "Lightning Strikes Twice" choices are not being flown and the panzers may up in BF109F.
The Axis CO must confirm the discovery of the Allied Bombers with the CM's before releasing the ground troops to BF109F's.
Arena Settings:
Reality Settings: Full Realism
Bufftuff: TBD before BETA1
Radar: On
Friendly Counters: On in Friendly Territory
Enemy Counters: Off
Gunner Lethality: TBD before BETA1
Ammo Lethality: TBD before BETA1
Map: Ploesti! will require a special terrain that is downloadable on
this website <<page>>>>
Standard Con/Vis Ranges in effect
Ack: On
4 SCORING
(to be continued)
