• [MoM #3] A Gathering of Mustangs - After Action Report •

[96Delta]

Okay guys, please post any comments or suggestions you
may have in this topic.  I'm interested in anything and
everything you have to say to help improve these
monthly missions.

We had 90 P-51's in the mission but despite giving
the Bishops a headsup of our mission date, and an
estimated attack time they failed to put up much resistance.
Kinda surprising until after we had begun to attack
our target bases.

The ROOK turnout was great, the linkup at the rally point was
a little rough but the VOX flaking out, well that was
a real big let down.  In case you were not in the mission,
VOX failed before we made contact with our first
target.  I was never able to restore it despite relogging
twice and using .resetv multiple times.

I have to apologize for the early launch.  The missions were
filling up very quickly, even before I started advertising them.
Just so everyone knows, the launch times are always estimated.
First, to create some element of uncertainty in the minds
of our adversaries and also to get the things rolling if
interest is high and slots are filling fast.

I'm gonna give this one a 3 outta 5 stars.

What did you guys think about it, what could be done
differently and how can it be improved?

[Lusche]

[
We had 90 P-51's in the mission but despite giving
the Bishops a headsup of our mission date, and an
estimated attack time they failed to put up much resistance.
Kinda surprising.

I switched to bish 30 mins before the mission takeoff to fight against that pony raid.

The lack of interest on Bish countrychannel was amazing. For the first 15 mins after 4 full dars went up on northern front there was nothing but squeekspeak play-by-play chat on countrychannel. Only 2 players beside me were pointing to that incoming raids, the only other things you read on country was like: "63453: Dude, you still with me?"

Then, the Rook raid had already shifted towards Bish bases (maybe 20 minutes or more after takeoff), a J0ker mission to capture a base was posted and suddenly generated lots of reaction and enthusiasm. At that point you could have seen me going  in front of my computer
I dropped my initial plan to up a TA 152 and upped a 262 for I correctly figured I would be vastly outnumbered in the air...
(If I'm not completey mistaken, that Bish mission captured its target, largely unopposed)

So if your mission goal is not to capture bases (many simply didn't get it and laughed at your "inability" to capture anything) ... you need a willing foe. Maybe you should target Knightland next time

[GREric]

I agree with his statement, I was one of the few people preparing and telling everyone. It was pretty cool to see all those red dots on dar, can't wait for my MoM's to launch. 

[96Delta]

Thanks for the feedback guys. 

Lusche,

The objective in this and the preceding MoM mission wasn't base capture.
Base capture is the soup du jour of the game and can be done
anytime.  I always intended these monthly MoM missions to
be a departure from the norm.  My focus is on having fun,
not necessarily capturing pixels.  I was really hoping for a mammoth
furball and fight to target and, to be honest, I am a bit grieved that
I didn't deliver a good fight for our participants.  Maybe things
will improve the next time we run a fighter-only mission (but
it won't be against the Bishops).

That said, why base capture zealots don't take advantage of MoM
missions to run a pixel capture effort completely escapes me.
I read some comments on text from people who were decrying
the MoM mission and, unfortunately, not organizing.
Tonight would have been a perfect opportunity to launch a capture
attempt under cover of our MoM mission.  I hope that a ROOK
player will emerge to lead such opportunistic missions in the future.

Anyway, the next MoM [MoM #4] is a strategic bombing mission and
not directly aimed at capturing pixels. 

It is set for January 13th.  The first two MoM's were targeted
against the Knights and on both occasions they gave us
a good going over.  We deliberately decided to attack
the Bishops this time because of some complaining
that we had only hit the Knights.  Tonight we gave
them their chance.

The next MoM's targets will be determined by the strategic
and tactical situation in the arena on the mission date.

For base capture types, [MoM #5] is a combined arms
base capture mission with GV's and aircraft.  If we get the
numbers for it this one will be one for the record books!

More on that as we approach the date.  In the meantime,
you can signup for MoM Alerts at our website www.lcasquad.org.

<S> to everyone who participated, friend and opponet alike. 

[macerxgp]

Delta, if you get the timings for the launches right, a combined-arms operation of MoM porportions will be unstoppable (literally!!). For any of those who have been in Limbo0's combined-arms base captures, most only 20 players strong, even stiff opposition is little consequence to the outcome of the attack, which is always successful. (due to Limbo0's uncanny ability to time the launches PERFECTLY.) The worst outcome we ever had could have been dubbed a 'milk-run under fire'. And that one we only lost a few GVs and a couple fighters.

[lyric1]

I think you will find the Bish were being hit on all fronts & were spread pretty thin. So there was not much interest to break away from what ever the task at hand was. As far as a large furball is concerned most Of the pony's broke & dove off when I dove in then was ganged by the following wave. For a fighter sweep I give it a 1 at best for a fight & will give it a 5 for rook turn out.

[uptown]

<<S>> 96Delta,

  Fuel was the only concern we had in the 412th. DazyCutr,JB91,SkatSr, and myself broke off from the main attack group to intercept any fighters coming from A245. We were keeping them pinned down at 245 until we had to break off and rtb to the CV because we were running on fumes.Although the 412th bagged 10 or 12 kills between us, we could of held cap alot longer if we had taken off with 100%. I doubt that if we hadn't throttled back to normal power half way through the flight, we'd had enough fuel for a engagement at all.

 Lack of bish fighters was a disappointment, having only seen 2 262s, 1 190 and a jug. And they were not wanting to mix it up. Bish had a full dar attacking A336, just to the SW of mission target, but they seemed more concerned about fighting there instead of defending their own bases The Bishops put up a poor defense IMO. Maybe the Knights would have been a better fight?

 It was a fun mission, just wish it lasted longer with more enemy contact. 

[RTHolmes]

running on fumes in a Pony? how far were you flying

[96Delta]

we could of held cap alot longer if we had taken off with 100%.

Uptown, I was monitoring your text discussions regarding
your fuel concerns before the mission and changed the fuel
loadout on the ponies to 100% before the mission launched.
Still, with the wep climb and ordnance load, the
range was still cutting it close.

Thank you for suggesting it be raised to 100%.
Had I left it at 75% we would have had very limited
time over target.

Thanks for participating! 

BTW, nice landing on the CV Skatsr. 

[Rich46yo]

The objective for me is teamwork and the bombers getting thru and having good drops. Then getting back. I didn't make this one due to family stuff but I know on the last one while the P-38 made a great escort fighter it just didn't have the legs to drop tanks and then fight thru and back. I expect this one was a little better then the last and the next one will be better then this one.

Grabbing little cartoon bases that exist only in cyberspace aint much objective-wise either. If everyone had fun then the objective was met. And who knows? Every little country changer and PM'er might have been busy doing something else for once. Anyway, I'm glad the Rooks had fun.

That last one was against the Nits wasnt it? With the P-38s?

[Dadsguns]

I think it was summed up pretty well, Bish were being ganged by both fronts well before the Mission launched, setting up players to defend bases and trying to get them back, being outnumbered by as much as the Bish were there were simply no resources to put up a decent counter attack.  

I think that if your going to set up an attack, you should at least coordinate the counter attack as well and you might get a better turnout.  

It was like 10 guys kicking a man while he is down with his hands behind his back and expecting a decent fight.

[Spikes]

The objective for me is teamwork and the bombers getting thru and having good drops. Then getting back. I didn't make this one due to family stuff but I know on the last one while the P-38 made a great escort fighter it just didn't have the legs to drop tanks and then fight thru and back. I expect this one was a little better then the last and the next one will be better then this one.

Grabbing little cartoon bases that exist only in cyberspace aint much objective-wise either. If everyone had fun then the objective was met. And who knows? Every little country changer and PM'er might have been busy doing something else for once. Anyway, I'm glad the Rooks had fun.

That last one was against the Nits wasnt it? With the P-38s?

Yeah, in DGS the 474th had to hotpad at the 4th FG's base after the mission, to be able to make it back to our home base. That was with 1.0 fuel burn too.

[Twizzty]

<S>

IMHO without the bombers this was just a horde. You do the math:
100 bombers + 100 fighters = a fun mission
200 fighters = UBERHORDE

This is the reason most Bish stayed away, at least from what was said to us.

<S>

[lagger86]

had no idea that was a mission, just thought it was a normal night in the Titanic Tuesday arena

Actually me and Tex01 flew straight into it, I think my ability to point out the obvious was summed up when I said "wow that's a lot of 51's". I didn't last too long, was fun to see it though.




I think it's great when that many people can organize and have a little fun. 

[Babalonian]

It was a great turnout and I had a lot of fun.  I think we could of utilized all of our ponys beter, but the VOX issues kind of made it hard to communicate with the entire flight.  I think this was a mission where the lessons you learned while conducting/participating in it will make a much greater impact than the mission itself.

It was disapointing that there was no Bish defence.  We were all also loaded down with ord but had no C47s or means to capture the base we would drop all that ord on.  I can understand taking ord on fighters if the penalty for carrying it is worth something, like capturing a base, but if we were just going hunting then I would of prefered a more mission-friendly loadout (no ord, maybe drop tanks at most).

Looking at it afterards and seeing as how most of the Bishs were tied up at other bases on the front, I sort of wish we loaded all those ponys we had heavy with fuel and gone off on a long-range sweep of the entire front, from one end to the other.  I'm sure we would of found some parties to crash.