September FSO: Northern Star: Leningrad Front Spring 1942

[Squire]

By the beginning of 1942 much had changed in the war in Europe. Operation 'Barbarossa', the Third Reich's invasion of the Soviet Union had begun in June of 1941. It had stalled at the gates of Moscow that winter with the Soviets desperately hanging on as they attempted to rebuild the army and air force. The German invasion of the USSR had also drawn Finland into the war for a second time, after a brief armistice between Finland and the Soviets in the aftermath of the 'Winter War' between 1939 and 1940. In the northern sector, the Baltic Sea city of Leningrad had been under seige by the Axis since September of 1941 with no sign of victory yet in sight. Throughout the winter of 1941-42 Allied aid had continued to the Soviets via Murmansk and other routes with vital supplies of combat aircraft and other vital war material to keep the Red Army in the conflict as the Soviet Union labored to rebuild its industrial capacity. Domestic Soviet aircraft like the workhorse I-16 were joined by P-40s, P-39s, Hurricanes and other western types. Some 18 percent of all combat aircraft used by the USSR in WW2 were of foreign manufacture, with more than 100 pilots achieving ace status flying them.

For the  Luftwaffe's part, her fighter arm would see its zenith on the Eastern Front with many aces achieving victories above the century mark. The Finnish Air Force fighter squadrons would also add their own impressive chapter in air combat, flying a small mix of fighter planes from both the west and Germany during the years fighting the USSR from 1939-1944.

This FSO will recreate the contest between these combatants when the war in the East was still less than a year old, and would ultimately claim the lives of tens of millions on both sides.

Country Percentages:

Axis 50%
Allied 50%

Field Assignments:

Axis Bishop
Allied Knight
CM Rook
 
OOB:
 
Allied (Soviet):

AC-

I-16 (48 min)
P-39D (20 min-24 max)
P-40E (20 min-24 max)
Hurricane IIC (20 min-24 max)
IL-2 'Sturmovik' (20 min)
B-25C Glass nose bomber (20 min)

GV-

T-34/76 (24 min-32 max)
M3 halftrack (10 min-18 max)
Jeep (optional only, drawn from tank or halftrack assigned players)


Axis (German/Finnish):

AC-

Bf 109E-4 (48 min)
Bf 109F-4 (20 min-24 max)
Brewster B-239 (20 min-36 max)
Bf 110C-4/b (20 min-24 max)
Ju-87D 'Stuka'(20 min)
Ju-88A (20 min)

GV-

Panzer IVH (20 min-24 max)
SdKfz 251 halftrack (10 min-18 max)
Jeep (optional only, drawn from tank or halftrack assigned players)
 
Special Rules and Ordnance Restrictions: The B-25 is restricted to the glass nose bomber varient. The IL-2 is not permitted the 37mm option. All other ordnance options are permitted. Bomber formations are off. There will be one GV battle per frame, starting at T+0 and lasting 45 minutes. The Jeeps are *optional* and MUST BE DRAWN FROM TANK OR HALFTRACK ASSIGNED PLAYERS ONLY. They are included to give the GV Tank and Halftrack units some scouting flexibility if they want them. All GV players will get a 2nd life at T+45; Axis in 109E-4s, Allies in I-16s. These 2nd life rides do not count towards the min-max limits. 

Scoring:

Aircraft Pts
------------

Bombers = 5 pts
All other aircraft = 2 pts

GV Pts
------

Tanks = 2 pts
Halftracks = 1 pt
Jeeps = 0.5 pt

Ground Target Pts
-----------------

Gun = 0.1 pts
Ammo Bunker = 3 pts
Barracks = 3 pts
Radar = 3 pts
Vehicle Hangar = 25 pts
Fighter Hangar = 25pts
Bomber Hangar = 25 pts
Town Building = 3 pts
Factory at strategic target = 3 pts
Truck in convoy = 1 pt
Train = 2 pts
Base Capture = 25 pts

Arena Settings:

- Ardens08 terrain (Karelia is not yet available)
- Fuel burn 1.0
- Icons short (3k)
- 0.5 Ack
- Fighter and Bomber warning range 42,000 (about 8 miles)
- Tower range set to 42,000 (for display only to match the above setting)
- Haze/fog full visability (17 miles)
- Radar off
- Enemy Collisions On
- Friendly collisions off
- Killshooter off
- Time: 15:00 ( 3PM ) Game Clock
- Formations: Off
- Bomber calibration: Auto ( MA style )

- Wind: 0-2K NO WIND
        2K-18K N TO S - Speed 5
        18K-25K NW TO SE - Speed 10
        25k+ NW TO SE - Speed 15
         
Designer's Notes: There are Russian skins available in the AH download section for all the US a/c types and the Hurricane. The Bf 109E variant used most commonly at this time was the Bf 109E-7, which the Bf 109E-4 will stand in for. 1/2 of Soviet fighter aviation at the time of 'Barbarossa' was using the I-16 'Rata' and was used in large #s throughout 1941-2. The Brewster B-239 is the Finnish Air Forces most celebrated WW2 fighter and represents their contribution in this setup. Aircraft will not be assigned to the GV battle in this particular event to give the tankers a pure armored engagement.

Please note the updated rules:

http://ahevents.org/fso-related/fso-rules.html

Design by Warloc

[Anaxogoras]

Citation for 109E-7 on Leningrad front in Spring of 42? 

I don't think the Il-2-3M was active there, so probably need to restrict it to 23mm.

What about Hurri mk I for axis?

Sorry for all the comments.  Looks like a fun FSO.

[Motherland]

Could we expect that Karelia will be done at any point through this FSO? Or are you predicting it to be done solely on Ardennes?


BTW, though I imagine this was done for gameplay reasons- by mid 1942, the first Gustavs started trickling in; I think the only units that still had the E model were JG5 and others not so close to the center of the action.




Looks like it will be a fun FSO, I can't wait! I love Eastern Front scenarios.

[Squire]

An addendum, now on the AH Events version. Initial strikes MUST be completed by T+45 not T+60. This is a special rule for this setup for the I-16, which has a very short range, even throtted back with DTs really cant be in the air for more than @50min or so with 5 minutes of combat flying at burn 1.0. I will be reminding all CiCs in the objectives in firm language of the change. It will still be at a disadvanatge, as it will not not able to be at full combat power for as long as the other fighters.

Arden is the terrain that will be used in all three frames, and makes for a very good "northern european forest". My understanding is Karelia needs more work yet, we will use it next time around. The Terrain Team is doing a great job of getting out what we need as the new version of AH has required more for them to do.

Re the Bf 109E series, I have several sources, but I always use this excellent site to do a quick dbl chk, based on Bundesarchiv records, that indicate JG5 used it into 1942, and fought in the Leningrad area:  

http://www.ww2.dk/oob/bestand/jagd/bjagd.htm

Of course it was supplanted by the 109F and later, the Fw190 as 1942 wore on, but it makes for a very good opponent for the I-16 in this setup (being faster by a wide margin), with both sides having 3 other more capable fighters each.

The Hurricane I was never exported to the VVS, and the IL-2 we have will just have to make due, I have to work with what we have, like everybody else I wish we had more to use. The 109G and Fw190 are later in 1942, and if I went with those a/c, obviously, it changes the plane set on both sides. The last EF setup I did was 1943, and had them both. In this setup I wanted an early plane set, that was workable for balance.

I am going to use your suggestion on the IL-2, it is an ealry version I am looking for, and I will impose a restriction on the 37mm. Something I overlooked.

[442w30]

Very interesting set-up. I look forward to taking part in this one. I love EW FSOs
 

[Anaxogoras]

Errrr, I should have been more clear.  Does your citation support 66% of 109s in the Leningrad area being E7s?  That seems like a surprisingly large figure.

For instance, JG54 was active in the Leningrad area and your site shows them to be entirely equipped with the 109F.  Even III/JG5 is shown to be equipped with 13 F's out of 45 109s in March of '42, and they were one of the gruppe active in Finland.

The Hurricane I was never exported to the VVS, and the IL-2 we have will just have to make due, I have to work with what we have, like everybody else I wish we had more to use...I am going to use your suggestion on the IL-2, it is an ealry version I am looking for, and I will impose a restriction on the 37mm. Something I overlooked.

I was talking about the Hurricane Mk I for the Finns, i.e. the axis forces.

Anyway, this is going to be a fun FSO whichever side I fly for.  Thanks for your research.

[Squire]

Copy re the Hurricane, yes I did consider it for the FAF, but the Axis already have 6 a/c types, and a 7th type started making it problematic to get the min #s ect, considering we also have a GV battle. The FAF also only had @ 12 of the type, making it rather rare, so ultimately I passed on it. If I went with late 1941? ya I probably would have put it in. 

Not sure about the exact ratios re the 109s, in the end it was what worked, almost every FSO and SEA event has to deal with that. Even events where it is claimed the OOBs are "exact", they cant be, as far too many a/c types that AH does not have are not in the mix. We have no Yak-1, LaGG, MiG-3, He-111, ect ect, so worrying about it seems academic, as long as we are getting something that is historic, close to what types were used, and in some kind of reasonable balance, and ratios. 

[Anaxogoras]

Ok.

[Strip]

If the I-16s are flying defensive CAP just have them up 15 minutes in?

Even so they can reduce throttle for quite a while before having fuel issues.

[Bino]

...
I am going to use your suggestion on the IL-2, it is an early version I am looking for, and I will impose a restriction on the 37mm
...

Anyone know why HTC chose not to model the early single seat version of the Shturmovik, the one without the sweptback wings?  Just curious.

Squire, thanks for this Eastern Front FSO! 

[RSLQK186]

An addendum, now on the AH Events version. Initial strikes MUST be completed by T+45 not T+60.

Opens the door wider for organizing a second strike. Ex GVers could even get in on it. Fine by me as it was not much of an option in the last setup. Not saying that wasn't OK either. Variety is a good thing.

The timing of GVers upping planes and several other players being downed around the same time may warrant a strong reminder that COs are responsible for what their charges do. Lot of new faces in FSO.

 

[Skulls22]

Let's Rock

[Ghosth]

Looks like a good plan!
Agree last frames distance pretty much made rearming a waste of time.  Nice to see shorter distances and times, keep the action rolling.

Opens the door wider for organizing a second strike. Ex GVers could even get in on it. Fine by me as it was not much of an option in the last setup. Not saying that wasn't OK either. Variety is a good thing.

The timing of GVers upping planes and several other players being downed around the same time may warrant a strong reminder that COs are responsible for what their charges do. Lot of new faces in FSO.

 

[Squire]

I will be making a small change here, bomber formations will be ON. This is to encourage more late frame action, and I think B-25Cs and Ju-88s tend to be pretty vulnerable to the types of cannon and hvy mg armed fighters in this setup (Hurricane II, P-40E, 109F, P-39, 110C ect). Just for info.

[gyrene81]

Not a gripe, just an observation. Wanted to chime in on the plane sets. Obviously AH doesn't have a good number plane models that were operational during this time period but:

All of the information I've dug up for this time frame shows that there were 24 Hurricane MkIIBs shipped to Russia with British pilots in late 41 early 42...through the Baltic region...no MkIICs.

All of the P-40s were B and C versions starting late 1941, no E models until 1943. Somewhere in the range of 600 were shipped from the U.S.

The P-39s were the Q version minus the 2 wing mount .50 cal mg's and didn't start arriving until late 1942. No AP ammo for the .37mm either.