Help with design of upcoming Eastern Front scenario

[Brooke]

How about a battle with La-5, Yak-7b, P-39 (because of the book "Attack of the Airacobras: Soviet Aces, American P-39s, and the Air War Against Germany", by Dmitriy Loza), Tu-2, Il-2 vs. 109G, 190A-5, Ju 88, maybe some Stukas or FW 190F's?

Thoughts?

[Devil 505]

Sounds like a blast!

The real question is, where and when do you figure on setting this? North, Central, or South sectors will pretty much force your hands in unit selection.

[waystin2]

I am trying not to flip out but this is a dreamy sounding event!!!   

[Nefarious]

Sounds like a blast!

The real question is, where and when do you figure on setting this? North, Central, or South sectors will pretty much force your hands in unit selection.

If were still using AH2, Perhaps take a Pacific war approach and do an all encompassing style event. Frame 1 could be Leningrad 1941/42, Frame 2 Stalingrad, Frame 3 Kursk,  Frame 4 Bagration or even later.

If I could choose one,  I would choose something set Kursk or later.

[Arlo]

Whatever the theater, I like the 'total war' approach - ala 'Axis and Allies' where resources are spent for equipment/research, etc. (but a 12 hour/1 frame event precludes such)

[Devil 505]

Whatever the theater, I like the 'total war' approach - ala 'Axis and Allies' where resources are spent for equipment/research, etc.

Except this was not a feature of the war on the Eastern Front. Neither Germany, nor the Soviets, conducted  strategic bombing against the other. Most of this was due to the distances involved between the front and the centers for production and R&D. The other reason being the lack of an aircraft capable of that kind of mission. There was no feasible way to slow the introduction of new aircraft types using tactical strikes.  There are no factories, or even depots where aircraft were stockpiled awaiting distribution, within range of an enemy attack.

As far as resources go, even given the idea of giving Germany the objective of capturing the oil fields of southeast Ukraine, Germany's failure to capture this supply took many months/years to become a noticeable problem at the front. Limited fuel supplies were dealt with by cutting back the training time for new pilots, but it did not hinder the available fuel supply to frontline units until very late in the war, and had no effect on the supply of the aircraft themselves.

[Arlo]

Whatever theater practical. I'll still like this idea, thank you.

[Kanth]

Umm Yes please! 

How about a battle with La-5, Yak-7b, P-39 (because of the book "Attack of the Airacobras: Soviet Aces, American P-39s, and the Air War Against Germany", by Dmitriy Loza), Tu-2, Il-2 vs. 109G, 190A-5, Ju 88, maybe some Stukas or FW 190F's?

Thoughts?

[Brooke]

Since we just got done with a progressive/rolling-plane-set-type of event, I'd like this one to be the same planes throughout.  I think it's best to mix it up scenario to scenario so that various preferences are covered.

I actually prefer the same planes throughout as I get more into the mood of it and feel better rooted to the history of the event.

[Arlo]

[James T. Kirk voice] I ... don't ... see ... theI-16Moscafighter. [/James T. Kirk voice] 

[kilo2]

Northern front, JG5 area of operation would be interesting.

Recon Spits.

[Brooke]

[James T. Kirk voice] I ... don't ... see ... theI-16Moscafighter. [/James T. Kirk voice] 

I would like that, but I don't think enough people would sign up for them.

[Brooke]

Here's the terrain that is (I hope) available.  There is a snow and a non-snow version of it.

Let's hear some suggested battles or engagements that fit this terrain and the above plane set, you history buffs out there.

[Brooke]

We should aim for an event size of 50 on a side.

Also, I'm counting on you folks to get out there and recruit to fill it.

History of scenarios indicates that balance of fighters:bombers in a scenario should be about 3:1, which means we'd be aiming for 38 fighters and 12 bombers.  When you have Il-2's and especially 190F's, they have sort of a foot in both categories, so perhaps something like:

Case 1
Soviet:  34 fighters, 9 Tu-2's, 7 Il-2's.
LW:  34 fighters, 9 Ju 88's, 7 190F's.

or

Case 2
Soviet:  38 fighters, 12 Tu-2's with lives also in Il-2's.
LW: 38 fighters, 12 Ju 88's with lives also in 190F's.

Note that this is leaning toward no I-16's and no Stukas, even though both were probably part of any battle we'd be contemplating.  The reason is that people tend not to like flying those two planes given the rest of the plane set.  There are ways to work in non-favored planes as 2nd or 3rd lives, but in this case it is sort of asymmetric as there isn't a non-favored LW fighter or a non-favored Soviet divebomber so that each side has 3rd live in a non-favored.

[Brooke]

As for season, I'd prefer winter.

That allow us to use a winter map, which visually is quite nice change of pace.

Winter or summer, this is the Eastern Front . . . and we will have clouds.