Credible Force

[RufusLeaking]

For Frame 2, May 13, 2016 "Air Battles Before Bodenplatte"

On the attack on the bridge span, I assigned only eight FW 190F-8s. The logic being that the bridges would go down easy. Hindsight tells me an escort might have been required.

Per the rules:  - Targets will be attacked and defended by a credible force. Unless stated otherwise this will be a minimum of 12 players assigned per target. This can consist of a single squad or multiple squads.

Sorry. This a cautionary tale to those who rush out orders. Reread the rules. Better, yet, don't put yourself in the position of needing to rush out orders.

On defense for this frame, the targets, especially the refineries and the airfields, where close enough to have overlapping patrol areas. So, "defended by twelve" is harder to discern. I only assigned one group to defend bridge, but in practice, there was a jumble of defenders over the targets.

[j500ss]

G3 was assigned with defending the Allied Bridge.   

I'm not sure where your strike package got intercepted, but they never got close to the bridge as I did not see a Axis fighter all night. 
The Allied fuel strat was a mere 3.5 miles from our bridge.   So a few of us did get lucky in the fact we saw JU-88's, no escorts as I recall though. So for the most part that was it.

Eventually we rearmed and went to the Axis fuel strat, shot some stuff up, and called it good.

8 on the bridge would have been enough, 12 would have been better....... Use 6 for escort, 6 for carrying heavy ords..

[branch37]

I'm pretty sure the bridge strike got intercepted by one of our outbound strikes and one of my scouts.  He called in low 110s and 190s almost 2 sectors out.  He engaged them along with a group of friendlies. 

[elc7367b]

412th saw the unescoted bombers while outbound escorting our strike package.  Amidst moans and groans of fresh meat on the table we let them continue so as to not deprive allied defenders their role and fun.  It is a simple and courteous rule of FSO.

Muttman

[waystin2]

412th saw the unescoted bombers while outbound escorting our strike package.  Amidst moans and groans of fresh meat on the table we let them continue so as to not deprive allied defenders their role and fun.  It is a simple and courteous rule of FSO.

Muttman

I applaud the 412th for sticking to the assigned task. It is a hard thing to do and shows you all to be group of experienced vets.

 

Way

[j500ss]

Yea, we were watching it on text Branch.....  We had a pretty good idea what was unfolding at the time taking into account of location, plane types, and their alt.    Overall was a quiet evening for us.  At least the Beer was cold, and the whiskey flowed among our ranks.

[waystin2]

Yea, we were watching it on text Branch.....  We had a pretty good idea what was unfolding at the time taking into account of location, plane types, and their alt.    Overall was a quiet evening for us.  At least the Beer was cold, and the whiskey flowed among our ranks.

Well done G3! You guys did what was asked and even attacked the fuel strat with Spits and Tempests.

 

Way

[APDrone]

I applaud the 412th for sticking to the assigned task. It is a hard thing to do and shows you all to be group of experienced vets.

 

Way

Oh, man.. you don't know how hard...



 

[RufusLeaking]

On the Axis side, prior to Allied air superiority, the B-26 strike inbound to A131 ran into the refinery defenders and the base defenders. Or maybe the refinery strike package ran into the  base defenders. It was anarchy. Who knew? Anarchy equals fun.

It does lead to an interesting mission possibility: a mass stream hitting two targets. How would that count towards the credible force concept? I guess 24 in the stream for two targets.

The best scenarios allow feints, confusion and changes on the fly.

[j500ss]

Typically mass force hitting 2 targets is shall we say "frowned" upon.   However in this setup, with locations of targets in such close proximity, its not such an issue in my mind at all.

[APDrone]

It does lead to an interesting mission possibility: a mass stream hitting two targets. How would that count towards the credible force concept? I guess 24 in the stream for two targets.

That's a no-no.    Each target must be assigned it's own force.  From the rules..

- CiCs shall not organize a mission with orders to attack more than one objective in succession.  More simply stated, one objective, one mission.  If there are 8 offensive objectives for one side during a frame, the CIC shall ensure that there are eight attack missions, each assigned to attack a single objective.  This rule is intended to prevent CIC's from overwhelming the defenders of a single target. For example, a large combined force of 60 aircraft attacking three bases that are each singly defended by a squad of 15 or 20. Please see examples under the Example CiC Orders section:

Of course, exceptions can be made, to this, at the CM's discretion.  I'm sure that all necessary leaders will be notified if such is the case.

[RufusLeaking]

That's a no-no.    Each target must be assigned it's own force.  From the rules..

1. I really need to read all of the rules.

2. Why is this restriction in place?

3. Given the proximity of the targets in this scenario, it would require actual planning to have strikes avoid each other.

[Devil 505]

Ruf, what the rule is intended to avoid is having one mass of planes rolling multiple objectives in succession. It is allowable, however, to have one mass enter the area of multiple targets and them split to hit both at the same time.

[Squire]

a mass stream hitting two targets

Is against the rules. It prevents both sides from forming BORG BLOBS of plane strikes.

[wooley]

Think we were the 88's. We were tasked with hitting 111. Taking BoB bombers to a late war party, we were expecting a rough night. We were part of a 5 squad package - 2 squads of 410's, one of 110's and one of 190D9's. That D9 squad was the lone real defensive package effectively covering 4 other squads, so no one was especially optimistic.

As it turns out, it seems the allies were being particularly polite and despite a couple of contacts on the way in that had us all thinking 'this is it', we actually made it almost to the drop effectively unmolested. Just before the drop a few Tempests made it in among us and roughed a few guys up, but most of us got bombs out and returned at least a few planes home. Five hangers down as I recall.

I've rarely been so surprised to being 3 untouched JU88s home.