Fortress Malta Campaign

[_AH_DarkWolf]

As the CO and XO said in the pilot sign in, good job everyone getting airborne on the first try with 27 people in game. Was good to see. There will always be tech issues and glitches that we can't prevent that will screw us up but if we all take it upon ourselves to do our best to dot our i's and cross our t's before mission time on campaign night we can keep the restarts to a minimum.

As Hollywood also mentioned, the bombers did get through. In fact, they were the only e\a that survived. I know there was talk of assigning a squadron to engage the bombers but I think a whole squadron would be overkill.  Most of the raids we are facing at the moment consist of only 3-5 bombers with a heavy escort of fighters. I don't think that many bombers warrant devoting 1/3 of our strength to, especially if you're talking about putting the anti-bomber guys at a lower level. Perhaps when a squadron is tasked with taking care of the bombers, the S\L should assign maybe half his strength to that task and the rest engages the fighters with the other squadrons? Last night each squadron had 8 aircraft so that would mean something like a 4 aircraft flight assigned to hunt the bombers. Granted we probobly won't have high turnouts like that all the time so it might not be a full flight of 4, in which case perhaps we could have the HQ pair reinforce anti-bomber guys? Anyways, just throwing some ideas out there.

It's funny, some of these missions I've meant to be easier and we've suffered heavy losses. Mission 17 was meant to be a little tougher and we hacked every fighter out of the sky with minimal losses. Please be more consistent you buggers!

Oh, also a note for next week. The supply situation is getting worse on Malta. Ships like the Welshman are making some runs with supplies and some small amounts are coming in by submarine but it is not enough to meet demands. Fuel in particular is becoming an issue, so starting next week there will be some limitations.

DW

[_AH_Bear]

Question/concern,  If we decide to send a small number to dispatch the bombers, might they become overwhelmed with fighters coming to their aid?? will we be sending folks to their demise if we send them in small numbers?? perhaps 3 from 2 groups? or something along those lines??

Ideas??
   



And maybe Hollywood should start sharing some of his kills eh .. hahha

[_AH_DarkWolf]

Question/concern,  If we decide to send a small number to dispatch the bombers, might they become overwhelmed with fighters coming to their aid?? will we be sending folks to their demise if we send them in small numbers?? perhaps 3 from 2 groups? or something along those lines??

Ideas??

I think they certainly would if they led the way, which you'd need to make sure they did'nt. In fact you'd probobly want to make sure whatever squadron was assigned to be responsible bombers was not leading the charge into the enemy either.

DW

[_AH_Col._Hogan]

I volunteer for bomber duty.

[_AH_Bear]

I have an idea... need to get with Lippy and Wood..

[_AH_Archie]

I volunteer for bomber duty.

I will follow you anywhere

[_AH_Hollywood]

I have an idea... need to get with Lippy and Wood..

Bear I am off tomorrow, so say the word....

personally, I think that the entire group should stay high... if fighters are leading the bombers, a select few can isolate them (bombers), shadow and then BnZ them to death.

Not one enemy should survive...   :unhappy-059:

[_AH_Hollywood]

Fuel in particular is becoming an issue, so starting next week there will be some limitations. - DW

Nice consideration and a bit of added realism from the Master Architect in this regard...  Tip of the Hat!!   :drinking-43:

[_AH_DarkWolf]

For tonight, no drop tanks will be allowed but there will be no limit on internal fuel.

DW

[_AH_DarkWolf]

Alright guys, there are some changes afoot on Malta that take place between tonight's mission and the next that will affect us. For over a year the Air Officer Commanding on Malta has been a fellow named Air Vice-Mashal Hugh Lloyd (left above). Lloyd's background in was in bombers, which was perfect for building up the island's offensive capability but his knowledge of modern fighters and how best to employ them was more limited. When he would send requests back to the Air Ministry in London he was very specific as to what he needed for his bomber squadrons but often added only a footnote about needing more fighters. If you watched that documentary Hogan posted you saw that during the period when the fighter pilots were clamouring for Spitfires and having to make do with the Hurricanes, Lloyd said to a pilot "It isn't the machine, it's the man." and that pilot had to resist the urge to thump him. 

So Lloyd is now tour expired and will be replaced. Understanding that the survival of Malta and it's continued ability to be a big thorn in the behind of the axis supply chain depends solely on the fighters, the Air Ministry decides they need an experienced fighter leader. Enter Air Vice-Marshal Keith Park (above right). The name may be familiar to you, Park led No. 11 Group during the Battle of Britain. No. 11 Group is the area south of the Thames where much of the heaviest fighting took place so you can hardly ask for someone with more experience. He quickly takes issue with the way the interceptions have been executed as they are happening much to close to Malta, often allowing the bombers to get through. He puts in place the Fighter Interception Plan which calls for fighters to be scrambled much sooner and vectored well out from Malta in order to engage the enemy out to sea.

So in practical terms for us this means we will no longer be given the enemy's location and heading and thats that. Instead we will now be vectored to a specific grid/keypad and told to climb to a specific altitude. Our ground controller Woodhall, sitting in the Ops room and with all the information on the plot at hand will be endeavoring to put us in the enemy's path at a superior altitude so we can drop on them when they arrive. The FIP gave Woodhall a free hand in this regard and it was something he was really good at.

So that's how the scrambles will be run going forward.

DW

[_AH_Bear]

 :happy-112:

[_AH_DarkWolf]

Another note, 185 and 249 can switch to their Late skins starting next week. The mission after that 126 will become 1435 and HQ will make their last change to 229.

DW

[_AH_DarkWolf]

Here is the Events of Note section of tonight's brief, as it's a little wordy again.



Another last minute note, the shortage of fuel continues to squeeze us. Once again no drop tanks can be taken and internal fuel will be limited to 90%.

DW

[_AH_DarkWolf]

Quite a scrap last night. We took some losses but inflicted greater losses on the enemy. 3 Ju-88s made it back to Sicily, but only one MC-202. Compare that to last week when about 10 enemy fighters survived. I think the plan the S/Ls came up with is sound but the execution just went a little sideways this time.

DW

PS - The sobbing heard in the 2nd Squadron barracks last night was SKAT lamenting his failure to save me.

[_AH_Archie]

DW did I hit your pilotless plane as it fell to the sea or did I shoot you by mistake


Arch