Fortress Malta Campaign

[_AH_Col._Hogan]

Boo on the G-2

[_AH_DarkWolf]

Good job last night guys, it was quite a scrap again. I don't think we've taken on quite that many 109s all at once before. They were 109G-2s and though the germans are starting to add these to their inventory in this theatre it does'nt mean that's all we will encounter anymore. The F-4s are still here. Maybe some missions all the 109s we see will be G-2s, some missions they might be all F-4s and sometimes maybe a mix of the two.

Couple thoughts, first when we have an altitude advantage like that don't give it up lightly. If you chase the first guy you attack down you risk getting piled on from above. Try and work the formation from the top down.

The second is something that I mentioned after our last scramble. Once we receive the directions from the controller, we should be heading more directly to that location. The positions and altitudes we are being vectored to are achievable even if we head directly there. If we don't get to that location sharpish there is a great risk the enemy will blow through before we get there. In last night's mission we actually had more time than normal between when we should have arrived and when the enemy arrived and we still only just caught them. There was a flight of four preceeding the main group (It would have been a full squadron if we had been running the alternate version) that almost slipped by. Of course this is bad if the enemy gets past us as they are likely to be able to get in and do their damage to Malta but also from a mission timing and structure point of view if we miss the intercept the mission could become a bit of a cluster. So let's emphasize a more rapid deployment to the point of intercept.

Oh yeah also, we now have 13 missions remaining in this campaign. We are entering the home stretch and these final missions all take place within a 7 day period in October of 1942. Everything is coming to a head in North Africa at this point. Rommel and Monty are engaged in a staring contest at El Alamein while both sides try and build up supplies for their next push. The problem for the Axis is most of their supplies end up at the bottom of the mediterranean due to actions like what we did during Mission 22. Rommel is now desperate for supplies and especially fuel. Malta is the main thorn in the side of the Axis in this regard and it must be dealt with if they hope to stabilize the situation in North Africa.

There is no longer any question of invading Malta as the transport aircraft and troops required are no longer available. Their only option is to neutralize Malta with heavy air attacks (something they have done successfully in the past) to allow more of their shipping to get through. Since the end of August things have been relatively quiet but everyone knew it was the calm before the storm. The new offensive against Malta started on October 11th and was the beginning of an extremely intense period of air fighting over and around the island. The Germans and Italians launched four and sometimes five raids a day, day after day, in what became known as the October Blitz.

DW

[_AH_DarkWolf]

I'm not sure what we're trying to write in the sky but I'm pretty sure it's dirty.









Wait....are those bombs?


Also as we're doing alot of fighting over and around the border of the "safe" area around Malta, if you are forced to bail out please stay in the game at least until your pilot hits the water so it registers where you came down.

DW

[_AH_Col._Hogan]

I feel bad for that Bomber Pilot....

What was that show in the '60's about a silly USMC PFC and his overbearing Sgt?

S!

[_AH_DarkWolf]

Kind of a rough mission last night, most of that is my fault, sorry guys. The AI exhibited some unexpected behaviour. I wanted the fighter bombers to press on to target and do their ground pounding. Instead, the minute you guys approached each flight they all dumped their bombs and went spitfire hunting.

The silly pratts.

DW

[_AH_DarkWolf]

I've come across this picture in a couple books, something the RAF used to code their transmissions. Funny no one seems to know how it worked.



DW

[_AH_Col._Hogan]

I may be 5 mins late tonight.

S!

[_AH_DarkWolf]

I may be 5 mins late tonight.

S!

Okie dokie.

DW

[_AH_DarkWolf]

Ok, so we've had a couple really rough missions the last two outings. I'll have to make some adjustments for these last four missions.

During 31 I think alot of it was what we did that resulted in the high loss rate, it was'nt supposed to be that hard. We had the same result if not slightly worse with 32 and it certainly was not meant to be that way. We had 24 enemy fighters to contend with, 6 of them were average pilots with the rest (75%) rookies. We've dealt many times with a comparable escort, so I'm not sure if it was just cause we were a little light or what.

So again, we're not supposed to be getting wiped like this. I'll tone it down somewhat going forward.

DW

[_AH_Hollywood]

We had 24 enemy fighters to contend with, 6 of them were average pilots with the rest (75%) rookies.- DW

God help us if we can't wipe out rookies.... or maybe too much grog  :drinking-29:

[_AH_z5o]

Well, at 8:30 I was getting fired up for the coop. At or around 8:45 I was sound asleep at the PC. Ive got to find out why I keep doing that. Anyways, sorry I missed the fun.

[_AH_Hollywood]

Seems like we need either a wake up call for some of you or Muster call..

Group text to you Rip Van Winkle types next time?  :sleep-058:

[_AH_DarkWolf]

Lippy, this is what happens when you turn over command to Jack.



DW

[_AH_Lippy]

OMG and here I thought he was doing a good job. Jack report to my tent later for debrief.

[_AH_Col._Hogan]

Wait.... You're doing what to his briefs in your tent?