Solomon Campaign Briefs

[AH_DealnDave]

Good turn-out for mission - 12, we had 16 pilots altogether !!!  Here is the next briefing to be flown on (rescheduled due to 4th of July) Tuesday - July 11th.

"Solomon Islands Campaign"
Mission - 13 - Guadalcanal / 11
Date: October 14th, 1942

After Action Report:

Fair job hitting the Express.  They've lost a destroyer.  However, the attack forced the enemy to turn back and Henderson was spared a night of shelling.  The fighters also scored, downing 20+ enemy planes.  Scuttle-butt is that our current overall area commander (Adm. Gormley) is going to be replaced soon. Not sure why, but that's the rumor.

Intelligence:

Looks like the enemy is trying to land supplies and troops once again at Yaro Bay near the West Cape, grid CH-8 on your maps. Radar has picked up enemy ships heading towards that location.  Also, it looks as if they are protected by air cover.

The Mission:

F4F's - will provide CAP for the strike aircraft.

SBD's - will arm with bombs. Attack the enemy supply area on the beach-head.



TBF's - arm with torpedoes.  Attack the supply convoy. The supply ships are the primary targets.



NOTAM's:

TBF's (1st Squad, seats 1-22) - use main channel
F4F's (2nd Squad, seats 25-32) - use "red" comms
SBD's (3rd Squad, seats 33-47) - use "blue" comms
SBD's (Spare's, HQ & Guests, seats 50-59) - use "blue" comms, AIR-START, zero fuel at this time

Good Luck ...

[_AH_Hollywood]

Safe to assume we go dark next Tuesday?

4th of July ???

[_AH_Bear]

Safe to assume we go dark next Tuesday?

4th of July ???

I vote yes..

[_AH_Jack]

Not a bad idea.

[_AH_Col._Hogan]

What's more patriotic than killing japs?

[AH_DealnDave]

S~ All,

So, reschedule for July 11th?

[_AH_Archie]

S~ All,

So, reschedule for July 11th?

Yes please

[AH_DealnDave]

S~ All,

Campaign date for mission-13 changed to Tuesday July 11th.  See mission brief above.  :)

[AH_DealnDave]

S~ All,

Bumping for campaign night tomorrow night, see mission brief above.  :)

[AH_DealnDave]

Great turn-out for mission - 13, we had 20 pilots altogether !!!  Here is the next briefing to be flown on Tuesday - July 18th.

"Solomon Islands Campaign"
Mission - 14 - Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands
Date: October 26th, 1942

After Action Report:

Great job hitting the supply convoy.  The TBF's sunk all the enemy shipping in the area, the SBD's hit the enemy's equipment on the beaches, greatly reducing the their supplies, and the fighters destroyed over 20+ enemy aircraft. This mission reduced the enemy's combat effectiveness in our area. This maybe one of those final strokes to push them off Guadalcanal.  We'll see.

You have been deployed to the carrier's USS Enterprise (VF-6, VB-6, VT-6) and USS Hornet (VF-8, VB-2, VT-2) for the upcoming action. The change of command has occurred, Adm. Halsey has assumed command of the Guadalcanal area.

Intelligence:

Our submarines have sighted a large enemy task force near the Santa Cruz Island area.  Looks like they have 3 carriers, two of their fleet carriers and a light carrier. There are numerous cruisers and destroyers covering them.

The enemy task force was sighted in grid AZ-21, pad 1, on your map. The task force was steaming south (180 degrees) at a speed of 20 knots.

The Mission:

Good Morning Gentlemen ...We're going to hit the enemy task force. The enemy carriers are the primary targets.  We do a good job here, then we can begin to expand our area and start taking the Solomon Islands chain.



F4F's (VF-6, VF-8) - will provide CAP for the strike aircraft.

SBD's (VB-2, VB-6) - will arm with bombs. Attack enemy screening vessels, cruisers and destroyers.

TBF's (VT-2, VT-6) - arm with torpedoes.  Attack the carriers.

NOTAM's:

F4F's (1st Squad, seats 21-24, 57-60) - use "red" comms
SBD's (2nd Squad, seats 1-7, 31-37) - use "blue" comms
TBF's (3rd Squad, seats 9-18, 25, 28, 39, 41) - use main channel
TBF's (Spare's, HQ & Guests, seats 45-54) - use main channel, zero fuel and no weapons loaded at this time.

Good Luck ...

[_AH_DarkWolf]

I'll switch the moving targets on the warmup map back to carriers and add SBDs at those lower spawns.

DW

[AH_DealnDave]

Great turn-out for mission - 14, we had 23 pilots altogether !!!  Here is the next briefing to be flown on Tuesday - July 25th.

"Solomon Islands Campaign"
Mission - 15 - Guadalcanal / 12
Date: November 14th, 1942

After Action Report:

Welcome back to Guadalcanal ... The Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands was a victory.  We sunk two of the enemy's fleet carriers.  We also sunk a few of their escort vessels. However, we lost the carrier USS Hornet. That leaves just the USS Enterprise as the only operational carrier group in the Solomon Islands area. The Hornet's air group has reinforced the CACTUS airforce.

Intelligence:

Last night the Japanese and US Navy's were engaged in the naval surface battle between Savo Island and Cape Esperance. The brass is calling it the "Naval Battle of Guadalcanal". The enemy has been trying to reinforce their troops by sending supply and troop ships down the "slot" at night. These ships were covered by a battleship, a cruiser, and destroyers.

Unable to land their supply transports due to the surface engagement, the supply ships have retreated back toward the Russell Islands. The enemy battleship was damaged during the night's battle and is crippled, trying to make it back to safer waters. She was sighted near Aruligo Point, grid CI-10.  She is being screened by destroyers and a cruiser, as well as, enemy aircraft.  The enemy battle group's speed is estimated at 15 knots, heading of 320 degrees.



The Mission:

Good morning Gentlemen ... We are going after that enemy battleship group. The battleship is the primary target. We'll be using TBF's as the main strike force. Hit everything they have, with emphasis on hitting the battleship and cruiser.

F4F's - will provide CAP for the strike aircraft.

TBF's - arm with torpedoes.  We will attack the enemy ships with two separate torpedo groups, using a pincer type attack. The Marines (VMSB-232) will approach the ships from the starboard side (right). The Navy (VT-2) will approach the ships from the port side (left). Push in close and get hits !!!

NOTAM's:

TBF's (VMSB-232) - (1st Squad, seats 1-22) - use main channel
F4F's (2nd Squad, seats 25-32) - use "red" comms
TBF's - (VT-2) - (3rd Squad, seats 33-54) - use main channel
F4F's (Spare's, HQ & Guests, seats 57-60) - use "red" comms, AIR-START, zero fuel at this time.

Good Luck ...

[_AH_DarkWolf]

I'll set the warmup room targets to battleships and cruisers moving at 15 knots.

DW

[AH_DealnDave]

Good turn-out for mission - 15, we had 19 pilots altogether !!!  Here is the next briefing to be flown on Tuesday - August 1st.

"Solomon Islands Campaign"
Mission - 16 - Guadalcanal / 13
Date: November 15th, 1942

After Action Report:

Excellent work yesterday, hitting the enemy battleship group.  The battleship was sunk and the cruiser was heavily damaged.  The group was also able to destroy 10+ enemy aircraft in the air.

Intelligence:

Last night the enemy, during the undercover of darkness, attempted to land those transports that had departed for safer waters before yesterday's attack on the enemy battleship group. The Navy attacked this transport group in the early hours this morning, sinking another enemy crusier and damaging a destroyer. The enemy transports beached themselves near Tassafaronga Point and have begun unloading operations.

Reports are coming in that enemy destroyers are in the area providing cover for the enemy landings. There is a possiblity that enemy aircraft will also cover these landings.

The Mission:

Good morning Gentlemen ...

We are going to hit the enemy transports and the destroyers covering them.

SBD's - will arm with bombs and hit the beached transports.



TBF's - arm with torpedoes and strike the enemy destroyers.



F4F's - will provide CAP for the strike aircraft.

Push in close and get hits !!!

NOTAM's:

SBD's (1st Squad, seats 1-16) - use "blue" comms
TBF's (2nd Squad, seats 25-46) - use main channel
F4F's (3rd Squad, seats 17-24) - use "red" comms
F4F's (Spare's, HQ & Guests, seats 49-52) - use "red" comms, AIR-START, zero fuel at this time

Good Luck ...

[_AH_Lippy]

Are there any pictures of these transports so I can determine their outline for identification. Are they armed with AAA easier to attack from the side and skip bomb them like all the other ships.