another test run

[Hard Sarge]

odd, had tried to set up a BTR44 to test run and talk about

but, I have gotten the worst weather I have ever seen, so mainly been flying hassle raids and waiting for a break in the weather

finally got one !

of course, then the Med shut down

[Hard Sarge]

Greesh, I label the snaps so I want to know what I want to show, and then click on the wrong name, duhhhh

those are the main raid plots, and the recon

I got the Tac going after some V-Sites, and then BC is coming out to play, first time BC has really been active

of course the hassle then, is I got very poor intel on where the LW is, and the LW is very well rested, so losses should be heavy on both sides, so overall, I do not even have AS over France let alone Germany

No raids is doing wonders for the SD score, the Axis is working overtime trying to repair damage, so you see the score is 3-0-5

(a word on V-Site type targets, these are more major groups of targets, dumps, Command centers, what not, then a "Ramp" there were massives amounts of ramps, we wouldn't even have a map if we tried to add in the location of every ramp, so names have been changed to more match what they are meant to be)

(in fact, in hindsight, the early builds, and the reaction to them, led the Germens to rethink how they were going to use them, and a lot of the No-Ball raids, were to decoys (HARD to explain, not really decoy, but once started, they knew they wouldn't be able to complete or use them, so went about the montions and let the Allies destroy them)

(the old game flak trap set up, is wrong, most of the real sites, had very little flak, they didn't want to give them away)

here is the pretarget info, it is getting bad, I need to get busy and shut down some areas, Ike is not happy with what is going on, he needs AS for the landings

[Hard Sarge]

here is one of my simi Decoy raids drawing attention from the LW

much more attention then was expected, that is a raid to a Port with heavy fighter cover

idea was to draw the LW up as many times as I could, before going deep

hitting two of the large BB sites, and headed into the Halle Area, to get the big Rubber plant

really in hindsight, some major targets were plotted for this day, Hamm RR, one of the big Oil Storage sites, the big Rubber plant, two large BB sites

[Hard Sarge]

after raid damage

did well on one BB, light damage to the other, kind of nailed the Rubber site (56%) got one of the two OilS's, Hamm was a disappointment, poor damage to the RR, but BC also hit it, so should of done more, raid to Lipzip and Lubeck were failures, Hamm and Kessel so-so

did well vs the V-Sites, and hurt the 12 SS, but poor results vs the 21 panzer

but got some good intel, if the weather holds

score jumped to 3-4-5, a good turn for damage

LW ready went from 3250 to 2582

very heavy losses on both sides

P-61s get there first kills (in fact, BC Night Fighters get there first kills)

[Hard Sarge]

interesting, Overlord went down by about 20 points, but damage% went up from 5 to 8 (so would think that is better intel on the target type)

as I said, Ike is not too happy, but Monty wasn't as upset as I expected, but any damage to the troops in front of him, has to make him happy

[Hard Sarge]

2nd of March

dang

17% over England and France, but Heavy over Germany, so only close raids today, but in the long run, my bomber boys took a pounding and are not too happy, so they needed some rest

so, time to get Ike off my back, pound some of the French targets and hope for better weather tomorrow (weather will hurt more then the enemy will)

[Hard Sarge]

Radar, V-Sites and some RailRoads, gonna be aonther long day, main raids about a hour apart, 38s and 51s get the day off (other then the IXth)

Tac will fly in the afternoon, while the VIII flies in the morning

one thing you can do, once the turn begins, is hit F2, this will then only show the plotted targets, can speed up the game if all of the icons slow you down, and still gives more info then going to the Urban view (you lose your HQs for some reason (you still got them, you just don't see them on the map)

[Hard Sarge]

still wanted to hit some of those Airfields I spotted, so am going out anyway, and down low, to get under the clouds

one can't find the target, the other scores well, 7 ground kills, 5 damaged, and then in the 2ndary fights, gets 6 more kills, but loses a few to AA/Damage and picked on, so, over all, I think they got 13 for 6, not a great trade off

but they screwed up the LW response to the incomeing raid, which finally took out that close CFAC (nothing major being built there, but still)

[Hard Sarge]

one of the things the AI will do that will drive your losses up, is to get into the back path of your raid, and then pick off damaged and low on fuel aircraft, anything you can do, to break up, protect the back trail of your raids will pay off

this is a good set up, one raid is headed home, the LW is chasing and into the backpath, while a new raid in headed in

the LW on patrol, are going to jump into the attack, the LW units chasing are going to stay on the chase, the new fighters are fresh, the LW is tired and low on fuel, bad things happen, when you are low on gas

of course, the trick is to make it happen, 5 or 6 raids were sent out today, this is the only one that got the "good" set up

bad part of this kind of deal, is the newer fighters are dropping tanks and burning up gas, easly in there misson, so they are not going to hang with the bombers for long, or as long

(overall, if I am planning major raids in the area, I like to plot along the same path, but have each a little delayed behind the other, so there is always somebody new in the backpath)

[Hard Sarge]

raid in the north came out pretty good, in the Med wasn't too swift, XVth went for a Major EFAC, but couldn't find it, but to the good, found out the last raid that bombed blind, did some good damage, but missed most of the OILS

[Hard Sarge]

another one of those odd days, simi bad weather over England, but decent over Germeny , so if raids get up, they would have clean sailing, but the trouble is, getting up

North gets a day or rest, the moon is starting to get bright, so BC is shut down

so, main effect will be in the Med

to start the day, I sent out 3 low level Sweeps, followed up by two Tac Strikes on the same fields, and then about 30 minutes after the Tac takes off, I have posted 4 Sweeps as a barrier, to try and catch the Axis as they chase the raiders home

[Hard Sarge]

hmmm, I may put up two more sweeps to the right hand side, the Axis could slip pass

[Hard Sarge]

okay, updated plots

3 more sweeps, to cover the back side and flanks

in this one, you see the rest of the plots for the general area

B-25s going after some OILS, Canes hitting a Port, part of the XVth slipping past to hit a Major BB site

[Hard Sarge]

the total plots for the day, to the other side, a number of AF sweeps, with the main raids being to the two ports in the North, with a Tac raid on another AF, Mossies going after the OILS I missed yesterday

when it needs to be destroyed, send in the Mossies

(really, don't waste them, you only get so many, but use them when you have to get the kill)

[Hard Sarge]

since questions were asked, 205 Group is hitting one of the ports in Greece, one raid from NA and one from Italy, along with some Intruders, looking for Night Fighters, that I got no idea where they are

[Hard Sarge]

ahhhh, my guest as to where the NFs would be based, was right, but basicly, nothing but a pactice run, bombing was poor (PFF found it dead center, of course, most of the bombers from Italy got there a hour ahead of the Pathfinder

(for what ever reason, the AI loves Kamiski AF)

[Hard Sarge]

2 of the first 3 sweeps were good (the big one couldn't find the target ?)

then weather kicked in, everything was delayed in taking off, timing is shot, in the end, everything took off at the same time

which means, my barrier sweeps will get to there target, before the raids will, and will break off and head home, before the raids get back to them !!!!

ahhh, the Kittyhawks come in and hammer, 7 kills and 18 damaged 109s left on the runway, with no losses( flak damage, but no losses)

the Canes also did well, the Canes get 5 kills and 8 more damaged

(so, 12 kills and 26 damaged planes before the bomb raids take off, for 1 Cane lost, and a number damaged)

the sweeps on the other coast, are so-so, 8 kills, and 8 damaged, for the loss of 4 Allied fighters

[Hard Sarge]

what hurts, is the Axis can take off or have already lifted off, before the raids come in, so they can attack on the way in, instead of trying to chase them down

57th FG and 79th FG of the 12th have a good day, but some B-26s slip away from there cover and get pounded

[Hard Sarge]

and the target screen

I need to send out some recon, the big BB site was cloud covered, and I show I didn't do much damage, but I think I did better then the bombing reports

got to say, my target picks may not seem like I got any kind of plan at all, but, the biggest hassle so far, has been weather, if I can't target what I want, I got to target what I can

plus, I have to bleed the LW before I can really hit what I want, even with Ike looking over my shoulder

[Hard Sarge]

got my first Ace