Codename: Cactus

During early July 1942, Allied intelligence discovered that the Japanese Navy began constructing a significant airfield near Lunga Point on Guadalcanal island. After completion, this base would threaten Allied supply and communication lines across the South Pacific to Australia and New Zealand. Allied strategists saw an opportunity to turn the tables on the Japanese by capturing the airfield at Guadalcanal and using it to attack Japanese positions throughout the Solomon Islands. Guadalcanal was given the codename of “Cactus”.

 On August 7, the First Marine Division landed on Guadalcanal at Lunga Point, capturing the uncompleted Japanese airfield. The Allies continued construction on the airfield immediately using captured Japanese equipment. The airfield was renamed Henderson Field, for Major Lofton R. Henderson, the first Marine Corps pilot killed during the Battle of Midway. 

On August 20th, the first Marine aircraft arrived at Henderson Field; F4F Wildcats of VMF-223 and SBD Dauntless dive bombers of VMSB-232. They began combat operations the following day. They were joined on August 22nd by the P-400s (export versions of the P-39D) from the U.S. Army's 67th Pursuit Squadron. These units formed the backbone of what was dubbed the “Cactus Air Force”. They  were reinforced in the following weeks by more USN and USMC squadrons of Wildcats, Dauntlesses, and Avengers. But spare parts were in short supply and the groundcrews often resorted to cannibalizing good parts from damaged planes to keep the working planes in order.

Once the Japanese discovered that the Americans began using Guadalcanal as their own base, air attacks began in ernest. The Japanese force primarily consisted of G4M ‘Betty” bombers from the Misawa and 4th Air Groups with A6M “Zeke” fighters from theTainan K?k?tai based at Rabaul. Between August 21st and September 14th, the Japanese raided Guadalcanal a total of thirteen times, losing 54 aircraft, primarily due to the defensive efforts of Cactus Air Force fighter planes. Most of the Japanese aircrewmen in the destroyed aircraft were killed. Over this same period, the CAF squadrons lost 37 aircraft with 16 pilots killed. 

As these daytime Japanese attacks continued through October, they were also punctuated by nighttime bomber raids and shelling from Japanese warships. On the evening of October 13th, the Japanese Battleships Kong? and Haruna sailed into Ironbottom Sound and proceeded to shell Henderson Field with 14 inch shells. After the 90 minute bombardment, 41 Americans were killed, and the Cactus Air Force possessed only five SBDs and seven Wildcats that were still operational in the morning. 

The CAF got their first crack at a Japanese battleship on November 15th, after the first night of the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, in which Hiei's steering was disabled. Unable to flee, Hiei was repeatedly attacked by aircraft from Henderson Field. After suffering numerous direct hits, and being set ablaze, the Hiei was scuttled by the Japanese. This defeat resulted in Japan deciding that it was no longer feasible to support their ground troops on Guadalcanal.

In late November, the CAF received its first international unit when the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s No. 3 Squadron arrived with their Lockheed Hudson bombers. It was now time for the Allies to go on the offensive in the Solomons. 

This FSO will recreate the air battles for Guadalcanal in 1942.

Side Split: Allies 50% / Axis 50%

Frame 1 (Raids on Henderson Field)

Initial Sortie Aircraft

Subsequent Sortie Aircraft

Frame 2 (Convoy Attacks)

Initial Sortie Aircraft

Subsequent Sortie Aircraft

Frame 3 (Kahili Airfield, Buin Raids)

Initial Sortie Aircraft

Subsequent Sortie Aircraft

Ordnance Restrictions:

• All bombs will be disabled on the A6M2, A6M3, F4F-4, Ki-43, and P-39D.
• P-39D’s will only have the 20mm cannon option to represent a P-400.
• B5N2 limited to the 2x 250kg bomb load or a torpedo.
• TMB-3 limited to only the torpedo for playability purposes.
• SBD-5 limited to the 500lb centerline bomb and the 2 100lb x wing bombs.
• Straffer noses disabled on the B-25C.
• B-25C’s are limited to the 8 x 250lb bomb load.
• G4M1’s are limited to the 4x 250kg bomb load.

Event Rules and Clarifications

• Alt Cap is 20K for fighters, 16K for all bomb/rocket carrying aircraft.
• Level bombers may not descend below 8K unless for landing/ditching.
• Hour 1 target areas must be bombed before T+60 and Hour 1 targets become invalid after T+60.
• Hour 2 targets are only valid for pilots launching a new sortie in Hour 2 or rearming their Hour 1 plane after T+60.
• Air spawn locations will be shown on the objective maps if used. Air spawn altitudes will be 5K.
• The SBD-5’s in Frame 1 are to be used as fighters/scouts. There is no attack objective for the Allies that frame.
• Base A8 will be set to Rook as there was no air base there during the battle for Guadalcanal. 
• Fighters may not strafe down target objects. Only level bombers, dive bombers, and torpedo bombers will score points for destroying target objects. 
• Target fleets will be placed as close together as possible and follow a fixed track for the entire frame. The tracks will be shown in the objectives.
• Ship Hardness:
  • Destroyers =  1000 pounds.
  • Cruiser = 3,000 pounds 
  • Battleships = 6,000 pounds

• In Frames 1 and 3, the attacking side must assign at least 12 pilots to fighter escort / fighter sweep missions.
• In Frame 2, each side must assign at least 9 pilots to defense.
• Any non-target object that is destroyed will be restored at the earliest convenience by a CM. 
• Scoring values will be reduced in Hour 2 to compensate for an increased sortie rate. Aircraft on their first sortie will always score full points against enemy aircraft even after the second hour begins. A player's first sortie ends once they rearm, land, or are shot down. This is to prevent a situation where a last minute strike in Hour 1 can award full bombing points while only risking 1/4 points for a death on the way home. 

Scoring

Arena Settings 

- Terrain: solomons

- Fuel Burn: 1.0

- Icons: 3K Friendly/Enemy for aircraft.

- Ack: .3

- Fighter and Bomber warning range: 63360 (about 12 miles)

- Tower range set to 63360 (for display only to match the above setting)

- Haze/Fog: 15 miles

- Radar: Off

- Enemy collisions: on

- Friendly collisions: off

- Killshooter: off

- Time: 1100 (11AM) Game Clock

- Clouds: light5k

- Wind: 0K-2K NO WIND

2K-12K: NW TO SE - Speed 5

12K-16K: NW TO SE  - Speed 10

16K+: 45MPH downdraft