OUT OF THE SUN: Egypt 1942

 

On 1st of July 1942 General Erwin Rommel's Deutschland Arfrika Korp(DAK) launched a major offensive in Egypt. The aim was to drive theBritish 8th Army back and to capture the port city of Alexandria,Cairo and the strategically important Suez Canal. Over the next monththe DAK and the British 8th Army would clash in what would be knownas the First Battle Of El Alemain. After heavy fighting The battleended in another stalemate. Panzer Armee Afrika was exhausted and theBritish 8th Army positioned itself in a defensive posture. Both sidesbided their time.

Rommel again attacked in August towards the Alam al-Halfa ridge but akey supply convoy had been compromised by an Ultra intelligenceintercept and coupled with the depleted strength of the DAK nofurther advances were possible. Rommel's forces had reached the endof their tether in Egypt and were oblidged to withdraw to their startlines. This represented the last real opportunity for the Axis toreach the Suez.  

As with other key battles in the Mediterranean campaign the Luftwaffeand the Desert Air Force were heavily committed to aiding their respective armies. Known as "The Blue" by DAF pilots the North Africatheater in many respects mirrored the type of air fighting found inthe First World War. Fighter and bomber units were highly mobile withpersonnel living in tents under primitive conditions. Both sidesfought each other over a "no mans land" of unforgiving terrain withthe lines changing as the ground war unfolded.

This FSO recreates the fighting between the Axis air forces and the Desert Air Force in the July-August 1942 battles for Egypt.

Country Percentages:

Axis 50%
Allied 50%

Field Assignments:
Axis Bishop
Allied Knight
CM Rook

OOB:

Axis (Luftwaffe/Regia Aeronautica):

Bf 109F-4
C. 202 (min 24)
Bf 110C-4b
Ju 87D-3
Ju 88A-4

Allied (Desert Air Force):

P-40E
P-40C
Spitfire V (max 24)
Hurricane II (min 24)
Boston III

Special Rules and Ordnance Restrictions:

* All aircraft must be used by a minimum of 12 *players*.
* Formations are enabled for all bombers.
ALL AIRCRAFT ARE TO BE LANDED AND THE PLAYERS TOWERED OUT BY FRAME

END OR WILL BE CONSIDERED SHOT DOWN AND THE CREWS KIA.

Scoring:

Aircraft Pts
------------
Bomber = 10 pts
Fighter = 5 pts
Landing Bonus = 2 pts
Pilot Survival Bonus = 1 pt
Target Pts
----------
Gun = 0.5 pts
Hangar = 25 pts
Destroyer = 50 pts
Crusier = 100 pts
All Other = 3 pts

Arena Settings:
- Tunisia terrain
- Fuel burn 1.0
- Icons friendly 3k/enemy 3k
- 0.5 Ack
- Fighter and Bomber warning range 42,000 (about 8 miles)
- Tower range set to 42,000 (for display only to match the above

setting)
- Haze/fog full visibility (17 miles)
- Radar off
- Enemy collisions on
- Friendly collisions off
- Killshooter off
- Time: 15:00 ( 3PM ) Game Clock
- Formations: On
- Bomber calibration: Automatic (MA Standard)
- Wind: 0-2K NONE
             2K-18K NE TO SW - Speed 5
            18K-24K E TO W - Speed 10
             24K+ E TO W - Speed 15
         
Designer's Notes:

Design by Warloc