Breaking the Gustav Line - Shingle to Diadem
The situation in Italy after Christmas of 1943 was one of frustration and deadlock. On the West coast of Italy the US 5th Army was in a deadly slog attacking through the Bernhardt line positions. On the Adriatic coast the British 8th Army had just fought a bloody street fight for the small town of Ortona. Both Allied Armies were now facing another enemy now in the form of snow and rain which were making muddy mountain roads impassable.
By January 15th, after heavy casualties over the last six weeks of fighting, the US 5th Army had reached the Gustav line and were now facing the formidable defenses of Monte Cassino. The town of Cassino and its monastery formed natural defensive positions at a key area in the Gustav line and could not be avoided. The attacks on the Western side of the Gustav line and Cassino started on January 17th. The first few days saw heavy fighting in all areas of the US 5th Armies advance.
On January 22nd US VI Corps landed at Anzio and secured a beach head, but under the command of Major General John Lucas they failed to attempt an immediate strike out of the landing area and became surrounded. By the time Lucas attempted an offensive operation on January 30th, his forces met heavy resistance. February saw the Germans launch a massive counterattack and the situation in the encircled beach head was becoming very serious. The Allies held the beach head and on February 22nd Major General Lucas was replaced by General Lucian Truscott.
While the situation at Anzio was becoming critical and the weather worsened, the Allies at Monte Cassino prepared for more attacks on the town and the monastery which was destroyed by air attack on February 15th. The fighting for the monastery would last three more months until it was captured by Polish troops on May 18th after the launch of Operation Diadem. Five days later the US VI Corps broke out of the Anzio beach head and was poised to cut-off the retreating German forces from Cassino but instead was diverted for Rome. Rome would fall to Allied forces on June 4th, two days before the Allied Invasion of Normandy.
The role of Allied air power was instrumental in the Allied victory at Cassino and Anzio. Operation Strangle, the interdiction of German troops and supplies like fuel, ammunition, and food began in March 1943 and severely affected the German logistics of supplying their defenses. During the Cassino and Anzio operations the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces provided vital air support missions that turned the tide of many of the critical ground battles. This FSO depicts the air battles in central Italy, early 1944.
By January 15th, after heavy casualties over the last six weeks of fighting, the US 5th Army had reached the Gustav line and were now facing the formidable defenses of Monte Cassino. The town of Cassino and its monastery formed natural defensive positions at a key area in the Gustav line and could not be avoided. The attacks on the Western side of the Gustav line and Cassino started on January 17th. The first few days saw heavy fighting in all areas of the US 5th Armies advance.
On January 22nd US VI Corps landed at Anzio and secured a beach head, but under the command of Major General John Lucas they failed to attempt an immediate strike out of the landing area and became surrounded. By the time Lucas attempted an offensive operation on January 30th, his forces met heavy resistance. February saw the Germans launch a massive counterattack and the situation in the encircled beach head was becoming very serious. The Allies held the beach head and on February 22nd Major General Lucas was replaced by General Lucian Truscott.
While the situation at Anzio was becoming critical and the weather worsened, the Allies at Monte Cassino prepared for more attacks on the town and the monastery which was destroyed by air attack on February 15th. The fighting for the monastery would last three more months until it was captured by Polish troops on May 18th after the launch of Operation Diadem. Five days later the US VI Corps broke out of the Anzio beach head and was poised to cut-off the retreating German forces from Cassino but instead was diverted for Rome. Rome would fall to Allied forces on June 4th, two days before the Allied Invasion of Normandy.
The role of Allied air power was instrumental in the Allied victory at Cassino and Anzio. Operation Strangle, the interdiction of German troops and supplies like fuel, ammunition, and food began in March 1943 and severely affected the German logistics of supplying their defenses. During the Cassino and Anzio operations the Mediterranean Allied Air Forces provided vital air support missions that turned the tide of many of the critical ground battles. This FSO depicts the air battles in central Italy, early 1944.
- Fighter ALT CAP - 24K
- Bomber ALT CAP - 18K
- Flight re-opens at T+60 for unlimited lives.
- Only aircraft with minimums must be flown.
- Requirements Indicate # of Pilots.
- Formations are enabled but not required.
- Certain Aircraft will only be active from certain fields. Please refer to the Objectives and Orders.
- Formations are enabled but not required.
- Certain Aircraft will only be active from certain fields. Please refer to the Objectives and Orders.
- Pilots may refuel and rearm at ANY FRIENDLY FIELD.
- All Aircraft must land successfully at ANY FRIENDLY FIELD before T+120 or you will be counted as lost.
- All Aircraft must land successfully at ANY FRIENDLY FIELD before T+120 or you will be counted as lost.
AIRCRAFT SCORING:
OBJECT SCORING:
SHIP SCORING:
ACE MISSIONS:
Each side will have one mandatory Ace mission per frame. These frames will represent notable pilots of the time and theater. One pilot from each side will designated an "Ace" Pilot. They must fly the Aces listed aircraft. They will be scored as follows.
Ace Pilot = 20 Points
Ace Pilot Kills = 5 Points
So for example if an Ace Pilot is shot down they are worth 20 points to the other side. Like wise, every victory an Ace Pilot lands they will be rewarded 5 points.
Ace Pilot = 20 Points
Ace Pilot Kills = 5 Points
So for example if an Ace Pilot is shot down they are worth 20 points to the other side. Like wise, every victory an Ace Pilot lands they will be rewarded 5 points.
Allied Aces
Frame 1 (SPIT VIII) Lt. Col Charles "Sandy" McCorkle took part in the Aleutians campaign before taking command of the 31st FG in Sicily flying Spitfires. He would take part in the Salerno and Anzio landings. Shooting down 5 enemy aircraft in Spitfire, he was one of the few American Spitfire Aces. He would go onto shoot down 6 more when the 31st transitioned to P-51s in April of 1944. McCorkle passed away in 2009.
Frame 2 - (SPIT Mk IX) Brian Kingcome - Wing Commander Kingcome joined the RAF in 1936 and fought in the Battle of France and Britain. In 1942 he took part in the mission to sink the Axis Cruisers attempting to escape through the English Channel to Germany. In 1943 Kingcome was sent to North Africa to lead 244 Wing. By the end of his stay with the wing, he had brought his total personal tally to 8 destroyed, three shared, five probable and 13 damaged enemy aircraft. Kingcome passed away in 1994 at 76.
Frame 3 (SPIT VIII) Squadron Leader Albert "Bert" Houle flew with the RAF in 213 squadron flying Hurricanes in North Africa. He would start to accumulate victories when he was transferred to 417 Squadron RCAF. On February 29th, 1944 near Anzio, Houle would shoot down two Fw 190s to bring his total to 13 confirmed kills. This was to be Houles last combat mission as he was wounded in the neck. Houle passed away in Canada in 2008.
- No Radar
- Fighter and Bomber Warning Range - 63360 (12 miles)
- Tower Range 63360 (for display to match the above Fighter and Bomber Warning)
- External view for bombers (F3) - On
- Friendly Collisions - Off
- Enemy Collisions - On
- Kill Shooter - Off
- Fuel - 1.0
- Ack - 0.3
- Formations - Enabled
- Bombsite calibration - Main Arena Standard
- Visibility - 17 miles
- Object Downtime - full (200)
- Winds - None
- Game Clock:
Frame 1 (SPIT VIII) Lt. Col Charles "Sandy" McCorkle took part in the Aleutians campaign before taking command of the 31st FG in Sicily flying Spitfires. He would take part in the Salerno and Anzio landings. Shooting down 5 enemy aircraft in Spitfire, he was one of the few American Spitfire Aces. He would go onto shoot down 6 more when the 31st transitioned to P-51s in April of 1944. McCorkle passed away in 2009.
Frame 2 - (SPIT Mk IX) Brian Kingcome - Wing Commander Kingcome joined the RAF in 1936 and fought in the Battle of France and Britain. In 1942 he took part in the mission to sink the Axis Cruisers attempting to escape through the English Channel to Germany. In 1943 Kingcome was sent to North Africa to lead 244 Wing. By the end of his stay with the wing, he had brought his total personal tally to 8 destroyed, three shared, five probable and 13 damaged enemy aircraft. Kingcome passed away in 1994 at 76.
Frame 3 (SPIT VIII) Squadron Leader Albert "Bert" Houle flew with the RAF in 213 squadron flying Hurricanes in North Africa. He would start to accumulate victories when he was transferred to 417 Squadron RCAF. On February 29th, 1944 near Anzio, Houle would shoot down two Fw 190s to bring his total to 13 confirmed kills. This was to be Houles last combat mission as he was wounded in the neck. Houle passed away in Canada in 2008.
Axis Aces
Frame 1 - (BF109G-6) Hauptmann Herbert "Puschi" Puschmann flew with JG51 in Russia scoring his first kills during Barbarossa. He would claim 37 victories from July 1941 to August 1942. He would be then be transferred to North Africa and later Italy where he claim 20 more enemy destroyed. Puschmann was killed February 3rd 1944 while engaging B-25 bombers in the Rome area. He was posthumously awarded the Knight's Cross.
Frame 2 (C.205) Major Adriano Visconti started out in the Regia Aeronautica but after the Italian surrender joined the Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana. He was given command of the 1st squadron of the 1st Gruppo Caccia. Visconti got his first kill with the ANR on January 3rd, 1944. He flew the C.205 and Bf109 until the ANR disbanded in 1945. Visconti was killed by communist partisans after surrendering on April 29th 1945.
Frame 3 (Fw 190A-5) Hauptmann Siegfried Wumm Lemke was a veteran of the Channel Front, where he shot down his first enemy aircraft, a Spitfire in 1943. In late January 1944 he was transferred to Southern France. In February he was transferred to Italy to counter the Anzio landings. He would shoot down 16 aircraft in March of 1944. Lemke would go onto claim 70 victories. He survived the war and passed away in 1995.
- Icon Range Friendly 3k, Enemy 3k.Frame 1 - (BF109G-6) Hauptmann Herbert "Puschi" Puschmann flew with JG51 in Russia scoring his first kills during Barbarossa. He would claim 37 victories from July 1941 to August 1942. He would be then be transferred to North Africa and later Italy where he claim 20 more enemy destroyed. Puschmann was killed February 3rd 1944 while engaging B-25 bombers in the Rome area. He was posthumously awarded the Knight's Cross.
Frame 2 (C.205) Major Adriano Visconti started out in the Regia Aeronautica but after the Italian surrender joined the Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana. He was given command of the 1st squadron of the 1st Gruppo Caccia. Visconti got his first kill with the ANR on January 3rd, 1944. He flew the C.205 and Bf109 until the ANR disbanded in 1945. Visconti was killed by communist partisans after surrendering on April 29th 1945.
Frame 3 (Fw 190A-5) Hauptmann Siegfried Wumm Lemke was a veteran of the Channel Front, where he shot down his first enemy aircraft, a Spitfire in 1943. In late January 1944 he was transferred to Southern France. In February he was transferred to Italy to counter the Anzio landings. He would shoot down 16 aircraft in March of 1944. Lemke would go onto claim 70 victories. He survived the war and passed away in 1995.
- Italy terrain
- No Radar
- Fighter and Bomber Warning Range - 63360 (12 miles)
- Tower Range 63360 (for display to match the above Fighter and Bomber Warning)
- External view for bombers (F3) - On
- Friendly Collisions - Off
- Enemy Collisions - On
- Kill Shooter - Off
- Fuel - 1.0
- Ack - 0.3
- Formations - Enabled
- Bombsite calibration - Main Arena Standard
- Visibility - 17 miles
- Object Downtime - full (200)
- Winds - None
- Game Clock:
Frame 1: 09:00
Frame 2: 12:00
Frame 3: 15:00
Designed by Nefarious 2013
Frame 2: 12:00
Frame 3: 15:00
Designed by Nefarious 2013