Fire over Malta

Janurary 1942, The Island of Malta has been under siege since the Italians declared war on June 10th 1940. Italian and German Submarines, Aircraft, and Surface Vessels have made resupply of the island, Extremely Difficult at best. Supplies dwindle, Petrol, Aircraft, Ammunition, Food, Water, and one extremely valuable asset. Pilots. Most pilots on the Island operate the Hurricane I & II series.

But Allied airmen, especially green pilots, find the competition rather frightening. Messerschmitt 109F's transferred from a stalled German Offensive in Russia are now a common and deadly sight over Malta.There is hope though, Some convoys break through the blockade and deliver precious supplies, and new Hurricanes.

North, on the Island of Sicily, plans to Invade the besieged island are being drawn up. But before that, total air supremecy must be won over Malta. Beginning in Janurary, Luftwaffe and Regia Aeronautica Bombers and fighters begin an around the clock bombing offensive. This air campaign had dual purposes, One was to destroy the RAF and Merchants and Warships, The other role was to occupy the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy while German and Italian Merchants and JU-52 transports head South for Rommel's Army in North Africa. For months it continues, German and Italian bomber losses dip, and the Axis supply routes are pushing Rommel through North Africa. The German Air Offensive has accomplished one it's main goals.

On March 7th, the first RAF Spitfires are delivered to Malta, It would be the first time the Spitfire would see action outside of the United Kingdom. Off the coast of Algiers, The 'Eagle' and the light carrier 'Argus' launch 15 (One failed to launch due to Mechanichal failure) Spitfire Mk V's for Malta. They enter service on the 10th, but by the time the 'Eagle' returns on the 21st, Only 2 of the first 15 spitfires remain, the rest had been written off.

The fighting was non-stop, and by the 23rd the defenders of Malta were left with only 5 serviceable Spitfires and Hurricanes! Five days later the Eagle would deliver 7 more Spitfires, but the Malta's future looked bleak. Most of the Anti-Submarine and bomber aircraft had retreated to Gibralter and Egypt, it had become to unsafe to operate them from Malta. April 1942 saw 5,500 tons of bombs dropped on Malta alone. On April 13th the USS Wasp set sail from Scotland with 47 Spitfire Mk V's code named Operation Calendar.

On the 20th the Wasp reached the fly off point. It was the largest delivery of Spitfires to date. Again one had failed to launch, But 46 Spitfires boosted the morale of the Island's air defenses, but it would be short lived, German radar had watched the approaching group of Spitfires and by morning of the 17th Nearly half of the Spitfires would be destroyed in the air or on the ground.

Even then Malta's survival was still in question. Once again the Wasp is used to ferry 47 Spitfires while the Eagle delivers 17. One pilot failed to launch, another was killed on takeoff, While two more were killed en route while engaging an Italian Floatplane. In all 60 Spitfires would reach Malta. Days after thier arrival they are involved in fierce air battle's. It is enough to for the Axis to postpone the proposed invasion of Malta, and losses of Luftwaffe Experten are being felt. The frozen offensive in Russia, begins to warm up and some German groups are transferred back to the Eastern Front.

The battle for Malta will reach a boiling point in August as Operation Pedestal makes Malta after suffering heavy losses, but by then its too late for the Luftwaffe. The Island of Malta is secure enough for a squadron of Spitfires to be sent South to fight in North Africa. Rommel's offensive is over, the RAF intercepts all the Convoys and Transports that kept his army pushing through North Africa. A year later Allied forces would land in Sicily. It would be more writing on the wall for the Axis after the Stalingrad catastrophe. 1942 would be the year that would change the course of World War Two, and for the first Six months an air battle in the skies over Malta would be one of the reasons why that particular year was such a deciding factor for the fate of the entire world.

General Operational Rules:

1. This a two life event, meaning pilots that are killed may reup after being killed. The Death Count Limiter will be used to control the Amount of Lives. Ditching, Bailing, or being Captured will count as a Death.
2. Refuel and Rearming is allowed. And does not count as a Life.
3. All aircraft in the Air at T+180 will be given a 30 Minute Grace period for landing, If The aircraft is still in the Air at T+210 it will be written off as lost. Any Action after T+180 will be counted and recorded.

Attrition Rules:

1. This scenario is trying to introduce Attrition as a major gameplay device. Certain Aircraft in the event will only be able to launch Once. These Aircraft are:

a.Spitfire Mk V
b.Bf109F-4

After T+5, these Airaft will be disabled to make sure they are not piloted again.
Any pilot who is Killed, Ditches, Bails or is Captured, must fly a replacement Aircraft. These Aircraft are:

a.Hurricane Mk IIC
b.Bf109E-4

2. Axis Pilots must fly there specified Aircraft First.
3. Spitfires will not regenerate on Malta, Every Spitfire at Malta will have to be flown in. Six Spitfire squads will regenerate on the CV's every frame.
4. Spitfires that have landed safely, at Malta, at the end of the frame will regenerate at Malta for frame Two and Three.

Allied Specific Rules:

Task Forces:

1. The Two Allied Fleets, C7 and C20, May be placed anywhere behind the 4 Line (No Higher than 4,9 all the way to the Tunisian Coast line).
2. The Two Allied Fleets are not allowed to pass the 6 Line.
3. The Allies are allowed to launch their Spitfires from anywhere between the 4 and 6 Lines.
4. The Allies are not allowed to recover Spitfires on the CV's. Any Spitfire landing on the Deck will be written off as lost.
5. The Cruiser Task Force may operate anywhere East of the 4 Line. It will only be allowed to be placed Once in thier designated area, In Frame 1, From there it's posistion will be recorded. And will be given a One Grid Grace Jump, In any direction, Every Frame thereafter.

Aircraft Rules:

1. Spitfires may only be upped Once. It will be impossible to roll Spitfires after T+5.
2. Spitfires may rearm and refuel (hotpad) or land at Malta, they will then be able to takeoff again after hotpad or, if landed, launch a Hurricane.
3.The Allies will be allowed to spawn from the CV's or Malta in there second life, But only with the available aircraft.

Axis Specific Rules:

Task Forces:

1. The Cruiser Task Force's may operate any where East of the 4 Line. They will only be allowed to be placed Once in thier designated area, In Frame 1, From there thier posistion will be recorded. And will be given a One Grid Grace Jump, In any direction, Every Frame thereafter except pass for the 4 line.

Aircraft Rules:

1. Bf-109F4's may only be upped Once. It will be impossible to roll Bf-109F4's after T+5.
2. Bf-109F4's may rearm and refuel or land at any Axis field, they will then be able to takeoff again after rearm, or, if landed, launch a Bf-109E4.
3. Bf-109F4 supply will regenerate every frame.
4. Formations will be enabled.
5. Pilots will fly there specified Aircraft first. Pilots may fly bombers or fighters at the CO's discretion.
6. The 110 will remain an available aircraft, at the CO's discretion.

Scoring:

Aircraft Scoring: If an Aircraft does not land successfully it is a loss, and no matter the Outcome of the pilot inside it is still counted as a Loss.

Spitfire Mk V= 20 Points
Messerschmitt 109F= 20 Points
Ju88A= 15 Points
Messerschmitt 109E= 10 Points
Hurricane MkIIC= 10 Points
F4F-4 Wildcat= 10 Points
Macchi 202= 10 Points
Ju87D= 10 Points

Ships and Ground Targets:

Fleet Carrier= 100 Points
Cruiser= 75 Points
Destroyer= 50 Points
Fighter Hangars= 25 Points (Downtime 30 Minutes)
Radar, Fuel and Ammo Bunkers= 15 Points (Down until next frame)
AAA Guns= 15 Points (Down until next frame)

Settings:

Wind 0-10K SE at 5 kts
Wind >10K SW at 5 kts

Clock T+0 = 06:00
ClockMultiplier = 1

Arena Settings (if its not listed its default)

Boat Warning Range =52800 (10 Miles)
Bomber Warning Range =95040 (18 Miles)
Communicationsflags = 3 (Kill Messages Disabled)
ExitWhileMoving = 0
FlightModeFlags = 1152
FuelBurnRateMult = 1.0
FullIconRange = 2400
GroundAutoLethality [Armored] = .4
GroundAutoLethality [Hard] = .4
GroundAutoLethality [Soft] = .4
KillShooter = 0
PerkPointDisabled = 1
Protect Objects = 1
RadarAlt = 200
RadarModeBish = 48 (Off)
RadarModeKnit = 43 (Full Friendly, Tower Friendly, Tower Enemy, Disable Enemy Counters)
RadarModeRook = 43 (Full Friendly, Tower Friendly, Tower Enemy, Disable Enemy Counters)
RadarUpdateRate = 7 (Radar Updates every 7 Minutes)
ResetAirFieldCount = 1
ResetTotalFieldCount = 1
SectorCounterRange = 95040
StratDisabled = 1
TaskGroupCommandCount = 4
TaskGroupRespawnTime = 360
TowerBasedRadarRange = 95040 (18 Miles)
ViewModeFlags = 2 (External View Bombers Only)

Object Hardness Settings

Ship = 10,000 LBS
Fighter Hangar = 4,000 LBS
Fuel Bunker = 500 LBS
Radar Bunker = 500 LBS

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Fire over Malta: Allied Briefing

The Situation at Malta is quickly deteriorating, Our Hurricanes are being shot out of the sky faster than they can be replaced. It is our Objective to relieve Malta. We shall do this by ferrying fresh Spitfires and Pilots to keep our rugged defense up. Our Hurricanes are having trouble with the 109F and the Macchi 202, and thier bombers are very tough.But it's nothing we havnt seen before though.

Junkers 87's and 88's make up there bombers, and both are deadly dive bombers, better to keep our planes off the ground and in the air, than to have Jerry pick them off from above. With our 20mm armed Hurricanes and fresh Spitfire V's, we can hold them at bay, focusing our attention on sinking surface vessels supplying Rommel.

If we can keep the Spitfires coming, we can regain air supremecy over Malta and start leaning towards Sicily. The HMS Eagle is making routine trips from Gibralter to North of Tunisia to deliver our much needed Merlins. Word is that the USS Wasp will get involved and she can hold almost three times the amount of Spitfires.

It's a long flight from North of Tunisia, and our new Spitfire pilots will be exhausted. Rearming and refueling our aircraft must be completed under a cloud of friendlies, as they will make perfect targets for strafing Aircraft. We must also protect our hangars and fuel depots as without them we will be left helpless, no matter how many Spitfires make Malta.

Intelligence is reporting that the Battleship Littorio is operating with multiple heavy and light cruisers, A PR flight last detected the Task Groups South of Malta in the Gulf of Sidra, But that was days ago. These ships could spell trouble if they get near Malta or our Warships, especially our Aircraft Carriers.

These Ships are secondary to our main goal which is delivering our new Spitfires. Axis Aircraft from Sardinia, Malta, Tunisia will be trying to find our ferry mission and destroy it. It is critical that they make Malta. Another part of our main goal is to protect Malta's Airfields and Petrol depots. Although they are easy to rebuild, we must keep them open and running if we are going to make sure our new Spitfires arrive safely.

The first convoy to Malta is entering the straits of Gibralter now. We are trying to
conserve aircraft, fuel and ammunition for when they arrive.
So good luck Gentlemen and good Hunting!

RAF (Malta)
185 Squadron (Hurricane MK IIC)
249 Squadron (Hurricane Mk IIC)
46 Squadron (Hurricane Mk IIC)
242 Squadron (Hurricane Mk IIC)
605 Squadron (Hurricane Mk IIC)
126 Squadron (Hurricane Mk IIC)

RAF and US Navy (En-route)
Flight A (Spitfire Mk V)
Flight B (Spitfire Mk V)
Flight C (Spitfire Mk V)
Flight D (Spitfire Mk V)
Flight E (Spitfire MK V)
Flight F (Spitfire Mk V)
801 Squadron (Hurricane MkIIC)
VF-71 (F4F Wildcat)

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Fire over Malta: Axis Briefing

Our Offensive in Russia has turned into a stalemate, and inclement weather is keeping our Air Forces on the Ground. Luftwaffe Fighter and Bomber Units are being relocated for our most ambitious operation since Barbarossa.

Under a combined attack from our Navies and Air Forces, we will starve Malta into
submission, which will lead to an Invasion from the Sea and Air of Malta. Operation Hercules has been given a tentative date of May 10th. From here out our forces will strike Malta day and night, crippling there ability to defend the Island.

Our Naval Forces consist of Two Italian Heavy Cruisers and multiple Destroyers, in addition to multiple German and Italian U-boats and Patrol Craft. In the Air, Our Forces in Sicily and around the Mediterranean have never seen these numbers and we will make good use of it. Our main objective is to gain Air Supremecy over Malta. As long as we keep up the pressure, our Air and Sea Transports can pass safely to North Africa to resupply our offensive in the Desert.

Recently U410 spotted the HMS Eagle along with a larger Carrier, Unknown class but definatley American steaming east from Gibralter. These Aircraft Carriers are carrying Spitfires bound for Malta. It is beleived they launch them some where North of Tunisia. Using every asset we have, we must destroy them or thier Carriers.

As long as Malta has the latest Spitfire variants, Operation Hercules will never become a success. It is safe to say, that nothing but the Luftwaffe and Regia Aeronautica can stop them. We must complete our goals before High Command sends us back to Russia for the Dry Season.


Luftwaffe
JG 53/Stab (Bf-109F4,E4)
JG 53/I (Bf-109F4,E4)
JG 53/II (Bf-109F4,E4)
JG 53/III (Bf-109F4,E4)
ZG 26/III (Bf-110C4)
KG 54/I (Ju88)
KG 77/II (Ju88)
KG 77/III (Ju88)
SG 3/I (Ju87D)
SG 3/II (Ju87D)
SG 3/III (Ju87D)

Regia Aeronautica
9 Gruppo (Macchi 202)
10 Gruppo (Macchi 202)
20 Gruppo (Macchi 202)
155 Gruppo (Macchi 202)
7 Gruppo (Macchi 202)
16 Gruppo (Macchi 202)
2 Gruppo (Macchi 202)
22 Gruppo (Macchi 202)
101 Gruppo (Ju87D)
102 Gruppo (Ju87D)

Credits

Scenario design: Nefarious

Allied CO: Jordi

Axis CO: Naso