The Battle of the Western Kuban

• Dates and Times  
• Introduction  
• Overview of Battle  
• Victory Conditions
• Frame Objectives 
• Luftwaffe Units  
• VVS Units
• Rules  
• Settings
• CM Items  
• Historical Content  
• References
• Credits

Dates and Times

Players should register for this Aces High scenario to play in it, so that they can get mission orders and be a part of the forum community. Walk-ons are allowed to show up in Special Events Arena on game day to see if there are any open positions to fill. This scenario will be a four-frame event (four battles).

The event will be hosted in Special Events Arena (SEA) II.

There is No Coordination or "Beta" Frame for this event. Players are expected to use the appropriate amount of time to organize and practice in advance.

Event Schedule:  

Frame 1: February 17, 2018
Frame 2: February 24, 2018
Frame 3: March 3, 2018
Frame 4: March 10, 2018

The arena will lock at 3 pm US Eastern Time. (For how that translates to your time, here is a time converter.) The scenario starts at 3:00 PM when the arena locks, preparation and organization is part of the scenario and there will be a half hour after the arena locks for briefings to occur before flight is enabled. Please show up on or before 3:00pm to play. The arena will be closed to admittance at this time. The purpose of locking the arena a half hour before launch is explained here;

Walk-ons, last minute order adjustments, briefings and such need a stable period of time to occur. The CM is also timing his announcements, unlocking fields, managing players and getting squadrons formed. Show up before the arena locks. If you are late, be patient, you will be allowed in when things have settled down to the point that late entry is not a disruption.

If you are disconnected and can't get back in, you can private message the CM (Brooke) from the Main Arena by typing ".p Brooke let me in" into your radio text buffer. Once you are in, let Brooke know via PM so the arena can be locked down again. The arena is locked to prevent people from just dropping in and disrupting the event wondering what's going on. Again, this is a 4-frame scenario. The frame ends at T + 3.30 hours.

Introduction

Fight for the Kuban

By the spring of 1943, replenished from the disastrous losses of 1941 and heartened by the victory at Stalingrad, the Red Air Force stepped up efforts to challenge Axis air superiority on the Eastern Front. This included a series of major air battles over the southern Kuban River. The air campaign, lasting between April and June 1943, became a turning point in the battle for the Caucasus. The Luftwaffe, looking to use its numerical superiority and traditional tactical edge to its advantage, planned to swiftly destroy local Red Air Force assets before turning its attention to ground support missions.

Axis forces, consisting of about 1,200 aircraft, including the Luftwaffe’s mainstay BF-109 and FW-190 fighters and He-111, Ju-87 bombers and Ju-88 multirole combat aircraft, matched up against an assorted collection of Soviet and lend-lease Red Air Force planes, including LaGG-3, La-5, Yak-1, Yak-7B, P-39 Airacobra, P-40E Kittyhawk and British Spitfire MK.V fighters, and Pe-2, Il-2, and Il-4 bombers and ground attack aircraft. 

The Aces High Scenario team will be reenacting the battles that took place over the Kuban River southwest of Stalingrad in this heart pounding and fast action packed thriller the Battles of the Western Kuban.

Overview of Battle

This Aces High scenario will feature level bombing, dive bombing, strafing and air to air combat. Both sides will be challenged to achieve like objectives. Both sides will need to attack and defend targeted objectives provided by the scenario CM team. Several of the historical aircraft mentioned in the introduction that are not available in game will be replaced by aircraft that were in theater during the period for better immersive play.

For each frame, CiCs and command teams will prepare for meeting the challenge of the frame objectives. Each side will have one city strat target and multiple Vehicle Base targets or Airfield Towns targets to attack.

Victory Conditions

Each week command teams will plot and plan to achieve frame victories based on the following scoring criteria and rules.

• Level bombers from both sides must make three attempts at multiple legitimate bombing target objectives [City Strat, Town or Vehicle Base]. A fifteen point penalty will be levied in the absence of this attempt.
• Attack aircraft from both sides must make three attempts at multiple legitimate bombing target objectives [City Strat, Town or Vehicle Base]. A fifteen point penalty will be levied in the absence of this attempt.

***Note:"Attempt" means to bomb the target or either die trying or be driven off by enemy attackers.

Usage of Ancillary Aircraft

All bomber, attack and fighter pilots that lose all of their registered aircraft lives may fly two lives in a JU87D-3 Stuka or a IL-2 Type 3 Sturmovik. Deaths or loss of these aircraft will have no point value, but these aircraft will have the ability to score points for their sides. See “Point Scoring” for more details.

Ordnance Distribution (Loadouts)

If the aircraft is not listed with ordnance here, it may not carry any ordnance. The ordnance will be set in the hangar by the setup CM prior to frame start. Additional ordnance may have been added to specific aircraft to balance out their counterparts use of lethal canon. The use of 20 mm wing gondolas have been removed from the BF109s. Pilots will only be able to select ordnance that is available in the hangar that is listed below;

Luftwaffe

JU87D-3 = [1] 500 Kg Bombs [4] 50 Kg Bombs

BF110G-2 = [2] 500 Kg Bombs, [4] 20mm and [2] 30mm Canon

JU88A-4 = [4] 250 Kg Bombs

VVS

IL-2 Type 3 = [4] 100 Kg Bombs, 4x RS-82 Rockets, Gun package option A or B

A-20G = [4] 500 lb. Bombs, [4] 250 lb. Bombs

Boston III = [4] 500 lb. Bombs

Point Scoring

Event scoring will be implemented as follows;

• Level Bombers, JU88A-4s and Bostons IIIs that destroy a hangar during a single sortie will score 3 points.
• Level Bombers, JU88A-4s and Bostons IIIs that destroy a city strat or airbase Town object during a single sortie will score 1 point.
• Attack aircraft, Bf110G2s and A-20Gs that destroy a bunker of any type, Fuel, Ammo, Barrack, or Radar during a single sortie will score 1 point.
• Attack aircraft, Bf110G2s and A-20Gs that destroy a gun of any type during a single sortie will score .33 points.
• A JU87D-3 that destroys a bunker of any type will receive .25 points per sortie.
• The death or loss of a JU87D-3 will have no value.
• A IL-2 Type 3 that destroys a bunker of any type will receive .25 points per sortie.
• The death or loss of a IL-2 Type 3 will have no value.

Level Bomber Scoring Example

If a JU88A-4 destroys a hangar at an opposing vehicle base and then drops a remaining bomb on air base town and lands successfully this aircraft will have scored 4 points per sortie.

Attack Aircraft Scoring Example

If a A-20G destroys a Ammo bunker at an opposing vehicle base and then destroys a gun of any type in a airbase town or vehicle base then lands successfully this aircraft will have scored 1.33 points per sortie.

***Note: The definition of “Loss” is any aircraft that ends in a final state of rest as a death or  bailout or capture or crash or ditch.

Frame Objectives

Frame objectives will give each side the necessary target information and instructions for each frame of the event.

Frame 1 Objectives


Axis Targets

City Strat (15,7,9), Vehicle Base V105 (17,9,3), Vehicle Base V84 (16,7,5),

Allied Targets 

City Strat (15,7,4), Vehicle Base V83 (14,8,4), Vehicle Base V85 (13,6,1)

Frame 2 Objectives

Axis Targets 

A4-Town (16,7,6), Vehicle Base V105 (17,9,3), Vehicle Base V84 (16,7,5),

Allied Targets

A68-Town (14,6,8), Vehicle Base V83 (14,8,4), Vehicle Base V85 (13,6,1)

Frame 3 Objectives

Axis Targets 

City Strat (15,7,4), Vehicle Base V83 (14,8,4), Vehicle Base V111 (16,8,3)

Allied Targets

City Strat (15,7,4), Vehicle Base V83 (14,8,4), Vehicle Base V106 (14,9,2)

Frame 4 Objectives

Axis Targets

A4-Town (16,7,6), Vehicle Base V105 (17,9,3), Vehicle Base V111 (16,8,3),

Allied Targets

A68-Town (14,6,8), Vehicle Base V83 (14,8,4), Vehicle Base V106 (14,9,2)

Luftwaffe Units (6 Bombers and 30 Fighters/Attack) 

Active Fields: A16, A65, V85, V83, V106, A68 ***Note: All aircraft will be enabled from all fields with the exception of level bombers.

VVS Units (6 Bombers and 30 Fighters/Attack) 

Active Fields: V105, V111, V84, A4, A144, A67 ***Note: All aircraft will be enabled from all fields with the exception of level bombers.

 
Rules

• Everyone, including CO’s, please follow instructions from game-day CM's, or you can be ejected from the arena.
• Please follow instructions from your commanders, or you can get reassigned or ejected from arena.
• All bomber pilots will have three lives in their registered aircraft.
• All attack pilots will have three lives in the registered aircraft.
• All fighter pilots will have two lives in their registered aircraft.
• All pilots will have two additional lives in the IL-2 or the JU87D.
• The additional IL-2 and JU87D lives can only be used after a pilot’s first two registered lives have been lost.
• The IL-2 and JU87D will have no value for death or loss, but will be allowed to score points for their respective sides.
• You use up a life if you die, crash, ditch, bail, or exit your plane with anything other than a "landed successfully".
• You can man a gun at any time (for bomber or ground gun), and deaths in guns don't count to your life total.
• Downwind will be enabled at 20k ft. -- but you can maneuver above that as you see fit.
• Planes carrying ordnance may not fly higher than 16k.
• Level bombers:
  • Must level bomb only. Dive bombing is not allowed by JU88A-4s or Boston IIIs.
  • Must take off whenever possible with formations and not intentionally lose drones.
• If you need to get back into the locked arena, type ".p brooke let me in" into any text buffer, then try to get in even if arena says it is locked.

 
Settings

Terrain. blksea

Wind. 45 mph downwind at 20k.

Clouds. Scattered Clouds

Radar and Sector Counters. No radar or sector counters below 1000 ft.  Sector counters above 1000 ft.

Ack: .2

ArenaFlags = 13358

BomberWarningRange = 15,840 (3 miles)

CommunicationFlags = 3

CountryChangeTime = (no changing of countries once started)

ExitWhileMoving = 508

FighterWarningRange = 15,840 (3 miles)

FlightModeFlags = 5248

FuelBurnRateMult = 1.0

GroundAutoLethality[Armored] = 0.15

GroundAutoLethality[Hard] = 0.15

GroundAutoLethality[Soft] = 0.15

RadarAlt = 12,000

RadarMode = 458 (tower friendly, tower enemy, plane counters only, counters above radar, range-based counters)

SectorCounterAlt = 0

SectorCounterRange = 211,200 (40 miles)

TowerBasedRadarRange = 211,200 (40 miles)

StratFlags = 1

Arm auto gun, down time = 5

Auto gun, down time = 5

Bmbr hgr, hardness = 2, down time = 5

Bunk ammo, hardness = 0.5, down time = 5

Bunk barracks, hardness = 0.5, down time = 5

Bunk fuel, hardness = 0.5, down time = 5

Bunk radar, hardness = 0.5, down time = 5

Ftr hgr, hardness = 2, down time = 5

Gun bat, down time = 5

Gun bat armor, down time = 5

Gun bat soft, down time = 5

Hard auto gun, down time = 5

Hard gun bat, down time = 5

 Veh hgr, hardness = 2, downtime = 5

CM Items  

MOTD 

Welcome to the Scenario "The Battle of the Western Kuban"!
To play, please show up at 3 pm Eastern on Saturday.

If you are not registered, you are welcome to play,

but please stay in country Rook until you are assigned

to a side.

Fighter pilots get two lives. Bomber and attack pilots get

three lives. Each pilot will have access to two additional

lives in a JU87D-3 or IL-2 Type 3.

You use up a life if you die, crash, ditch, bail, or exit

your plane with anything other than a "landed successfully".

If you need back into the locked arena, type ".p brooke

let me in" into any text buffer.  Then try to come in

even if the arena says its locked.

Historical Content  

The Kuban Bridgehead (German: Kuban-Brückenkopf), also known as the "Goth's head position" (German: Gotenkopfstellung), was a German position on the Taman Peninsula, Russia, between the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea. Existing from January to October 1943, the Bridgehead formed after the Germans were pushed out of the Caucasus. The heavily fortified position was intended as a staging area for the Wehrmacht which was to be used to renew attacks towards the oil wells of the Caucasus. The bridgehead was abandoned when the Red Army breached the Panther–Wotan line, forcing an evacuation of the German forces across the Kerch Strait to Crimea.

Case Blue (Fall Blau), launched 28 June 1942, saw Army Group South divided into two Army Groups, Army Group A and Army Group B, the former participating in the Battle of the Caucasus. Throughout the operation the German situation especially that of Army Group B centered on Stalingrad began to deteriorate.  As Army Group B began collapsing in the North, Army Group A quickly found itself at risk of being flanked. It was forced to abandon its task of securing the oilfields of the Caspian, and began withdrawing down the Terek River toward the Taman Peninsula.

Following the encirclement of the 6th Army at Stalingrad, Army Group A withdrew towards the Black Sea and Crimea. The 17th Army, commanded by Richard Ruoff and Erwin Jaenecke, constructed a defensive position across the Kuban River delta in the Taman Peninsula, which was completed in January 1943. The main, first defense line started by Novorossiysk and run roughly northwards all the way across the peninsula. Consisting of 5 defense lines, the total depth of the defense area was up to 60 km.  German forces, moving from positions along the Terek River, fully occupied the new defensive network in February 1943 while under constant attack by the Red Army . The bridgehead, originally intended to provide a staging area for future attempts to gain control of the Caspian oil fields, was re-tasked on 3 September 1943, as the German situation on the Eastern Front continued to deteriorate. The Kuban Bridgehead then served to evacuate German forces as the withdrawal of Army Group South to the Dneiper Line had become inevitable.

The first defenses of the Kuban Bridgehead were breached on September 15–16, 1943 in the area of Novorossiysk during the Novorossiysk-Taman Operation (ru) of the Soviet North Caucasian Front.The Taman Peninsula was completely cleared of German forces on 9 October 1943.

The defense of the Kuban Bridgehead permitted the evacuation of 239,699 soldiers, 16,311 wounded, 27,456 civilians (nearly all Russian population of Novorossiysk able to work), 115,477 tonnes of supplies (including ammunition), 21,230 motor vehicles, 74 tanks, 1,815 guns, and 74,657 horses to the Crimea.[citation needed] The Luftwaffe, operating from a field airport at Slavyansk-na-Kubani, withdrew a further 15,661 men.[citation needed] Transportation over the narrowest point of the strait, measuring four kilometers, was done by Marinefährprahm ferry barges and a sea cableway. A combined road and rail bridge was constructed, but was destroyed shortly before completion in October 1943.

The Taman bridgehead - 1943

On 26 May 1943 the Soviets launched their fourth attack, with the main thrust on the direction of Krimskaya and Anapa. 6 infantry divisions and 3 tank brigades were concentrated between Kyevskoe and Moldovanskoe and these forces managed to make a breach 5 km deep. They were stopped on the line between Svoboda, Gogolia, Noviy, Sadoviy and Pobeda,but they had taken the villages Samsonovskiy, Tambulovskiy, Podgorniy, Arnautsky, Palmenskiy and Hill 121. The Axis counterattack threw them back 2 km and retook Podgorniy, Arnautsky and Hill 121. The following day, the Red Army restarted its attacks in the sector, but with little success. By 4 June, they had only managed to reoccupy Hill 121. 

The 19th Infantry Division had been reintroduced in the first line, but its combat effectiveness had dropped, because the replacements it had received were inexperienced. It was again broken into smaller pieces and assigned to several German units: to the 97th Division went the 1st Battalion/96th Infantry Regiment; to the 101st Division went the 2nd Battalion/95th Infantry Regiment, 94th Infantry Regiment, 19th Light Infantry Battalion, 2nd and 3rd Battalions/37th Artillery Regiment; to the 79th Infantry Division went the 2nd Battalion/96th Infantry Regiment, 19th Recon Group, 19th Pioneer Battalion, 994th Independent Infantry Battalion, 1st and 2nd Battalions/42nd Artillery Regiment. The 1st Battalion/96th Infantry Regiment and 2nd Battalion/95th Infantry Regiment were on the main direction of the Soviet assault and suffered many casualties, being reduced to one company each after the fighting on 26 and 27 May. In the repulse of the enemy attack also distinguished themselves the 94th Infantry Regiment and the 37th Artillery Regiment. 

The 3rd Mountain Division was also broken into several parts, which were assigned different German units: the 5th, 11th and 12th Battalions and the artillery to the 79th Infantry Division and the remaining 6th, 21st and 22nd Battalions to the 9th Infantry Division. The latter did not take part in the fighting, but the 6th Mountain Battalion suffered heavy casualties from Soviet artillery fire and aerial bombardments. 

The Cavalry Corps had under its command the 10th Infantry Division and 9th Cavalry Division, which were deployed on the seaside. The 6th Cavalry Division (without the 5th Calarasi Regiment and the 2nd Battalion/4th Horse Artillery Regiment, which were assigned to the 10th Infantry Division) and the 38th Infantry Regiment were subordinated to the German 4th Mountain Division. 

After 4 June 1943, the fighting decreased in intensity and changes could be made in the Axis ranks. The 10th Infantry Division replaced the 19th in the frontline. The latter was sent on the seaside, near Anapa. The 3rd Mountain Division was retreated to Crimea, where it assumed defensive positions between Ak Monay and Bulganak (in the Kerch Peninsula). The 1st Mountain Division was brought in the Kuban and, on 28 June, it took over the line from Adamovichia to 8 km north of it. It had the 2nd and 3rd Mountain Battalions, the 37th and 137th AT Battery, the 186th German Infantry Regiment, the 3rd Battalion/213th German Infantry Regiment. The 1st Mountain Battalion was in reserve and the artillery support was provided by the 1st Battalion/4th Artillery Regiment and 2nd and 4th Battalions/175th German Artillery Regiment. The 23rd Mountain Battalion was subordinated to the German 213th Infantry Regiment (replacing the battalion this regiment gave the division), while the 4th and 24th Mountain Battalions and the 1st Mounted Vanatori Squadron were in the reserve of the German 9th Infantry Division. The 3rd Battalion/4th Artillery Regiment was at Nova Bakanskaya, also under the command of the 9th Division. 

The Red Army launched its fifth offensive on 16 July. They managed to obtain only small gains in the sector between Moldovanskoe and Kyevskoe and were later repulsed to the starting positions, by the counter-attacks mounted by the German and Romanian troops.

In the Neberdshayevskaya – Dolgaye Mountain sector, the 1st, 23rd and 24th Mountain Battalions distinguished themselves especially between 24 and 30 July. The 23rd Battalion was stretched over a line 4.8 km long, between Neberdshayevskaya – 1 km SW Hill 352. Gen. Vasiliu-Rascanu, the CO of the 1st Mountain Division, decided to shorten its line by introducing the 1st Mountain Battalion in the front line. Thus one company was made available and was supposed to be used as a reserve. But the commander of the German 213th Regiment considered that the area was not suitable for a Soviet offensive (difficult, wooded terrain) and relocated this small reserve. The attack of the Soviet 9th and 83rd Mountain Divisions (from the 56th Army) started early on 24 July, with the support of 15 artillery battalions. After four hours of heavy combat against a superior foe and lacking reserves, the battalion had to retreat towards Hill 352. The German command assembled a force of 8 battalions (including the Romanian 24th Mountain Battalion) to counter-attack, but this action failed. The German command in charge of the sector (Group Bünau) tried to put the blame for failure on the “poor morale and determination” of the Romanian troops. The reply from gen. Vasiliu-Rascanu came quickly and it signalled the mistakes made by the Germans, the use of Romanian units on fronts longer than their possibilities to defend efficiently and criticized the “corseting” system they used with the Romanian units. The German command went as far as taking companies away from battalions and relocating them. This led to the worsening of the morale of these units, which felt isolated and even abandoned by their original commanders.

In the bridgehead south of Novorosiysk, two Soviet battalions breached the position of the 5th Calarasi Regiment (from the 6th Cavalry Division) and took a hill north on Mountain Mishako. Between 22 and 28 July the Romanians tried several times to recapture it, but failed in front of the powerful and determined defence. A German attack had the same result. The regiment lost 50% of the officers and NCOs and 24% of the soldiers. On the other hand, the rest of the 6th Cavalry Division managed to hold its position, the 3rd Squadron/9th Rosiori Regiment, under the command of cpt. Niculescu, distinguished itself during those days. 

In the Moldovanskoe and Kyevskoe sectors, the Soviets made little progress and were later pushed back to the starting positions by the German-Romanian counterattacks. On the Kurka Channel there were only two small attacks, both of which were repulsed. 

Taking advantage of the pause in the Soviet actions, the 6th Cavalry Division was replaced in the first line by the 4th Mountain Division and sent to Crimea for rest. The 3rd Dive Bomber Group, equipped with Ju-87D3s and D5s, was dispatched to Kerch, from where it supported the operations of the German and Romanian forces in the Taman bridgehead.

References  

Early Versions of Airacobra Aircraft in Soviet Aviation (2016) Valeriy Romanenko [Soviet VVS]. Retrieved from http://lend-lease.airforce.ru/english/articles/romanenko/p-39/

Red Stars 4 Lend-Lease Aircraft in Russia

Author(s): Carl-Fredrik Geust, Gennadiy Petrov

Publisher: Apali Oy [Finland]

ISBN: 952-5026-23-X

Credits

Originator: Krupinski

Designer: AKWarHwk

CM Team:

Host CM: Brooke

Allied CM: AKWarHwk

Axis CM: Ditto

CM Log

12/27/2017: Incremented to revision 2.

• Changed the usage of attack aircraft in the event to the fighter pilots third flight. Made the modification to the event write up.

 1/1/2018: Incremented to revision 3.

• Made grammar and sentence structure edits to to the Dates and Times sections
• Made content edits to the Overview of Battle section.
• Added more definition in the Victory Conditions section.
  • Better definition of targets.
  • Better definition of the use of attack aircraft in the criteria and rules area.
• Added better definition to the Point Scoring section.
• Added better defined the use of ordnance and its availability.
• Reconciled the ordnance carrying capability of each aircraft and their opposing match on the opposing side.
• Additional ordnance may have been added to specific aircraft to balance out their counterparts use of lethal canon.
• Removed the use of the 20 mm wing gondolas from the Bf109s for fire power balance.
• Adjusted the number of units available in the Unit Definition Tables.
• Highlighted the location of each sides attack aircraft; JU87D-3s and IL-2 Type 3s.
• Defined the use of the JU87D-3s and IL-2s in the Rules section.
• Specifically defined the number of lives for BF110G and A-20G pilots.
• Made specific notation that bomber pilots will have no access to JU87s or IL-2s in the Rules section.
• Added more definition of the capabilities of the level bombers in the Rules section.
  
  

1/2/2018: Incremented to revision 4.

• Removed one group of Axis aircraft and one group of Allied aircraft.
• Reduced the overall number of registered aircraft on both sides to 36.
• Opened up all aircraft availability at all fields per side.
• Change the opening date of the event to February 17th.

1/6/2018: Incremented to revision 5.

• Set scenario dates to TBD.
• Modified the placement of airfields.
• Decreased the number of active airfields and increased the number of active vehicle bases to fly from.
• Decreased the downwind speed from 75 mph to 45 mph and altitude from 24k to 20k.
• Decreased the maximum bomber altitude from 18k to 16k.
• Displaying all active fields within the write-up.
• Changed SectorCounterRange and TowerBasedRadarRange to 211,200 (40 miles)
• Changed the HE111H gruppe to a JU88A-4 gruppe.
• Changed Luftwaffe bomber group name to III/KG51.
• Removed the use of high altitude radar.

 1/7/2018:  Incremented to revision 6.

• Adjusted Allied and Axis targets based on new map layout.
• Modified some Luftwaffe unit names at the request of Devil505.
• Clearly defined the usage of level bombers and attack aircraft under “Victory Conditions”.
• Edited the “Battle Overview” section for more simplification.
• Added the “Usage of Ancillary Aircraft” section which defines the usage of the JU87D-3 Stuka and IL-2 Type 3 Sturmovik.
• Rewrote the “Point Scoring” section to focus on points per a single sortie rather than points for each object destroyed.

 1/8/2018:  Incremented to revision 7.

• Changes all Bf109s to the G-2 model.
• Minor edits in the Date and Times section.

 1/12/2018:  Incremented to revision 8.

• Set scenario dates

1/14/2018:  Incremented to revision 9.

• Modified the fighter and bomber warning range to 3 miles.
• Changed the point scoring scheme for bombers.
• Changed the point scoring scheme for attack aircraft.
• Changed the hardness of hangars to 2000 lbs.
• Changed the hardness of bunkers to 500 lbs.
• Change the downtime for all objects to 5 minutes.
• Added an additional target to each side per frame.

1/14/2018:  Incremented to revision 9.1.

• Modified the document image on the first page of the document.
• Made minor text edits.
• Edited sections of the MOTD.