Reduction of Rabaul: Dec 1943 - Feb. 1944

Reduction of Rabaul: Dec. 1943 - Feb. 1944

The port of Rabaul, New Guinea, was captured by the Japanese in February 1942. Located on the northeast corner of the island of New Britain, its large natural harbor made it the ideal hub for all Japanese traffic into the combat zones of the South Pacific. As the combat in New Guinea and Guadalcanal progressed, Rabaul’s infrastructure was expanded, including several airfields and dense anti-aircraft batteries. It had become the most heavily defended piece of Japanese occupied territory. Naturally, such a concentration of ships, aircraft, and other material made Rabaul a target of supreme importance for Allied forces.

With the Allied capture of Bougainville and Buka islands in the Solomons in the fall of 1943, Rabaul was within range of single engine Allied aircraft. Under the command of General Twining, the all-out air offensive against Rabaul would be conducted by combined units of the 13th Air Force USAAF, US Navy, US Marine Corps, and the Royal New Zealand Air Force.

Side Split: 50/50

"Lunch Special" Aircraft Selection

This FSO features an aircraft selection format that allows for the Allied CiC to choose between a selection of matched pairs of a top-grade fighter and an attack aircraft. The remainder of the Allied force will be filled by mid-grade fighters. This format will replicate the wide range of Allied aircraft types that participated in the Rabaul raids. The selected pairings provide the Allied CiC with the dilemma of choosing between stacking strength in fighters or attackers. It will also prevent the Axis CiC from knowing what to expect. 

Allied Mid-grade Fighters (Available with all groupings) 

Allied Top-grade Fighter and Attacker Groupings

Rabaul Air Force

Ordnance Restrictions

All ordnance disabled on F4U-1A, F6F-5, P-38G, P-39J, P-40N, Ki-61, A6M5, A6M3, and Ki-43.

HVAR’s disabled on TBM-3.

Straffer packages disabled on the B-25C.

Twin Missions

This FSO will feature a complete second hour mission.  Aircraft assignments for Hour 1 will carry over into the Hour 2 mission. The targets in Hour 2 will be different from Hour 1.To facilitate a reset for the Hour 2 mission, the maximum time until bombs on target will be T+45 instead of the usual T+60. 10K Air spawns will be utilized for both sides and the distance from the target area for attackers will be an approximately 30 minute direct flight for the slowest aircraft. This allows for at least 15 minutes for egress/post attack combat in each mission. Hour 2 mission will launch at T+60 with bombs out no later than T+105. 

Other Rules and Clarifications  

Hour 1 targets become invalid targets after T+60.

Each pilot has one life per mission.

Alt Cap is 16K for all fighters, 12K for bombers and solo attackers. 

Only bombers and solo attackers will receive points for destroying target objects.

P-39’s are considered a solo attacker and will receive a X2 points bonus destroying Ships and Hangars.

All players must take a new aircraft in Hour 2 even if their Hour 1 plane is undamaged. This is for scoring purposes.

Allied air spawns are placed in the following locations: 

14,15,4 for A98N (F4U-1A groupings), A100N (P-38J groupings), and A102N (F6F-5 groupings)

11,12,3 for A99N (F4U-1A groupings), A101N (P-38J groupings), and A103N (F6F-5 groupings)   

Axis air spawns are placed in the following locations for all Axis fighters: 10,16,3 and 10,15,1

These spawn bases were selected to avoid any possible instance of disabling flight by killing fighter hangars. 

 

Axis fleets will be placed in the following locations. The Axis CiC may set the route for the ships to travel in their respective location, but they must stay inside their designated key pad. Fleets will consist of one cruiser and  four destroyers. At least one fleet will be a target in each frame. 

10,15,5                                                                                                                                       

10,15,9                                                                                                                                         

11,15,4

Top Fighter and Attacker groupings are removed after they are used in a frame. The Allied CiC may change pairings between Hours 1 and 2 at the cost of using up both selections for the remainder of the month. If the CIC plans to change groupings mid-frame, squads must remain in their original roles. For example, a squad assigned F4U’s in Hour 1 can be switched to P-38J’s or F6F’s in Hour 2 but not to mid-grade fighters, bombers or solo attackers. Bomber squads can switch to solo attackers, and vice versa. In an instance of swapping between solo attackers to trios of bombers, it is ok to move surplus attack pilots into a mid-grade fighter, as long as the attacker minimum is met. Pilots from mid-grade fighters can also move into bomber/solo attacker planes in Hour 2 to supplement lost players.

Allied CiC must state in the orders which Top Fighter and Attacker grouping is chosen. Any change in grouping for Hour 2 must also be stated in the orders. A decision to change groupings cannot be made during the frame. 

A credible attack force must be at least 6 fighters with 6 formations(B-25C, B-24J or BostonIII) or 8 solo attackers(B-25H, P-39, SBD-5, or TBM-3) for each target.

Credible defense force must be at least 16 fighters assigned to each target.

Safe zones at airfields A65 and A73 will be provided for the Allies to recover their aircraft after they attack. Axis fighters may not cross the dar rings (base will start flashing at this point) for these bases after T+45 for Hour 1 and T+105 for Hour 2. A penalty will be assessed if the Axis flashes these bases(not just the towns). Any Allied plane that enters the dar ring during these periods must land immediately since they have committed to leaving the combat area. A penalty will be assessed if an Allied player enters the safe zone and later exits to continue fighting. Rearming at the recovery fields is also prohibited.

Allied aircraft will show sector counters (Bar Dar) for the Axis when they are within 30 miles of an Axis base. There will be a 30 second delay on position updates.  

Scoring

Arena Settings 

- Terrain: newbrit

- Fuel Burn: 1.0

- Icons: 3K Friendly/Enemy

- Ack: .3

- Fighter and Bomber warning range: 42240 (about 8 miles)

- Tower range set to 42240 (for display only to match the above setting)

- Sector Counter (Bar Dar) range 158400 (about 30 miles)

- Sector Counter Alt: 0

- Radar Mode Bishops: Value 48

- Radar Mode Knights: Value 464

- Radar Update Rate: 30 seconds 

- Haze/Fog: 15 miles

- Radar: Off

- Enemy collisions: on

- Friendly collisions: off

- Killshooter: off

- Time: 1100 (11AM) Game Clock

- Clouds: light5kmed15k

- Wind: 0K-2K NO WIND

2K-12K: W TO E - Speed 5

12K-18K: W TO E  - Speed 10

18K+: 45MPH downdraft

Area of Operations

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