Der Kanalkampf: Donner von Oben
May 1943
In January 1943, the Casablanca conference ended with a call for the unconditional surrender of the Axis countries. Strategies to achieve this were established and implemented. The Combined Bomber offensive was developed as a way to bring immediate and intense pressure upon Nazi Germany. The offensives objective was "the progressive destruction and dislocation of the German military, industrial and economic system, and the undermining of the morale of the German people to the point where their capacity for armed defense is fatally weakened." Â
Four months later...
It is now May 1943, the air war over Occupied France and Nazi Germany is starting to boil over. The 8th Air Force's daring daylight raids are suffering numerous casualties largely due to the lack of available long range escort fighters.  Although the 8th Air Force's newly acquired P47 squadrons - the 4th, 56th and 78th fighter groups - help with the lack of long range escorts, they are still insufficient to escort the large number of Allied bombers which are making runs deeper and deeper into enemy territory.
Since the RAF is using the majority of its heavy bombers during night operations, it is not unusual to see large formations of Allied fighters escorting the RAF's deadly Typhoons and Mosquito dive bombers during the day. The RAF dive bombers focus on slowing down the Axis railroad and convoy supply lines. Of course, to insure these raids are successful cooperation between the USAAF and the RAF is absolutely critical; but with faulty radios and malfunctioning equipment, this is sometimes easier said than done.
Even with the new long range escort fighters, growing cooperation between the RAF and USAAF, and the feeling that the air war may slowly be turning in the allies favor, the allied air units still must overcome their greatest obstacle: fending off and defeating the deadly German Luftwaffe.
The Allies are sending a variety of aerial attacks into occupied France and Germany - ranging anywhere from escorted high-altitude heavy bomber raids, large fighter sweeps, and dangerous low level attacks. This causes the Luftwaffe to scramble into action without knowing what they may encounter. This would become the norm for the Luftwaffe in the west for the next two years.
In this FSO, we will try to recreate the fierce air war over Occupied France and Nazi Germany when the Allied 8th Air Force and RAF faces the German Luftwaffe in May of 1943.
It is now May 1943, the air war over Occupied France and Nazi Germany is starting to boil over. The 8th Air Force's daring daylight raids are suffering numerous casualties largely due to the lack of available long range escort fighters.  Although the 8th Air Force's newly acquired P47 squadrons - the 4th, 56th and 78th fighter groups - help with the lack of long range escorts, they are still insufficient to escort the large number of Allied bombers which are making runs deeper and deeper into enemy territory.
Since the RAF is using the majority of its heavy bombers during night operations, it is not unusual to see large formations of Allied fighters escorting the RAF's deadly Typhoons and Mosquito dive bombers during the day. The RAF dive bombers focus on slowing down the Axis railroad and convoy supply lines. Of course, to insure these raids are successful cooperation between the USAAF and the RAF is absolutely critical; but with faulty radios and malfunctioning equipment, this is sometimes easier said than done.
Even with the new long range escort fighters, growing cooperation between the RAF and USAAF, and the feeling that the air war may slowly be turning in the allies favor, the allied air units still must overcome their greatest obstacle: fending off and defeating the deadly German Luftwaffe.
The Allies are sending a variety of aerial attacks into occupied France and Germany - ranging anywhere from escorted high-altitude heavy bomber raids, large fighter sweeps, and dangerous low level attacks. This causes the Luftwaffe to scramble into action without knowing what they may encounter. This would become the norm for the Luftwaffe in the west for the next two years.
In this FSO, we will try to recreate the fierce air war over Occupied France and Nazi Germany when the Allied 8th Air Force and RAF faces the German Luftwaffe in May of 1943.
Plane Set/Plane Set Rules
Allied:
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- Boston Mk III*Â Â Â Â Â Â Â (12 Pilot Minimum)
- B-17G*Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â (08 Pilot Minimum)
- B-24J*Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â (08 Pilot Minimum)
- B-25C*Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â (12 Pilot Minimum)
- B-26C*Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â (12 Pilot Minimum)
- Mosquito Mk VI*Â Â (32 Pilot Minimum)
- P-47D-11Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â (48 Pilot Maximum)
- Spitfire Mk VÂ Â Â Â Â Â (48 Pilot Minimum)
- Spitfire Mk IXÂ Â Â Â Â Â (48 Pilot Minimum)
- Typhoon Mk IÂ Â Â Â Â (48 Pilot Maximum)
*Allies must only fly 4 of 6 asterisked aircraft in any combination at the set requirements.
*All other Allied aircraft must be flown within the set limits.
*B-25C may only arm Glass Nose with Bomb Sight.
*Formations Required
Axis:
- Bf109G-2Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â (48 Pilot Minimum)
- Bf109G-6Â Â Â Â Â Â Â (48 Pilot Minimum)
- Bf110G-2Â Â Â Â Â Â Â (24 Pilot Minimum)
- Fw190A-5Â Â Â Â Â Â (48 Pilot Maximum)
*Axis must fly all aircraft within the set limits.
Sides: 55% Allies / 45% AxisÂ
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Scoring:
Aircraft:
Ground Targets:
Aircraft:
- 4 Engine Aircraft    + 10 Points
- 2 Engine Aircraft    + 05 Points
- 1 Engine Aircraft    + 02 Points
- Every Landed Pilot before T+120 + 02 Points
- Allied Recce Aircraft  + 30 Points (Only 1)
Ground Targets:
- Small Field: 195
- Medium Field: 266
- Large Field: 384
- VBase: 149
- Ammo Factory: 275
- Fuel Factory: 246
- Radar Factory: 275
- AAA Factory: 250
- Troop Factory: 200
- City: 372
- Headquarters: 544
- Truck: 0.781
- Train: 1.562
- Allied Recce Targets: 20
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Arena Settings:
Specific Rules:
- Terrain - BoB04
- Icon Range - Short
- Radar - Off
- Fighter and Bomber Warning Range - 79,200 about 15 miles
- Tower Range - 79,200 (for display to match the above setting)
- Visibility - 17 miles
- Clouds: See Weather Report in Objectives
- External view for bombers (F3) - On
- Friendly Collisions - Off
- Enemy Collisions - On
- Kill Shooter - Off
- Fuel - 1.0
- Ack - 0.3
- Time - 11:00 AM
- Formations - On
- Bombsite calibration - Normal (MA mode)
Specific Rules:
- Axis may not cross the "engagement line" until an Axis Base Warning flashes!
- Axis may not enter English Airspace or go "Feet Dry" over England at all!
  CICs, Please take the time to contact your squads assigned to your side and ask what their choice of rides would be.
You can contact all the squads on your side here.
http://ahevents.org/fso_email/mail_address.html
Design by Husky01 and Nefarious with help from Guppy35