ANGELS EIGHT: Normandy Front Summer 1944
The backbone of Allied air power in the Normandy campaign centered around the mobile fighter-bomber wings of the RAF 2nd Tactical Air Force and the USAAF IX Tactical Air Force. Their mandate was to provide direct support to the American, British and Canadian armies. They had to move as the army did and be ready to change locations on short notice. When fully operational the mobile wings were completely self sufficiant organisations performing the same function as a unit in England. Airfields also had to be built from scratch or repaired, a task perfomed by engineers assigned to those airfields often using an invention called peirced steel planking (PSP) that was critical to setting up airfields quickly. Such was the importance of the tactical air force support troops that many were in the follow up waves of personnel on D+1. Within 24 hrs of the invasion the first Allied aircraft were using emergency strips on the Continent and by a month into the campaign 25 Advanced Landing Grounds (ALG) had been built.
The Luftwaffes reaction to the threatened Western Front was remarkably swift. Initially the French based JGs defending the landing area had been widely scattered to counter the threat of air attack and as a result the Jadgwaffes first efforts were woefully inadequate. However by June 9th 1944 no fewer than 15 Jagdgruppen had departed the Homeland for France. Bomber forces from Italy and southern France were also deployed to bolster the defenders bringing their combat strength to about 1000 aircraft. Now faced with having to counter both the Allied Bombing Offensive and the Normandy fighting the Luftwaffe braced itself for a fight for survival in a war few in the Wehrmacht now thought winnable. Many of the Luftwaffe units operated from rough strips during the fighting, keeping well camoflaged and disperesed untill sortied. Along with the fighters of the Jadgeschwader units many Schlachtgeschwader (ground attack) units also flew into the cauldron flying desperate missions in order to try and stem the Allied forces.
After intense fighting in the bocage country the Allies broke out during Operation Cobra in July. The following month saw the bulk of the German 7th Army retreating from the closing Falaise Pocket. August 25th saw the liberation of Paris. On August 30th the 84 day battle was over with the remaining German forces withdrawn across the Seine river. The air campaign had cost the Allies 1639 aircraft (to all causes) and the Luftwaffe 1522 aircraft (to all causes). The worst losses amongst the Luftwaffe was the high percentage of veteran aircrew killed or posted missing, valuable crews they could ill afford to lose.
This FSO recreates the defence of the Western Front by the Luftwaffes surviving experten and the Allied air forces supporting the advancing armies.
Country Percentages:
Axis 48%
Allied 52%
Field Assignments:
Axis Bishop
Allied Knight
CM Rook
OOB:
Axis (Luftwaffe):
Bf 109G-14
Bf 109G-6 (min 24)
Fw 190A-5 (min 24)
Fw 190A-8 (min 24)
Fw 190F-8 (min 24)
Recon Aircraft: Ar 234 (6 per frame, no formations) *Special mission aircraft
Allied (USAAF/RAF/RCAF):
Spitfire XVI (max 48)
Spitfire VIII (max 12)
Typhoon (max 48)
Mosquito VI
P-51B
P-47D-25 (min 24)
P-38J
A-20G
B-25C (max 24 players, formations enabled)
Recon Aircraft: F-6D (P-51D, 12 per frame) *Special mission aircraft
Special Rules and Ordnance Restrictions:
* Each aircraft type must be used by a minimum of 12 *players*.
* The recon aircraft have an OPTIONAL mission ability to make a tactical reconnaissance run.
* The recon aircraft may also be used in their regular fighter or bomber roles.
* The Ar 234s RATOs are disabled.
* The P-51D have all air-ground ordnance disabled.
* Axis aircraft are not permitted to go feet dry over England.
Special Mission (Optional): Recon missons are filmed (ALT-R) over a strike target at 4000 ft or less within light flak range and/or over the center area of the target after the strike is completed but within 60 min of frame start. They must rtb safely to get the points for the mission. Confirmation film to be emailed to the Admin CM.
Scoring:
Aircraft Pts
------------
B-25 = 20 pts
Arado 234 = 25pts
Twin Engined aircraft = 10 pts
Single Engined aircraft = 5 pts
P-51D = 20 pts
Landing Bonus = 5 pts
Ground Target Pts
-----------------
Gun = 1 pt
Ammo Bunker = 3 pts
Barracks = 3 pts
Radar = 3 pts
Vehicle Hangar = 25 pts
Fighter Hangar = 25pts
Bomber Hangar = 25 pts
Town Building = 3 pts
Factory at strategic target = 3 pts
Truck in convoy = 1 pt
Train = 2 pts
Cruiser= 100 pts
Special Mission (Optional): Recon missons are filmed (ALT-R) over a strike target at 4000 ft or less within light flak range and/or over the center area of the target after the strike is completed but within 60 min of frame start. They must rtb safely to get the points for the mission. Confirmation film to be emailed to the Admin CM.
Scoring:
Aircraft Pts
------------
B-25 = 20 pts
Arado 234 = 25pts
Twin Engined aircraft = 10 pts
Single Engined aircraft = 5 pts
P-51D = 20 pts
Landing Bonus = 5 pts
Ground Target Pts
-----------------
Gun = 1 pt
Ammo Bunker = 3 pts
Barracks = 3 pts
Radar = 3 pts
Vehicle Hangar = 25 pts
Fighter Hangar = 25pts
Bomber Hangar = 25 pts
Town Building = 3 pts
Factory at strategic target = 3 pts
Truck in convoy = 1 pt
Train = 2 pts
Cruiser= 100 pts
Destroyer = 50 pts
Recon Mission = 50 pts
Arena Settings:
- Battle of Britain terrain
- Fuel burn 1.2
- Icons short (3k)
- 0.5 Ack
- Fighter and Bomber warning range 42,000 (about 8 miles)
- Tower range set to 42,000 (for display only to match the above setting)
- Haze/fog full visibility (17 miles)
- Radar off
- Enemy collisions on
- Friendly collisions off
- Killshooter off
- Time: 15:00 ( 3PM ) Game Clock
- Formations: On
- Bomber calibration: Manual
- Wind: 0-2K NO WIND
2K-18K W TO E - Speed 5
18K-24K NW TO SE - Speed 10
24k+ W TO E - Speed 15
Designer's Notes:
Arena Settings:
- Battle of Britain terrain
- Fuel burn 1.2
- Icons short (3k)
- 0.5 Ack
- Fighter and Bomber warning range 42,000 (about 8 miles)
- Tower range set to 42,000 (for display only to match the above setting)
- Haze/fog full visibility (17 miles)
- Radar off
- Enemy collisions on
- Friendly collisions off
- Killshooter off
- Time: 15:00 ( 3PM ) Game Clock
- Formations: On
- Bomber calibration: Manual
- Wind: 0-2K NO WIND
2K-18K W TO E - Speed 5
18K-24K NW TO SE - Speed 10
24k+ W TO E - Speed 15
Designer's Notes:
* The Spitfire XVI is identical to a Spitfire LF IX and represents that type.
* The Spitfire VIII is a stand in for the almost identical Spitfire VII.
* The Recon F-6Ds were armed varients of the P-51D with cameras added.
* The Ar 234 was just entering service in very small numbers with operational trials units during the Normandy air battles.
Design by Warloc
Design by Warloc