To Win The Winter Sky

 

  
 In early November 1944, Eisenhower ordered Generals  Montgomery, Bradley and Jacob Devers forward in a broad-front offensive to cross the Rhine River into Germany.  The goal:  End the war by Christmas 1944.   Bradley's First Army General Hodges and Third Army General Patton employed meat-grinder tactics like those used in World War One.  While the American First and Third Armies sapped precious strength in the morass of the Hurtgen Forest and against the fortresses around Metz, the Seventh Army's 44th I.D. and other American and French units in the Sixth Army Group units assailed the unassailable.
 
Their order: Mission Impossible.  Break through the enemy's winter line in the Vosges Mountains and cross the Rhine.  Accomplish this and all the while constrained by command of the fewest resources and holding firmly last place in re-supply priority.  With Ike's support, Monty hoarded supplies and troops and stood pat.   The Sixth Army, which included Lieutenant General Alexander Patch's U.S. Seventh Army, attacked.  Then, to everyone's amazement, Dever's soldiers breached the Vosges and reached the Rhine.  The frosting on the cake:  A liberated Strasbourg with its intact Kehl bridge over the Rhine into an undefended Germany.
 
The USAAF 9th Air Forces jobs were to disrupt, or eliminate the flow of reinforcements, and equipment for the German ground forces. The USAAF 8th Air Force rained destruction on German supply bases, oil refineries, factories, and other targets of opportunity.
 
In response, the Luftwaffe repositioned as many of its forces as possible to the region, including the new, and feared Me 262. Luftwaffe command staff knew the fight they were in for, and were determined to stop the Allied bombing raids. This FSO recreates the air action in November 1944 on the Western Front.
 
Country Percentages:

Allies 55%
Axis 45%

 

Plane Set:
 
Allied Aircraft

P-51D

P-51B
P-38L (min 25)
P-47D25 (min 25)
B-17 (min 25)
B-26 (min 25)
 
Allied Active Fields:

Airstart Fields A70, A72, A73 (only B17's, and B26's, may use the airstarts)

Regular Fighter Fields A75, A63, and A66. ALL fighters must use ground starts.
 
Axis Aircraft

Bf 109G14 (min 25)
Bf 109K (max 48)
Fw 190D (max 25)
Fw 190A8 (min 25)
Me 262 (Limited to a total of 8. Frame losses will not be replaced. Me 262 must land at field of origin, in order to be used in subsequent frames.)
 

Axis Active Fields:
Regular Fields: A16, A40, and A20 (no jets at these fields)
Me 262 Fields: A2, A6, A50.(Me 262 must RTB any of these fields in order to keep for subsequent frames)
 
Special Rules:
*Allies must use all aircraft listed.
*B-17, and B-26 alt capped to 22k.
*Players may land and rearm at any friendly field, and may safely end flight at any friendly field, with exception of Me 262. they must RTB to A2, A6, or A50.
*When attacking fields the only targets are the hangers (Bomber, Fighter, Vehicle)
*Me 262 MUST land at A2, A6, or A50 to be re-used in subsequent frames.
*All Axis fighters MUST RTB east of the Rhine River
*All Allied aircraft MUST RTB west of the Moselle River
*All aircraft (with exception of Me 262) may safely end flight at any friendly base.
 
Scoring:
Single pilot fighters -15 points
Me 262-25 points
B17 & B26 - 25 points
Strat targets 300 points each. (based on % destroyed)
Hangers - 10 points each (Note: only hangars at bases will be scored)
 
Arena Settings:
Terrain - WinterRhine
Icon Range - Short
Radar - Off
Fighter and Bomber Warning Range - 52,800 (10 miles)
Tower Range - 52,800 (for display to match the above Fighter and Bomber Warning)
Friendly Collisions - Off
Enemy Collisions - On
Killshooter- Off
Fuel - 1.0
Ack - 0.4
Time - 1:00 PM
Formations - Enabled
Bombsite calibration - Manual
Visibility - 17 miles
Wind- 0K-18K NE-SW Speed 5
           18K-24K NE-SW Speed 10
           24K+ NE-SW Speed 15

 

Design by 1LTCAP