Details

Written by: Spikes

Category: Mediterranean Theatre

Published: 20 May 2023

Hits: 27

Debacle in the Desert 2: Siege of Tobruk

The Siege of Tobruk was a drawn out battle that lasted eight months in 1941. The Axis successfully pushed the Allies back to the Egyptian border. Tobruk was still held by Allied forces, which was important because it deprived the Axis of a supply port close to the Egypt-Libya border. Tobruk was surrounded by the Axis forces and it was difficult for the British to get supplies into Tobruk to assist the remaining forces in the area. Targets in and around Tobruk were assaulted daily by the Luftwaffe and Afrika Korps.

The only air defense at Tobruk was No. 73 Squadron, which at the start of the battle had 22 Hurricanes fit for duty. As the battle wore on, their losses piled up due to the fact that they were surrounded at Tobruk. By the end of the August, they were down to 12 operational aircraft.

This setup is centered around Operation Battleaxe, which took place from June 15th until June 17th. It aims to represent the dive-bomber attacks that the Luftwaffe made on Tobruk and the surrounding area, while highlighting the small unit of No. 73 Squadron Hurricanes that were stationed at Tobruk. 

Allies: 48% / Axis 52%

Order of Battle:

Active Fields:

Loadout Restrictions:

Bombs are disabled on the Bf 109E-4 and Bf 110C-4b.

Stuka will be restricted to 1000kg centerline bomb and smaller, no wing bombs.

Notes:

Bomber Alt Cap is 14K.

Fighter Alt Cap is 20K.

A7-A11 will be Rook fields with no flash range.

Axis may not re-arm at A12 and A13.

Only ground objects destroyed by Stukas will gain points for the Axis.

Bf 110C will not be available in Hour 2. 

Scoring:

Allied Fighters - 2

Axis Fighters - 3

Stuka - 2

Hangars - 6

Factory Building - 0.2 (max 20/frame)

Recommended Skin List:

Hurricane Mk. I	274S/RAF by Greebo
P-40C	112S/RAF by Devil5O5
	112S/RAF by FtJr
	250S/RAF by Devil5O5
Bf 110C-4b	7./ZG 26 by Devil5O5
	8./ZG 26 by Devil5O5
	9./ZG 26 by Devil5O5
	2./Aufkl 14 by Greebo
Bf 109E-4	Stab. I/JG 27 by Devil5O5
	2./JG 27 by Krusty
	1./JG 27 by Devil5O5
	II/JG 27 by TrueKill
	7./JG 26 by Devil5O5
Ju-87D-3	6./StG 2 by Greebo

Arena Settings:

- Terrain: egypt

- Fuel Burn: 1.0

- Icons: 3K Friendly/Enemy

- Ack: .3

- Fighter and Bomber warning range: 63360 (about 12 miles)

- Tower range set to 63360 (for display only to match the above setting)

- Haze/Fog: 15 miles

- Radar: Off

- Enemy collisions: on

- Friendly collisions: off

- Killshooter: off

- Time: 0800 (8AM) Game Clock

- Formations: Off

- Formation Autopilot: On

- Bomber calibration: Automatic

- Wind: 0K-2K NO WIND

2K-16K: E TO W - Speed 5

16K-20K: SE to NW - Speed 10

20K+: 45MPH downdraft

Area of Operations:

Details

Written by: Spikes

Category: Mediterranean Theatre

Published: 26 March 2023

Hits: 23

Introduction

After the surrender of the Afrika Corp in North Africa on May 13, 1943. The Allies began planning for the invasion of mainland Europe from southern Italy. German and Italian forces began to fortify bases in the Mediterranean region around Tunisia in expectation of an invasion, but they knew not where the Allies would strike next. Continuous Allied bombing of the Sicilian island, Italian mainland, and occupied Greek targets continued throughout the central Mediterranean region. In order to have the German command believe the next invasion would be Sardiania, the 12th USAAF started a stepped-up bombing campaign against axis targets on the island. The major portion of the battle lasted from June until August 1943. One month later the Armistice of Cassibile was recognized and signed between the Allies and the Kingdom of Italy and the island of Sardinia was invaded unopposed by the US on September 14, 1943. Join the Aces High community in this action-packed brawl over the island of Sardinia in “Air War Over Sardinia 1943”.

Country Percentage

Axis - 45%

Allies - 55%

Event Planeset

Ordnance

B-26B - 8x 500 lb bombs

Map

Victory Conditions


The Allies will carry the burden of attack. Objectives will be assigned for the Allies to attack in terms of primary and secondary targets. The allies may attack target assignments in any order, but both objectives must be attacked to avoid penalties. The creditable force rule will apply.


Scoring

Note:  Definition of a successful Bomber drop - When a bomber reaches an assigned target and scores a direct hit on an object in the target area which would be recorded in the frame log.

Special Event Rules

• This is a multi-life event with the pilot having the ability to re-plane in the 2nd hour.
• Pilots will be counted as shot down if logs do not state a landed successful message.
• A 1 pt. penalty will be levied for acts of fratricide.  
• A 2 pt. penalty will be levied if the Allies fail to attack both targets. Qualification for an attack is a credible size force moving towards the target with the intention to attack
• The fighter altitude cap is 20K.
• The bomber altitude cap is 18K.
• Aircraft not landed by the end of the frame will be counted as shot down.
  
  

Arena Settings

Terrain map: Italy

Fuel burn rate: 1.0

Anti-aircraft gun strength: 0.3

Bombsight calibration: AUTOMATIC (MA standard)

Icons: 3.0K yards (9,000 feet)

Sector Radar ("bar dar"): OFF

Dot Radar: OFF

Fighter and Bomber warning range: 79,200 feet (15 miles)

Tower range set to 79,200 feet (for display only, to match the above setting)

Haze range: 12 miles

Friendlycollisions: OFF

Enemy collisions: ON

Kill shooter: OFF

Stall Limiter: Set ON (Players may disable)

Weather:

light5kmed15k.awa

Historical Skins:

Allies:

P-40F
325th FG "Lighthouse Louie" by Devil5O5
325FG/318FS by cactus

P-38G
1FG/94FS by Greebo

B-26B
432BS/17BG by Player1
17BG/34BS by Greebo

Axis

Bf109G-6
4./Jg 77 by Devil5O5
10./JG 51 by Devil5O5
4./JG51 by VonMessa

C205
II./JG 77 by Greebo
352ª Squadriglia, 51° Stormo

ME410
III/ZG 1

Details

Written by: perdweeb

Category: Mediterranean Theatre

Published: 19 September 2022

Hits: 26

Of Decisive Importance: Operation Pedestal 1942

Also known as the Malta Convoy and the Santa Maria Convoy, Operatiojn Pedestal was a massive convoy operation by the Royal Navy and Fleet Air Arm in the Mediterranean in August of 1942. Malta was the destination as it was seen as an integral part of winning North Africa and eventually Italy for the Allies. Supplies, men, and indeed aircraft had to be delivered to Malta in order to build up its status as an island fortress. Once word gout out to the Italians and Germans, Göring emphatically delivered orders to halt all air operations in the Mediterranean and focus solely on destroying the convoy: "[The Luftwaffe] will operate with no other thought in mind than the destruction of the British convoy ... The destruction of this convoy is of decisive importance."

The Fleet Air Arm defended the large convoy day and night against Italian and German attacks from August 10-15, while also delivering Spitfires to Malta. This event seeks to recreate the fierce battles over the fleets during that week in August, 1942.

Allies: 48% / Axis 52%

Order of Battle (Frame 1):

 Hour 2:

Order of Battle (Frames 2 and 3):

Hour 2:

Loadout Restrictions:

F4F-3 - No 6x.50 cals

Ordnance disabled on all fighters.

1,800 Kg bomb disabled on Ju 87D.

Notes:

Fighter Alt Cap: 20K

Jabo Alt Cap: 14K

Scoring:

Aircraft - 1

CV - 12

CA - 8

DD - 4

(Max of 1 fleet in 1st hour)

All targets worth half value in Hour 2.

Recommended Skins:

806 NAS - Martlet

885 NAS - Sea Hurricane

102 Gruppo - Ju 87

KG 54/77 - Ju 88

JG 77 - Bf 109F

No. 249S - Spit V

Arena Settings:

- Terrain: italy

- Fuel Burn: 1.0

- Clouds: med5kmed15k

- Icons: 3K Friendly/Enemy

- Ack: .3

- Fighter and Bomber warning range: 63360 (about 12 miles)

- Tower range set to 63360 (for display only to match the above setting)

- Haze/Fog: 15 miles

- Radar: Off

- Enemy collisions: on

- Friendly collisions: off

- Killshooter: off

- Time: 1000 (10AM) Game Clock

- Formations: On

- Formation Autopilot: On

- Bomber calibration: Automatic

- Wind: 0K-2K NO WIND

2K-8K: S TO N - Speed 5

8K-14K: SW to NE - Speed 10

14K-20K: S to N - Speed 15

20K+: 45MPH Downdraft

Area of Operations:

Details

Written by: Spikes

Category: Mediterranean Theatre

Published: 10 December 2021

Hits: 18

Introduction

In the frantic weeks leading up to May 13, 1943, the surrender of the Afrika Korp in Tunisia, Axis forces were in full retreat as the Allies closed the circle around German and Italian forces in the region. As General Montgomery approached Tunis from the south and General Patton from the west, Axis forces retreated towards the capital city of Tunis and Cape Bon. The “tell tell” sign that defeat of the Afrika Korp was on the wall was the once great “Desert Fox” General Erwin Rommel was retired from the field by Hitler on March 9, 1943.

The remaining Axis forces under the command of General Giovanni Messe continued the fighting retreat to the northeast coast. It was understood that all would soon be lost in Tunisia if reinforcements and supplies to wage war could not be sustained. The Royal Navy, in the previous two years, had been causing havoc to the once great Italian Navy in the Mediterranean region north, east and south of the Tunisian peninsula, which had been the primary supply transport vehicle for the Afrika Korp.

The German High Command, understanding that the Italian Navy could not adequately resupply forces in North Africa, set about the deployment of a large numbers of transport aircraft to supply the Afrika Korp in the Tunis and Cape Bon region. As Allied code breakers deciphered information transmitted to the field by Herman Goering and the Luftwaffe command of their impending plans to resupply using transport aircraft. The Allies responded with Operation Flax to destroy the resupply efforts to the Afrika Korp. The final result of the lengthy and sustained combat air patrols was the destruction of 432 Axis transport aircraft along with many fighters and bombers.

Over the full period of the battle, the strength of the USAAF and the RAF had continued to grow in the region as more men, materials, and supplies rushed into the area day by day. Mad clashes between men and machines raged in the skies over the Tunisian sands. Units of JG/77 and JG/53 often battled in these same skies with units of the US 12th Tactical and Strategic Air Force until finally the remaining Axis forces in North Africa surrendered in May of 1943.

Join the Aces High Special Events community in this gritty ripping battle of aerial supremacy and survival in CAPE BON SUNDAY.

Country Percentage

Axis 50%

Allies 50%

Event Planeset 

1 hour

2 hour

Ordnance Loadout

Axis

Allies

Victory Conditions

Each side will be challenged to attack and destroy the same type of target within each frame. Both sides will have airfield, vehicle base, and shipping targets as primary objectives within each consecutive frame. A scoring matrix will be provided to give each side the scoring values within each target.

The side that scores the highest number of points at frame's end will be the victor of the frame.

MAP

Special Event Rules

• This is a multi-life event. Pilots may re-plane in 2nd-hour aircraft once they become available in the hanger.
• Combatants may rearm in original aircraft at any friendly base.
• Ordnance for each aircraft will be set by the setup CM in the hangar.
• All targeted objects will retain their normal MA destruction weight.
• The attackers will have up to T+60 to make their initial attack, otherwise, they will be unable to win the frame.
• The bomber alt cap will be 14K.
• The fighter alt cap will be 18k.
• Destroyed targets are down for the remainder of the frame.
• All CiCs are required to comply with the stated number of aircraft allocations per frame.
• Orders must be reviewed by the Host CM prior to delivery to each side.

Scoring

*** Stuka Bonus Challenge

Points scored by the Junkers JU87s will be doubled for destroying any hangar or ship within any frame. I.e. A Ju87 destroys a vehicle hangar and earns 25 points plus 25 bonus points for a total of 50 points. All other targets are valued as presented in the table below;

Arena Settings

• •Terrain map: Tunisia
• •Fuel burn rate: 1.0
• •Anti-aircraft gun strength: 0.4
• •Bombsight calibration: AUTOMATIC (MA standard)
• •Icons: 3.0K yards (9,000 feet)
• •Sector Radar ("bar dar"): OFF
• •Dot Radar: OFF
• •Fighter and Bomber warning range: 79,200 feet (15 miles)
• •Tower range set to 79,200 feet (for display only, to match the above setting)
• •Haze range: 12 miles
• •Friendlycollisions: OFF
• •Enemy collisions: ON
• •Kill shooter: OFF
• •Stall Limiter: Set ON (Players may disable)

Wind:

 Altitude    Speed      Direction

   00 - 02K      0         NO WIND

   02 - 10K      0        W -> E

   10 - 18K      0        W -> E

   18 - 20K      0        W -> E

   20 - 50K+    75        DOWNDRAFT 

Weather:

Light clouds at 20k throughout the region.

Arena Clock:

Frame 1        0815    (8:15 AM, Morning)

Frame 2        1130    (11:30 AM, Morning)

Frame 3        1400    (2:00 PM, Afternoon)

Event Skins

Designer Notes:

Designed by AKWarHwk December 2021