קמפיין MARIANAS 1944-משימה #5 - 23/2/2012 21:30 -הזנקה!!

FINAL BRIEFING

We will allocate our aircraft between the Operational Areas as follows:

1. Saipan / Tinian Operations:

We have captured the two airfields at North Tinain with a Ki-46 Recce airplane intact.
Now we must increase the hold on our territorial gains and continue to place pressure on Southern half of Tinian. We estimate that the enemy have only a few air assets remaining on Tinian, but they are still a threat to us, especialy while we are focused on the Southern Transport Group, far away on the South edge of the map, so we need to keep our guard up at Saipan. We need to ensure that the enemy won't use this as an opportunity to freely attack our blockading destroyers and conduct wonton strafing of ground forces around our recently captured airfields, on both Saipan and Tinian. The =VARP= Squadron with 4xF6F will support 242 Squadron for the first 20 minutes of the mission. Afterwards they will head out to rondevous with the TBFs of EAF over Rota.

If you ecounter a strong enemy air presence dump all bombs and help the =VARP= Squadron achieve air superiority.

If you see that all is quiet retain your bombs and attack the shore batteries on the West side of Saipan, and the single merchant troop ship that Tanker mentioned he saw anchored at the South West tip of Tinian.

Primary Objectives:
1. Establish Air Superiority over the North half of Tinain area.
2. Protect Destroyers on the North East tip of Tinain that will continue to blockade and bombard any Jap ground forces that may try to move North to retake the field.
3. Protect Marine LVTs transiting back across the 6km wide waterway between Tinian & Saipan, they will shuttle more troops to Tinain next mission.
4. Destroy Shore Batteries on the West Coast of Tinian.

Secondary Objectives:
1. Attack and sink the enemy Transport ship located on the South West tip of Tinain.
2. Keep your eyes open for an enemy Battleship that may be on its way to this AO from the South West.

Squadron and Aircraft Allocation:

=VARP=
3x F6F5 Hellcat, VF-2 "Rippers", Flt 1, El. 1
1x F6F5 Hellcat, VF-2 "Rippers", Flt 1, El. 2

242 Sqn
3x F6F5 Hellcat, VF-1 "High Hatters", Flt 1, El. 4



2. Northern Fleet Operations:

We are taking a calculated risk that the enemy will not task air assets to this AO.
In the case that we do discover radar returns we will do the best we can with what forces we have that launched from the Intrepid (EAF).



3. Southern Fleet Operations:

Expect heavy and intense action in this area. On this mission we will attack with intent on fully sinking the enemy Battleship Group at map grid BG26. This group is a severe threat to our Transport Group and Aircraft Carriers. Our latest intel suggests that this enemy Battleship Group is comprised of 1x Battleship and 3x Destroyers, but there may also be 1x heavy Cruiser with them. We expect that we will also have enough forces to go after the Zuikako Aircraft Carrier Group at map grid BB32, with the intent of sinking the Zuikako if not severely damaging it.

Before we attack we will have two dedicated air superiority squadrons (64th Sentai and LLv34) rush to map grid BG26, and position themselves on the North edge of the enemy flak range, facing Guam. The objective of 64th Sentai and LLv34 squadrons is to intercept any attempts by the enemy to put a CAP over his battleship group. The enemy aircraft are expected to arrive from the North from Guam and/or from the North West from the Zuikako Carrier Group.

The remaining Attack Squadrons will attack in 3 waves: first wave will be 102nd, second wave will be the IAF, and the third and last wave will be the EAF. IAF will be maintaining CAP over our Southern Ship Formations while the first wave of 102nd attacks the enemy battleship group.

Primary Objectives:
1. Maintain Air Superiority over the Southern Fleet, watch RADAR and prosecute contacts accordingly.
2. Sink the enemy Battleship Group, including the Battleship and all accompanying war ships.

Secondary Objective:
1. Attack and sink the Zuikako Aircraft Carrier.
2. Search the area for any additional enemy CV Groups.

Squadron and Aircraft Allocation:

64th Sentai
4x P-47D-22 Thunderbolt, 19th Fighter Squadron, 318th FG Flt 2, El. 1

LLv34
4x FM2 Wildcat, VF-15 "Fighting Aces", Flt 1, El. 3

102nd (1st wave)
4x F4U-1A Corsair, Marine Fighter Squadron 212 - Cactus Airforce, USMC Flt 1, El. 1
2x P-47D-22 Thunderbolt, 19th Fighter Squadron, 318th FG Flt 2, El. 3
2x F4U-1D Corsair, Marine Fighter Squadron 212 - Cactus Airforce, USMC Flt 1, El. 3
4x TBM-3 Avenger, Marine Torpedo Bomber Squadron 231, USMC Flt 1, El. 2

IAF (1st wave)
4x F6F5 Hellcat, VF-27 Flt 1, El. 2

IAF (2nd wave)
4x F6F5 Hellcat, VF-27 Flt 1, El. 3
4x F4U-1D Corsair, Marine Fighter Squadron 212 - Cactus Airforce, USMC Flt 1, El. 4

EAF (3rd wave)
1x F6F3 Hellcat, VF-13 "Black Cats", Flt 1, El. 1
3x TBF-1C Avenger, VT-2, Flt 1, El. 2



Carrier Take Off / Airfield Deconfliction:

USS Saratoga: LLv34 and 102nd

USS Essex: 102nd, 64th Sentai, and IAF