FAAR mission #5

I have been working on Squadron Forward for about 6 months. I have the character interaction pretty well set and the in game events. Am now starting the scenarios. I play 90% solitaire so am working on a force generator that will give a balanced game where I don't know what I am facing until I am in it. One of my few critisms of BTH2 is there are way too many blinds on the board so I don't wnat to know where the enemy is coming from but don't want 25 counters on the board either. Lastly both sides need a realistic chance to be able to affect a "bounce". So ready to try my first scenario; escort. We call upon one of my favorites, my Romanian IAR-80 squadron. This is there 5th mission and since this is 1942 they will be flying the "B" model.

Captain Sandru put down the phone. "Crap." The group commander Pomut had decided to fly with them tomorrow. Worse he did not want Sandru to go because he wanted to get to know the men. They were suppose to escort some JU-87s to attack a river convoy moving towards Stalingrad. Sandru had planned to allocate 4 planes to the mission but now he had better allocate 6 and place his best pilots on it to protect the group commander. To have him shot down would be embarresing; to have him wounded and land pissed would be a disaster!

Major Pomut coarse average skill (dislikes SQ)
Lt Macri Pleasant average

Lt Hapaina aggressive average
SLt Alexia Pessimistic average (avoids combat when able)

Adj Sef Ionescu Cultured Veteran skill
Adj Stag Toma Obnoxious average 1 kill

The day dawned clear and the Romanians found their charges without problems despite the language differences. The germans were prompt if nothing else. The Stukas flew at 16K feet so flak over the flont lines was not a problem.

In bound Ionescu smiles for the camera

4 minutes to target the Stukas called out bandits bearing down on them from 4 o'clock. Pomut leaves Hapania high and the other 4 race down. [my picture of the russian fighters is lost, sorry!] One stuka explodes as 3 LA-5s race through the formation. Major Pomut snaps off a high deflection shot that catches the new russian fighter in the engine and it explodes! Just as quick a 4th russian fighter appears on the Major's tail. Adj Sef Ionescus rushes to help as Captain Sandru gave him explicit instructions to bring the Major home alive. The Major starts a series of tight turns while losing altitude that his wingman and the russian can not follow. "The old man can fly!" thinks Ionescu.

1 more Stuka is destroyed and 1 damaged. Adj Stag Toma shoots an assaliant off Ionescu's tail and Ivan leaves the field trailing petrol. At this point the Stukas are commencing their dives. With 3 fighters against 6 IAR-80s the russians leave.

Stuka starting its run on a Fugas class minesweeper

Stukas on the attack The barges are camouflaged to
look like Command at Sea markers.
The MO-4 boat is the tiny one upstream

Direct hit! 500lb bombs make big holes

The Fugas class boat is destroyed by a direct hit. 2 barges are sunk. 2 Stukas miss completely.

The return trip is uneventful. The battle is considered a draw.

Post mission The squadron is awarded no cool points. Major Pomut's attitude improves to neutral towards the squadron. Adj Stag Toma's skill improves to veteran. Adj Bacui [did not fly but has a kill] is promoted to Adj Stag [Sgt]. Finally a new rookie pilot Adj Dusescu joins the squadron.

5 russian fighters were generated in one group. It seemed to work well; there were no in game events. For those of you using my LAAF anti aircraft rules the

Fugas MS is size 2 speed 3 [ can't go that fast in a river though] hvy 1 lt 1+

MO-4 motor launch size 1 speed 3 hvy -- lt 1+

Should be a good sceanario for BTH2 or Mustanges. A little large for CY6.

Enjoy

Joe