Operation Renovate (Jericho) - Take 3

[DD_Fenrir]

Hello chaps!

 

Bruited the idea abroad for another crack at this mission on TS t'other night and got a positive response, so here we go again! Would like to run it on the 07/12/14 co-op night if that's amenable to all.

 

Min players required = 7

Max players = 25

 

If date and time is good for you then please state your preferred mount!

 

NOTE; ALL PARTICIPANTS NEED TO BE ON HSFX 7.03  

 

Skins to represent your allocated aircraft available here: http://dangerdogz.co...ining-skinszip/

Please install all skins so you can see everyone elses from mission start.

 

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Right gents we are go-mission for Operation RENOVATE, aka JERICHO

 

Mission briefing 07/12/14 2000 GMT (2000Z)

 

Start Engines 2030 GMT (2030Z)

 

Here are current allocations (TBC):

 

Mosquito FB.VI

 

487 Sqn; Callsign: DYPEG

Red Section

 

1.         EG-R -- DD_Painless (in a/c selection screen select 34 squadron EG-A, make your skin 487 EG-R)

2.         EG-C -- DD_Sweper  (in a/c selection screen select 34 squadron EG-B, make your skin 487 EG-C)

3.         EG-H -- DD-Pooka     (in a/c selection screen select 34 squadron EG-C, make your skin 487 EG-H)

 

Yellow Section

 

1.        EG-Q -- DD_Fenrir  (in a/c selection screen select 34 squadron EG-E, make your skin 487 EG-Q)

2.        EG-J  -- Jabo          (in a/c selection screen select 34 squadron EG-F, make your skin 487 EG-J)

3.        EG-T                       (in a/c selection screen select 34 squadron EG-G, make your skin 487 EG-T)

 

 

464 Sqn; Callsign: CANON

Red Section

 

1.          EG-F -- DD_BluBear  (in a/c selection screen select 485 Squadron OU-A, make your skin 487 EG-F)

2.          SB-T -- DD_Friar        (in a/c selection screen select 485 Squadron OU-B, make your skin 464 SB-T)

3.          SB-U                           (in a/c selection screen select 485 Squadron OU-C, make your skin 464 SB-U)

 

Yellow Section

 

1.          SB-F --  DD_Sid     (in a/c selection screen select 485 Squadron OU-E, make your skin 464 SB-F)

2.          SB-A --  DD_Artie   (in a/c selection screen select 485 Squadron OU-F, make your skin 464 SB-A)  

3.          SB-V                       (in a/c selection screen select 485 Squadron OU-F, make your skin 464 SB-V) 

 

 

Mosquito B.IV

 

140 Wing PR Flight

 

1.          140 Wing B.IV -O -- DD_FT

 

 

Typhoon Mk.Ib (Late)

 

174 Sqn; Callsign: CAJOLE

Red Section

 

1.            =VARP=Nage          Choose skin: "Typhoon-RAFpreoverlord-generic" with markings ON

2.                                                            As above

3.            =VARP=Hunter                        As above

4.                                                            As above

 

Yellow Section

 

1.            DD_Ovy     Choose skin: "Typhoon-RAFpreoverlord-generic" with markings ON

2.                                                            As above

3.            =VARP=Thor                           As above

4.                                                            As above

 

Green Section

 

1.            =VARP=Arg0n     choose skin: "Typhoon-RAFpreoverlord-generic" with markings ON

2.                  As above

3.                  As above

4.                  As above

 

Skins to represent your allocated aircraft available here: http://dangerdogz.co...ining-skinszip/

Please install all skins so you can see everyone elses from mission start.

 

 

Mission date: 18 February 1944

 

Selected crews men of 487 squadron (RNZAF), 464 squadron (RAAF) and 21 Squadron are called to briefing at 0730 hours. These experienced Mosquito crews are bemused, since the near blizzard conditions outside must mean ops are off.... aren't they? As they file in towards the Briefing Room, the guards posted at the doors would seem to indicate otherwise....

 

 

Group Captain Fenrir takes the stage...

 

"Gentlemen! We have a mission of supreme importance today, probably the most crucial mission you will ever fly. Today we head to Amiens, and no, not the marshalling yard. Today we are to bomb the prison in an effort to breach the walls and liberate incarcerated French patriots & resistance fighters who are awaiting execution even as we speak.

 

"Familiarise yourselves with these photos and I'll continue...

 

TARGET:

 

 

 

 

 

 

"As you can see the main prison building is roughly cruciform in shape - this is where the cells are located and we must avoid hitting this building at all costs. At the Eastern and Western extremities of this cross are guardhouses where the German guard forces are based.

 

"We are dividing up into three waves. The first wave consisting two flights of three aircraft of 487 Sqn are to attack the walls. Red section will run in straight and attack the Easternmost wall, whilst Yellow section will break to the North and swing in to attack the North wall.

 

"The 2nd wave comprises 2 sections of 3 a/c each of 464 Squadron and you will be attacking those outbuildings identified as guardhouses on the Eastern and Western extremities of the main prison building itself, with Red flight taking the Eastern, attack axis from the SouthEast and Yellow flight will attack the Western from the North.

 

"This is to an ultra low-level attack profile. Your aircraft are to be armed with 4x 500lb bombs with 11 second low-level fuses. It is therefore absolutely critical that you time your attacks so that you only commence your run when you observe the bombs of the wave ahead of you detonating - I want no casualties on this trip from our own weapons chaps. It's a dangerous enough enterprise without throwing yourself over the target as the bombs of the chap ahead of you go off.

 

"We have calculated that these bombs will be most effective to breach the walls and their concussive affects should blast open the door locks or knock them off their hinges and allow the fellows inside to escape.

 

"487 you'll be attacking from 10-20ft altitude. This altitude will reduce the likelihood of your bombs skipping over the wall in the event that you drop them too early.

 

"464 you'll be attacking from 20-30ft altitude. This will keep you clear of the walls but bear in mind you will have to be spot on with your drops to not overshoot the guard rooms or have your ordnance skip over them.

 

"As for formations, I leave it to the flight leaders discretion; however I will recommend a vic or echelon for wall attack and close line astern for guard room.

 

"And now for the hard part - our armoury boffin tells us that the casings on the semi-armour piercing bombs that we have for this raid will likely break up and render the weapons useless if dropped at low level at over 240mph - so you must keep at under 240mph indicated until drop. 

 

"For you chaps in 487 it means releasing your weapons and firewalling the throttle to ensure that you clear the building as you pull up. It's going to take some split-second timing and quick reflexes.

 

"The 140 Wing Photo-ship will also be accompanying us on the trip to film the results of the raid and allow bomb damage assessment. It will stay clear of the target until the first two waves have gone through and their bombs have detonated. Photo-ship pilot, we need at least two passes, however if you feel it is necessary and/or expedient then get as many filming passes as you deem fit.

 

"Attach yourself to the rear of 464 yellow flight formation for ingress to target. 

 

"Finally 21 Squadron will be reserve force. If for any reason the first two waves fail in their objectives they are to come in and flatten the entire prison. I personally will make the judgement on this matter and call them off - or in - as necessary. If the Third wave is to attack the call made on an open channel is "Green, Green, Green"; if the the first two waves achieve the desired results the call will be "Red, Red, Red". If by Zero +13 for whatever reason I have not made the call, the photo-ship pilot will have the best view of the results and will make the call instead.

 

"Zero hour is 1200hours - we have good intel that at that point the majority of guards are in the guardhouses taking lunch. If we can catch the bulk of them there it will make the escapees odds that much better. We understand there will also be help on the ground from the local Resistance who will assist escapees providing we are successful in our objective.

 

"I understand your reservations about this trip chaps - it's a first when we are asked to deliberately attack a building with friends inside, but if anyone is capable of pulling this off it's us; indeed with our knowledge of precision low level strikes, we in the Mosquito are the only force capable of realistically achieving this. If friendly casualties do result - and make no mistake, it is likely - then we can mollify ourselves thus: "We would rather die by British bombs than by German bullets." That message comes direct from the incarcerated souls in Amiens prison chaps. They are to be executed any day now. Let's get in there and at least try to repay them for all the risks and sacrifices they have made in helping our shot down comrades evade capture and the wealth of valuable intelligence that they and their kinfolk daily run the gauntlet to deliver safely to us."

 

 

NAVIGATION:

 

Here then is the overview of the route to target:

 

 

 

Route Summary:

 

NORTH WEALD - Takeoff

HENLEY

LITTLEHAMPTON

TOCQUEVILLE

SENARPONT

BOURDON

One mile south DOULLENS

BOUZINCOURT (2 miles west south west Albert)

Target

ST SAVIEUR

SENARPONT

TOCQUEVILLE

HASTINGS

NORTH WEALD - land

 

{content}

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Note that Red sections will orbit base once at 220mph to allow yellow section to form up and waves to proceed in squadron formation. Turnpoint to Henley is from a point due West of the airfield to get accurate heading.

 

Route is to be flown at treetop height THROUGHOUT to avoid detection by enemy radar. Over the Channel, height must not exceed 100ft; 50ft cruise altitude advised.

 

Note that rendezvous point is LITTLEHAMPTON to pick up escorting Typhoon Squadron.

 

This route is designed to avoid known flak batteries and also to mis-direct interception with the North Easterly feint. At the Bouzincourt turnpoint you should pick up the Amiens-Albert road, a long straight Roman road that will take you in to target.

 

250mph IAS for cruise obtained at +5lb Boost (65% Power) and 2450 RPM (70% pitch). For attack run reduce Boost as necessary to achieve <240mph but bring RPM to 100% so that optimum thrust is available when required.

 

In case of emergency or bad weather at North Weald diversion airfield is FORD (AK23-2).

 

MET:

 

It's a grotty day out there gents, but things are supposed to improve somewhat as mission hour approaches. What is for sure is that conditions get better as we head south and that the Channel and France the weather should lift appreciably.

 

Cloud: 9/10ths to 10/10ths at 500-1000ft

 

Winds: 11mph, gusting to 12-13mph from 040. This will affect your courses and also your bomb-runs so watch for drift as you approach your targets, particularly you chaps coming in from the North. What we can say is that you will experience little or no turbulence..

 

INTEL:

 

The route has been devised to avoid known flak positions, specifically at the coast, airfields and the larger towns, but also main rail or road bridges. However this cannot rule out recently relocated positions or mobile units so keep your collective fingers out, stay low, stay fast and if you should come under fire, try to put something solid like hills or buildings between you and the flak.

 

Crossing the enemy coast it is important to note that your landfall point is quite critical - Jerry is gradually closing the gaps and leaving us fewer and fewer holes to slip through. This is one of the few remaining. Make sure you cross West of the river mouth - there are flak guns close by on the Western bank but also at the apex of the cliffs further West. If we can hit this point one-half to two thirds the way between them we'll get through without them getting a shot. Further West still is Dieppe and, well, I don't have to tell you chaps to give that place a respectably wide berth.

 

The next point is near Albert. On the SW fringes is a BMW factory, amongst others, defended by light flak. It's pretty close to our Bouzincourt turnpoint so there's not a great deal of margin if you get off course or overrun the turn point - be careful.

 

Coming into Amiens proper we will be forced into range of flak sites simply by proximity of the target. Note that ~2 miles due south of the prison is Amiens-Glissy airfield, the major marshalling yard to the West of the airfield, plus the station to it's Northwest and some major rail and road bridges. All will be heavily defended by flak guns of various calibres. At the prison proper there is no light flak, however in a park about 1 km West is an 88mm site. Most of you will pass close or over this on your egress route. Given your speed and altitude it's unlikely that these guns will get a chance to engage - at your attack altitude it's the 20mm and 37mm that will be the greatest threat but also be wary of small arms fire particularly in the vicinity of the prison where our intel suggests there may be a couple of fixed heavy machine gun positions covering the interior walls; there is a chance they could be able to fire at you.

 

The egress route should be clear of any gun sites, but be alert with your nav when crossing out near the coast. if you should lose your position it might be tempting to fly up one of the rivers that are all on approximately the right heading, but be advised that any bridges on those rivers are likely to be defended and where the river hits the coast are generally fishing villages or small ports and Jerry loves sticking flak around these places. Ideally we get out the same place we got in at Tricqueville, in the flak gap. I don't have to remind you that there also many airfields North of the target, between it and the coast and I would strongly recommend you avoid courses anywhere near them for obvious reason.

 

In the air, Luftwaffe resources are spread pretty thin; however elements of JG.26 are based at airfields not far from our route. Intel suggests these units will be equipped with latest versions of the Fw190. Our best defence is low-level high-speed flight to delay detection and the feint course to misdirect their attempts at interception. We will have escorts on this trip though given the nearness of one of their airfields. More of them momentarily.

 

Given the weather we can expect both the Jagdwadffe and the Flak-arm to be at reduced readiness. However, the moment you are detected you can guarantee that all units in the area will be alerted so don't assume the Hun's cosying up next to his stove rather than at his weapon.

 

We will rendezvous with our escorts off the English coast at our Littlehampton turn point at 1127 hours. RV should be below 100ft  to minimise the chance of radar detection. Typhoons from 3 squadrons are due to take part, one for each wave, weather notwithstanding. However if your escort squadron does not show, don't wait for them - your timetable is exact and you cannot wait. Push on without them.

 

Callsigns are as follows:

 

1st Attack:

Bomber call sign: D Y P E G.

Ground control call sign: A I L S O M E on 2 Group guard 1.

Bomber leader may call escort direct in emergency on 11 Group guard 1.

Fighter call sign: G A R L I C.

 

2nd Attack: Bomber call sign: C A N O N.

Ground control call sign: B E L L F I E L D on 2 Group guard 1.

Bomber leader may call escort direct in emergency on 11 Group guard 1.

Fighter call sign: C A J O L E.

 

3rd Attack: Bomber call sign: B U C K S H O T.

Ground control call sign: G R E E N S H I P on 2 Group guard 1.

Bomber leader may call escort direct in emergency on 11 Group guard 1.

Fighter call sign: D U N L O P.

 

General: Emergency homing to FRISTON on 2 Group guard.\nA.S.R. on 2 Group guard.

Special V.H.F. codeword: RENOVATE.

 

Notes: (1) Following each attack sections of three aircraft of each formation are to endeavour to regain close company as soon as possible.

 

Finally from me, these are the dispositions of your aircraft on the airfield:

 

 

So 487 turn left onto taxiway to runway, all others turn right. 464 yellow, await red flight to pass in front before rolling out.

 

In cockpits and engines starting at 1106hours. 

 

"Any questions?

 

Then, best of luck chaps. Godspeed."

 

 

TYPHOONS, 174 SQUADRON;

 

Good morning chaps. Today we are to escort a low level strike by Mosquitos of 140 Wing as they attack the prison at Amiens in an attempt to release captured French Resistance fighters currently held there and awaiting execution... yes, yes, come on, pipe-down, very unusual I know, however our job is the same as it always is on these shows; to keep Fritz off the Mossies. Their route takes them close to three Luftwaffe bases, most of which at one time or another have been home to our 'friends' in JG26. If Jerry shows up wanting to pick a fight then we're to make damn sure they pick on somebody their own size...

 

First things first - we are to be in our aircraft a while before take-off; given the current state of the weather the mission could well be aborted before we even get off the ground so I want us ready in the aircraft at 1106 (mission spawn in). However we will wait 12 minutes i.e., until 1118 hours before commencing engine start and taxi to runway. 

 

Here are our dispersal positions, takeoff/landing direction and wind - notice we have a lovely crosswind today so watch the swing as you power up and allow yourself a little breathing room as there will be no headwind component to help get you up:

 

 

After takeoff leaders make a shallow right-hand orbit - and keep it low - at 250mph to allow all sections to catch up. Make a single orbit of the field, then turn onto 110 (wind corrected) degrees to Littlehampton where you will RV with the Mossies, who are due at 1127 hours - with any luck.  Stay below 100ft.

 

 

 

 

Once with the bombers, array your sections around them as you see fit.

 

Our Callsign for this mission is CAJOLE.

 

This isn't a free-for-all trip chaps, so no free-lancing or targets of opportunity - our job is to watch those Mosquitos tails. Stay with them, and keep a beady eye out for the Hun.

 

That is all.

 

Jolly good luck gentleman.

[FoolTrottel]

Cool stuff ... I see my seat's already been assigned, nice one!

[Crash]

Mossie please.  Going to see the Bootleg Beatles next week.

[BluBear]

Count me in, of course!

[Sid]

I'm in. Mossie...can do section lead. Done it before so will be a numpty if required... x

[Sweper]

Mossie for me please.

[Painless]

Now that is what I call a brief Tom !

487Sqn. EG-R if no one else wants it please.

P.

[Jabo]

Mossie please, useful to have a spare engine in case one turns off unexpectedly. Or Tiffie if the Mossies are all taken

[DD_Fenrir]

Updated the brief with provisional allocations chaps, More volunteers needed please!

 

Offer goes out to the VARP boys too! And KG.26 Alpha - we may have some spots for you and one or more of your merry band of bomber boys. Get in now whilst the slots are open!

[DD_Fenrir]

*BUMP*

 

More volunteers needed chaps! Mosquito flights could do with filling up but also Tiffies need flight leaders at the very least!

 

Pooka, you missed the last one of these, can I tempt you to join us Sunday?

 

 

Artie me old china, I've given you the lead Typhoon flight. Means you'll be leading AI and having to wait a bit at mission start, is that ok?

[Painless]

What about Ovy's guys Tomsk ?

[Jabo]

And them I should think

[Friar]

Can I have a mossie along side Bluebear please I need a shirt tail to hang on to........

[DD_Fenrir]

Certainly Colin, just make sure you don't crease 'em, he's very sartorially particular is our BluBear....

[Ovy]

Hi gents,i got it allright . I will pass it forward to both Romanian and Croatians friends.

What time is the start / show up?

[DD_Fenrir]

2000GMT all on comms and breifing

2030GMT mission start

 

You chaps are UTC+2 I believe so 2200 and 2230 your local time.

 

Could try for a half hour earlier start if thats better?

[Ovy]

So far keep three slots for Thor , Hunter and myself .

Time is ok.

~s~

[DD_Fenrir]

Sweet! Thanks Ovy, any preference on the ride?

[Nage]

+1

[Ovy]

Without any bombing training i'd go for a fighter (Typhoon)

[Arg0n]

I'm game for a Typhoon, I like escort missions.

[DD_Fenrir]

Thanks to the VARP fellows for getting involved!

 

I've allocated you all to Typhoons for an all Eastern Europe Escort! Hope that's ok, if anyone would like a Mossie please say and I'll do some swapping.

 

Nage, Ovy & Arg0n I have given you flight lead status and you'll each have AI wingmen - it's important that you understand the taxi-to-takeoff parameters of Il-2 and make your way carefully to the southeast corner of the airfield in flights, in order. Watch out for the mischievous   AI to avoid collisions - we'll need as many of you in the air as possible at the target area if you catch my drift! 

 

This of course means that Artie, I have moved you to a Mossie winging Sid. Hope that's acceptable.

[Ovy]

Three more volunteers from US coming'

Lily and the Walking Wings boys.

I gave them TS

 

I'll be on TS one hour earlier to welcome all

[Pooka]

I'm sure I can make it, signed on and now to read this brief briefing.

[Nage]

Fenrir, can you please explain taxi to take-off parameters??