Downtown - D1 - CSAR

After deciding that actually a CSAR attempt should have been feasible I knocked up this very quick scenario.

Table is just under 4' x 4' and comprises 8 tiles. 

moved the downed crew counters slightly (need to redo these but they were the biggest decals I could find over lunch)

The rescue mission is different as well. I don't have a Jollly Green so a later airframe is pressed into use escorted with a historical (for 27 July 65) escort of a 1 {2} A-1 Rescue Support and a 1 {2} B-57 Rescue Suppport.

The DRV get to place a light AAA marker adjacent to the downed aircrew and after that it is game time.  It won't be quick as the Jolly Green only has a speed of 1 :)

Turn 10

Turn 11

Turn 12

The B-57 is hit by AAA over the target but isn't badly damaged and picks up a -2 bomb modifier. No effect on the AAA is observed and the B-57 is hit again.  The A-1 lines up the AAA and the tracer starts to come up. Next turn should see the AAA hit by the Spad before the Jolly moves in

Turn 12 admin phase - disaster

DRV Crew capture roll is made and they scoop up both pilots with the Jolly in sight.

Actually more tense than a strike mission

Downtown - D1 - AAR

So...I managed to get some game time in this weekend to play out the D1 mission which I had posted previously

The mission used boards A - E 1 through 3.  In retrospect I could have just used A - E 1 and 2 as I didn't need to use KEP Airfield as the mission was in the bottom half of the table and the Solo rules only generate a MiG take off from the closest airfield with was Phuc Yen (Noi Bai)

I digress...Possible SAM locations are in yellow and you can make out the raid way points in green.  The idea was to head towards Hanoi and then dogleg over to the SAM 1537 target.

I used the DT rules with the solo option. I didn't make up any cards as this was straight forward me versus me.

Turn 1 MiGCAP enters to screen Phuc Yen.

Turn 2 SEAD enters.  These are early flak suppressors. No shrike or standoff weaponry.  Full on CBU and Napalm onto the enemy AD

Turn 3 the strikers enter

Overview at the end of Turn 4.  Strike package is shaking out and the DRV MiGs have started to come up to play

Waypoint reached and the mission begins to turn

Second way point reached the Strike force can begin its run in just after the SEAD have suppressed the SAM Site (which is the target in D1).  One of the SAM Sites has gone RADAR ON with an acquistion on the MiGCAP.

Things go horribly wrong for the MiGCAP.  Without any RWR the flight have minimal warning and the Oyster 4  goes down.  Two good chutes are seen but as this is July 65 there is no chance of CSAR getting in to pick them up.

Strike nearly over.  The SEAD aircraft have managed to damage the two SAM Sites which could have caused problems.  The site which caused the shoot down is out of ammo.  The MiGs are close but aren't going to be able to get to the Thuds which will be at afterburner as soon as they drop their ordnance.

The mission is a success for the US as they destroyed the SAM Site but tainted with the loss of Oyster 4.  In reality the 27 July 65 strike was a costly mission for the US with multiple shoot downs and a tragic air to air collision..

I need to make up some new game markers for the smaller hex size which also need to include a double canopy parachute marker.  My original hex mat was 50mm across so my single bases fit. Now I am using 38mm across things are a bit more crowded.

Some of the earlier USAF airframes

Downtown - D1 - Planning

So getting an opportunity to try out my new hex board and get some additional details painted or modelled onto it.  I am going to run the missions from the scenario book in chronological order.  First up is D1 strike warfare early 1965. Bare Aluminium airframes or USAF fighters in the same Gull Grey as their USN counterparts.

Background
On 24 July 1965 an F-4C flying CAP was hit and shot down by a Russian-supplied S-75 Dvina missile. This was the first attack by SAMs on US aircraft and the shootdown took Washington by surprise. American reconnaissance had been watching construction of the SAM sites for some time but President Johnson and Secretary of Defense McNamara were afraid of inflicting casualties on Soviet advisors at the sites and had determined to avoid further escalation. So through the spring and summer of 1965 attacks against the sites had been forbidden.

Now the SAMs had gone live a reprisal was necessary. On 27 July a large raid of F-105s was launched against the sites and nearby barracks where the SAM crews were living.

So I have plotted all the target hexes (Red Circles) and then placed the nine potential SAM locations.

Rolling a 3 on the AAA table gives me 3 Medium AAA to place.  Two need to go on table and the other will appear during game play.  As they have to go on targets closest to an entry point which don't already have a barrage marker this means that the two targets closest to Yen Bai in the bottom LH corner get an AA concentration which is activated.

So the USAF raid now rolls for the actual target and gets assigned to hit SAM 1537.

The DRV have just one hidden AAA and four FIRECAN units to disrupt the raid.  MiGs can potentially come from either Kep to the North East of Hanoi of Phuc Yen just on the outskirts of Hanoi.

As it is a SAM target the strike mission comprises some 6 flights of 4 F-105D supported by a single MiGCAP and two EB-66C with their own CAP escort flights.  No wild weasels or defence suppression are available this early in the war.  I am also restricted to using entry points: 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6.

Next up.....will be the raid planning and then time to get the models onto the table