Tunisia, February 1943
Version 15
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Sections

• Date and Time
• Setting
• Main Rules
• Map
• Victory Conditions
• Allowed Targets
• Allied Order of Battle
• Axis Order of Battle
• Moving Around Pilots
• Items of Note
• Settings
• CM Items
• Timing Table
• References
• Credits
• Change Log

Date and Time

This is a single-frame, 12-hour format.  People are not expected to fly all 12 hours of the battle (although they can if they want to) but to fly what portions of it they desire.  Takeoffs are enabled on each hour mark, with takeoffs enabled for 5 minutes before fields are closed.  Walkons are welcome and will be assigned to whichever side is lowest in numbers at that time.

• October 22, 2016.
• Show-up Time is 11:30 am Eastern (8:30 am Pacific, 4:30 pm London, 3:30 pm UTC) for those initiating the battle.
• End of hostilities is midnight Eastern (9 pm Pacific, 5 am London, 4 am UTC).
• Special Events II arena.

Setting

In November, 1942, the Allies launched Operation Torch and landed forces on the northern coast of Africa.  The Axis, which had been fighting the British and Commonwealth in North Africa since 1940, now had to defend on two fronts, one with the US 12th Air Force and one with the British and Commonwealth Western Desert Air Force.  The Allies initially made rapid progress in hammering the Axis back into Tunisia, but a series of reinforcements enabled the Axis to stand firm and by December to regain some lost territory.  In January, 1943, the 12th AF moved aircraft closer to the action, and there were numerous battles back and forth, with neither side gaining the upper hand.

Now it is February, 1943, and it is time to decide which side will prevail.

This Scenario focuses on the Axis's western front with the P-38's, Spitfire's, P-40's, P-39's, A-20's, B-25's, B-26's, and B-17's of the US 12th Air Force vs. the Bf 109's, FW 190's, C.202's, Bf 110's, and Ju 88's of the Luftwaffe and Regia Aeronautica.

There will be fighter combat, bomber intercepts, escorting, bombing, ground attack, and anti shipping, as each side tries to cut off the enemy's supplies, to kill the enemy's aircraft, and to destroy the enemy's ground forces and infrastructure.

Please join us for this day of battle over the deserts of Tunisia.

Main Rules

The following are the main rules.

I highly recommend reading the "Items of Note" section as well.

• Please follow instructions from command, or you can be ejected from the arena.
• Unlimited lives, but takeoff enabled only on hour marks and fields open for 5 minute.
• You generate points for the enemy if you don't land safely (i.e., if you get shot down, crash, bail, ditch, or get captured).
• Please consider being a gunner if you have to wait for a launch window.
• Downwind will be enabled at 22k ft -- but you can maneuver above that as you see fit.
• Level bombers (B-25's, B-26's, B-17's, and Ju 88's):
  • May not fly higher than 15k.
  • Must level bomb.
  • Must take off whenever possible with formations and not intentionally lose drones.
• Attack planes (A-20's, FW 190F's, and Bf 110C's):
  • May not fly higher than 15k as long as you are carrying bombs.
  • Must take off with bombs (even after refueling/rearming) and not intentionally discard bombs unless engaged with enemies.
• Rearm/refuel only at these allowed spots.  If you forget, ask on country channel where the rearm bases are.
• Allies may rearm only at a5, a65, a13, and a69.
• Axis may rearm only at a66, a7, a64, and a8 -- except that a8 is not a rearm base for Phase 3.

Maps

Available targets are marked with large squares.  Available launch fields are marked with small circles.  Available rearms are marked with "rearm".

Phase 1:  Push from Tunis

Phase 2:  Pont-du-Fahs

Phase 3:  Kasserine Pass

Phase 4:  Operation Ochsenkopf

Victory Conditions

The battle will be logged as four separate phases, each three hours long.

If your side fails to do each and every one of these things, it will get no points at all for the phase affected:

• In each phase, each level-bomber group and attack group must Attempt at least two bombing missions.
• In each phase, each level-bomber group must Attempt at least one bombing mission that is at or above 5000 ft altitude.
• In phases 1 and 4, each level-bomber group and attack group must Attempt at least one bombing mission to enemy ships if any are left.
• "Attempt" means to bomb the target or either die trying or be driven off by enemy attacks.

Points (note that point can depend on named group -- get your folks and walkons into the correct named squads for their points to count):

• 1 point times Total Enemy Losses.
• 8 points per ship sunk.
• Named level-bomber groups ("301st", "319th", "97th", "KG 54", or "KG 76") get:
  • 3 points per hangar (fighter, bomber, or vehicle hangar) destroyed.
  • 1 point per ammo bunker and fuel bunker destroyed.
• Named attack groups ("47th", "SKG 10", or "ZG 26") get:
  • 0.5 points per ground gun destroyed.
  • 2 points per barracks destroyed.

"Total Enemy Losses" is (a) (Enemy Losses for non-formation planes) + 3 * (Enemy Losses for formation planes), or (b) your side's total kills, whichever of (a) or (b) is larger.  "Enemy Losses" is the enemy's deaths + bails + captured + crashes + ditches.

Each phase will be scored separately, with victory going to the side with the most points.  The final winner is the side that has won the most phases.

Allowed Targets

Allowed Targets for Allies to Hit

Towns are not targets.

Allowed Targets for Axis to Hit

Towns are not targets.

Phase 1	Phase 2	Phase 3	Phase 4
a5	a5	a5	a5
a65	a65	a65	a65
v47	v47		v47
v96			v96
	v99
		v45
		v104
enemy ships			enemy ships

Ships can go anywhere inside the "Allied Ships Area" and "Axis Ships Area" but not move outside them.  Each side will have one task group of ships to start phases 1 and 4.  The ships represent supply shipping into North Africa.

Allied Order of Battle (12th AF)

Aircraft are enabled at a5 (Bone), a65 (Youkes les Bains), a13 (Constantine), and a69 (Ain m'Lila).  Also, fighters and attack aircraft are enabled at v47 (Thahla) -- note that takeoffs from there can be tricky.

Axis Order of Battle (LW and RA)

Aircraft are enabled at a66 (Bizerte), a8 (Kairouan), a7 (Sousse), and a64 (Sfax).  Also, fighters and attack aircraft are enabled at v106 (Siliana) -- note that takeoffs from there can be tricky.

Moving Around Pilots

CO's may split groups up into separate flights and send them on separate missions as they see fit.

CO's may assign walkons as they see fit up to the limit of slots available.

CO's may move registered pilots to different aircraft if the registered pilots are willing.  But if a registered pilot wants to keep the plane he is registered for, he must be allowed to stay in that plane.

Items of Note

Attack planes should always take off with bombs (even after refueling/rearming) and not intentionally jetison them unless engaged with enemies.  Your HQ wants to make sure you are sending attack planes out on attack missions.

Each side has a vbase as launch location.  Vbases have short, rough runways and little room to spread out.  It is up to sides to manage this as they see fit.  I suggest that pilots practice some takeoffs from the vbase so that they can clear the trees at the end, and I would have a care to managing launches from vbases to avoid a giant pileup.

Bomb dispersion in AH3 might be different than AH2 -- I don't know.  I suggest practicing bombing hangars and bunkers from whatever alts you plan to use.

Ships have 20 mm defense guns, but no 8", 5", or quad 40 mm ack.

Auto ack is turned way down.  Manned ack is normal strength.

Points depend on stats for particular named groups.  If you get a walkon who destroys some ground objects but isn't in an the correct named squad, the points won't count.  Please get your people into the appropriate named squads.  Useful squad dot commands that can be used from your text radio buffer:

• .sqdaccept [gameID] -- What you type to accept an invite into a squad.
• .sqdwithdraw -- What you type to withdraw from whatever squad you are in.  Useful to do if you are having problems getting into a new squad.  Withdraw, then get a new invite and accept.
• .sqddecline [gameID] -- Decline a squad join request.
• .sqdeject GameID -- Eject a player from the squad.
• .sqdinvite [gameID] -- Sends squad invite while in flight.
• .sqdname [SquadName] -- Rename squad, updates the roster.  Can be useful to get someone into your sqaud if having trouble.
• .sr -- display squad members.

Our Air Warrior buddy Earl Miller flew P-39's in the 350th Fighter Group.  Here he is in "Eloise" over Tunisia:

Settings

Disabled weapons

Disable the following.

• A-20G:  external bombs.
• B-25C:  strafer versions.
• Bf 109G-2:  rockets, bombs.
• Bf 109G-6:  rockets, bombs.
• Bf 110C-4b:  rockets.
• FW 190A-5:  rockets, bombs.
• FW 190F-8:  rockets, wing-mounted bombs, sap bomb.
• Ju 88A-4:  torpedoes.
• P-38G:  bombs.
• P-39D:  bombs.
• P-40F:  bombs.
• Spit V:  bombs.

Details

Terrain. tunisia.

Wind. 45 mph downwind at 22k.

Clouds. Medium clouds.

Radar and Sector Counters. No radar or sector counters below 1000 ft.  Sector counters above 1000 ft.  Radar above 15k.

Ack: Auto ack will be turned way down.  Ships will not have 5", 8", or quad 40 mm.

Hardness and Downtime:  Hangars (fighter, bomber, vehicle) are 3000 lbs.  Ammo and fuel bunkers are 1000 lbs.  Barracks are 800 lbs.  CV is 6000 lbs to kill.  Other ships are 2000 lbs to kill.  Several things have lower down time -- see below.

ArenaFlags = 13358
BomberWarningRange = 21,120 (4 miles)
CountryChangeTime = (no changing of countries once started)
ExitWhileMoving = 508
FighterWarningRange = 21,120 (4 miles)
FlightModeFlags = 5248
FuelBurnRateMult = 1.0
GroundAutoLethality[Armored] = 0.15
GroundAutoLethality[Hard] = 0.15
GroundAutoLethality[Soft] = 0.15
ObjectHardness[SHP] = 0.75 [have to test effect of ship hardness settings to get CV 6000, others 2000]
RadarAlt = 15,000
RadarMode = 458 (tower friendly, tower enemy, plane counters only, counters above radar, range-based counters)
SectorCounterAlt = 1000
SectorCounterRange = 105,600 (20 miles)
TaskGroupRespawnTime = 360
TowerBasedRadarRange = 105,600 (20 miles)
StratFlags = 1

Auto gun, down time = 90 (gng -- auto ack at bases)
Bmbr hgr, hardness = 3, down time = 5
Bunk ammo, hardness = 1, down time = 5
Bunk barracks, hardness = 0.8, down time = 90 (same as gng)
Bunk fuel, hardness = 1, down time = 5
Bunk radar, hardness = 2, down time = 5
Ftr hgr, hardness = 3, down time = 5
Gun bat, down time = 800 (bat -- 8", 5", quad 40 mm)
Gun bat armor, down time = 800 (baa -- 8", 5", quad 40 mm)
HQ, hardness = 100
Ship, hardness = 2.67, downtime = 800
Veh hgr, hardness = 3, downtime = 5

Carrier hardness = ObjectHardnessMults[SHP] x 8000 lbs
Cruiser hardness = ObjectHardnessMults[SHP] x (Ship Hardness) x 1000 lbs
Destroyer hardness = cruiser hardness

CM Items

MOTD.

Welcome to the Scenario "Tunisia, February 1943"!

If you are not registered, you are welcome to play,
but please join whichever of Bishops or Knights
has the least numbers.  Then say on country text
channel 2 "walkon reporting for duty".  Someone
will tell you what to do.

Fields are open each hour on the hour for 5 minutes.

You can join this event at any time and play as much
or as little as you want.  It is running 12 hours today,
from noon to midnight Eastern.

P-38, Spit, P-39, P-40, A-20, B-25, B-26, B-17 vs.
Bf 109, FW 190, Bf 110, Ju 88.

Allies = Bishops
Axis = Knights
walkons = Rook

Timing Table

References

1. http://www.milhist.net/usaaf/mto43a.html .  USAAF combat chronology for 1943 in North Africa.

2. http://www.ww2study.com/12th.html .  List of 12th AF groups in North Africa.

3. http://www.comandosupremo.com/rana.html/2 . Regia Aeronautica in North Africa.

4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jagdgeschwader_53 . Which JG in North Africa.

5. http://falkeeins.blogspot.co.uk/2010/11/luftwaffe-over-tunisia-february-may.html . Luftwaffe in Tunisia.

6. Weal, John. Junkers Ju 88 Kampfgeschwader in North Africa and the Mediterranean (Combat Aircraft) (Kindle Location 5). Bloomsbury Publishing. Kindle Edition.

7. Scutts, Jerry. Bf 109 Aces of North Africa and the Mediterranean (Aircraft of the Aces) (Kindle Location 5). Bloomsbury Publishing. Kindle Edition.

8. Ethell, Jeffrey. Eagles Over North Africa and the Mediterranean: 1940 – 1943 (Luftwaffe at War) (Kindle Location 7). Pen and Sword. Kindle Edition.

9. Heaton, Colin D.; Lewis, Anne-Marie. The Star of Africa: The Story of Hans Marseille, the Rogue Luftwaffe Ace Who Dominated the WWII Skies . Zenith Press. Kindle Edition.

10. McAulay, Lex. P-40 Ace: Wing Commander Nicky Barr OBE MC DFC* RAAF (Kindle Location 5). Banner Books. Kindle Edition.

11. McAulay, Lex. Against Four Enemies: The wartime flying career of Group Captain Alan Rawlinson DFC* RAAF (Kindle Location 3). Banner Books. Kindle Edition.

12. Luftwaffe over Tunisia:  November 1942 - February 1943, by M. Murawski.

13. Luftwaffe Colours, Volume Four Section 2, Jagdwaffe:  The Mediterranean, 1942-1943, by J. Roba and M. Pegg.

14. Luftwaffe Colours, Volume Three Section 3, Jagdwaffe:  War Over The Desert, North Africa, June 1940-June 1942, by J. Smith and M. Pegg.

15. Messerschmitt Bf 110 Zerstorer Aces of World War 2, by J. Weal.

16. The Luftwaffe in the North African Campaign, 1941-1943, by W. Held and E. Obermaier.

I used ZG 26 even though they were gone prior to 1943.  110's are in for balance.

FW 190F's not used in 1943 -- they were 190A's, but the F has about same performance and allows me to enable bombs on just the ground attackers.

A-20A is a Boston III.  However, the 8x.303's result in unbalanced scoring on strafing vs. cannons of 190F's and 110C's, so put in A-20G, but no wing-mounted bombs (so is about same as A-20A except for better forward guns).

Credits

Scenario design: Brooke and Scenario community.

Game-day CM:  Brooke.

Allied CO:  AkWarHwk (BBID swareiam).

Axis CO:  HiTech and Vudu (BBID Vudu15).

Change Log

This section mentions the changes in each version, so that when changes are made to this document, people don't need to read the whole document to find out where the changes are.

Note on terminology: In this section, "Clarified" has a very precise meaning. If a rule is listed as being "Clarified", it means that the rule and its intent is not being changed but that the explanation herein is being improved to make the rule and its intent more clear. Rules are sometimes clarified during a scenario based on player questions or misunderstandings about wording.

v1, 7/24/2016
-- First draft.

v2, 7/27/2016
-- Change scoring to segment the battle in time, so one blowout period doesn't determine whole event.
-- To avoid event being dominated by sneaking around and no action, increase base flash range to 8 miles (1/3 sector) and create smaller list of available targets, changing some by phase.
-- For B-25 building destruction to balance per estimated planes lost, increasing level bomber damage points from 0.3 to 0.43.
-- To have attack matter the same as level bombers (given estimates of survivability), increasing their points from 0.3 to 0.43.
-- Re-estimate balance for ships, increasing points per ship from 6 to 8.
-- Estimated points balance for attack planes killing ships and used that for scoring for attack planes.
-- Change CA/DD hardness to 2000 lbs (from 3000) to give internal load from Ju 88, B-25, and LW jabos more-equal opportunity for sinking.  Ship hardness is supposedly set as follows:  Carrier hardness = ObjectHardnessMults[SHP] x 8000 lbs.  Cruiser hardness = ObjectHardnessMults[SHP] x (Ship Hardness) x 1000 lbs.  Destroyer hardness = cruiser hardness.
-- If we are using AH2 instead of AH3, have to deal with combing down objects at port, or don't use it as target.
-- Changed it so each side has 1 task group at the start of phases 1 and 4.
-- Town downtime to 45 minutes.
-- Put in a draft of targets in each phase.

v3, 7/30/2016
-- Changing p-39 group to 350th FG, as that is the one of our ol' AW buddy Earl.
-- Corrected 301st BG B-25's to be 310th BG B-25's.

v4, 7/31/2016
-- Set ship down time to 800 minutes.
-- B-25's disable strafer front loadout.

v5, 8/1/2016
-- Added AkWarHwk as Allied CO.  Thank you, Red!
-- Corrected an error in target list.
-- Reformatted target list table so that it is more clear what changes phase to phase.
-- Adjusted land targets a bit to equalize objects available to attack planes on each side.
-- Adjusted allowed ships area for each side to be slightly closer.
-- Adjusted bombing points up slightly (from 0.43 to 0.5), just to make more sure it is worth it to fly bombers.

v6, 8/2/2016
-- Adjusted shipping areas to be approximately equal.

v7, 8/13/2016
-- Put in timing table.
-- Changed town hardness to 3000 lbs so that single B-25 can drop a building or two.
-- Increased points per object for level bombers so that flying singleton B-25's is worth it.
-- Put in downtime for baa and bat ship guns to keep them down (5", 8", quad 40 mm).
-- Increased down time of auto ack guns at bases (gng) to encourage attacking different targets.
-- Added to "Items of Note" info on AH3 vs. AH2.

v8, 8/17/2016
-- Added rule for attack planes needing to take off with bombs -- see "Main Rules" section on attack planes.
-- Changed JG 77 to be G-2's or G-6's (as desired) and not forced as all G-6's.  Most 109G's at this point in North Africa were 109G-2's.
-- Added important items to "Items of Note" section, such as getting people into the correct named squads for their points to count, and suggestion on use of level-bomber singletons.
-- Added more references consulted (references 12-16).
-- Fleshed out timing table and MOTD.

v9, 8/21/2016
-- Added a64 as an available axis base, to be similar to a13 being an available allied base.

v10, 8/21/2016
-- Moved some targets closer in, grouped targets a little differently, and shrank ship areas (to focus fight more).
-- Moved some launch locations closer in (to help reduce time to action and range to targets).
-- Given the above, reduced base flash radius back to more-realistic level.
-- Increase downtime of twn and gng to encourage target rotation and eliminate possibility of hitting just closest target again and again.
-- On first launch of the game, fighters launch first, to preclude attackers getting to a targets before defenders have ability to get there that very first time.

v11, 8/23/2016
-- Change from AH2 terrain to AH3 terrain requires modifications to targets.  This then requires modifications to scoring forumula.  See maps, "Victory Conditions", and "Allowed Targets".
-- Hangars set to 3000 lbs.  Ammo and fuel bunkers set to 1000 lbs.  Barracks set to 800 lbs.
-- No need any longer for different launch times.
-- No need anymore for any special hardness of town, city, or bombable.
-- Reduced radar radius so that allied radar does not overlap axis home bases.
-- Updated "Items of Note" to reflect current writeup.
-- Added one extra farther-out base for each side to use in case closer-in fields are capped, giving each side a total of 4 airfields and one vbase as launch locations.
-- Simplified ship scoring.
-- Veh hgr downtime set to match other hangars.
-- Set barracks down time to equal gng.

v12, 8/25/2016
-- Allow only certain rearm pads to be used so that rearm is even side to side.
-- Changed from a8 to a7 as target for Phase 3 to make the access in the south more even.

v13, 8/26/2016
-- An update to counting of kills so that the enemy gets points if you lose your plane (i.e., don't land safely back at base).  See "Victory Conditions".

v14, 9/3/2016
-- Announced axis CO's.  Yay!  Thank you, HiTech and Vudu. :)
-- Set date of event.
-- Increased hardness of radar.

v15, 10/17/2016
-- Forgot to have longer TaskGroupRespawnTime in settings so that sinking CV doesn't result in respawn of task group prior to phase end.  Set TaskGroupRespawnTime to 360.