Fortress Europe Related

Details: Written by: Will Hyman; Category: Fortress Europe Related; Published: 26 April 2018; Hits: 4

The Order of Battle is used to show the alloted aircraft for each side during the campaign.

Exact numbers will be specified in Mission Details.

Radar Factories will also control the number of Me 262s, Me 163s, and Ta 152s. Once these aircraft become available the number of available aircraft per mission are decided by the status of the radar factories, just like the Tower based Radar Range. These numbers vary depending on the month and year of Fortress Europe.

If the Radar Objects are over 50% they get +2 modifier on the number of all available perk aircraft. Greater than 75% is +3 and 100% is +4.

If the Radar Objects are less than a 50% they a -1 modifer, less than 25% is a -2 modifier and 0% is a -3 modifier.

1943

1943SET

1944

1944SET

1944/1945

19441945SET

Details: Written by: Kathy Bailey; Category: Fortress Europe Related; Published: 18 March 2018; Hits: 6

Welcome to Fortress Europe!

Fortress Europe and other Fortress Events combine historical terrains and missions with Aces High's AI mission editor to make for massive missions and non-stop action.

Players and squads can join Fortress Events and participate how they want to.

Escort the Bombers deep into enemy territory, Join a bomber and fight through the thickest flak you will see anywhere in the game, or launch an interceptor and take on the massive formations and their human escort!

WHEN:

Typically the 4th or 5th Friday of the month during FSO breaks. Check the Fortress Europe Forum at the Aces High Message Board.

https://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php/board ,712.0.html

11:00PM EST/8:00PM PST

WHERE:

SPECIAL EVENTS ARENA 1

Fortress Europe welcomes everyone and asks that you remain flexible to switching sides when needed.

WHAT IS IT?

Fortress Events are pre-built missions using multiple flights of AI bombers who fly a pre-determined route to a target and drop bombs and return to friendly territory.

AI BOMBERS? ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE? WHAT? NO WAY!

Yes - AI bombers only. No fighters.

The AI gunner skills vary from bomber to bomber but at most they are medium skilled.

AI bombers allow us to do things to that we can no longer do in game with our current player base. Most AI missions have 60-80 bombers in different groups.

Players can join a single AI bomber at any time the mission is running by contacting the CM.

UNLIMITED LIVES AND AIR SPAWNS

Every setup will feature unlimited lives and air spawns.

CM Placed Air Spawns will be used to keep the fight going till the end of regulation and for shorter flight distances. They will vary in time of opening and placement depending on the setup requirements. Details will be included in every write-up.

HAVE FUN!

Fortress Events are designed to allow players and squads to participate how they want and will typically be a different theater and different bombers every month.

Details: Written by: Kathy Bailey; Category: Fortress Europe Related; Published: 18 March 2018; Hits: 4

B17teaser

Blitz Week - a Fortress Europe Campaign

On June 14th, 1943, the US 8th Air Force and RAF Bomber Command were directed to begin attacks on German fighter and aircraft industry under the name Operation Point Blank in an effort to destroy the Luftwaffeâ€™s ability to defend against the future invasion of France. The US 8th Air Force, which had been flying B-17 missions into occupied France since September of â€˜42, and Germany since January â€˜43, continued to launch precision daylight attacks while RAF Bomber Command would attack by night.

Capitalizing on clearing weather over the continent in late July, General Ira C. Eaker mobilized the 8th Air Force for the heaviest and deepest attacks on the German war machine to date. Beginning on July 24th with the first ever 8th Air Force Mission to Norway, it continued nearly every day till July 30th, taking only one rest for the heavy bombers on July 27th. On the 25th, RAF Bomber Command and the 323 B-17s of the US 8th AF tag teamed Hamburg shipping yards and diesel engine works. The following day on the 26th 303 B-17s attacked the Nordhafen Rubber and Continental Gummi-Werke facilities in Hannover as well as the Hamburg Uboat yards.

After a brief one day break, the 8th Air Force launched 302 Forts on the 28th for the Fieseler components works at Kassel and made the deepest attack into Germany so far at the Oschersleben assembly plant. On the 29th, 249 B-17s attacked the ship yards at Kiel and the Heinkel assembly plant at WarnemÃ¼nde. On the final day of the assault 186 B-17s returned to Kassel for the Bettenhausen and Waldau Fieseler works.

Weather for the last day of July was good, but the B-17s rested. The most intensive period of operations to date for the US 8th Air Force had come to a conclusion. They began the operation with nearly 330 available B-17s and their crews and in one week were reduced to below 200. Approximately 100 B-17s had been lost or written off and the equivalent of nearly 90 total crews were missing, killed or wounded in the same time period. Several medals for bravery were awarded as well as one Medal of Honor to Co-Pilot John C. Morgan of the 92nd Bomb Group for piloting his crippled bomber home after the pilot was killed.

Along with the first 8th Air Force raid to Norway, some other notable firsts were recorded during Blitz Week. The first known recorded success of the Luftwaffeâ€™s BR 21 rocket mortar was seen on the July 28th mission to Oschersleben. A B-17 of the 385th BG took a direct hit from the rocket fired projectile, broke up and crashed into two other bombers in the formation. Another first for the 8th Air Force was for the escort fighters when 4th Fighter Group used external fuel tanks on their P-47s, allowing them to be the first 8th AF fighter group to penetrate German air space.

The success of Blitz Week was measured in the losses to German war industry, particularly the Continental Gummi-Werke which suffered a 25% loss for several weeks. Several targets took direct hits like the Heinkel assembly plants at Warnemunde and Oschersleben causing an estimated loss of one months production, or 50 Fw 190s. The results proved that the bombers could deliver critical blows to German targets, but also showed that it was costly on men and machines. It also carried with it the disheartening reminder that most of the fighter production was still untouched and further inside the Reich, well beyond the range of the P-47 escort.

The Fortress Europe Blitz Week Scenario sets the stage for the first real 8th Air Force sustained assault on Germany. Pilot a Flying Fortress deep into German air space, escort them in a P-47 Thunderbolt, or try to stop them in a Luftwaffe interceptor!

When? Where?

JULY 11th, 18th, 25th - 2200 EST - 1900 PST - UTC 0200 - SEA2

REGISTRATION OPENS: ---

Available Squadrons/Units

BLITZSET

General Rules

No Aircraft are to cross North of the Horizontal 20 Grid Line on the map.
Logs will close at T+180 - All aircraft are expected to be down and towered out.

Allied (USAAF - US 8th Air Force) Rules

Human B-17 formations must form on and travel with AI formation.
Human and AI B-17 formations must not exceed 25,000 feet.

Axis (Luftwaffe - Luftwaffenbefehlshaber Mitte) Rules

Axis Pilots may not cross West of the Vertical 3 Grid Line.

Launch Windows / Spawn Rules / Active Airfields

Flight will be opened every 60 minutes for 10 minute intervals. (T+0, T+60, T+120)
Human B-17 formations may not spawn from A4 NORTH airspawn.
A6 Air Spawns will open for Allied Fighters at T+60 and T+120.
Downed Bomber Pilots and Downed Allied Fighters may spawn into AI Bombers until AI Bombers are exhausted. Contact CM for Bomber Request.
Allied Active Airfields are A4 (T+0) and A6 (At T+60 and T+120)
Axis Active Airfields are any airfield in Germany and Denmark.

Objectives

The Allies will have a target area with 3 targets in each frame. One of those targets in that area must be hit every frame. Once that target is attacked it is removed from the list and no longer available as a target. Some targets are overlapped in different target areas, if a target is attacked in Frame 1 or 2, it cannot be attacked again.

FRAME 1

Kiel Troop Strat - 13.16.4 (124 Objects)
Hamburg Ammo Strat - 14.14.1 (102 Objects)
Warnemunde Fuel Strat - 17.16.1 (157 Objects)

FRAME 2

Hamburg Ammo Strat - 14.14.1 (102 Objects)
Hannover Troop Strat - 14.12.1 (124 Objects)
Oschersleben Troop Strat - 16.11.7 (124 Objects)

FRAME 3

Hannover Troop Strat - 14.12.1 (124 Objects)
Oschersleben Troop Strat - 16.11.7 (124 Objects)
Kassel Fuel Strat - 13.9.9 (157 Objects)

COMBINED TARGET AREAS

Scoring

Strat Objects not destroyed by the Allies are awarded to Axis.
Only human piloted B-17 and drones will be counted as safely landed.

Walk-Ons

Walk-ons may be added to squad rosters where a vacancy appears. If all squads are filled to capacity, Walk-ons may continue to be added to the bomber group with a maximum of Aces High Squad Limit (32).

If a Walk-on appears late, they are allowed to assume the command of an AI bomber if they get in proper bomber uniform and request a bomber from the CM.

Settings

Terrain: RHINLAND

Icon Range â€“ 3.0K ICONS

RADAR â€“ Friendly Dot, Enemy Dar Bar

External view for bombers (F3) - On

Friendly Collisions - Off

Enemy Collisions - On

Kill Shooter - ON

Fuel - 1.0

Ack â€“ 1.0

Formations - Enabled

Bombsite calibration â€“ Auto Calibration (MA Stanadard)