Here Comes The Wolfpack
 
Artist Credit: VF-17 by Nicolas Trudgian
Excerpt from "The Jolly Rogers" by Tom Blackburn and Eric Hammel: "It is not uncommon in ground warfare to detach a small unit to lurk well away from the main body so that it will be free to strike the enemy while his attention is focused upon the main action. Awareness of the Japanese tactics virtually led us to the obvious conclusion arising out of Butch's claim that he could provide extra airplanes . . . Thus was the birth of Roving High Cover, or RHC. The official name came in as soon as Duke wrote up the first action report, the very next day. However, our guys quickly got to calling it the Gravy Train. Even the top Zero ace of the time, Lt Tetsuzo Iwamoto, wrote of us as 'wolves . . . who pounce on the unsuspecting Zeros.'"
Historical Background: Early in the morning hours of 28 January 1944, twenty Corsairs of VF-17 lifted off from their airfield at Piva Yoke, Bougainville along with about seventeen Marine Corsairs. Their mission was to escort seventeen TBF Avengers making glide-bombing attacks on Tobera Airfield, Rabaul. The Japanese, picking them up on radar, sent a welcoming comittee of fifty to seventy Zekes and Tonys. For the first time on this day, the men of VF-17 would employ a tactic called Roving High Cover. This consists of a six to eight plane flight of Blackburn's most experienced pilots, sweeping high and ahead of the main body. The theory was that the Japanese would only react to the main body, choosing to leave the RHC group alone. This would give the RHC group the opportunity to dive in on the lower defenders. The results were astounding. On the first two days, the men of VF-17 would shoot down 25.5 Japanese fighters, for no losses.
This Snapshot will re-create the first RHC mission of 28 January, 1944. TBMs will launch to bomb airfield hangars at Rabaul, escorted by F4U-1A Corsairs. Meanwhile, the finest A6M3s, A6M5s, and Ki-61s of the IJN and IJAAF will rise to meet them.
Arena:
SEA II
Country Percentages:
Allies - 60%
Axis - 40%
Allies:
F4U-1A - 60%
TBM - 40%
Orders:
TBMs are to roll from Piva Uncle (A27) and bomb hangars at Tobera Airfield (A35). F4Us are to roll from Piva Yoke (A25) and provide high cover.
Restrictions:
F4Us may not carry ordinance. TBMs may not carry rockets or torpedos, and are restricted to 15,000 feet. TBMs may level bomb, dive bomb or glide bomb.
Axis:
A6M3 - 50%
A6M5b - 30%
Ki-61 - 20%
Orders:
Axis fighters are to roll from Tobera Airfield (A35) at T+5 and defend at all costs.
Restrictions
Axis fighters may not cross the horizontal 4 line on the grid, and stay within a sector of A35. Axis may not carry ordinance.
Map:
Excerpt from "The Jolly Rogers" by Tom Blackburn and Eric Hammel: "It is not uncommon in ground warfare to detach a small unit to lurk well away from the main body so that it will be free to strike the enemy while his attention is focused upon the main action. Awareness of the Japanese tactics virtually led us to the obvious conclusion arising out of Butch's claim that he could provide extra airplanes . . . Thus was the birth of Roving High Cover, or RHC. The official name came in as soon as Duke wrote up the first action report, the very next day. However, our guys quickly got to calling it the Gravy Train. Even the top Zero ace of the time, Lt Tetsuzo Iwamoto, wrote of us as 'wolves . . . who pounce on the unsuspecting Zeros.'"
Historical Background: Early in the morning hours of 28 January 1944, twenty Corsairs of VF-17 lifted off from their airfield at Piva Yoke, Bougainville along with about seventeen Marine Corsairs. Their mission was to escort seventeen TBF Avengers making glide-bombing attacks on Tobera Airfield, Rabaul. The Japanese, picking them up on radar, sent a welcoming comittee of fifty to seventy Zekes and Tonys. For the first time on this day, the men of VF-17 would employ a tactic called Roving High Cover. This consists of a six to eight plane flight of Blackburn's most experienced pilots, sweeping high and ahead of the main body. The theory was that the Japanese would only react to the main body, choosing to leave the RHC group alone. This would give the RHC group the opportunity to dive in on the lower defenders. The results were astounding. On the first two days, the men of VF-17 would shoot down 25.5 Japanese fighters, for no losses.
This Snapshot will re-create the first RHC mission of 28 January, 1944. TBMs will launch to bomb airfield hangars at Rabaul, escorted by F4U-1A Corsairs. Meanwhile, the finest A6M3s, A6M5s, and Ki-61s of the IJN and IJAAF will rise to meet them.
Arena:
SEA II
Country Percentages:
Allies - 60%
Axis - 40%
Allies:
F4U-1A - 60%
TBM - 40%
Orders:
TBMs are to roll from Piva Uncle (A27) and bomb hangars at Tobera Airfield (A35). F4Us are to roll from Piva Yoke (A25) and provide high cover.
Restrictions:
F4Us may not carry ordinance. TBMs may not carry rockets or torpedos, and are restricted to 15,000 feet. TBMs may level bomb, dive bomb or glide bomb.
Axis:
A6M3 - 50%
A6M5b - 30%
Ki-61 - 20%
Orders:
Axis fighters are to roll from Tobera Airfield (A35) at T+5 and defend at all costs.
Restrictions
Axis fighters may not cross the horizontal 4 line on the grid, and stay within a sector of A35. Axis may not carry ordinance.
Map:
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Victory Conditions:
Fighters - 10 pts.
TBMs - 15 pts.
Hangars - 40 pts.
Arena Settings:
1. Terrain - Solomons
2. Icon Range - Short
3. Wind - none
4. Time - 0600 x4
5. Fighter and Bomber warning range - 52,800 (10 miles)
6. Enemy collisions - on
7. External view mode (F3) for bombers - on
8. Visibility - 10 miles
9. Friendly collisions - off
10. Fuel burn - 1.5
11. Ack - 0.2
12. Kill shooter - off
13. Tower range - 52,800
14. Radar - dar bar only for Axis. update rate of 3 minutes. No radar for Allies.
Designer Notes:
The Japanese defensive policy at Rabaul during this time was to not let their fighters fly too far away from the base. To match this, Axis fighters must stay within a sector of A35. There is no alt cap for fighters.
CM Notes:
Jump all Task Groups clear of the AO by event start. Would reccomend jumping in a Task Group when the Allies are rtb, to help minimize rtb time. Lots of possibilities for some fun second frames.
Design:
Wildcat1
Fighters - 10 pts.
TBMs - 15 pts.
Hangars - 40 pts.
Arena Settings:
1. Terrain - Solomons
2. Icon Range - Short
3. Wind - none
4. Time - 0600 x4
5. Fighter and Bomber warning range - 52,800 (10 miles)
6. Enemy collisions - on
7. External view mode (F3) for bombers - on
8. Visibility - 10 miles
9. Friendly collisions - off
10. Fuel burn - 1.5
11. Ack - 0.2
12. Kill shooter - off
13. Tower range - 52,800
14. Radar - dar bar only for Axis. update rate of 3 minutes. No radar for Allies.
Designer Notes:
The Japanese defensive policy at Rabaul during this time was to not let their fighters fly too far away from the base. To match this, Axis fighters must stay within a sector of A35. There is no alt cap for fighters.
CM Notes:
Jump all Task Groups clear of the AO by event start. Would reccomend jumping in a Task Group when the Allies are rtb, to help minimize rtb time. Lots of possibilities for some fun second frames.
Design:
Wildcat1