The Black Friday
The Black Friday - 9. February 1945
Artist Credit: Panzzer
On the morning of February 9th, 1945, two Beaufighters from Coastal Command's 489 Squadron were on a recce-mission. At 10:30, at the entrance to Fordefjord they sighted a Narvik class destroyer, Z-33, with heavy escort. Even before the two Beaus had landed, the planning of the attack had begun. The Admirality were interested in destroying the few remaining warships of the Kriegsmarine; the destroyer was the main target. The nearby Coastal Command Strike Wing base at Banff with Beaufighters was alerted as was Peterhead, home of 65. Sqdn flying Mustang Mk IIIs. They would act as escort. Takeoff was just before 14:00. It was obviously going to be a tough mission!Â
The Luftwaffe had some Focke-Wulfs at readiness at a nearby airfield, Herdla. The alarm had sounded at Herdla shortly before 15:50 and a few minutes later the Focke-Wulfs were in the air. Now they hear of their mission; interception of a large enemy formation in Fordefjord.
Country percentages:
60% Allies - Knights
40% Axis - Bishops
Allies:Â
Units
66% Mosquito with rockets
33% Mustang Mk III (P-51B)
A2 air start E - NOTE: Air Start is east, your plane will spawn 20k in the air with the engine stopped and gears out.
Orders:
Take off from A2, air start east. Proceed to sector 10.15 and seek and destroy the warships. After mission return to field A56
Axis:
Units
100% FW 190A8 from Herdla (A70)
Orders
Take off from A70, intercept the enemy formation and protect the Z-33.
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Victory Conditions
Fighters - 10 points
Mosquito - 15 points
Target ship Z-33 - 200 points
Escort ships - 50 points
Arena settings:
1. Terrain - North Sea
2. Icon Range - short
3. Wind - None
4. Time - 15:50 x1
5. Fighter and Bomber Warning Range - 52800 feet *about 10 miles*
6. Enemy Collisions - on
7. External view for bombers (F3) - on
8. Visibility - 17 miles
9. Friendly Collisions - off
10. Fuel - 1.5
11. Ack - 0.5
12. Kill Shooter - off
13. Tower Range - 52800
14. Radar - off
Designer notes:
The Mosquito substitutes for the Beaufighter.
CM notes:
Place the fleet in sector 10.15 (W of Nausdal) - historically it should be in the fjord but I couldn't steer the TG in to the fjord.
Remember to switch base 2 to bishops.
Change A56 to Bishops for use as a return base.
Axis should take off 5 minutes earlier than Allies.
Sources:
Special Interest Group Luftwaffe in Norway: The Black Friday
Flt Sgt Stan Butler: Our Black Friday, from the book War In The Air by Mark Postlethwaite and Chris Goss, ISBN 1 86126 720 7
Design By: Panzzer