IN HARMS WAY: Ryukyu Islands October 1945

                                                                   

 

An alternate history event.

 

The terms of the Potsdam Declaration of July 1945 demanded the military and political surrender of the Empire of Japan. Lacking any sign that Japanese rulers were ready to accept such an outcome the USAAF was ordered to proceed with the atomic bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In the aftermath the hardliners in Tojos government held sway and would not contemplate surrender despite the destruction. Worse still for the Allies the atomic bomb project was behind schedule with no date set for another weapon. The stage was now set for the final Allied offensive of the war. Code named operation DOWNFALL this was the plan to land a massive amphibious force on the Japanese Home Islands. Operation ICEBERG, the battle for Okinawa, had ended on June 21st 1945. Along with the capture of Iwo Jima this had brought Japan within reach of land based air power. In anticipation of the main invasion of Japan the USAAF Far Eastern Air Forces deployed to Okinawa in strength to join the Fast Carrier Task Force in offensive operations against Kyushu and the surrounding sealanes of the Ryukyu Island chain. The aim was to soften up Japanese forces including the airpower of the IJN and IJAAF in a prelude to the first of the DOWNFALL landings. The first of these landings code named OLYMPIC were scheduled for November 1st 1945 (X-Day). Following OLYMPIC, CORONET would follow in early 1946 with a landing on the Honshu plain with its aim to take the capital of Tokyo and bring the war to an end by conventional means.

 

Along with the USAAF 8th AF redeploying from Europe to the Pacific plans for OLYMPIC also included a component of RAF Bomber Command known as TIGER FORCE which would add over 500 bombers to the USAAF bomber forces already assembling incuding Lancasters, Liberators and Mosquitos. On the Japanese side every resource was being used to fortify the homeland in a fight viewed as a battle for survival. Historical estimates put the reserves of aircraft Japan was withholding for an invasion at @ 10,000 machines. These included conventional aircraft, Kamikaze and assorted types, all of which would be hurled at the invaders. The cost in manpower would be high to both sides in what would be the largest amphibious invasion in history even dwarfing the Normandy landings of 1944.

 

This FSO focuses on the Allied preparation strikes for OLYMPIC in October 1945 and the Japanese response of unleashing large reserves of combat aircraft against the Allied carrier flotilla and Okinawa itself in an attempt to thwart the invasion. The Japanese will have aircraft carriers representing recently completed vessels with operational aircraft aboard.

 

Country Percentages:

 

Axis 50%
Allied 50%

 

Field Assignments:

 

Axis Bishop
Allied Knight
CM Rook
 
OOB:
 
Axis (IJN/IJAAF):

 

Ki-84 (max 48)
Ki-61
N1K2 (max 48)
A6M5b (min 36)
Ki-67 (min 36 players)

 

Allied (USAAF/USN/USMC/RN/RAF):

 

F4U-4 (max 24)
F4U-1C (max 24)
F4U-1D
F6F-5 (min 48)
P-38L
Seafire IIc (max 24)
TBM-3
B-25H

B-24J
Lancaster III
Mosquito XVI (12 available for the entire event, no formations, losses will not be replaced)

 

Special Rules and Ordnance Restrictions:

 

* Each aircraft type must be used by a minimum of 12 *players*.

* 1000 lb bombs are disabled for the Allies.

* Mosquitos are not permitted formations and losses will not be replaced in later frames.

* The Mosquito can be used in any #  the CiC desires up to the maximum permitted for that frame.

* Formations are enabled for all bombers permitted to use them. 

 

Scoring:

 

Aircraft Pts
------------

Four engined bombers = 15 pts
Twin engined aircraft = 10 pts
Mosquito = 15 pts
TBM = 10 pts
Fighter = 5 pts
Landing Bonus = 5 pts

 

Ground Target Pts
-----------------

Gun = 1 pt
Ammo Bunker = 3 pts
Barracks = 3 pts
Radar = 3 pts
Vehicle Hangar = 25 pts
Fighter Hangar = 25pts
Bomber Hangar = 25 pts
Town Building = 3 pts
Factory at strategic target = 3 pts
Truck in convoy = 1 pt
Train = 2 pts
Destroyer = 50 pts
Cruiser = 100 pts
Carrier = 200 pts

 

Arena Settings:

 

- Okinawa terrain
- Fuel burn 1.5
- Icons friendly 3k/enemy 3k
- 0.3 Ack
- Fighter and Bomber warning range 42,000 (about 8 miles)
- Tower range set to 42,000 (for display only to match the above setting)
- Haze/fog full visibility (17 miles)
- Radar off
- Enemy collisions on
- Friendly collisions off
- Killshooter off
- Time: 15:00 ( 3PM ) Game Clock
- Formations: On
- Bomber calibration: Manual

- Wind: 0-10K NW TO SE - Speed 5
            10K-18K W TO E - Speed 10
            18k-26K W TO E - Speed 20
            26k+ SW TO NE - Speed 40

        
Designer's Notes:

 

* Although the bulk of the Japanese offensive air operations in 1945 were Kamikaze sorties in this setup they will be represented  by conventional attack methods.  

 

Design by Warloc