"Scratch One Flattop!"

 

"Scratch One Flattop!" (version 1.1)

 

 

For nearly half a year after the attack at Pearl Harbor, Japan had enjoyed victories, one after the other: Guam, Wake, Hong Kong, Singapore, and more. To isolate Australia from her American allies, Japanese military planners decided to seize Port Moresby in New Guinea and Tulagi in the Solomon Islands. Two fleet carriers, Shokaku and Zuikaku, plus a light carrier, Shoho, were to provide air cover for the invasion fleets and surface forces.

 

US Navy signals intelligence ferreted out the details of this plan.  The American carriers Lexington and Yorktown were positioned in the Coral Sea to counter the Japanese.

 

For the first time in the history of naval warfare, opposing fleets would fight an entire battle without either side’s ships ever sighting or firing at each other. Carrier-based aircraft would take the fight to the enemy.

 

During the first day of the carrier battle, American search planes found the Japanese force guarding the Port Moresby invasion fleet. A large airstrike was launched. After inflicting mortal damage on the Japanese carrier Shoho, Lt. Cmdr. Robert E. Dixon radioed to the Lexington, “Scratch one flattop!”

 

 

 

 

  A6M2 "Zero" - 60 MAXIMUM

  B5N2 "Kate" - 30 minimum

  D3A1 "Val" - 30 minimum

  G4M1 "Betty" - 4 MAXIMUM

  - All 3 of the carrier-based aircraft types must be used in each frame.

  - Use of land-based planes is optional.
     
Allies: 45% 

  F4F-4 "Wildcat" - 60 MAXIMUM

  TBM-3 "Avenger" - 30 minimum

  SBD-5 "Dauntless" - 30 minimum

  B-25C "Mitchell" - 4 MAXIMUM

  - All 3 of the carrier-based aircraft types must be used in each frame.

  - Use of land-based planes is optional.

 

 

 

  1.) no more than 70 aircraft may be based on an aircraft carrier
  2.) at least 10 aircraft must be assigned to defend each fleet
  3.) all fleets must be attacked within the first 60 minutes of the frame
  4.) all fleets must be assigned to be attacked by at least 20 aircraft (strike, sweep and/or escort)
  5.) this is a one life event
  6.) bomber formations are not enabled
  7.) fighters (A6M and F4F) may not carry bombs or rockets (drop tanks are optional)
  8.) the USN F4F-4 is a stand-in for the correct F4F-3 and so must use the 4-gun armament
  9.) carrier-based torpedo planes (B5N and TBM) may not carry bombs or rockets
 10.) land-based search planes (G4M and B-25) may not carry ordinance (stand-ins for reconnaissance flying boats)
 11.) B-25C "Mitchell" is the glass-nosed variant, not the strafer
 12.) players may not man guns at airfields or on ships
 13.) players who have lost their aircraft may join as gunners to any dive-bomber, torpedo plane, or search plane
 14.) fleets must stay in their assigned zones on the map

 

  Single-engined Bomber:  3 points

  Multi-engined Patrol Plane:  5 points

  Destroyer:  5 points

  Cruiser:  5 points

  Aircraft Carrier:  25 points

 

  Survival Bonus:
  2 points for each pilot that lands on any friendly CV or base at the conclusion of her last sortie

 

 

  Shoho   - Carrier Fleet C95 - in area bounded by 7-9, 9-9, 9-7, 7-7

  Junyo - Carrier Fleet C88 - in area bounded by 11-8, 13-8, 13-6, 11-6

  Zuikaku - Carrier Fleet C97 - in area bounded by 15-8, 17-8, 17-6, 15-6

 

 

  Hornet    - Carrier Fleet C11 - in area bounded by 6-4, 8-4, 8-2, 6-2
  Lexington - Carrier Fleet C22 - in area bounded by 10-3, 12-3, 12-1, 10-1
  Yorktown  - Carrier Fleet C23 - in area bounded by 14-3, 16-3, 16-1, 14-1

 

 

  A61 (in sector 7-12-3)

 

AXIS BASES: (friendly bases, planes may land but no planes enabled)

 

  A59 
  A60 
  A65 
  A66
   
ALLIED ACTIVE BASE:

 

  A5 (in sector 3-6-7)

 

ALLIED BASES: (friendly bases, planes may land but no planes enabled)

 

  A1
  A4

  A6

  A7

  A8

  P10 (port)
  A17

 

 

 

- New Britain map

 

  - Axis country Knight
  - Allied country Bishop
  - Neutral country Rook

 

  - fighter and bomber warning range 63,360 feet (12 miles)
  - tower range set to 63,360 feet (for display only, to match warning range)
  - haze/fog full visability (15 miles)

 

  - radar: OFF
  - enemy collisions: ON
  - friendly collisions: OFF
  - killshooter: OFF
  - time: 07:00 ( 7 AM ) Game Clock
  - formations: OFF

 

  - wind
     00 to 02k    SE to NW at 00

     04 to 08k    SE to NW at 05

     08 to 14k    SE to NW at 10

     14 to 30k    SE to NW at 15

     over 30k     SE to NW at 20