"Downtown - D3 "You keep me hangin' on" - USAF AAR" Topic

Rolling Thunder 51 kicks off.

I have decided to play out the DT D3 Scenario as 3 separate games. One using the USAF, and two using the USN but using the Oriskany and Ranger as separate games. I will be splitting any scenario where I have a choice of service into repeatable games.

This is the USAF raid against the Viet Tri POL Storage. It isn't over yet, the USAF have just cleared one of the 3 SAM sites in the area and the bombers are on route.

The Strike is led into the area by 2 flights of EB-66 jammers and attendant CAP escort (one of the EB-66s is a C Model the other is a B)

Next turn sees the SEAD effort and MiGCAP arrive sprinting to get to the SAM sites before they have time to react.

As the Jammers occupy their orbit location the Weasels get ahead and cross the Red River

The strike package arrives as the Weasels begin their run onto the first SAM site, which has just gone active

Cat and Mouse as the Shrike missile range is less than that of the SA-2. It will be a Question of who gets a shot off first.

The SAM gets a shot off first. The F-105 crew will be buying the EWO several beers when they get back as the missile passes harmlessly by

The Shrike drops clear and the Control Van explodes in shower of sparks. The resulting secondary explosions remove any further threat from the SAM site.

Two more SAM sites to be dealt with, one has gone active, the other is still sat quiet.

With the PRF low the Jammers can pick at the envelope some more and move in to support the bombers against the next sites. The F-105 at Medium altitude don't hang around and have themselves reached the Red River.

This is as far as I have reached. I will play out a couple more turns tonight if possible. The site generated by the Scenario is one of the easier ones to attack

That looks fantastic. Great looking board and aircraft.

neat set up, good for a change to see some air war games.

I am actually glad I did run some more of this one out. It turned into a right wild west shoot out even with only 3 SAMs in play.

The Weasels get into a bit of a mess. Without an active RADAR to target the Shrike on Red Flight isn't any good so he aligns onto the active site. This leaves Green to drop his CBU onto the detected but currently inactive site, problem is both flights are about to get illuminated by FAN SONG.

The rest of the raid is poised for the next stage in the mission, however the quiet SAM site suddenly comes up on the air and gains a partial acquisition on the Red Weasel flight while Green is already acquired.

SAM fire is triggered by US movement, the F-105F flight on the bomb run is targeted by a currently undetected SAM. Distracted by the SAM he reports no visible effect from his bomb run and the FAN SONG is still warbling away.

The SEAD force get some unwelcome attention from the two active SAM sites who target both the Weasel flights

Strikers get close when the SAMs start to come up

Things begin to get interesting

The SAMs have more targets apart from the SEAD force and are to trying to disrupt the strike. One missile streaks toward the lead F-105 while the other still attempts to engage the persistent Weasel. Ignoring the incoming missiles, the F-105s are hit by the Light AAA and two aircraft damaged. A FIRECAN appears in the target hex as well and damages a third aircraft in the next turn as well.

A little too close to comfort, Weasel 2 has to jettison his CBUs and turn inside the SAM resulting in a loss of altitude.

Shoot Out Vietnam style. The two remaining SAM sites engaging the Weasels and the Strike force

The SAM is at extreme range and the Weasel continues his mission and begins to turn to take a run onto the target to try and close down the FIRECAN

Another flurry of SAM shots as the Strikers leave the target. The FIRECAN causes another damaged result

The Strike package is egressing, the support remains in place to support the Recon effort

The RF-101C enters the table at Low Altitude and high speed like any respecting recon pilot should

A game of chicken. The FIRECAN in the target is itching to shoot at the recon bird preventing the BDA, while the remaining Weasel has declared its lining up for a Shrike shot

The Shrike hits, leaving the recon bird to only have to deal with the local AAA. BDA complete and the strike heads home to the O Club. End result decisive victory to the US with huge smoke plumes rising from the ruined POL site. Photo evidence confirms the pilots claims that the majority of the bombs landed within the site perimeter.

So note to self, play the game even if you think it will be piece of cake:)

As always Si, fantastic looking table what do you use for your hex sheets and how do you decorate them?

Hi,
Sheets are MDF which Leon over at Pendraken made up for me. They are hand painted using household paint. The rough terrain is just sand. I had to go redraw the hex lines in a dark green paint in these rough hexes. The targets and built up areas is just tiny pieces of styrene strip

CAG 19:
Man, I miss these reports of yours! I hope you post some more down the road and the sooner the better! These reports are so meticulously detailed and the planning is so thorough. Maybe the next theme should be "keep on keeping on"
Cheers and good gaming.
Rod Robertson.

Rod, thanks for the encouragement. No I haven't forgotten them, I will be back in the cockpit in October