Background: : In another effort to destroy the Ploesti refinery complex,
46 P-38 Lightnings of the 82d Fighter Group, escorted by 48 more Lightnings
from the 1st Fighter Group, attempted a low level strike. This flight of Lightnings
evaded an intercepting German Bf110 nightfighter and attacked the refinery causing
heavy damage. On egress they strafed targets of opportunity and shot down an
Bf110. Overall, ten P-38 82d Group dive bombers were lost. This raid was judged
a costly failure and not repeated.
Map: OTR Ground map
Aircraft
USAAF
=
Four P-38J-15 Lightnings
Luftwaffe
=
One Messerschmitt Bf1109G-4/R3
Set
Up:
Ground Units: Put brick buildings in hexes 2438 and 2440; wooden
buildings in hexes 2340 and 2639; POL tanks in hexes 2237 and 2239; Flak 41
in hexes 1532, 1634 and 1635; Flakvierling 38 in hexes 2335 and 2436; Flak
38 in hexes 1633 and 1636; trucks in hexes 3946, 3846, 3745 and 3744
P-38s: Set up the P-38s in hexes 4208,4307, 4107 and 4007, altitude
8.0, speed 4.0, wings level, in level flight, heading east.
Bf110: Set up the Me-110 in hex 4221 altitude 10.0, speed 5.0, in
any upright bank and in wings level fight headed west.
Game
Length: 20 Turns.
Special
Rules:
The Lightnings are loaded with one M65 1000-lb bomb (load=5.0) each.
Facilities at Ploesti are fortified. Double all defense strengths, except
for the trucks.
The trucks are targets of opportunity and count for half normal VPs.
German fighters may exit the west edge of the game and reenter from the
west, south or north edge eight turns later at the same altitude and airspeed
they left the map, in level flight and any upright bank.
Axis flak must engage the closest aircraft, in terms of slant range. The
Axis player determines which turn his flak will start firing. After this,
flak fires until all Allied aircraft have left the map.
Additional
Rules: Pilot Quality - Training Standards:
USAAF = good
Luftwaffe = good
Roll for additional pilot characteristics on the Pilot Generation Tables if
desired.
Variant:
Replace the Me-110 with two Me-109G-6 or IAR-80 in hexes 4221 and 4022 at speed
6.0, altitude 10.0, in wings level fight and any upright bank, headed west