"Frantic" progress...

[Rami]

Just a quick note before signing off...

So far, "Frantic" has turned into a bigger project than I had anticipated, but I have successfully "sketched" sixteen missions, and have the dynamic elements and spawning done on another.

The "sketched" missions mean that airbase layouts, target markers, mission descriptions, front lines, and waypoints have been completed. I still have a long way to go, building rail yards, oil refineries, aircraft factories, and other targets. Achim is also pitching in, building a few airfields at my request, which of course is always appreciated. And then of course there's the dynamic elements...

This is the list so far...

Operation Frantic I - Destination: Piryatin
Operation Frantic I - Strike on Galati
Operation Frantic I - Return to Foggia
Operation Frantic II - It's a long way to Kiev
Operation Frantic II - Poltava defense
Operation Frantic II - To Foggia via Drohobycz
Operation Frantic II - Budapest fighter sweep
Operation Frantic II - The Arad raiders
Operation Frantic II - England at last!
Operation Frantic III - Ziliesta strike
Operation Frantic III - A fighter pilot's paradise
Operation Frantic III - Sweep over Bucharest
Operation Frantic III - Hungary for a fight
Operation Frantic IV - Romanian rescue
Operation Frantic IV - It's time to clear out!
Operation Frantic V - The 8th Air Force returns
Operation Frantic V - Escort to Trzebinia

Two missions will also be depicted from the German side...the highly successful strikes on Poltava and then Mirgorod the following night.

This is a rough idea of what remains...

08/08/44

Shuttle missions continue as 78 B-17s with 55 P-51s escort, leave bases in the USSR to hit airfields in Rumania; 38 hit Bizau and 35 hit Zlistea; no Luftwaffe fighters are encountered during the mission and the force flies to Italy.

8/10/44

Eighth AF

45 P-51s in Italy during an Operation FRANTIC mission are dispatched with Fifteenth Air Force aircraft to escort a troop carrier evacuation mission.

08/12/44

The shuttle-bombing mission UK-USSR-Italy-UK is completed; of the 72 B-17s taking off from Fifteenth AF bases in Italy, 3 have various problems; the others bomb Toulouse/Francazal Airfield, France and then proceed to the UK; 62 P-51s (part of the shuttle-mission force) and 43 from the UK provide escort; no aircraft are lost; 70B-17s and 58 P-51s land in the UK; 5 B-17s and 6 P-51s, either left in Italy or returning there during this mission, subsequently return to the UK.

9/11/44

Eighth AF

The Eighth begins another FRANTIC shuttle-bombing mission, as 75 B-17s with 64 P-51s attack the armament plant at Chemnitz, as part of a joint strike force and then continue on to land at USSR bases. 1 P-51 is lost. This FRANTIC mission lasts until 17 Sep and takes the planes from UK to USSR to Italy to UK.

9/13/1944

73 of 74 B-17s, escorted by 63 P-51s, continuing the UK-USSR-Italy-UK shuttle-bombing mission, take off from USSR bases, bomb steel and armament works at Diosgyor, Hungary and proceed to Fifteenth AF bases in Italy.

9/15/1944

As part of Operation FRANTIC, 110 B-17s are dispatched to drop supplies to Warsaw patriots and then proceed to bases in the USSR; a weather front is encountered over the North Sea and the bombers are recalled. Escort is provided by 149 of 156
P-51s; 2 P-51s collide in a cloud and are lost.

9/17/1944

The last UK-USSR-Italy-UK shuttle mission (Operations FRANTIC) is completed as 72 B-17s and 59 P-51s fly without bombs from Italy to the UK; 2 B-17s and a P-51 abort and a P-51 crash-lands SW of Paris; 70 B-17s 57 P-51s land safely in the UK.

9/18/1944

In the last Operation FRANTIC mission, 107 of 110 B-17s drop 1,248 containers of supplies to Polish forces in Warsaw; 1 B-17 is lost and 7 damaged. Escort is provided by 137 of 150 P-51s (64 P-51s continue to the USSR), they claim 4-0-0 aircraft in the air and 3-0-6 on the ground; 2 P-51s are lost (pilots are MIA).

9/19/1944

100 B-17s and 61 P-51s takeoff from bases in the USSR and bomb the marshalling yard at Szolnok, Hungary and continue to bases in Italy.

9/22/1944

The last Operations FRANTIC missions ends as 84 B-17s and 51 P-51s return to the UK from Italy; the remaining aircraft return on 8 Oct.

I'm still deciding how many of these I want to do, but I'll likely end up doing most of them.

[mariereid]

Where would us knuckle heads be without ya? You mission builders deserve a lot of thanks. I am always amazed at how you can turn out such great work. I know you put many hours into these campaigns. I hope the fact that your skills and efforts are being enjoyed by many brings you some kind of joy. Let's hope the MB challenged (like myself) will pull up our socks and at least give it our best shot. Thanks, Rami and all the rest of you guys that have added so much for us to enjoy. :salute::salute::salute:

[alpha_1]

Yo Mr. R........I second that motion!:ernae:

[kelticheart]

I'll second that one too! This is from me:


:applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause:

and a big:

:icon29:

Cheers!
KH :ernae:

[Rami]

To all,

Two more Frantic missions have been sketched...

Operation Frantic V - Get the hell out of dodge
Operation Frantic V - Supper at Leiston

In addition, I've decided to cut out a couple of missions...

08/10/1944 - For one thing, I can't find sufficient details on it!
09/15/1944 - Aborted mission, doesn't really make sense to try it.

The campaign now will be twenty-five missions in length, and because there are so many missions, I will not be joining this with "Battle for Europe," it will be its own entity entirely. Two missions will also be given for the German side, one was written by Kdriver (this being the original nexus of the project) documenting the Poltava raid, the other will be the raid on Mirgorod.

Back to work...

[Rami]

I wrote the campaign file tonight...

[Campaign Global Info]
version=2.0
campaign_name=%campaign_name_string%
overview=%campaign_overview%
soundfile=
imagefile=
textfile=
moviefile=
allegiance=7

[node.0]
true_branch=1
percent_true=100
filler=0
soundfile=

[node.1]
mission_name=Operation Frantic 1
true_branch=2
percent_true=100
filler=1

[node.2]
mission_name=Operation Frantic 2
true_branch=3
percent_true=100
filler=1

[node.3]
mission_name=Operation Frantic 3
true_branch=4
percent_true=100
filler=1

[node.4]
mission_name=Operation Frantic 4
true_branch=5
percent_true=100
filler=1

[node.5]
mission_name=Operation Frantic 5
true_branch=6
percent_true=100
filler=1

[node.6]
mission_name=Operation Frantic 6
true_branch=7
percent_true=100
filler=1

[node.7]
mission_name=Operation Frantic 7
true_branch=8
percent_true=100
filler=1

[node.8]
mission_name=Operation Frantic 8
true_branch=9
percent_true=100
filler=1

[node.9]
mission_name=Operation Frantic 9
true_branch=10
percent_true=100
filler=1

[node.10]
mission_name=Operation Frantic 10
true_branch=11
percent_true=100
filler=1

[node.11]
mission_name=Operation Frantic 11
true_branch=12
percent_true=100
filler=1

[node.12]
mission_name=Operation Frantic 12
true_branch=13
percent_true=100
filler=1

[node.13]
mission_name=Operation Frantic 13
true_branch=14
percent_true=100
filler=1

[node.14]
mission_name=Operation Frantic 14
true_branch=15
percent_true=100
filler=1

[node.15]
mission_name=Operation Frantic 15
true_branch=16
percent_true=100
filler=1

[node.16]
mission_name=Operation Frantic 16
true_branch=17
percent_true=100
filler=1

[node.17]
mission_name=Operation Frantic 17
true_branch=18
percent_true=100
filler=1

[node.18]
mission_name=Operation Frantic 18
true_branch=19
percent_true=100
filler=1

[node.19]
mission_name=Operation Frantic 19
true_branch=20
percent_true=100
filler=1

[node.20]
mission_name=Operation Frantic 20
true_branch=21
percent_true=100
filler=1

[node.21]
mission_name=Operation Frantic 21
true_branch=22
percent_true=100
filler=1

[node.22]
mission_name=Operation Frantic 22
true_branch=23
percent_true=100
filler=1

[node.23]
mission_name=Operation Frantic 23
true_branch=24
percent_true=100
filler=1

[node.24]
mission_name=Operation Frantic 24
true_branch=25
percent_true=100
filler=1

[node.25]
mission_name=Operation Frantic 25
percent_true=100
filler=1

[Strings]
"campaign_name_string"=Operation Frantic
"campaign_overview"=Operation Frantic was truly one of the great "what-ifs" of World War II. Had it taken place beginning in the Fall of 1943 as originally intended, Germany would have truly felt the "squeeze" of Allied bomber attacks from both the East and the West, striking valuable military targets. However, by the Summer of 1944, the Soviets were about to begin an offensive that would propel them to the Eastern border of the Reich, and the Western Allies were about to come ashore at Normandy. As such, the value of the targets that 'Frantic' was able to hit were largely of marginal military value. In addition, this undertaking widened many existing rifts between the Americans and the Soviets, and in many ways the lack of cooperation during 'Frantic' foreshadowed the Cold War.

[Rami]

I 'sketched' the remaining missions for the campaign today and tonight.

Operation Frantic VI - Piryatin via Chemnitz
Operation Frantic VI - A long, boring ride
Operation Frantic VI - Mayhem on the Seine
Operation Frantic VII - Supplies for the underground
Operation Frantic VII - Do svidaniya, comrades!
Operation Frantic VII - The final mission

This concludes the missions for the 'Frantic' campaign. The German missions (three of them) will be singles.

[Rami]

Good evening,

While I'm recovering from minor surgery, (the Vicodin helps keep the edge off) I spent a few hours this afternoon creating a rail yard that I'll use as a target for various 'Frantic' missions.

It uses the following...

Canion's railroad tracks
Wolfi's rail cars and steam engine
Stock rail depots
Stock oil barrels
Stock crates
Wolfi's oil barrels
Wolfi's crates

[Discus]

Very good looking rail yard Rami! :applause:It looks as if it needs some treatment with the rockets hanging from the P-38´s wings!:icon31:

[PSULLYKEYS]

Looks GREAT!:wavey:

[Shadow Wolf 07]

Excellent Layout!

[Rami]

Hey guys,

"Frantic" continues to progress, I've gotten all the bases I needed from Achim with the exception of one in Southwestern France. I'm trying to finish all of the 15th / 8th Air Force exploits in Romania, saving the longer-distance 8th AF missions to Russia for last.

However, I've been battling a severe cold the last couple of days, so work has not been as rapid as I'd like. Right now, 11 of the 25 missions are done, along with two German missions. I may write two more German missions, I haven't decided yet.

I'll try to pick it back up tomorrow.

[Rami]

Hello,

I've upped the completed total to 13, so that means I'm past the halfway point.

[mariereid]

Take it easy, man. Is there anything worse than a summer cold? Oh yeah, you will be taking care of our kids for the next 10 months. :salute::ernae:

[Rami]

Good evening,

Two more missions done today, one was the Lt. Willsie rescue mission, the other was a "standard" bomber escort mission. Compared to the first mission, the latter was a piece of cake!

Fifteen down...ten to go.

[Rami]

Good evening,

Three more missions done today, bringing the count to eighteen our of twenty-five.

[highpockets]

I agree with mariereid, alpha_1 and kelticheart!

I finally got around to printing out Cody Coyote's manual and that gave me a headache just thinking about the work to even read the instructions much less doing a mission or campaign. :mixedsmi:

[Rami]

I agree with mariereid, alpha_1 and kelticheart!

I finally got around to printing out Cody Coyote's manual and that gave me a headache just thinking about the work to even read the instructions much less doing a mission or campaign. :mixedsmi:

Two more done today...all of the missions between Italy and Russia have been completed, so all that remains are one return strike from Italy to England, and the four missions from England to Russia.

Highpockets,

Just remember, I had that same reaction. But after falling on your face 150 times and laughing at some spectacular failures, you begin to get an inkling of what you're doing, and it just grows from there.

Above all else...when learning, simplicity is the key. After that, you can accelerate your learning curve.

[Rami]

Hey guys,

I received the last airfield from Achim today and promptly put it to work. I also worked on mission four today, though I'm going to wait until tomorrow to test it. (Sleep is calling me...)

Basically, only two missions are left.

[Rami]

Good evening,

I took care of mission twenty today, and decided to add this to the German side...

"title_string"=Operation Frantic - Aufklärung jagd
"summary_string"=Achtung! Aerial spotters over the Reich have seen a large American bomber formation which has not turned around to head for England. It seems that they could be headed for some alternate landing site...perhaps to the Soviet Union? You are being sent out on reconnaissance to find out.
"objective_string"=On June 21st, 1944, a lone Messerschmitt fighter intercepted the American formation crossing over Poland, as was able to gather further intelligence on the American aircraft, providing certainty that they would be stationed at Poltava and Mirgorod. This was followed up by a single He-177 bomber which overflew Poltava and Mirgorod, snapping pictures of the B-17s landing and parking in neat rows. This was last piece of intelligence needed, He-111 and Ju-88 bombers were taking off within hours to strike Poltava.
"intelligence_string"=After taking off, you'll attempt to locate and trail the American bombers. You must stay close enough to keep visual contact, but don't get so close as to be discovered and engaged by escorting fighters. If this occurs, you must evade and try to get back to Mielec. No further support will be available to you. Viel glück, kamerad!

This is fun to fly...nothing but you in a lone Bf-109 trailing a formation of 32 B-17s and 16 P-51s, knowing full well if you engage, you're likely to be a dead duck.

But they look so tempting! :wiggle:

Only one mission remains for tomorrow...the supply drop over Warsaw, mission 23. Then it's complete!