A request for CrisGer and Achim27619...

[Rami]

Gentlemen,

Because both of you have a more detailed understanding of German military operations than I, I was wondering if I could send a copy of the Kondors! campaign to both of you so that you can advise me on whether or not this campaign is reasonably authentic and accurate.

It is based on the experiences of KG 40, and deals with their combat operations ranging from early October of 1940 until August of 1942. The Kondor missions involve operations out of Bordeaux-Merignac, Vaernes, and Bardufoss, with transfer missions to Germany and Norway in between. Many of the missions are intercepting convoys in the waters off of the British Isles and Norway, but others bring you down to the Gibraltar approaches, as well as missions off of Portugal and the fringes of the Bay of Biscay. Several of the missions have you attacking convoys, other missions have you doing pure tactical reconnaissance. Most of the missions are flown solo, and if you have further missions you would like to discuss that were flown by Kondors from KG 40, I would be happy to consider building them.

One such possible mission involved an attack from Bordeaux-Merignac on Casablanca, if you can believe it. I value your input on this, because frankly I had both of you in mind when I began working on this.

There will also be two Allied missions...one Hurricane-based when you launch from a CAMship, and the other is an American P-38 Lightning intercept out of Iceland.

Your help would be greatly appreciated...

[CrisGer]

OK Rami, sorry i have been a bit busy as of late. Send away, and I will take a look. Sounds very interesting to say the least, the Kondors have rarely had any exposure in any sims or games and it will be a pleasure to see them get some attention. Is there a good Kondor that you recommend in our air fleet?

The Kondors has some long range missions for the Kriegsmarine scouting for U boats ...Raeder and Doenitz both wanted to have a dedicated air arm for the navy but the Luffwaffe never did let go its hold of all the air assets.

[Rami]

OK Rami, sorry, I have been a bit busy as of late. Send away, and I will take a look. Sounds very interesting to say the least, the Kondors have rarely had any exposure in any sims or games and it will be a pleasure to see them get some attention. Is there a good Kondor that you recommend in our air fleet?

The Kondors has some long range missions for the Kriegsmarine scouting for U boats ...Raeder and Doenitz both wanted to have a dedicated air arm for the navy but the Luffwaffe never did let go its hold of all the air assets.

CrisGer,

If you give me your e-mail, I can do it that way, or I can meet you on Skype tomorrow.

[CrisGer]

http://lemairesoft.sytes.net:1945/weben/avion/avion1/23.html#100881

Fw 200C
When Germany entered the war, the Luftwaffe did not have any large long-range aircraft. It turned to the civilian "Kondor" to fill the gap. The first planes of this series were actually Fw 200B (http://lemairesoft.sytes.net:1945/weben/avion/avion1/183.html#101760) that had been modified according to the design for the 'C' version.
Its military career started just after January of 1940. From July of 1940 it would operate from Germany's newly acquired bases along the Atlantic coast and sank 100 000 tons of allied shipping in less than three months. Nicknamed the "Scourge of the Atlantic", it continued its maritime career until 1943, when the allies could successfully hunt it with long-range fighters or carrier based planes. In 1944, it left the front lines to be used strictly for transport missions

252 built
other types:
FW 200C-0,1,2, 3,4, 6, 8

The last built variant of the Kondor, specialized for the attack of ships with Hs 293 (http://lemairesoft.sytes.net:1945/weben/avion/avion1/309.html#101810) missile. When equipped with the Hohentwiel search and bombing radar, it was given the designation "Fw 200C-8/U10

The Fw 200 Condor frequently operated in close cooperation with roving packs of U-boats. These machines had been refitted with a long ventral gondola beneath the fuselage, where bombs were housed. Having identified an enemy convoy, Condors would attack and cripple merchant vessels, leaving the submarines to finish them off. Within a year Fw 200s accounted for several hundred thousand tons of Allied shipping and were justly feared as the “scourge of the Atlantic.” Eventually, the development of long-range fighters like the Bristol Beaufighter and ship-launched disposable Hawker Hurricanes spelled the end of its maritime roles. The Fw 200s next pioneered antishipping missiles, but success proved elusive, and by 1944 most had been reconverted back into transports.


Each side employed float planes in the Battle of the Atlantic. The RAF’s “Sunderland” could reach Iceland and the Bay of Biscay from U.K. bases. It was countered by a Luftwaffe fleet of reconnaissance squadrons equipped with Bv138s and Bv222s, Do-18s, and He-115s. These spotted for an original force of 18 squadrons of He-111 medium bombers, trained before the war to bomb ships and lay mines. Longer-range German aircraft came on stream as the battle developed, notably the Fw200 or Kondor. Continuing interservice arguments between the Kriegsmarine and Luftwaffe, which Hitler characteristically declined to resolve, were especially marked by petulant obstruction of cooperation by Göring. That permitted the Kriegsmarine too few of the right planes to properly scout for the U-boat fleet. Other interservice arguments concerned whether to develop an aircraft-delivered torpedo or specialized antiship bomb. The Luftwaffe ignored all Kriegsmarine design advice on the way to developing an ineffective ship bomb on its own. In the meantime, improving air cover and fighter interception of Kondors by fighters launched from escort carriers pushed back the German air threat to Allied shipping.

Kampfgeschwader 40 (40th Bomber Wing) on the Atlantic Coast of France demonstrated particular proficiency in attacks on shipping. The latter unit employed, among other types, the Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor, a long-range reconnaissance bomber famously called the “scourge of the Atlantic” by Winston Churchill for its deadly efficiency between 1940 and 1942.

Condor Aircraft based on a feasibility study ordered in 1936 by Lufthansa for a plane capable of crossing the Atlantic; first flew on 27 July 1937. Designed to carry 26 passengers and four crewmembers, this cantilevered low-wing four-engine plane first proved its capacity on a series of long-distance flights for publicity. The longest was a 48-hour flight from Berlin to Tokyo. (The plane crash-landed in Manila Bay on the return leg due to pilot error.) The aircraft was used mostly on European medium-range routes. Sixteen civilian Condors were completed by September 1939, and several more were under construction.

Meanwhile, the Luftwaffe was having trouble defining its long-range aircraft needs. The Junkers Ju 89 and Dornier Do 19 aircraft were canceled, and the Heinkel He 177 project was delayed. By October 1939, 12 civilian Condors (six of which were initially scheduled for delivery to Japan) had been taken over by the Luftwaffe for training in long-range sea reconnaissance. Focke-Wulf received an order for the development of a military version, the Fw 200C series, of which 243 were produced until the closing of production in 1943. The C-4, which was built in the largest numbers, sported additional machine guns and a bomb/torpedo bay. Its primary mission in the Luftwaffe became long-range reconnaissance and the spotting of Allied convoys in the Atlantic. Positions were then relayed to submarines and an attack coordinated.

[Rami]

To all,

Last night, I had asked bearcat241 for a little help with the Hurricane CAMship mission. I needed a WEP boost to get the plane off the ship with enough of a "kick" to simulate a rocket-rail launch.

I tried the results this morning, and boy, what a kick in the pants! You only have the extra boost for thirty seconds, but it's a lot of fun!

[Discus]

Good work Rami, and also thanks to Bearcat.

It looks as the that Hurricat is in need of a troley added though the dp and 3 new contact points, so it can fly off without the landing gear extended. Something like the Me 163. ¿Is there a troley for the Stringbag or other plane to adapt?

I think that the change in the contact points wouldn´t be much trouble at landing time as no Hurricat in the middle of the ocean could "land". The pilots had to jump into icy waters hoping that some destroyer would find them and fetch them. That was bravery!!

[Rami]

Discus,

The short answer is no, and I'm not worried about aesthetics for the three or four seconds on the CAMship.

[Discus]

Rami

I meant there was some marging of improvement. I wasn´t thinking or wishing that you could do it. With all that you are doing for CFS2 you have more than enough in your hands

I´ve searched for images of Hurricats and the "troley" was made of steel tubes. Something difficult to model.

PD: Looking at your first picture, the "troley" is allready modeled. It´s standing at the right of the picture. Wich ship is it?

[Rami]

Discus,

Groundcrew's Merchant CAMship: http://www.regshanger.com/Groundcrew/homepage/CFS2/ships/zip/GC_CAMship.zip