4 MAY 1945 Sakishima Gunto

[Devildog73]

Okay guys and gals,

On 4 May 1945 I can keep player aircraft in the air on intercept missions for about 2 hours continuously, or, I can have about 5 separate and distinct intercept missions during the same time period with three different sets of player aircraft, or both.

BPF fighters were extremely busy on this day in history.

Background: Admiral Rawlings decided to move his battleships and heavy cruisers with AA destroyer escorts within bombardment range of Miyako Jima airfields. That left his four carriers with only 8 destroyers protecting them, about 75 nautical miles south of the island. The only radar units were on the four carriers and these were not the most advanced available. The advanced long-range radar units were on the cruisers with the battleships.

The Imperial Japanese saw the split in the fleet and decided to capitalize on it, attacking the carriers and destroyers from several directions at several altitudes and changing altitudes. It overwhelmed the radar operators.
Several kamikaze aircraft made it to the carriers, even though CAP and launched intercept fighters did shoot down several inbound enemy aircraft.

My question: Do you all want a super long mission of accuracy where I keep you flying even with WARP for about an hour, several smaller missions, or both the long and the several short?
If I keep you in the air on the long CAP mission, you will truly have to watch the accuracy of your shots and use of ammunition and fuel. Landing on fumes in the tanks with carriers avoiding enemy aircraft is a bugger.

What say ye?

[Finn]

I can only speak for myself, of course, but I for one prefer more, shorter missions. After all, we are in it for the action, even though precision flying and waiting time is more realistic. Thank you for doing those missions - I'll look forward to fly them.
Finn

[UncleTgt]

It's a different kind of challenge forcing the player to fly a whole CAP mission from start to finish, not even knowing if or when attacks might come. I like the sound of it. Managing fuel, making sure you're correctly positioned to catch incoming strikes & then knowing when to break off & re-position back on patrol - not the usual CFS 2 mission experience.

But it might be a step to far in trying to knit all the disparate story elements from that day together in a single mission, so I think the better campaign storyboard would be to fly a series of related but separate missions.

[Captain Kurt]

Provide the longer mission as an option, but most people will prefer the shorter missions I believe.

[bearcat241]

Try flying a B-29 from Guam to Japan and back...i'm all in for the long CAP. Just put on some radio tunes with a cup on the side and groove it out. I've done a few dry tank/no ammo carrier traps in the middle of full aerial assaults...pucker factor 100% :adoration:. Once had a Zero try to strafe me on the deck after landing. The gun batteries eventually got him after several passes.

[Wayland]

DD,

By all means include both, I like long missions (probably because my takeoffs and landing stink on ice). It's a real challenge to manage your fuel and ammo to last out the fight. Good training and practice rolled into one.

Steve