Operation Dragoon (USS Tulagi CV-72) Campaign by Shadow Wolf

[Shadow Wolf 07]

Hi all:

Back at the end of last month, I started work on a new campaign - the invasion of southern France, Aug 15th 1944. It is moving along nicely. I have 18 missions so far almost completed and I anticipate about 10 more. The campaign is built on a Rhumbaflappy MTO install.

The historical record, or what I could find, gives little account of the air action. :banghead: Because of that, none of them are historical but match up well with the daily ground combat record. My missions comprise: Close Air Support (CAS) Cap and search and destroy. The Campaign is strictly from the Allied side and the player will be flying either an F6F-5, F6f-5N or a TBF off the USS Tulagi CVE. I am trying to put the last few missions together together to cover Aug 19 thru 22, when the Tulagi's Task Group was withdrawn in favor of land base air forces.

I need to go back and do an invasion support mission for the landings (a major pain in my 6 with all the landing craft), and a later railroad attack mission and 1 or 2 more Search and Destroy missions. There are very few intercept and just 3 CAP missions. German air assets at this time and location were sparse, but I managed to put a few 109s and 190s in the air for you hard cor fighter pilots. :applause: Rami told me he always wanted to match up Hellcats with FW-190s. Wish granted! :wavey:

I will be posting updates and screenshots here regularly. But first let me ask: Do any of you have any info on the air war over this front? I could surely use it. If things and life go as they have, I should publish the campaign some time in October.

Note: taking off from a CVE with a full weapons load, at the CVE max speed of 16 knots, even with a 10-12 knot headwind is a challenge. You can see how low my Avenger went in the attached screenshot. :wiggle:

Cheers:

Shadow Wolf 07

[TheBookie]

Shadow Wolf,

Talon did missions for Operation Dragoon for CFS3 ETO many years ago,all based on historical fact.Here's the intel of 6 of the missions he did.You may have to change some of the times to fit CFS2 though.

You fly an F6F-5 in all.


8/15/1944
06:00


We will be attacking Toulon and the Harbor shipping.There is an armor column in the area,this is your primary target.After it is destroyed you are to go after any shipping in the Harbor.


There is no air opposition in the area.We are trying to stop any re-enforcements getting to the invasion beaches.


8/17/1944


09:00


Some enemy transports are trying to make their escape from Toulon. You are to attack and stop them.You will be flying a Hellcat but will be joined by Avengers.


The German forces are retreating on all fronts and some of their shipping has taken flight.It is our job to stop anymore ships from escaping.


8/18/1944


07:00


Today you are to attack any enemy trains in the Marseille area and than attack the Marseille railyard.Your first target is a train headed for Marseille,be careful it's an ammo train.


Over 150 enemy locomotives were attacked and either destroyed or damaged by the carrier planes.


8/19/1944


15:01


Today is one of the last day USS Tulagi is stationed off Southern France.Lt.Commander John H.Sandor leads a 4 plane flight of Hellcats on an armed recon by Lyon.Acompanying him are Lt.Rene E.Poucel,Ens.David E. Robinson and Ens. Archie R. Wood.During this flight they encounter enemy planes for the first time and attack JU-88's on an enemy airfield.


3 He-111s were shot down and 2 JU-88s destroyed on the ground.USS Tulagi airmen shot down a total of 6 enemy aircraft during Operation Dragoon.




8/21/1944


04:45


The German's are in retreat as The Invasion has gone well.The roads in Southern France are jammed with German troop convoys and troops.Today you are to attack an enemy troop convoy as it retreats.Three JU-52's enter the area while you are attacking the enemy troops.


Not only was the convoy destroyed but the 3 Ju-52's were shot down.In all the Tulagi air group shot down 6 enemy planes while covering the Invasion

TheBookie

[Shadow Wolf 07]

Thank you, TheBookie! I'll try to work them in

[Roxane-21]

Nice project! It will be a good addition to the MTO.

Back in the days, I flew a CFS1 campaign depicting 'Operation Dragoon', in which you were flying a Hellcat. Good memories.


http://www.myzone59.com/combat-fligh...r/missions.htm

[bearcat241]

Observation-fighter squadron VOF-1 was the first USN air unit to be specially trained for spotting naval gunfire and for close support of ground forces. Its major contribution to Dragoon, though, was armed recon. Loaded with bombs and rockets, the Hellcats penetrated deep into the Rhone valley, laying waste to the retreating German columns.

As for the A2A action, Wood and Olzewski each got two kills flying #8 depicted in the screens below.

The first skin is by shieldsy 2001. The second is by Morton 2008.

[Shadow Wolf 07]

Thanks bearcat241:

I will keep them in mind when I do my next Search and Destroy mission. Good info. I'm currently testing the missions I've built and finishing up a rebuild of a Close Air Support mission. When I test fly it later, i will try to get some screenshots. I will try to incorporate Talon's missions described above by TheBookie.

[Shadow Wolf 07]

Dawn, August 15th:

I did 2 missions for this one: 1. no fighter opposition and 2. a 30% chance that a flight of 109s takes off from Istres airbase and intercepts. Both have a random chance of 1 or2 trains spawning and slightly different victory conditions. Player take off and the near dark visibility are tough.

[Shadow Wolf 07]

I have finished 18 missions and have "proof read" and flown 6 of them for testing. I continue to plod away slowly and plan on building at least 3 more missions. I am , as you may know, taking off from a CVE. With a fully loaded Hellcat or Avenger it is tough. Since the other CVEs in the Task Group have a max speed of 16 kts mine is paced with them and I use a 10-12 knot headwind. So, leave it like it is or do a dp speed change for the other ships? Alternatively, I could increase the speed of my ship until I take off, (say, for 1 or 2 miles) then slow her down. Ideas?

Cheers:

SW07

[bearcat241]

Bump the thrust scale in the aircraft.cfg (not the power scale) and/or increase the flap lift just a smidge in the air file - section 1101.

[Shadow Wolf 07]

Bump the thrust scale in the aircraft.cfg (not the power scale) and/or increase the flap lift just a smidge in the air file - section 1101.

Thanks mate! I'll give the cfg mod a try.

[Shadow Wolf 07]

It is common knowledge (or should be) the German infantry walked and most of their heavy equipment was horse drawn. Does anyone know of or want to create a wagons download with horse drawn artillery, at-guns etc?

bearcat241:

I increased the thrust to =1.2 for both the F6F5 and the TBF plus I increased the max speed of the Brit carrier's dp to match that of Collin's Kadashan Bay CVE. Then I increased the enrtire Task Group's speed to 20 knots, retaining the 10-12 knit headwind. That should allow anyone to get off the deck.

TheBookie:

I have already incorporated 3 of the missions you described into my campaign - based on the data you supplied. Thank you, as they gave me more mission ideas ( am working on #3 now.)

Cheers:

Shadow Wolf

[UncleTgt]

SW,

Good call on the horse-drawn traffic. This is something that would be really useful across a number of periods: WW1, SCW, WW2 ETO (Poland, France, Russia etc.)...

The only horse-drawn supply wagon & towed artillery combo objects I know of are the Polish supply wagon & horse-drawn arty objects created for the September War campaign.

Unfortunately the readme indicates they can't be separated out from the Poland Campaign install for use as separate objects, so people would need to copy them from that install & into other installs to make any use of them.

Some new items would awesome!

[Shadow Wolf 07]

SW,

"Unfortunately the readme indicates they can't be separated out from the Poland Campaign install for use as separate objects, so people would need to copy them from that install & into other installs to make any use of them.

Some new items would awesome!"

Yes UT, Rami explained that to me the other day on Skype. I would love to see some horse-drawn supply wagons and some artillery and anti-tank, limbered and unlimbered. as well as any other equip that might be towed by horses.

In another topic: I am finishing up building mission #21. It is a rid on Istres airbase by 4 Hellcats. From the setup, it looks like a fun mission and though I am currently flight testing only as far as mission 5, I will flight test this one next, because it looks like a fun mission. It is a real "shoot-em-up" with a target rich environment and even 3 He-111s taking off. There's plenty of FLAK to dodge. Mission 21 is one of those that TheBookie recommended from Talon's work. I will post some screenshots.

Oh, I solved my problem with low take off speed by increasing the speed of the Brit Attacker class CVE and setting the entire Task Group to 20 kts with head winds of 10-12 kts. The 4 knot difference is a big boost for the FDG F6F-5 with a 500 lb bomb and rocket load out. I'll try it next with a fully loaded Avenger next.

The campaign is moving right along. I have 1, maybe 2 more missions to go, the .cmg and the readmes to write. I've already started the downloads list. I have 1 issue to clarify and then I'm done.

[Shadow Wolf 07]

Hi:

I am building several missions both with moving road convoys and trains. I set both up as "convoys." My question is, whether that is good enough to have them follow along the road or track? Or must I plot each vehicle's or rail car's waypoints to keep them in column?

Hmmm...

[TheBookie]

I think for the truck convoy you would need to plot the course to follow the road.for the railroad plot the course for the loco and then put the cars behind the loco and set it up like you would a task group of ships to follow the loco as the lead ship.You could probably do the same with the trucks.

Either way you need to plot a course to follow.

Not sure it will work,but it might so worth a try.

TheBookie

[Shadow Wolf 07]

I should have checked before posting, but I found the answer in CC's Mission Builder Handbook at the very end of the chapter on Convoys and Formations. One of the frustrations of too many years, I guess. Anyway, if you want them to follow a winding course, like a road, in column then the road convoy must have each vehicle's waypoints laid out separately along that course. I would assume the same applies for train cars as well.

Cody also notes that like ships in this sim, if two or more vehicles occupy the same space, they will pass through each other harmlessly. I still have much to learn from the Handbook.

[TheBookie]

I took a guess,lol.

I only deal with ship and planes.Ships I use the copy so all ships have their own way points.

TheBookie

[Cody Coyote]

Obviously I came late to the party. Glad you found the answer in the Handbook. And yes, it is a frustrating situation.

[Shadow Wolf 07]

Thanks Cody. It's good to hear from you. Obviously, the rest of the train won't stop if the locomotive gets taken out unless I pull some trick like having all the cars go to alternate waypoints with a speed of zero. Whew!

[Shadow Wolf 07]

I flight tested the Marseilles RR yards mission to check on my moving train plotting and to take some screenshots. The FLAK was too intense and got me on my bomb run. I took some of the 37 mm guns out and will try her again.

[Shadow Wolf 07]

This mission is a tough one. I never get past making my first run on the train depot - target1. I still have to tame down some of the FLAK to make it survivable. The two pics show my bomb run and results and some of the depot I built. The next is an example of what I have to fly through (and that is the least FLAK, between volley aiming corrections) Those 37mm AA guns are mean!

MISSION BRIEFING:

"title_string"=OD-10 Operation Dragoon -Railroad Work-F6F5
"summary_string"=Good morning men. Today our Air Group is rally spreading itself thin. Rancher, your flight is going out alone, loaded with 500 lb bombs and rockets. Your target: the main rail depots in Marseilles. Take off at 0900 hrs and proceed on a 000, due north heading for 35 miles at low altitude to your first checkpoint, CP-ABLE. Then climb to 7,500 ft and begin your bombing run on the Main Marseilles City Rail-yard, another 15 miles due north from CP-ABLE. After you've laid your eggs, regroup at CP-CHARLIE. From CHARLIE continue on to CP-DOG, 4 miles N of the Marseilles Port Rail Depot - your secondary target. Attack, until your ammo is expended, targets of opportunity there: rail cars, power station etc. in the port rail-yard and its surroundings. Then withdraw SW to CP-FOX. Return to the TG rendezvous point from FOX on a 165 degree heading.
"objective_string"=Having spent the last two days flying close air support missions, USS Tulagi, as is the rest of Task Group 88.2, is launching its air group in separate flights on a series of search and destroy missions. The objective is to harass and disrupt the retreating enemy ground forces. US VI Corps is attempting to push through to the Rhone River and cut off the northern route of escape for the German 19th Army. The French II Corps is advancing in the south, along the coast, isolating Toulon and threatening to isolate Marseilles. (This mission is done in remembrance of Talon, who built a similar mission based on this strike.)
"intelligence_string"=We have reports that the Germans are stockpiling supplies in Marseilles, despite the fact that we will encircle it in a few days if not hours. There is a supply train due in at about 0930, according to our Resistance friends. After take off stay below 1000 feet to evade enemy radar until you reach CP-ABLE. There are multiple high and medium altitude FLAK sites surrounding each target. Expect intense ground fire over each of them. Jerry has armed each of his trains in the region with FLAK cars. So, be careful when attacking. The weather is changing, We have heavy cloud cover above 11,000 ft with possible squalls. Winds are moderate at 12, gusting to 15 knots out of 136 degrees. Study your rail-yard recon photos. Good luck!
"player_aircraft_name_string"=FDG2 F6F-5 Hellcat VF-84
"airfield_string"="Tulagi CVE-72"

As I said, I never make it to CP-CHARLIE, the moving train or the port rail depot. More to come...
Cheers:

Shadow Wolf 07

[kdriver]

Hi SW,

These missions look really interesting. Do you know if Rami's Marseilles and Dombral's Toulon GSL scenery will get in the way of your targets?

Looking forward to the moving train.

Thanks,

Kevin

[Roxane-21]

Keep it up, this looks promising so far!

[Shadow Wolf 07]

Hi SW,

These missions look really interesting. Do you know if Rami's Marseilles and Dombral's Toulon GSL scenery will get in the way of your targets?

Looking forward to the moving train.

Thanks,

Kevin

Hi Kevin:

Rami warned me about frame-rate-drain with his Toulon and Marseilles sets. Plus, they would greatly increase the required downloads. I built up areas and targets, based on guess.

I made some changes to the above mission: I had 2 stationary flak cars in the train depot which put up brutal AA defense, right over the target. I took them out. Also there was a TAF_Flakvlng38LW in place where a single barreled TAF_FLAK38LWS should have been. If I can get past the FLAK at the main rail-yard, I'll get to see if the moving train works It has 2 engines, 14 cars and a FLAK car or two. . -14 cars long. Then, it's off to target area #2 - the port rail yards. If I can survive all that, I have to limp back to the carrier.

Oh, and did I mention? There is a 25% chance tha your flight will be intercepted by 4 Bf109G-6 trop 6.JG51's between the train and port (if you have 400 rounds or more). And don't try to dodge the main rail yard FLAK by fling past it to get at the train, The train will only spawn a few seconds after you've reached the target waypoint and your bomb count is zero.

Cheers:

Greg

[kdriver]

Hi Greg,

Yes, I was thinking there might be a frame rate issue with Rami and Dombral's GSL scenery active.

The mission certainly sounds like a real challenge.

Cheers,

Kevin