Flack Suppression Runs

[Kevin Clark]

Anyone come across this situation yet? It could equally apply to other types of attack aircraft other than Torpedo Bombers.

Six flights of Torpedo Bombers approach a cruiser entering attack range. Only three of the six may attack but only two are carrying a torpedo (the others have already used their torps). The remaining four are simulating an attack run only for the purposes of flak suppression.

The crew on the cruiser don't know who is armed and who isn't, so would not direct their fire directly to the armed flights, they can only carpet the general area with metal in the hope of bringing as many planes down as possible.

The AAA dice are rolled and two flights are taken out.

Do you:-

a) dice randomly to see whether armed or unarmed flights are brought down on the assumption that each flight has an equal chance of surviving,

or do you:-

b) remove unarmed flights first on the assumption that, in order to provide cover for the remaining armed planes, the unarmed planes are putting themselves into harms way, i.e. between their armed planes and the enemy?

 

[Evil Trev]

Surely the firing player decides which flight to attack!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Trev

 

[Keith]

Evil Trev you are quite right as the rules stand, but that's the point. While the player knows which planes to target the AA gnners on the ship would not.

Should the rules account for this uncertainty?

My felling is yes, using the random method suggested by Kevin.

 

[juggler69uk]

a) dice randomly to see whether armed or unarmed flights are brought down on the assumption that each flight has an equal chance of surviving?

Dont most torpedo bombers have the torp visibly underneath the aircraft making targeting loaded ones easy

b) remove unarmed flights first on the assumption that, in order to provide cover for the remaining armed planes, the unarmed planes are putting themselves into harms way, i.e. between their armed planes and the enemy?

If AA came from only one point, possibly

However did this actually happen where aircraft (and pilots) were thrown away as a screen

 

[Enalut]

First question--not that I have ever done it, but I imgine that it is rather hard to observe that torpedo on that speck of an airplane traveling 300-500 mph at you.

second question--yes, both at midway and Lyete Gulf (Taffy 3) at least there were confirmed instances of unarmed (or depleted) aircraft making attack runs to draw fire from those aircraft with weapons.

 

[DM]

First off, torpedo bombers didn't attack at 300-500 knots (generally half that, or less). It was also a pretty nerve-wracking manoeuvre to do, especially if you'd already been through the gauntlet and made one real attack already. Whilst I have no doubt that it was done on occasion I would generally not allow strike aircraft that have made attacks to then make dummy attacks in this manner. Instead their natural reaction would be to get out of Dodge ASAP.

 

[Kevin Clark]

Thanks for that