New Zealand Rails online event Saturday, April 13 at 20h00 GMT on ATAG Server

[ATAG_Snapper]

The Red and Blue briefings are in the final stages of completion. In the meantime, here is the event scenario. Check back here soon for the Red and Blue briefings!

Mission prologue:

There was no railway in Cyrenaica in 1939. In Egypt, there was the Alexandria-Marsa Matruch line, with steam engines, and every day, the English had to send wagons equipped with water tanks to guarantee the return of the train, as in Marsa, there was no water to make steam. After the Compass operation, the English had only arrived by train as far as Sidi el Barrani, and had very extended logistics. So they decided to extend the railway too, and took it to Tobruk.

Near Sollum, (Ridotta Capuzzo) there was a railway and logistics terminal, very exposed to attacks. The English decided to build a fake terminal, a few kilometers further away, to ensure that it attracted at least 50% of the bombs that the Italian-German air force dropped on it. The tracks were strips of tin cut from bins, and there were out-of-use trucks, which were moved every day, to make the staging credible. Then in June 1942 Tobruk was reconquered by the Axis, and quickly reached El-Alamein. On the Italian-German side it was decided to reuse the section of the Tobruk - El Alamein railway, and also to use the adjacent 12" aqueduct that the English had laid alongside the tracks, (forgetting to cut it for some time), which brought excellent Nile water online.

To reuse the railway, the Italians sent around forty "Badoni" diesel engines called Sogliole, and the Germans sent 12 larger diesel engines. This worked, although not without accidents, for about a tenth of its capacity, until July 1942. It was then abandoned by the Italian-Germans, and for the railway, another story began.

At Bir Akeim, however, the Foreign Legion and the Free French units stopped retreating and decided to completely hinder Rommel's advance. The losses were considerable, but thanks also to the small fighter garrison that resided there, they managed to inflict great losses on the enemy.

Of great importance for the fighting armies was the mail. It would have been very difficult, fighting or working, if each of the soldiers had lacked news from their families and from their distant homeland. The RAF selflessly accomplished the task of connecting the "construction sites" of this great work in the desert, with their small planes (Tiger Moths) traveling between Tobruk and Sollum several times a day.

Finally, in the hostile desert environment, in addition to weather events, one of which was called "Ghibli"... migrating animals also posed a danger to the pilots!
In this historical context, pilots, the mission is set... you choose where to operate, but be strong and honest, and be careful to bring yourself home -- and your plane, too!

Mission By Pernix

[ATAG_Snapper]

Here are the briefings! Pernix had sent me these a week ago and I completely missed it. Apologies to Pernix and to everyone!

Hopefully your squads still have time to plan your tactics. This is a beautiful mission!

Cheers!

"Blind" Snapper

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Army Blue

11-June-1942
Weather: Clear
Wind 6km/h coming from the North-East

Radio beacons:
Sollum 302 MHz
Tobruk 304 MHz
Gazala North 306 MHz
Bir-Akeim 308 MHz

Briefing Regia Aeronautica-Luftwaffe:
Gentlemen, I know I'm asking a lot of you. I know that your mechanics are tired, I know that supplies aren't arriving, I know that the planes are starting to run out of fuel, and that sand wears out your engines. But... when I was told to turn the tide of the war in Africa, I was given command of an army of
great soldiers (DAK) and veterans of a great Army (the Italian one). It will not be the remains of an army now defeated several times that will stop us.
The orders are to continue...without stopping, and bypassing those who resist...but CONTINUE TOWARDS ALESSANDRIA.
The orders of Rommel, and of the Italian command, were clear and the air forces must, as always, carry them out.

Pilots, Your aircraft are available, in all desert models at:

Akramak S.R.A.M.
Bf 109 F2-F4
CR 42
G 50
MC 202 III - VII

Gazala 2 Regia Aeronautica 1:
Br 20
CR 42
G 50
MC 202
MC 202 high altitude

Gazala 1 Luftwaffe:

Bf 109 F2-F4
Bf 110 C4B
He 111
Ju 87
Ju 88

Your missions are very simple.

1) Prevent the English from building that damned railway.
A branch starts from Tobruk and goes towards the South-East, a branch starts from Sollum and goes towards the North-West.
Locate the railway, and their logistics stations, and destroy everything that moves.

2) An English outpost, held by the French Foreign Legion, resists our land attacks at Bir Akeim.
Move to it, and prevent it from being refueled, or defended from the air.

During the flight, stay tuned, further orders will be communicated to you via radio.

Good luck.
Long live the king!!


Army Red

11-June-1942
Weather: Clear
Wind 6 km/h coming from the North-East
Radio beacons:

Sollum 302 MHz
Tobruk 304 MHz
Gazala North 306 MHz
Bir-Akeim 308 MHz

R.A.F. Briefing

Gentlemen, the Axis advance seems uncontainable, some remnants are resisting, but the majority of the troops are retreating towards the East.
Many departments are concentrated in Tobruk, perhaps for a possible evacuation by sea.

Our aim is to delay their advance as much as possible, possibly also attacking the airfields, and giving support from the air to the troops who are resisting.

Pilots, your planes are available at:

Bir-Akeim, France Libre:

D520 only 10
Tiger moth

Amseat 2, RAF 1:

Kittyhawk
Tomahawk
Spitfire V
Blenheim
Tiger moth
Wellington

Tobruk 2 RAF 2:

Hurricane II
Tiger moth


Today your missions are the following, choose one:

1) You must defend the railway under construction from Italian-German attacks, and allow the troops to withdraw.

2) Take the mail to the New Zealand boys, who build the railway, then at the end of the railway, land, and take off again for the other construction site to Tobruk or Sollum.

3) Go and defend the surrounded outpost of Bir-Akeim (AB5), where the Free French boys are bleeding to death.

During the flight, stay tuned, further orders will be communicated to you via radio.

Good luck

Long live the King of England!!
long live General de Gaulle!!