Operation Clarion 1945

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                                                         Operation Clarion 1945 

As World War 2 was coming to an end the RAF was doing joint Operations with the Eighth Airforce as they were hitting Major Factories and Transportation Centers in the Heart of Germany.
In mid-September 1944 General Henry H. ( “Hap”) Arnold, commander of the U.S. Army Air Force, proposed that every available British and American airplane be used on some clear day to swarm all over the German Reich, attacking military objectives in towns that had hitherto been unmolested by the air forces. This type of operation, he felt, would afford the Germans an opportunity to witness at firsthand the might of the Allies and to reflect on their own helplessness. But clear days that opened up the entire expanse of Germany to such a venture were rarities, especially during the autumn, and during the winter the Allied air forces were tied up, in part, with the German counter-offense in the Ardennes, and, in part, giving first priority to attacking German oil targets.
On February 22, thirty-four RAF Lancasters, bombed the railway viaducts at Altenbeken and Bielefeld, without losing any aircraft. Also during the day, 85 Lancasters, escorted by 49 Spitfires, while losing one aircraft, dropped over 383 tons on the town area and a Benzol plant at Gelsenkirchen. Seventy-five RAF Lancasters, escorted by 48 Spitfires,suffered no losses and dropped over 333 tons on the Benzol plant at Osterfeld.
February 23
The RAF Second Tactical Air Command sortied 179 aircraft to make armed reconnaissance in Dulmen, Paderborn, Cologne, Duren, Munster areas and to attack railroad bridges and ammunition depots.
During the day 324 RAF bombers, escorted by 119 Spitfires, while suffering the lost of one Halifax bomber, dropped over 1,170 tons on Essen and 130 Lancasters, escorted by 33 Spitfires, while suffering no losses, dropped nearly 580 tons on the Benzol plant at Gelsenkirchen.
This was also when JV44 was being formed of Elite Luftwaffe Pilots to fly the Me-262's towards the end of the War Lead by Adolf Galland and the Allied Forces’s were starting to see these Jetsduring bomber Mission’s in the Heartland of Germany
This Battle will try and recreate the RAF’s involvement with Operation Clarion with one of the Rare Occasion’s that the RAF participated in Daylight bombing missions.

First Sortie Aircraft: 

RAF                                                                                                Luftwaffe

Spitfire IX No min/ max                                                        BF109G-14 No Min/Max
Spitefire IXV No Min/Max                                                    FW 190D9 No Min/Max
Spitfire XVI Max 8                                                                     TA 152H Max 8
Lancaster III Min 10
Mossie XVI Min 10

Second Sortie Aircraft:

RAF                                                                                                Lufwaffe

Typhoon MkI                                                                                 BF 109K-4

Mossie XVI Min 10                                                 

Notes:
There is to be a minimum of 10 RAF Buffs in the Air for the first Sortie. A mix of Lancasters and Mossies, all Lancasters, or all Mossies for the first Sortie CIC’s choice.
Second Sortie a minimum of 10 Mossie XVI must be used.
Towns are Also Off limits as Targets
Bases’s That are Assigned for Allied Targets will play the Part of Rail Yards. So All Structures on Base are Valid Targets.
Frame 3
Luftwaffe Will Only Have 8 ME262’s available and they can be split between Squads at the CiC’s choice. Also 262’s will be limited to 1 base to take off from due to fuel shortages and rearm.
RAF Will only have 8 Tempest Mk V and they can be split between Squads at the CiC’s choice

Loadout Restrictions:
No Ords for fighters
HC 4000lb bomb is restricted for the Mossi
Lancaster Loadout: 6 x 1000lbs
Mossi XVI 2x 500lbs 4x 500lbs
Flight re-opens at t+30
Fighter alt cap 20K
Bomber alt cap 16K

Scoring:
Fighters – 1
Limited fighters 2
Lancs 2
Mossies 3
Me262’s 5
Tempest 5
Hangars – 10
Bunkers - 5
Strat Objects 5
Arena Settings:
- Terrain:Germanyw
- Fuel Burn: 1.0
- Clouds: light5k
- Icons: 3K Friendly/Enemy
- Ack: .3
- Fighter and Bomber warning range: 63360 (about 12 miles)
- Tower range set to 63360 (for display only to match the above setting)
- Haze/Fog: 15 miles
- Radar: Off
- Enemy collisions: on
- Friendly collisions: off
- Killshooter: off
- Time: Take off 07:45 multiplier set at 1
- Formation Autopilot: On
- Bomber calibration: Automatic
- Wind: 0K-2K NO WIND
2K-16K: E TO W - Speed 5
16K-20K: SE to NW - Speed 10
20K-26K: NE to SW - Speed 15

Redesgined by:
Molsman 2026
Original Operation Clarion done in 2014-04-04