Slitherine

Allied Corps Taranto Raid

This scenario is available if you receive the Triumph victory condition in playing the Italian Offensive scenario. It is designed to give you additional experience with the use of air power and aircraft carrier refueling.

Your mission is to locate and destroy 6 Italian battleships within Taranto Bay. To do this, you will be provided with Torpedo Bombers (TB) and 2 x aircraft carriers for refueling. You will need to provide 1 or 2 fighters from your core units for spotting and escort duty. I recommend you deploy two.

Toranto Bay is heavily defended by coastal batteries, AA, and fighters. I recommend you stay away from the entrance or refrain from attempting to enter the bay.

Following is the Mission Order and Victory Conditions:





Here is my intial deployment and plan. I will deploy 2 x Hurricane I fighters. They will fly out first to spot the battleships. My spys have given me a good idea where they are located. My attempt will be to locate the fighters as near to the targets as possible in order to provide fighter protection for my TBs. After I have spotted the targets, I will have the TBs fly to the target to deliver their payloads.

As I mentioned, and as the Mission Orders stated, the Bay is heavily defended by coastal batteries. These guns have a range of 3 hexes. Therefore, I will position my fleet at least 4 hexes from the entrance. The aircraft carriers will be able to refuel our air assets and be protected from the coast.



Turn 1

As you can see I was able to locate 3 of the 6 battleships and have flown our TBs to attack two of them.



The bombers have inflicted damage, but the battleships have inflicted damage as well on the bombers during their bombing run. Note the AA located in bottom right corner? When I end turn 1, the Italians will get a shot off against one of the bombers inflicting more damage.



Thank goodness HQ had known this was going to be too much for my current assets. They have sent me two more TBs. Now I can begin the rotation of returning my bombers back to the aircraft carrier for refueling while sending the new bombers out to attack. This rotation or relay of air assets will need to be done through out this scenario in order to have fueled aircraft in the air/attacking while others are being refueled or in process of returning to the carrier.



To refuel your aircraft, park the aircraft over the aircraft carrier. This is different than land based airfields where you only need to be within 1 hex range for refueling or resupply. Only 1 of the new TBs was able to reach it's target in this turn. But, I parked the other near the fighter for protection as well. I moved my northern fighter up 1 hex and located another battleship near the island. Though it can not be helped, the island hosts an AA battery and an airfield that could have fighter coverage. So we will be cautious.



Will 4 TBs be enough to sink 6 battleships? I think not....

Turn 3

I am glad that HQ knew about my concerns. They sent 3 more TBs to assist.



My plan is to use 1 TB immediately against the fourth battleship by the island. The other two will fly to the small inlet in the rear where my sources have revealed that two more battleships may be located. I have also continued my attack on the first two battleships and started another on the third. Again, rotating the TBs to be refueling/attacking.



Turn 4

Since my attack on the third battleship was without fighter protection, the Italians went after it with two fighters inflicting heavy damage. I will need to respond to this threat. Also, AA locations were able to inflict more damage on TBs within their range.



I know my fighters are also getting low on fuel, but I have decided that I have enough fuel to attack the Italian fighters and still make it to the carriers for refueling. The TBs have located and attacking the two battleships in the far northern inlet. Note that the TBs are lined up for refueling at the carriers. I need to move them out quickly.



Turn 5

I have returned the fighters to be refueled. I will immediately refuel one in order for it to return for air coverage. While the TBs continue their rotation.



Turn 6

The last of the battleships within the inner bay are destroyed. I have just the last two located within the northern inlet left to destroy. Meanwhile, the refueling rotation continues. I have one fighter offering protection and the second is being refueled.



Will I be able to destroy all 6 battleships within the time constraint to achieve a Triumph? More turns are coming....

Turn 7

Alarm! Alarm! An Italian fighter has attacked our TBs formed up to refuel! But, what they did not know is that I had a fighter that just had been refueled. It easily met the Italian fighter and destroyed it. My other fighter has been located to provide cover for the TBs during their refuel/attack rotations.



Turns 8 -11

Our TB forces continue to fly their refuel/attack rotations. Keeping an eye on our own fighter's fuel as well. Try to keep one fighter up at all times.



Turn 12

It is the last available turn allowed and I was able to destroy the last battleship in the northern inlet. It was a long flight between carrier and the northern inlet and the TBs had to fight their way through fighters and AA coverage. But, they got the job done!



We met the conditions for a Triumph.



HQ recognizes are effort as a "crushing victory!"