My ongoing 1943 Long Campaign (Allies) + a couple of questions

[Augenstein]

I started a new 1943 Long campaign as Allies a few months ago. Current date in the campaign is 10/20/1943, im trying to keep things as realistic as possible atleast concerning the 8th AAF FC Ops (my
main interest). I have done a full research on 8th AAF Fighter Groups, and have replaced all the pilots with real ones that were in the Group rosters as of 8/17/1943, and I will keep rotating them once they complete a tour of duty or two (some pilots stay with their units until the end of war, just like in RL). Im also keeping full records in Excel on downed a/c (type, date, time) by 8th AAF FC pilots, Im also recording the losses, ofcourse this has to be done manually and it is "kind" of time consuming). Im trying to keep the Hvy Bomber losses as close to historical as possible (so 100 B-17's lost /day suicide missions are out of the question).

Now you can call me crazy if you want, but I want this to be as close to the real thing as possible

Now a couple of questions:

My score currently is AS: 2 Industrial Damage: 5 Terror popped to 12 last night. What is the correct pace I should be picking up points (is the pace more progressive rather than linear?) to end the war in say ~May '45? It is so long since the last time I finished a long campaign.

What was the length of an 8th AAF FC pilots Tour of Duty? Was it 200 hours? That would be like 55-60 missions.

Does the damage done to Mandatory UFAC and U-Boat Pen facilities count in Industrial Dmg?

[Hard Sarge]

the only trouble with part of this, is the way games work, in RL, most pilots would of broken off as soon as things started to go bad, or if they looked like they may of turned bad, in the game, they going to keep on going, so losses are going to be much higher on both sides

tour length could be HARD to be honest with, some missions didn't count, others would just lie about it (Brakeslee, logbook was very poorly kept, for a reason, he was way over limit)

plus it could depend on the time of the war, in aug-nov of 43, length of missions was pretty short and slowly getting longer and longer, in the book Wolfpack, they were very proud of how long there were able to keep there Jugs in the air, in middle of 44, those would of been short missions

a UFAC is a Factory so counts for damage, a UPEN is not a factory so does not count (the same with VFAC and VSITE)(which, if you can hammer either of those Factory types to a low enough level, you will not have to worry about the "sites", which to be honest, you do not want to "have" to go after the Pens, they are nothing back FlakTraps)

[von Shagmeister]

ORIGINAL: Augenstein

What was the length of an 8th AAF FC pilots Tour of Duty? Was it 200 hours? That would be like 55-60 missions.

I believe, that as of 17Aug43, a 8FC tour was 200hrs ops (later increased to 300hrs). Going from memory so I may be wrong.

[Augenstein]

I think your numbers are right von Shagmeister.

Also the Tour of Dutys for the BC went from 25 to 30 and then to 35 missions, if I remember correctly.

[Dixie]

ORIGINAL: Augenstein

I think your numbers are right von Shagmeister.

Also the Tour of Dutys for the BC went from 25 to 30 and then to 35 missions, if I remember correctly.

I'm fairly certain that was cancelled, as the Australian (may have been Canadian) government refused the idea. With the large number of mixed crews in the RAF the idea was shelved. IIRC Pathfinder tours were longer than regular crews, 35+ sounds about right for them.

EDIT: The refusal was from increase from 30 to 35 missions. 30 was a normal tour by late war.

[Hard Sarge]

and don't forget for BC, the tour wasn't over when it ended, you went on leave and then a posting, to maybe a training center or something, then came back for your next tour

and I am not sure how it really worked, but for the Yanks in FC, they would finish and then go on a leave and then could come back (which most said that was worse, to go home and then come back, so a number would just fly the 2nd tour when the first ended)

[Augenstein]

Actually it would be easy to allow a certain pilot a "leave" for a desired time (say 5 weeks) by listing/editing him as wounded with the editor we have.