MiGMan’s Combat Diary | Argentina’s Campaign
Argentina Mission 01
Rude Awakening
❝The enemy announced their arrival last night by bombing the airfield from high altitude. Fortunately the raid was not successful and the runway can still be used. The enemy is now following up the last attack with a dawn raid by jets from their carrier offshore.
Get airborne and either flee immediately to Goose Green or try to hold them off while your comrades escape inland. Survival is your sole mission goal at this point. Your Pucara may be slow, but those four guns and two cannons in the nose will do plenty of damage, if you can just bring them to bear.
Tip: try to lure the enemy into the anti-aircraft fire by staying near the airfield.
❞
Taking off under fire.
MiGMan's Combat Diary
The first time into this mission I was sitting there admiring the cockpit and checking out the features of my shiny new Pucara when whammmo ! A flight of Harriers came screaming in from behind and strafed everything in sight, including my shiny new plane.
OK - Alt - Flight - End Mission, then select "Fly again".
This time I took off rather smartly but as you can see at top right, not without cringing !
After an enjoyable tussle in the Pucara, which proved to be agile and hard hitting, the remaining Harriers departed the scene and a new nav point appeared on the tactical display (F-9). Hallelujah ! It was only 40 miles to Goose Green.
These images were taken during 2002, flying in Microsoft Combat Flight Sim 2, rendered by a Hercules 3D Prophet III Titanium 500 video card with full screen anti-aliasing enabled.
Campaign: Argentina Mission 02
Ferry Flight Fracas
❝You and your wingman are ferrying two Pucaras from Pebble Island to Goose Green when you hear over the radio that the enemy is attacking. Defy all odds by bringing down at least one of the attackers in your Pucara and then flee back to Pebble Island.
Draw the enemy over the airfield and into range of the anti-aircraft guns.
❞ MiGMan's Combat Diary
In my second Pucara mission I was starting to get the hang of it. Low speed and a tight turning circle gives you an edge over the Harriers. Drop the flaps one notch for an even tighter turning circle.
Hint : Press " E " to start the engines !
These images were taken during 2002, flying in Microsoft Combat Flight Sim 2, rendered by a Hercules 3D Prophet III Titanium 500 video card with full screen anti-aliasing enabled.
Campaign: Argentina Mission 03
Banzai Blades
❝At high altitude and at the limit of your endurance, you detect two Harriers at medium altitude. Now you have a fleeting chance to prove the value of your force s new Mirage Dagger interceptor.
Follow your Flight Leader down on to the enemy jets, destroy at least one and then make the long journey back to your homeland. Try to destroy at least one of the enemy jets on your first pass, as your Mirage Dagger is at a disadvantage in a turning fight against the more manoeuvrable Harriers.
❞ MiGMan's Combat Diary
Fun in the sun as I went screaming through the clouds in my high powered Mirage. Unfortunately these Harrier pilots were too adept at tight turning - using vectored thrust ? - for me to line up any good tracking shots.
So it was strictly deflection shots, and at closing speeds of over 800 knots that left little time to line up a shot. Still I managed to nail one or two after several attempts at the mission.
These images were taken during 2002, flying in Microsoft Combat Flight Sim 2, rendered by a Hercules 3D Prophet III Titanium 500 video card with full screen anti-aliasing enabled.
Campaign: Argentina Mission 04
Three's A Crowd
❝Your orders are to bomb and strafe the three enemy ships, which are cruising offshore and shelling Stanley airfield. Two Harriers are diverted from their CAP mission to defend the vessels.
Destroy at least one Harrier by shooting it down or by drawing it into the range of your anti-aircraft guns at the airfield. Finish the mission by leaving the combat area.
Take care to avoid the AA fire from the ships.
❞
Ooooops... missed again. That should rattle their teacups!
MiGMan's Combat Diary
This mission type - attack the ships - became my favourite in this campaign.
Why?
Because of the thrill I got from screaming in at low level and repeatedly strafing the ships. The water is flying past, sounds of FLAK everywhwere, Harriers buzzing about but posing no real threat with their non-functioning AIM-9 Sidewinders.
These images were taken during 2002, flying in Microsoft Combat Flight Sim 2, rendered by a Hercules 3D Prophet III Titanium 500 video card with full screen anti-aliasing enabled.
Campaign: Argentina Mission 05
Skyhawk Debut
Taking off from Port Stanley.
❝As your force's top Skyhawk pilot, it s your mission to lead a strike against two of the enemy's prize warships.
Things do not go well as a missile shoots one of your flight down from one of the ships and then two enemy aircraft turn up unexpectedly. However, once your have released your bombs, your agile Skyhawk is a good match for the enemy Sea Harriers. Keep away from the ships' guns!
❞ MiGMan's Combat Diary
Same mission type as Arg 04, attack the ships. Suits me, lots of fun !
Contrary to the briefing notes the ships' guns didn't pose a threat, and of course "due to the limitations of the host simulation" there were no guided missiles to worry about (not the case for the real Argentinian pilots). So overall you get a pretty free run at the ships, as long as you don't loiter about as you turn in for a new run.
These images were taken during 2002, flying in Microsoft Combat Flight Sim 2, rendered by a Hercules 3D Prophet III Titanium 500 video card with full screen anti-aliasing enabled.
Campaign: Argentina Mission 06
Firefight at Fanning Head
❝The enemy have finally launched the invasion to recapture the islands. The air defences they have consist solely of ship-borne AA fire at present, it is therefore imperative that you neutralize the destroyers protecting the other vessels in San Carlos Water.
You are in a formation of six Skyhawk fighter-bombers attacking a lone destroyer, which is attempting to guard the mouth of the inlet. But beware - two enemy Harriers have been alerted and are closing in. Destroy both Harriers, These Harriers are not the usual Navy ones you have already been up against, the RAF may use different tactics, so be on your guard.
❞ MiGMan's Combat Diary
"I guess the RAF do have different tactics..." I pondered while floating to earth on my silk parachute...
These images were taken during 2002, flying in Microsoft Combat Flight Sim 2, rendered by a Hercules 3D Prophet III Titanium 500 video card with full screen anti-aliasing enabled.
Campaign: Argentina Mission 07
Bomb Alley
❝The enemy have taken a big risk putting the entire invasion force in one place - the infamous "Bomb Alley".
You and your two wingmen must streak in at low level in your Mirage Dagger aircraft, deliver the ordnance into the side of a destroyer, and high-tail it westwards back to Rio Grande. That is, after you have dealt with the enemy aircraft attacking you from behind.
Destroy at least one of the RAF Harriers. Flying at extreme low level may cause your pursuer to crash into the ground if all else fails.
❞ MiGMan's Combat Diary
I didn't destroy any of the Harriers... nor any of the ships ! But it was great fun trying.
Forget about flying back to Argentina, I landed at Port Stanley.
These images were taken during 2002, flying in Microsoft Combat Flight Sim 2, rendered by a Hercules 3D Prophet III Titanium 500 video card with full screen anti-aliasing enabled.
Campaign: Argentina Mission 08
Malvinas Mudmovers
❝It is too late to stop the invasion now and your forces are locked in fierce fighting at various locations around the island.
You can however make it more difficult for the enemy to maintain air cover over their advancing troops by destroying the airfield they are constructing on the north shore of their anchorage. As the first wave, your orders are to take out the anti-aircraft guns defending the site and deal with any enemy aircraft in the area.
However, the attacking Sea Harriers will need to be dealt with as a priority. AA fire will be intense, from sea and land, so you will be safer at low level.
❞ MiGMan's Combat Diary
Destroy the anti-aircraft guns !!!!!!!!!!!!
That is very difficult. They are small, hard to see, I'm doing 400 knots in my Skyhawk, and on top of that every time you go near them they shoot at you ! Most uncivilised behaviour !
I concentrated on the ships, much bigger targets.
These images were taken during 2002, flying in Microsoft Combat Flight Sim 2, rendered by a Hercules 3D Prophet III Titanium 500 video card with full screen anti-aliasing enabled.
Campaign: Argentina Mission 09
Deadly Rain
❝The enemy have succeeded in establishing some artillery positions in the mountains and are shelling your defences around Stanley.
Your flight of four Pucaras is to attack these positions and then deal with the enemy GR.3 Harriers in the area. Destroy at least one Harrier before you escape to Pebble Island.
The artillery positions are protected by fierce anti-aircraft fire, but this will be the least of your worries - the weather has turned for the worse and there is only a narrow area between the ground and the cloud-base. Try to engage the Harriers either above or below the clouds.
❞ MiGMan's Combat Diary
Now this was interesting. The " artillery positions " I was tasked to attack were actually standard AAA installations. Pretty small targets, very difficult to hit.
But the really interesting factor was the weather, which was working as advertised. The thick cloud base started at 5 - 600 feet and when I strayed into that I was flying blind. The challenge of manoeuvering within that tight envelope was rewarding... and the rockets looked pretty too !
These images were taken during 2002, flying in Microsoft Combat Flight Sim 2, rendered by a Hercules 3D Prophet III Titanium 500 video card with full screen anti-aliasing enabled.
Campaign: Argentina Mission 10
Desperate Measures
Drop a couple of bombs ...
❝The War is all but over and your commanders have ordered one last strike at the enemy's supply line in a bid to force them to stop the final assault on Stanley.
Your flight of four Skyhawks is to attack the ships and ground targets at the enemy s bridgehead. You are covered by tour Mirage Dagger interceptors and will also be joined in the attack by two Pucara aircraft that have fled the shelling at Stanley. Just do as much damage as you can to all enemy assets, in the air, on land and at sea. Shoot down the four Sea Harriers, which are defending the area.
❞
Then on to the ships.
MiGMan's Combat Diary
I dropped a couple of bombs as I overflew the base, then it was on to the sizeable convoy at anchor. Apparently I was actually credited with a kill too.. !
And that's it for the Argentinean campaign.
These images were taken during 2002, flying in Microsoft Combat Flight Sim 2, rendered by a Hercules 3D Prophet III Titanium 500 video card with full screen anti-aliasing enabled.
