Mission 3, Level 4: Air Base Assault

Objectives: Gain access to "Kobra" launch silo Prep "Kobra" for launch Capture "Kobra" and fly to OSA airbase in Malta

Mission Briefing:

Enter the experimental aircraft test facility via the outer compound of the rocket base. The airbase houses the latest Bachem Ba317 "Kobra" experimental rocket plane in a hangar at the northern perimeter. Upon infiltration of the airbase, eliminate any resistance and proceed to the "Kobra" launch hangar.

You will need to prep the "Kobra" for launch, so look for launch procedure documentation in the facility. Once you have appropriated the "Kobra" and are airborne, proceed immediately back to the OSA airbase in Malta. The Ba317 is reported to travel at speeds in excess of 500 knots, so enemy air defenses should offer no problem. Contact OSA immediately upon touchdown in Malta for debriefing and further orders.

Good luck.

You'll start the level in a large drainage pipe overlooking the experimental airbase. You can save yourself a lot of headaches by sniping the two guards on the tower to the right, and another one visible on the ground below.

You can make your life further easier by climbing the now-empty tower and sniping any other guards you can see in the area. A truck will arrive to the left with reinforcements -- you really don't want to be down there when it arrives, so fire a few shots in the area to attrack the truck, then snipe the soliders one-by-one as they climb out.

Once you're satisfied that the coast is clear, climb down and break the grate at the foot of the ladder. Drop down, and you'll find a few more guards waiting for you in a storage area. After finishing them, go outside and you'll find yourself on the runway. Don't even bother going to the left; there's nothing essential to do there. Simply head for the big wall to the right.

As you head to the right, notice the tower on the far side. Try to stay out of the guard's sight and climb the ladder. After killing the guard, flip the switch opening the wall, and turn off the alarm if necessary.

Before heading down the ladder and continuing forward, look back at the area you just came from. A few more guards should have appeared -- snipe them with your Mauser and then quicksave.

This next area is fairly tough, as there are a number of guards sniping and firing rockets at you from afar. Progress slowly, sniping one enemy at a time, and if you have to, quicksave between each one.

Your biggest pain is a sniper camping outside on the upper level of the airbase -- he'll usually shoot you before you can even figure out where he is. Whatever you do, don't stand still. Duck in and out of cover until you can locate his position, then quickly snipe him.

Move into the launch base and eliminate the few guards on the lower level. Go up the stairs at the back of the room, and then walk around the upper level to the doorway on the right. You'll find a guard at the top of a stairway. Shoot him, and then go through the doorward on your right (the door straight ahead is locked). At this point, there are three doors you can take -- one to the right, and two to the left. DO NOT go to the right yet -- it will trigger a sequence you don't want to happen yet!

Take the center door, where you'll find a note explaining the three steps necessary to prep the rocket for launch -- Elevation, Fueling and Tower Clearance. This room has the Elevation and Tower Clearance controls...and a technician explaining that the Tower Clearance controls are broke. They'll have to be taken care of manually by going outside and upstairs and turning a freakin' crank, but we'll save that for last.

Flip the Elevation control switch, and wait about 15 seconds for it to complete working. Once the indicator turns green, go out and make a right, towards the door (that was on the far left when you came in). The fueling controls are here, and will now work that you've taken care of elevation. Flip the fueling switch, but beware -- as soon as you do, guards will start heading your way from the locked door at the beginning of the hallway. If you quietly wait for the fueling to finish, the guards will literally sneak up behind you.

Once the fueling is done and the guards are cleared out, go back to the hallway, quicksave, and head for the door we told you not to go through before. As soon as you go through, you'll hear a dramatic musical piece kick in, and when you continue outside, you'll be greeted with the sight of elite paratroopers dropping in on you, who will systematically begin hunting you down as soon as they land.

Right now, all you want to do is climb the ladders as fast as possible before the paratroopers start shooting. Once at the top, head inside to the Tower Clearance control room, where there's one guard hiding behind the crates. Finish him, turn the crank until step three is done, and get ready for a huge fight. (Quicksaving again wouldn't be a bad idea.)

As soon as you get outside, paratroopers will start shooting at you -- and their guns eat CHUNKS out of your health. Did you save your rockets earlier? If so, you'll be glad to have them now -- it's the easiest way to take 2 or 3 paratroopers at once.

Once you've killed a few paratroopers and have run out of rockets, switch to the new paratrooper rifles they drop -- they're very powerful, and a good weapon to use here. The door at the beginning of this area that was locked before (where most of the paratroopers should be emerging from by now) is now open. Head upstairs.

When you reach the control room, shoot the technicians and open the blast doors on the far side of the room. The Kobra rocket is inside and prepped for launch -- hop in and ride out to safety.

Debriefed Jack Stone at OSA by coded radio at Malta. Airdropped in forest near SS rocket base at Katamarunde where I infiltrated the V2 Rocket Base through means of stealth approach. Once inside base destroyed V2 with "dirty water" warhead aimed for London. Fought through heavy resistance on way out to reach Experimental Aircraft Facility. Successfully infiltrated Aircraft Facility, located launch directives and "appropriated" experimental Bachem-317 Kobra Rocket Plane. Flew without incident back to Malta to turn over Kobra to OSA scientists.