For most people, AAR's consist of about 15 seconds of tension followed by a 2 minute refractory period. And like sex, it has its eb's and flows.
However, every now and again one fly’s a mission that has you wake up at night with the business end of a 109 screaming at you head long, and you get the motivation to write.
The 4 Wing: 416 Lynx & 441 Silver Fox proudly present:
The HQ Raid From Hell
It was not overkill; it was rather compact and well thoughtout. Gball had assembled 7 flights of B17's, 6 P-51's and my flight of 4 P-38's to take a 100 mile tour into Bishland.
The first 20 minutes were pretty quiet, the little friends got up to altitude in short order and set cruise power waiting for the bombers to reach their final cruising altitude. We set out to the south of the western most portion of rook held territory to a mostly over water route that intersected with a patrolling CV to help mask our approach. It also helped that the CV reacted as a radar picket to any incoming interceptors.
The Buff's assembled in a tight box, about 500 ft deep slightly over 20,000. The 51's at 25,000 and the P38's somewhere in-between. About 50 miles from Bish held territory our hearts jumped collectively as our radar picket showed 4 bish 262's lead by the infamous Lazarus.
The fighter's did their best to fend off the 262's but the 100 mph + speed advantage was much to cope with. The 262's ran in on the formation - sometimes several at a time: NONE MADE IT THROUGH. Morpheus took minor damage to one of his drones, but all bombers were intact.
Within 2 minutes of their downing a 4 pack of 109's came at us from 30,000 ft the bombers downed 3 of them, either myself or 1 of the P51's downed the last 1. The 109 got in close behind 1 o the flights and annihilated it.
It was quiet a little past feet dry and we were no more then 15 miles from the bish HQ when the **** hit the fan. We were met, by what historians would no doubt consider the entire LW compliment of 163's during world war 2.
I **** you not - there were more then 20 of them. The bomber's fared well against the 163's. Gball's group shot down 4 of them. Other bomber's had similar luck. As we got closer, 2 of the groups pickled their bombs with 1 landing on target.
I didn't survive, but more because of a pilot wound then being gang'd by 5 163's plus a group of 109's. And despite it being a suicide run, the feeling that you get when you see dozens of 163's off your nose with only your wits to get you though, it far outweighs any amount of channel 1 trolling and smack talking.
Folks
Wolfala
