After Action Report

[Grits]

Gunfighters After Action Report:

The squad participated in Ta152's group intercepting buffs. Most of the squad took off from the correct base, but the CO and XO both somehow managed to take off from the wrong base, they did however take the correct plane which is an improvement on the last mission.

As the rest of the squad was working together with Storch and JG54, the CO and XO wandered around lost, but heading in the general direction of the suspected targets. The CO and XO accidently found the interceprter group, and not long afterwards got lost again.

As "tally ho" was called on the Buffs in the north, the CO and XO got separated and the CO headed for the southern bomber stream. He got one HO snapshot on a Tempest that later resulted in a kill, and one assist on a B-24. He then turned NW for the other group and stumbled upon a lone P-51 also heading to the northern group that was not looking behind him. The CO closed to D400 and dispatched the P-51.

Seeing that the situation seemed under control, the CO decided to RTB and hot rearm and get back into the action. Upon landing, the CO ground looped his Ta152, broke the wings off, and decided to land the 2 kills.

Status of the other Gunfighters is unknown.

[Oldman731]

Originally posted by Grits
Status of the other Gunfighters is unknown.

It was nice to  have a status for other Gunfighters.  How did that happen?  Did you offer them glory?  Money?  Or something else?

I was directed to take off from a base far behind the lines.  I bear no personal responsibility for this.  I was simply following orders.

Much to my surprise, we actually found the enemy before our fuel ran out.  I pulled ahead of a trio of B-24s, put my Ta-152 into a shallow dive until I drew even with them.  At just the proper moment I pushed on the stick to turn left in a beautiful and classic Oldman Pursuit Curve.  However, the stick did not move.  My silly-looking airplane was in compression, and plunged right by the bombers.  I could see the gunners laughing and throwing old candy wrappers at me.  Very embarrassing, but at least I was going too fast for any of the escorts to shoot me.

That all changed, of course, when I finally pulled out of the dive.  Does my airplane flash pink on DAR?  Can people tell I'm in it?  I looked behind to find a mass of P-51s following me.  Even they were laughing.  I was mortified, and, worse, I was in danger of being shot down before I could clear the tape off my gun ports.  A combination of the unusual speed of my airplane, and the timely intervention of friendly pilots, cleared my tail before it caught fire.

Now I was mad.  I was mad and embarrassed.  I was mad and embarrassed and mortified.  So I wanted to kill something, Allied if possible.  And there he was, one lonely P-51 with lots of black-crossed people chasing him around.  My airplane must flash pink, because he clearly was not afraid of pulling up right in front of me.  What could I do?  I started shooting, is what I did.  Then I noticed the tracers going by me.  A good pilot would instantly flick his plane into an Evasive Maneuver.  But not me.  I looked back over my shoulder to see what the shooting was all about.  Fortunately for me, it was Storch in a jet airplane.  Between the two of us we finished off poor Cowboy.  Thank goodness there is no ganging in the CT.

At that point it was way beyond the oldman's bed time.  In the finest squadron tradition, I set the airplane down on the runway and watched as its wings fell off.  Who was that Kurt Tank guy anyway, to design such fragile machines?

Had a great time.  Thanks to all who organized it, and all who participated.

- oldman

[DaddyAck]

If you are refering to last night in the CT I was the lead plane in the three plane formation inbound on the ammo factory.  We droped on the target and leveled it, but y'all bounced us hard right in mid drop.

[Grits]

Originally posted by Oldman731
It was nice to  have a status for other Gunfighters.  How did that happen?  Did you offer them glory?  Money?  Or something else?

They heard about all the fun you and I have augering/colliding/crashin/shooting each other, and decided they wanted in, so I said OK.

[storch]

 where's OM and grits, they are going to have to clean this mess of beer and boogers from my screen.

[daddog]

Sure had a good time myself. Took off in the Dora and scouted around. Found the B-24’s inbound with some P-51’s and P-38’s as escorts. Managed a couple of passes with minor damage to some buffs. Had to keep extending (running away from escorts) and turn back for another pass. All the time I was telling the Ta-152 pilots east of us your location and alt. Active scout I was. Finally saddled in behind a formation of B-24’s and came up underneath them. Flamed one and hammed another when a P-51 finally caught me.

Reuped in a 109G10 and the 30mm. Danced with some P-51’s. Had a head on with one and took a snapshot by kicking my rudder as he passed. One of the rounds landed on the cockpit. What luck and he blew moment later. Shot down another 51 later on.

Had a good time.

[DaddyAck]

It was a good, all be it breif time
I will definately stick around