"Rusty" named Top Ace in Squad!
It has been a while since I flew last. Perhaps almost two weeks at least, and having minimal flying time for the last couple of months.
Anyway, orders arrived for Frame 3 of Red Sky Over Germany. I really didn't have time to check it out but printed it anyway. I missed Frame 2 due to RL commitments and was hoping that I could fly this frame although it didn't look promising. But when my daughter's dentist appointment got cancelled, I hurried back home and just made it in time.
In the MA, I took an La5FN for a hop to get the feel of the plane. I did manage to ping up a P51D but didn't get the kill for it. I went to the SEA and the usual greetings followed. There, I had a choice of flying the La7s or the IL2s, although the IL2 pilots were allowed to fly La7s on their second life. I chose the La7. This was a first for me... flying an La7. And I cautioned everyone that since I had minimal flying time, I am rusty... we divided into eight pilots each for the IL2s and La7s. We had no other squads to help us with escort into V56, so we were tasked to manage the offensive ourselves.
Time came for the start of the frame and away we went...
Nice nose art on our planes... we were looking good...
However, we knew that trouble was ahead of us. And the La7s were tasked to keep the enemy planes away from the IL2 strike force. IL2s were ordered to go in at 9000ft, while the La7s tried to sweep a corridor infront of the strike force, maintaining over 15,000ft.
Within 30mins from the start of the frame, somewhere between A37 and V56, our target, we encountered Bf109G10. I soon learned that the Bf109G10s were faster than the La7s at medium to high altitudes and possibly more manueverable as well. It didn't take a while before I figured that the best way to survive was to drag them low and then engage on deck where La7s have more advantage. It also crossed my mind... "this La7 is the plane people have been whining about in the MA... it goes to show how lopsided combat is in the MA".
The enemies were smart, careful not to get dragged low. In fact, they maintained their altitude at all times and were picking us out one at a time, demonstrating the superior performance of the Bf109G10s at altitude. And they had numbers as well. However, the La7 escort group was able to completely keep the Bf109G10s off the IL2s. In fact, the IL2s were undetected and went into the target with minimal resistance.
The result of the first flight was that V56 was flattened except for one vehicle hanger.
Filth, Wingman9, and I survived our first sorties into V56 and arrived safely at A5 to re-arm and re-fuel, although I did not fire a shot.
The IL2 pilots reloaded themselves into La7s and away we went to finish off V56. On the way there, we learned that someone else had done the job for us and we were directed to provide CAP over V18, little did we know that we were going to encounter the first jet fighters of WW2.
Over V18, we provided CAP at different altitudes together with other squads of the VVS. We numbered over 20. Although we managed fuel conservation, some of us opt to re-fuel before the enemies arrived on their second wave. I chose to stay up high and kept the RPM low to conserve as much fuel as possible.
Sooner than later, facilities and bases issued warnings of enemy planes in the area. They were approaching V18. However, they seemed a bit fast... and they turned out to be Me262s.
We first encountered two of them while they were making brief passes to scatter us. Their tactic was to get us low and keep the corridor open high for the Fw190s to come in and attack V18 from high alt. Their tactic worked. Little by little, more and more Me262s and slowly, we were being clamped down.
I managed to slip out of the others, and came back after gaining altitude. By this time, many of us were low, possibly 12,000ft and lower. However, the Me262s were losing altitude themselves, and some of them got too low for safety.
I came back at about 18,000ft and saw the furball being wrestled to the deck. I did not want to just dive in and blow my altitude and decided to stay high for the moment.
Then I see AKgrog blow an Me262 to bits at 15,000ft. However, as soon as he did that another Me262 wound up on his tail. I decided to jump in and see if I can help. I soon saw that I had enough E to keep up with the Me262 and closed in on him.
At 400yrds out, I opened fire, although I was not used to the ballistics of the B-20 20mm cannons. I managed to land a few shells on the left wing of the Me262 causing it to leak fuel. I knew at this point, that this Me262 was doomed if I could keep up with him long enough for him to lose his E. To my luck, AKqwik was with me. What I did not know, was that with my lousy gunnery, some shells flew past the Me262, striking AKgrog's plane... sorry about that.
What I didn't know as well was that there were at least five of the Me262s covering each other. AKgrog made his escape from there, leaving AKqwik and myself battling the most modern fighter of the time. I knew that our tactic again would be to drag them low while trying to make them lose their E enough for them not to be able to escape. I also knew that they would have difficulty aiming if they came in too fast, which was common for a jet fighter.
Upon reviewing the film, this Me262 opened fire on me while doing over 600mph. He ripped his wing while pulling out of his dive. I should have been awarded the kill on this one!
The enemy was, of course, smart. They did not risk coming down fast. This left AKqwik and myself to finish off the damaged Me262. The Me262 put up a fight to the very end, dancing with the both of us on deck. I decided to take turns making passes on the Me262, remembering to jump back in not too late as the speed of the dance was faster much faster than dancing with a prop fighter.
Once AKqwik ended up infront of the Me262. The resulting HO pass could have knocked him out, especially with the four MK108 30mm cannons in the nose of the Me262. AKqwik was lucky that none of the shells hit him, and I ended up on the tail of the Me262.
The Me262 is slow in acceleration, helping my La7 turn the Me262 before he gained speed. Now he was doomed...
With no alt to convert to speed, the Me262 was as slow as 250mph. I kept my La7 at 300mph, careful not to overshoot him. I took the turns wide and followed him in a lag turn. Soon after, he met his fate.
I called in as my fuel was low and so was my ammo. I learned that the Fw190s had arrived as expected from high above, demolishing V18. However, although it was hit hard and we lost all hangers, it was not hard enough to knock out all strats at V18.
I re-fueled and re-armed at A5 and headed back to V18. By that time, the enemy was gone. I decided to follow them on their egress while I conferred with my squad leader on what to do.
Then I spotted two Bf109G10s going back into V18. They had spotted me as well and decided to engage. I called in and learned that Filth was also on his way into V18. I tried to drag the two low to Filth.
We decidedly engaged together. However, Filth had suffered an HO collision with one of the Bf109G10s, where his plane had disintegrated into bits with no trace of him left. The Bf109G10 lost one of its wing completely and the pilot bailed.
The other Bf109G10 decided to make a firing pass onto V18 itself. As he dived from about 15,000ft, I believe he had compressed. He could not recover his plane and slammed into the ground within inside V18. I think I should have been awarded a kill on that one too! I was only 1600yrds away!
End of the frame was called, and I returned to base in one piece. My plane had not suffered any damage at all either.
Final stats of the frame:
Pilot #s: 16; Kills: 9; Assists: 4; Objects: 20; Deaths: 12; Kill/Death: 0.7500; Top Ace: FDutchmn.and so... "Rusty" has been named Top Ace in Squad!
