We took off from field A72 and had a hard time communicating with our assigned bomber group for quite a while. We saw them overhead just at takeoff but they made a turn and didn't tell anyone so we became separated. I really only had a vague idea of where they were or where they were headed from the posreps I was getting. We saw several other groups of B-17s on the way to the target (a radar factory) that also had escort. Saw some NME A/C engaging those bombers West of our target area and helped their escort to take them out of the play. We reformed and headed to an area SW of the target having finally heard our bomber group's intent to bomb from the South. We positioned ourselves ahead of their path and above (we were at about 30K, they about 25K) and found some NME lying in wait. Some of us--about half-- engaged those guys from above and behind and broke up their little party. Our bomber group got thru to the target largely unopposed. GE and I attacked a single FW attacking a separated lower formation. GE compressed and overshot (he was able to recover). I fought the compression--P-38's tough to handle in dives up high! I got in a burst and the FW split S'd. I climbed back up to the bombers and saw no NME. The buffs dropped and then circled to the North and made another pass. The radar factory was reduced to 21% by some nice bombing. Somebody knew how to calibrate! WTG 68th Lancers.
By now the Damned that had engaged earlier were in a rolling fight down low and apparantly racking up some scalps. WTG. The rest of us are covering the bomber's egress Southerly. 68Jam's formation is out ahead of the main group and has picked up an FW who's smoked one of his engines. DFA and I dive in and get good bursts in. I got one in his canopy and DFA took his aileron. He dove out and to the right and we let him go. I was hoping maybe we'd wounded him but neither of us got a kill. A minute or so later the buffs turned West to rearm and we were released to free hunt. We see some dots to our 10 o'clock low and head over to investigate. Its a single friendly that's picked up a pair of FWs and is in a downward spiralling fight. DFA and I again intervene. One of the FW's separates and gives us an oppurtunity. He did a fine job of trying to scissors us downhill but we never overshot him--good thing too as he was in an A-8. Lots of firepower out the front of one of them! One burst would have done extreme nastiness to our P-38s. Eventually he ran out of altitude. We were on the deck near a destroyed fuel depot South of our target area. Now out of his element he was in bad shape vs the two of us and we both peppered him good. I ended up with the kill but it could have gone either way. Brosef, nice scissors bro. Don't know what happened to the other friendly or the other FW.
By now we're being recalled. The Damned are fairly separated but are all on the way to A76 from wherever we are for a refuel and rearm to make another strike. DFA and I are heading back but we're a long way out--over 2 sectors. I'm trying to find out what the bombers are gonna do as by now there's only about 45 minutes left in the frame. Not much time to get just about anywhere and back before endframe. I'm not getting much feedback from anyone so I decided to call it a night for the Damned. I was the last to leave and don't ya know it just as I'm logging the bomber lead is tellin me they're about to bomb again. They went in on the deck to save time. Would have been nice to have escorted them again as it worked so well the first run.
All in all the allied side kicked ass. We crushed all of our targets and when I left there were only 10 axis guys left in flight. We all got out alive although some lost their planes. NIffers crashed, JJ was captured. I don't believe we lost a single bomber to NME fighter activity. Just another outstanding effort by the Damned Air Group. Getting to be pretty routine ain't it? ; )
WTG guys. See you next Friday night.
Drano
