The plan, insofar as the bombers, came after a lot of offline testing. I wanted to find a way to get behind your lines and operate in an area you likely wouldn't or couldn't be looking for me. I took the B-26s from A6 at T-25 to a point in 16,11,7 on the deck at about 270 mph. It was T+0 as we got to that point--about 20 miles or so off the runway of A68. The B-26 was the only bird at our disposal that carried any ammount of bomb load that was fast enough to do that. I didn't know if you'd use A68 this frame or if you did if we'd get far enough East to not get seen. I rolled the dice on that much.
From there we started a climb to 16K skirting around A66 and A67 before turning SW to 17, 8, 7 and in towards the target.
We did all of this unescorted. I had the 56th in P-47s meeting us on the egress side of the plant and had them flashing bases West of there in an attempt to have you react away from the plant. That was also the idea with Fate in their Spits. I had them flashing all the bases over by 46 vicinity. I hoped you'd send a group over to investigate what that was, thinning our your coverage and further clearing the factory area. The 56th didn't make it that far and ran into a large group around A35 and engaged them down to the deck. They died but accomplished their mission of dragging a group of defenders out of position.
I think where it went wrong for that mission was someone on our side got into a fight around A71 which drifted West of the factory and started it flashing. This was when we were about 5 minutes out. Man, was I screaming on text! I wanted you guys to get drawn OUT of there--no IN! But when we were in scope you guys started hitting us. I was about 15 seconds from dismantling that whole South side of the plant too. Bastiges! So close!
As for the B-24s, that was more testing on my part. I had them take off from A8 at T-25 on a very shallow rate of climb. Initially at 1k fpm and gradually stepping that down to 250fpm until at about 13.5K going level at 11, 8, 9 where they opened doors and made a turn left to 135, their bomb run on A37. I timed it so that they'd arrive over the field at about T+5.
I tested 109G-2s (your best climber) of various configs and found that even on a full WEP climb they'd make it to about 15K in 5 minutes but that would be climbing in a straight line putting them about 10 miles down range. And therefore in no position to stop the bombers from dropping.
After the drop the plan was to make a hard turn to the left and hopefully draw some pursuing fighters that would be from the bomber's 6--(a bad place to attack formations of B-24s) or to the friendly fighters that had taken off at A15 and were on the way to cover their egress. The idea was also to make the LW birds drop their tanks early in the chase.
I know the drop on A37 worked like a charm initially but I don't know what happened to those guys after that. I know KOOL got out as he was re-arming but never heard back from them. Plan A was for them to continue on to the Flak Factory and mop up there but we were using Plan B which called for a follow up strike to A37 first. As far as I know that never happened.
The other attacks on A72's town and the truck convoy at A39 ended successfully. I recalled all of those planes and had them re-arm at the nearest friendly base they could make and be able to get themselves over to A37 where they should make that place a smoking hole.
At about T+50 there was a large group otw to there. After my Marauder got shot out from under me I hitched a ride with WxMan in his Tiffie and marvelled at the aluminum overcast that was about to engulf A37. During the attack I only saw a single Me110 defending and he didn't last more than about 30 seconds. I kinda felt bad for the guy---NOT! When we left there weren't two boards stuck together at A37. Lots of lovely smoke and flames. After a few minutes of free hunting I called a general RTB.
Dantoo seemed to get himself turned the wrong way and found himself with whatever remains there was of the LW all to himself on the deck West of A37. Poor guy. He made the ultimate sacrifice so that we could all get away safely.
And so ended a productive night. Great teamwork. Great execution.
Drano
