The funny part is that there was one scout pilot in a FW190 who saw us as we ingressed to the target, and called out the dogs.
But their command team kept the dogs home because they thought we were a feint, instead of a strike, LOL!
I'd worked up a sweat first expecting them to find us, then the combat that would ensue. The feeling of elation after the drop when I gave the formation the order to descend 3K/min at full throttle to egress was palpable (given the knowledge that if they weren't there in force already there was no way they could engage).
Dan, you would have loved another mission even more. During the Sicily scenario we hit the high-point target that pre-event consensus said could not be hit. It was even better than this. They were there waiting as we approached Indian territory, but their entire force "bit" on the bait - we sent a large group of Ju-88s on a long dive ahead of the main formation, just out of dot range. Their interceptors all followed them down in a feeding frenzy. We LOAO as we sailed by overhead OTW the "unhittable" target (a convoy).
That's also the mission where a pilot bailed accidentally after the drop, but his chute remained in formation as we RTB'ed. Anyone who recalls the scream a bailer made in AW will know what we had to listen to all the way home
Too much fun, back in the day, eh?
