Cruel Sea Frame 1 AAR

[daddog]

Was a pretty quiet night for the Mongrels. Only about 1/3 of the squad saw any action.

We were slotted to defend Task Group 119 in the 11.19 sector. Lost some scouts at about the 30 minute mark who spotted some TBM's and F4U's. At about the hour mark some F6F's and TBM's were spotted by my low flight. We lost a few guys but most if not all the enemy were shot down. Was not a large group of enemy. Some F6F's and TBM's, 10 maybe?  We flew around for another 30 minutes or so and called it a night when we heard no other attacks were incoming. Numbers looked pretty good for the Axis. Toward the end it was about 50 Axis to 20 Allied in flight. Our task group 119 never even flashed. I don't think the Allies ever even spotted it.

We really enjoyed the terrain and clouds. WTG Dux and crew.

Hope for more action in Frame 2.

[BearCatt]

Yeah pretty good for the VFA-169 Excaliburs!  

We went low and thanks to great work by The Unforgiven we encountered no enemy aircraft over TG2.  

Just wanted to say thanks to The Unforgiven!

[Tattered]

Attack on TG1, much defense, both sides took a big beating.

Great time had.

[Saxman]

VMF-251's full AAR is up at the squadron website.

Our strike group was a total CF. Carrier liftoff was botched, we never really got the escorts and bombers together except for two guys from the Bucs who rolled late so managed to catch the TBMs before reaching the Rally Point.

In the north, at least, the weather REALLY favored the Axis. As we were circling our Rally Point hoping to link up with the TBMs we were to escort we got forced into an engagement with 110s and 109s attacking C126 close to right under us. The 110s were able to slip in under the cloud cover while our fighter cover couldn't even SEE them, except through one little break in the clouds. I don't know WHERE the CAP for 126 was, but I only saw us and LCA there to drive them off, which threw off the rest of our assignment (the fog didn't help, as we couldn't even see each OTHER to even try to link up in the first place).

LCA turned back to rearm, (that, I think, is what hurt most at the end of the sortie) while 251 continued on with the Tomcatters. The five of us remaining managed to successfully link up with the TBMs at that point and continued to the target area. The cloud cover COMPLETELY broke up before we could even sight the target, meaning the Axis had perfect visibility over their taskgroup so we couldn't take advantage of the soup in the way the Axis could. We got jumped by a large group of 109s, and another of 190s.

[Viper61]

Great plan!  And you know its great when many squads dont see action.  Excellent work also from the squads.

Quite night for the 325th as well.  Not complaining at all as 9 lifted and 9 landed no one fired a shot.  I spotted a single TBM and called it and before we could engage the AXIS horde decended on the poor guy and he went down fast!  We worked defense for TG-1 (tripitz) with 332nd and I dont believe it ever flashed.  It looked to me like the closest Allied plane was still 30 miles away.  Had great coordination and comm's with the 332nd which made it very hard for the Allies to get through.  The defensive screen was very effective.  The scouts found the Allied planes almost 50 miles out and single channel comms enabled 30 planes to vector to a single spot to engage.

Im sure the next frame will see more action as the ships move south.  By frame 3 I am sure we'll have our hands full!  Good set up and frame dont change a thing.

The cloud cover is GREAT!  Makes this frame hard and realistic.  Works for both sides as the defenders have to split up into 3 layers to see anything and the ship is hard to spot.  Likewise the attackers have it hard also in finding the ship.  Nicely done cloud builders!!

to all and see you next week.

Viper 61
Ops Officer
325th VFG

[Simaril]

Saxman -- from the other side of that fight (was a covering 190), it was all a matter of timing. For most of the frame we were thick in the soup, and constantly rolling wings to check for a hint of bad guys. The intercept was the only time we were in the clear -- there seemed to be a 5 mile circle with minimal clouds, that slowly moved east through the frame. By the time of final RTB, it was pretty much right over the ships...but when we were patrolling that single arc, it just happened to be clear right where the first TBM (flying alone) came into vis. One TBM lead to another, lead to another, which lead to the fight you were in with Sondog and his group.

Like they say, some days you're the bird, some days you're the statue....

[Drano]

The Damned fielded only 4 pilots last night. We all took G-14s and headed out to defend TG-4. We climbed SW through the thick cloud deck and broke out into the clear at above 20K. Levelling at 25K--thinking at that time it was kinda pointless as bombers would only see a solid cloud deck 5K below them and never any ships-- we headed West along the 12/13 row and got sight of a large number of dots at our height crossing our path left to right at about 7,13,3. They turned out to be P-51Bs. 4 of us against all of those wasn't a good thing but I typed out a SITREP and in we went. As we engaged we found Lancs in the clouds below us and did what we could to engage them but the P-51s did a great job of keeping us at bay. I compressed trying to keep speed up while making a pass and just had to ride it out. I got clear initially but tried to sneak back in low under the bombers to continue giving vectors. The Ponies saw me and 4 chased me to the deck where I tried to make it to one of the clouds. I didn't. End of my night. Filed under "water, water everywhere". Friggin clouds all over the place but there ain't one when I need it!

Rodan got whacked too after nailing a Lanc. Joker (the original Joker that is) took one out also then got clear and headed toward the TG. Gordo headed to A70 to rearm where I joined him as an observer. Joker had Rodan join on his ship and they engaged some NME near the TG but eventually were KIA.  By this time the Lancs had run into the remainder of TG4s defenders and had all been knocked down by the reports on country channel. The TG still was flashing and further reports were that more P-51s were in the area so we climbed a bit heading in that general direction.

We were to the SW of TG-4 in the clouds when a break in them gave us a clear view to the fleet where we saw a small cloud of dots. All P-51s again. 5 of them I thnk. We headed in. One had a bit more height than the others and tried valiantly to catch us but Gordo held a sharp spiral climb and the Pony stalled out. Down we came on the rest as they were all headed generally West. We kept up the pressure.  Noticing a pair of friendlies overhead we called in some help.  We take a pass. One of the ponies didn't get out of the way fast enough and blew apart. They're still generally headed westerly but we give chase. Another pass. Another one down. By now the guys that were with us were gone but we were joined by Dantoo and one other. We take another pass--another kill. Dantoo takes a pass and snuffs one. Now there's only one left and after some nice defensive flying for a bit Gordo finally finds his mark and puts out his mill. The Pony was able to ditch being slow and on the deck already but its all good. WTG Gordo!

This last bit all took place in the center of a group of clouds that formed a sort of boxing ring. It was pretty cool actually. Wish I'd filmed it.

Even tho I had a short night of it I had a good time. I don't know if I'd been flying a bomber I would have appreciated the cloud deck being THAT pronounced tho. I remember having clouds sorta like this in an Eastern Front FSO a few years ago but I don't think I recall one with cloudscapes quite like these. Personally, I like having clouds but I don't know if this wasn't just a bit much. Did look cool tho. Field we took off from was definitely under IFR conditions at the time. hehe

Drano

[TracerX]

Saxman, USMC was defensive cap for 126, and we were the last group scheduled to leave the carrier.  It took a long time to clear as everyone was having a rough time getting airborn.  We did make it to 126, but we were engaged heavily by a bunch of 190's and 109's on the south side of the carrier.  We only had 4 pilots survive the initial engagement, so you would not have seen many of us.  We were happy to see that some other friendlies were in the area.  My estimate is that we were outnumbered even counting your group.  It was fun while it lasted however.

[trax1]

Originally posted by daddog
We really enjoyed the terrain and clouds. WTG Dux and crew.
 

Yeah wtg, that weather added another aspect to lastnights FSO, looked amazing guys.

[trap2000]

The Haze fielded three pilots for frame 1. After air starting from A21, we formed up and headed NE to our target area in the 9,14 grid with the AK’s providing a large fighter umbrella above us. About 50 miles from the target area we were intercepted by 109’s. The AK’s bounced the 109’s and broke up most of the attack. The enemy fighters that did get through had to settle for rear hemisphere attacks on the bombers and we were able to fight them off from our gun positions with the loss of one aircraft. Less than ten minutes later we were intercepted by another group of 109’s that came in from our high five o’clock. Again the AK’s came to our defense and broke up the momentum of the enemy attack. However, several of the enemy were determined to get to the bombers and made their way through the fighter screen. They used high angle slashing attacks, coming in from almost directly above us to get the full planform of the bombers and isolating our defensive fire to the top turret. They would finish their attack by diving below us, taking advantage of our lack of a ball turret and zoom back up while staying out of gun range, pull over the top and line up for the next attack. I’m sorry to say all of our Lancasters eventually went down without ever dropping a single bomb.
The clouds and weather effects were awesome. They didn’t make our mission any easier, but certainly made the flight seem much more real. It’s just how I pictured the North Sea at 10k

[Stampf]

Norway, 1944.  

Somewhere on a bleak field under heavy clouds they wait.  There has been no sign, no word.  Surly not all were lost, for ten young men set out this morning, confident and strong.  But still they wait, in awkward silence; something must have gone terribly wrong.  The time is long past that the familiar silhouettes should have immerged through the haze above the tree line…the roar of the radials, the rolls of victory…but still nothing.

Perhaps they are but lost, and were forced to land elsewhere in the low cloud cover…there is always that hope.

Afternoon fades into evening, and night finds the field silent…and still they wait.

[shreck]

Originally posted by BearCatt
Yeah pretty good for the VFA-169 Excaliburs!  

We went low and thanks to great work by The Unforgiven we encountered no enemy aircraft over TG2.  

Just wanted to say thanks to The Unforgiven!

You are very welcome. We got out ahead of you guys at about 20K and engaged a gagglle of F6s that brought us down to about 6K. we were heavily engaged when a squadie " JAM934 " brought our atttention back to our mission, as we were getting carried away at the moment . we continued north to find the fleet then engaged roughly 7 to 10 F6s co-alt and above, bringing the fight to the deck, we were undaunted by the ack and pursued them as needed to clear the way, I think we lost 3 in the ack. Just as the last F6 was dispatched I saw the low dots of ship killers and told the squad, " the bombers are in CLEAN WTFG "

VFA-169  WTFG on the very efficient killing of those boats. It's very nice when it all comes together

[trax1]

I was feeling sick and after I got shot down I had to log, but I was wondering if someone could let me know how TG4 did, if we were successful in stopping the bombing of C221.  Also I'd like to thank BearKats for taking the lead on our flight group, the four squads assigned to defend it were all short handed and we all merged together and BearKats took the lead, so .

[morfiend]

Viper 61

  Always knew where you were,your HDG and alt.

  Very profesional Sir!

[forHIM]

viper61  and a were sorry you had to put up with us for almost 2 hours on VOX.  25 pilots on the channel makes it interesting.  oops I guess that was only about 15 since we had part of the guys on another channel.  Sorry for the jokes, banter, north vs south / left vs right banter etc.  Thanks for keeping the mongrels informed of your squads position.