III/JG11 reported for duty with 8 members of 7./JG11 Stampf, RMRider, VonMessa, 33jtr, Choppit, Bino, Canukk, and RRaine. 10 members of 8./JG11 were present consisting of Fencer, Gavagai, Boingg, Bubi, Shamus, Zud, Vilkas, TheBug, Tuexc123, and PDM. III Gruppe also had some members of other Gruppen present along with other Jagdwaffe pilots, these included Dolfo, and Hobo.
Schwarms were assigned as follows:
Stampf / Dolfo / RMrider / VonMessa / 33jtr / Choppit
Bino / Canukk
Fencer / Hobo / Gavagai / Boingg
Bubi / Shamus / ZUD / Vilkas
TheBug / PDM / Tuxc123 / RRaine
III Gruppe was assigned to the Bf 109 G2. We were based at A12 and tasked with bomber escort for the lead attack against A5 by VF-6. A second attack by LCA was to go in unescorted. We were also tasked with sending a diversionary sweep to the south of A5 to set off radar warnings in that area. Bino and Canukk were assigned this mission.
The Gruppen taxied from the hangar and formed up on the runway awaiting the order to take off.
We were ordered to roll at T+3:31. At T+5:26 Bino and Canukk were dispatched on their way.
We had to hustle to catch the lead strike as they had leveled at 10k and were a half sector ahead of us. We eventually pulled up even with them. The communication with the primary and secondary strikes led much to be desired. The lead strike was 3 sets of Ju88s.
The secondary strike which was to be unescorted was 5 times that number of bombers. They appeared to be under the impression that they were to be escorted as well. This was against the orders as delivered. Yet the ‘other’ 109 group who’s leader was Jim Beam (This turns out to have been the 367th Dynamite Gang) was not even mentioned as part of our strike package nor are they listed in the orders at all! So we ended up with 30+ Bf 109 G2s escorting 3 vics of Ju-88s. Peachy. However it didn’t turn out all bad.
We continued to close on A5 from due east. At T+14:42 we resumed climb from 20k.
At T+21:34 Spitfires were sighted quite a bit lower than us east of the target. The Dynamite Gang engaged them. There were 8 Spitfires, which were the AKs and they were in Spit 9s. Shortly there after more Spits came in and Stampf took his Schwarm in after them.
At T+23:09 Hobo called out a Spit crossing just below us at 2 oclk. I spilt Sed and dropped on him. He broke hard right and then dove for the deck, I let him go.
PDM called more high spits from the south, and there were a ton of them at 26k.
The original Spit9s which the 367th had engaged, were all over the bombers of VF-6.
The Spits came into view at 27k, there were two groups. I turned my Schwarm which was at 21k back north.
At T+25:50 a real cool sight occurred. Bino’s, Stampf’s and My Schwarms were all maneuvering independently in relatively tight groupings working the “Spit Problem”.
At T+26:06 Stampf called “Dolfo to me, everyone else stay up”. I was trying to get the LCA bomber formation to tell us where they were so we could cover their attack on the field, no luck.
At around T+28:20 Stampf got jumped by a Spit V and went down. Bubi, Shamus, RMRider and Von went down to help Dolf and Stampf.
Bug and my schwarms had climbed up to 28 and 27k respectively over the field. The Spitfires which had loomed over us disappeared south.
At T+28:50 The LCA CO finally replied that they were “just north e of trgt”.
At T+30:15 I realized Stampf was down and discoed. I ordered Bug to disengage NE with my Schwarm to close on the second bomber strike. Which then reported they were in 9 11 fp 1 northwest of the target… yeah, right. at this point I knew we were in for a long night trying to cover these guys. I ordered everyone not engaged to get clear and get alt north, but cover those guys engaged and in trouble.
At this point the wandering high Spits reappeared NE of the base at 28k, which was fine as the bombers were northwest of the base or so they said. I informed the bomber leader of the fact that we had 2 schwarms closing on him, and that there were Spits high near the target.
Bino reported at T+32:43 that he and Canukk were chasing a dozen spitfires NE of A5 at 30k. Meanwhile Von, Rider, Shamus, Bubi, Zud and Vilkas were engaged somewhere low near A5 helping each other and working clear.
At T+33:16 I called off the attempt to rendezvous with the bombers as they were not giving accurate position reports, we turned back east for the spits which Bino was reporting.
At T+33:45 Bino called he was attacking 3 spits he had broken off the main group. My schwarm and Bug’s schwarm were closing rapidly.
At T+33:51 I got icons on the spits co-alt.. finally. I lead the two schwarms in on the 10 or so spits.
They were Spitfire 5s! Just as I called that out in response to Gava’s question I took a shot at one and missed as he crossed in front of me. These were not the ones that Bino was on, but the 353rd FG. It was 10 Spits vs 8 109s, we had them outnumbered! Shot at another from dead astern and he slipped right out of my sights. I note in the film that we were all 100 mph faster than the spits at this time, very nice.
At T+35:37 the second strike leader said he was entering V96 dar ring. I took another shot at a spit which broke hard getting only a single 20mm hit on him, then went to help Bug. I chased one for 10 seconds which had been on Bug and took a long burst at him and missed. Hobo called one on his six and Gava and I both went to help.
At T+37:06 Gavagai called contact with the bombers NE of the target.
I got good hits on a Spit V which was making a run on Hornet forcing him to break off. I then went after one which was on Choppit, and blew his left wing off causing him to flip violently to the left. Man that had to be a heck of a ride from inside that a/c.
Meanwhile Choppit was on a SpitV which was making a run at a set of bombers.
At T+39:20 JG11 formed around the bombers and covered them as they dropped and continued out south.
A general dogfight continued in the area of the target by some members of JG11 while about half followed the bombers out to the south. Then the bombers did something unexpected.. they turned back north to make another run.
At T+40:40 The bombers called they were coming back north for another run. Hey why not, you got the hottest JG around covering you, don’t mind the fact that we were already operating outside of our orders and getting low on gas and ammo.
At T+42:20 P-38s engaged the bombers as they were steadying up on a northern course. I closed in on the lead 38 as he attempted a lead turn on a set of Ju88s. As I got in firing position he did an outside barrel roll to the left until he was cockpit down and dove away. I let the amateur barnstormer go and went back up. I went after another which was on a smoking single Ju-88. He blew the bomber up with one burst before I got within guns range. I followed him off to the left, chopped power and took a shot as he rolled and dove
He was missing control surfaces and leaking and I didn’t follow him down. I did a stupid thing then, I looped up dropping my speed down to 120 knts to gain altitude back to 14k. If there had been a bad guy anywhere near I would have been meat on the table.
Also at T+44:40 we had a lot of our guys at less than 10k chasing after single spits. It appears that they were covering each other, and we did have 5 or 6 guys still with the bombers. A high 38 made a run on a trailing singleton and paid for it.
to be continued..
